Aurora postpones ‘tough love’ approach to homelessness

A homeless encampment at Mississippi and Abilene in Aurora.Photo byMike Coffman

The Aurora City Council postponed Monday to the next regular council meeting June 10 a new “tough love” approach to homelessness that sentences urban campers to addiction and mental health treatment.

The council decided at its study session two weeks ago to advance to a regular meeting an ordinance creating a new court for homeless campers. Ordinance sponsor Steve Sundberg said the court is not meant to be punitive. Offenders who successfully complete a year’s probation and their treatment plan would have the violation removed from their record, he said.

Sundberg did not say Monday why he chose to postpone the vote on the new specialty court, known as HEART, and a companion trespassing ordinance. HEART stands for housing, employment, assistance, recovery, and teamwork. The council briefly discussed the program last month during the Public Safety, Courts, and Civil Service Committee.

The court would partner with agencies such as Ready to Work and others to provide housing and employment, Sundberg said. The one-year program would be intensive, Mayor Mike Coffman said. People who successfully complete the program would not be prosecuted, Sundberg said.

“It’s hopefully about showing some people some tough love but getting them on the right track and improving their lives,” said council member Steve Sundberg. City staff said the program, if approved by the full council, would begin in July.

Cracking down on encampments

The new court would go hand in hand with new “no trespassing” signs that would be mounted around the area known as “the triangle” and the I-225 corridor, Sundberg said. These are areas where the city already spends a lot of time clearing encampments, according to city staff. With the signs, the city would not be required to give 72 hours’ notice before a sweep, staff said.

“It is common for an abated unauthorized camp to be repopulated shortly after the unauthorized camp has been abated,” according to the ordinance. “The cycle of repopulating an abated unauthorized camp is an ongoing expense for the city that does not solve the underlying problem of individuals and families occupying an unauthorized camp. To promote sanitation, public health, and safety for individuals and families occupying an unauthorized camp and for the citizens of the city, additional provisions are necessary in the unauthorized camping ordinances to encourage those occupying unauthorized camps to seek offered shelter and services in an effort to end their cycle of homelessness.”