AURORA | Aurora lawmakers on Monday expressed early support for a plan to accelerate sweeps of homeless encampments following the launch later this year of a specialty city court program that would connect campers with social services.
The Housing Employment Assistance Recovery Team, or HEART Program, will adjudicate low-level, non-violent misdemeanors such as trespassing, giving homeless defendants the chance to avoid prosecution if they agree to accept help such as mental health care and treatment for substance abuse.
Once the HEART Program is established within the municipal court, which Jessica Prosser of the Housing and Community Services Department estimated would take place by early August, the city will also begin designating certain areas as “closed to camping,” a label that would be used to justify disbanding camps with fewer than the standard 72 hours’ notice.
“This is a tough love approach,” said Mayor Mike Coffman, who co-sponsored the HEART Program proposal with Councilmember Curtis Gardner as well as the changes to rules for sweeps with Councilmember Steve Sundberg.
“The goal is really to move that population into treatment as much as possible,” Coffman said.
According to the text of the ordinance considered during Monday’s study session, a location could be “closed” if the city swept a camp there within the past six months.
Other criteria that could be cited when closing areas include:
- Someone dying or having been seriously injured by “the conditions present.”
- Past or present criminal activity.
- Fires resulting in a response by firefighters.
- Evidence of a rodent infestation.
- The presence of human waste or hypodermic needles.
- Evidence of unauthorized electrical hookups or other utility connections.
- A camp layout that doesn’t include an evacuation route or limits the access of first responders.
- Health code violations or violations of a public health order.
- “Physically undermin(ing) or erod(ing) public infrastructure.”
Signs would be placed in areas closed to camping to warn away people who might otherwise try to set up tents there. Campers who refuse to leave a site closed to camping “immediately” after being ordered to do so would face criminal penalties.
When Councilmember Alison Coombs asked whether the city could be limited in its enforcement of the ordinance by the outcome of a pending U.S. Supreme Court case — City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which hinges on whether homeless people can be penalized for camping on public property if there isn’t enough shelter space to accommodate them — deputy city attorney Jack Bajorek told Coombs that the program may have to be “tweaked” depending on the court’s ruling.
Coffman said that he, Sundberg and Prosser had observed similar courts in Arvada and Lakewood, but that Aurora is seeing “very few takers” for services offered every week by its outreach teams.
The mayor joined other conservatives in praising both proposals, describing them as a way of supporting people who lack shelter while also pressuring them to participate in programs.
“It is really important that we take a strong stand in helping people to be good stewards of their own lives,” Councilmember Stephanie Hancock said. “We have to take a strong approach to this and let people know that they have to be responsible, and we want to help them do that.”
Council members did not object to the items during the study session, meaning they will be formally voted on at an upcoming regular meeting.
Tough love terrible approach, all experts say so but Aurora and “pretend-homeless-person stunt Coffman” (who sneaks out of townhalls so not to have to address constituent concerns), loves the tough approach that hurts this population though he’s clueless about it, and will never ask for expert opinion from those who serve this population and are educated about the topic, nor will he look at what has been successful in other areas or what has not worked. That takes effort, attention and intellect. He’s cruel, and likes that. He still supports killing the ACA and stripping many thousands of Aurorans of health insurance. He’s a fake, just about making viral headlines and appealing to the worst approaches to complex multi-factored issues that require good qualified caring leadership. He also loves to blame everything on the unhoused population rather than take responsibility and address the real problems. VOTE COFFMAN OUT.
You said it differently than I, but basically the identical meanings. The only difference is I sent it directly to mayor Coffman and his #1 guy Gardner. But I would like to get my e-mail to someone of stature in case they act like they never received it.
You two emotives both realize that “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was just a story and not real life, right?
“will never ask for expert opinion from those who serve this population and are educated about the topic,”
LOL, those are the last people a high-trust society should listen to. The vast majority of them are just enablers with the same old marxist Oppressed/Oppressor beliefs.
A can of gasoline and a match sounds like an excellent solution if these scum are in my neighborhood.
I am not sure that burning the meager belongings of the unfortunate is the solution, particularly when the unfortunate or their children my be inside those meager belongings.
“I am not sure that burning the meager belongings of the unfortunate is the solution”
Of course it is. Don’t want your meager belongings or yourself burnt? Get the hell out of my neighborhood.
Of course, these scum could move in front of your house. I wouldn’t mind at all.