More homeless people in Colorado Springs seeking resources after being brought into municipal court

COLORADO SPRINGS,Colo. (KRDO) - It's a fairly common sight people camping out illegally, sleeping in tents or sometimes just out in the open. But, in Colorado Springs they can get fined for it.

However, according to a municipal court judge it's rarely enforced.

"I can't remember the last time we imposed a fine on those types of cases," said Hayden Kane, presiding judge and court administrator for Colorado Springs Municipal Court.

Still, those people are still required to show up in municipal court bringing them right to the people running the economic mobility program.

Kane said the majority of homeless people that end up in municipal court tend to be dealing with trespassing violations or tickets for illegally camping in public.

"You try to find the barriers for this population, and they break down those barriers," said Kane.

Judge Kane said they're seeing success with the program.

"It comes literally from the bench because we can tell from the charging document if they have a local address or not. If they don't, we make everybody aware that there's resources out in the hall," said Kane

In 2022, 112 people sought resources and the next year, participation almost tripled with nearly 300 people seeking resources. 

"A lot of the success of this program is due to the fire department...this population is hesitant to talk to CSPD [Colorado Springs Police Department] because you can get in trouble, you can get a ticket...they're not as hands on," said Kane.

But the need is growing.In 2022, there were 200 municipal court cases involving the homeless population. The following year that number jumped to nearly 700.

"The folks that want help we're getting them help... if we can get people out of this situation, then we'll have less people sitting in this room," said Kane.

Just recently, the program received an additional $10,000 grant which will help people get vital government documents like the state ID's or a birth certificates required for applying for housing and jobs.

This grant, awarded by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and made possible through support from its founding sponsor, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, aims to encourage and promote innovation in advancing economic mobility within cities, according to the city of Colorado Springs.

In a press release the city said the grant will support part of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) managed by the Colorado Springs Fire Department's Division of Community and Public Health. This program focuses on providing navigation and resources for justice impacted homeless residents to mitigate future legal challenges and meet their immediate needs, according to city officials.

“The City of Colorado Springs is committed to promoting economic mobility and breaking the cycle of homelessness and ensuring no one is left behind,” said Mayor Yemi Mobolade in a press release. “This grant will provide crucial support for the efforts of the Transition Assistance Program and help create a more prosperous community for all.”

Through collaboration between the Division of Community and Public Health, Municipal Court, and Housing & Community Vitality departments, TAP will now provide support for unhoused community members involved in the Municipal Court system, according to the city of Colorado Springs. City officials said this additional focus aims to decrease the cycle of repeat offenses and create greater stability for those experiencing homelessness.

The CEO of  Homeward Pikes Peak said she is a fan of the program but as she points out it can only do so much.

"The community health partnership, CHP oversees that list that we have as a community to manage. And there's probably 600 people on it at any time that need a housing solution in this community....I encourage the city to build more affordable housing," said Beth Roalstad, CEO of Homeward Pikes Peak.

Next up for program leaders, they'd like to expand their reach into the county jail where many people who need the service end up after skipping their municipal court dates.