2nd homeless camp in a month shut down in west Colorado Springs
Several weeks after clearing out homeless camps under two bridges in west Colorado Springs, authorities shut down a larger camp just a few blocks away.
On Wednesday, El Paso County deputies supervised the eviction and cleanup behind a Walgreens drugstore just west of 31st Street and Colorado Avenue, an area paralleled by U.S. 24, Fountain Creek and the Midland Trail.
At least a dozen people are believed to have been illegally camping in the area.
KRDO NewsChannel 13 spoke with three homeless people, a man and two women, all around 60 years old and homeless for several years because of various circumstances.
One of the women said she sleeps under a tree; the man said he didn’t know where he’d go next.
Deputies began posting notices last week, ordering campers to vacate the area by 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Campers began leaving gradually and only a few remained when deputies arrived Wednesday.
However, as has become common with homeless camps, a mess of tents, trash, garbage and other refuse was left behind to be cleaned up by members of Keep Colorado Springs Beautiful.
Another issue is how to keep homeless people from establishing new camps after being evicted from closed camps, and how to keep authorities and crews from constantly enforcing and cleaning up — sometimes, even when campers return to closed campsites later.
“There are ideas for solutions, but the problem is many of the homeless don’t want to take part in that process,” said Lt. Bill Huffor of the Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility,” said Dee Cunningham of KCSB. “It’s the responsibility of the homeless to help themselves and the responsibility of the rest of us to help as we can.”
The reasons for closing the camp are the same as those for closing the bridge camps: public complaints and the campsites being on county or state property.
Violators could be charged with loitering, trespassing or violating a no-camping ordinance.
Authorities said no one was cited Wednesday but at least one camper was arrested on an unspecified outstanding warrant.
Tryg Bundgaard, of the Coalition for Compassion and Action, said he’d like to see a permanent camp established for the homeless.
“If no one in Colorado Springs wants to see people camping in public spaces, provide a safe, dignity-filled space to camp,” he said. “Showers, latrines, laundry, security. Places where people can feel safe, stabilize and move back into society. But this endless hamster wheel of displacements does nothing except deprive people of equipment and endanger lives.”
In a related development, some campers have recently established new camps under the bridges.
“It was clean one minute and messy the next,” said a neighbor walking her dog in the area.
But deputies said as long as the campers are new arrivals and keep a low profile without generating complaints, they likely will be allowed to remain.
