More homeless people moving to new areas south of Colorado Springs city limit
EL PASO COUNTY (KRDO) -- The way of life for homeless people is to think ahead and have some idea of where to go next if their illegal camps are shut down by authorities.
However, residents and officials said that they've noticed a recent trend -- homeless individuals and groups migrating farther in hopes of staying in one place for a longer time period without being discovered.
This migration is happening just south of Colorado Springs, in the communities of Fountain, Security-Widefield and Stratmoor.
Neighbors near a camp bordered by Interstate 25, Highway 85/87 and Maxwell Street in Stratmoor said that it's their first up-close experience with homeless camps.
"We've had to put up No Trespassing signs," said James Griffin. "We're seeing more people that we haven't seen before. They're loitering, leaving trash, being loud. "We've tried to contact authorities but we keep getting the runaround."
Tony Clarcks is one of the camp residents and said that he has lived there for a year, although neighbors report first noticing it this spring.
"We lost our jobs at the start of the pandemic when our restaurant closed down," he said. "It was a real tough time. There aren't many people who have people (who care or can help). The struggle is real."
The number of occupants in the camp has wasn't clear Friday.
Others who live in the affected communities said that they're seeing homeless camps and panhandlers in or near their neighborhoods for the first time.
Beth Hall Roalstadt, executive director of Homeward Pikes Peak, a homeless support agency, said that an increase in homelessness isn't the reason for the migration.
"It's true that they do seem to be moving from the downtown area," she said. "There might just be people trying to find different places to access support or help, or maybe even get jobs. It could be that law enforcement differences in municipalities are (responding to homelessness) differently, and I definitely know that their resources are different."
Moving to areas south of the city provides a better opportunity for some homeless camp residents to avoid detection or unwanted attention from neighbors and stay in one location longer.
Andy Phelps, the homelessness response coordinator for Colorado Springs, offered some advice for the affected communities.
"Get to know those homeless people and their situations," he said. "Until you do that, you can't really help them. We've had success with that. Our outreach teams have significantly lowered law enforcement involvement."
Phelps said that the city annually receives around $4.5 million from the federal government to fund homeless programs. and local nonprofits apply for that money to provide services. The city also has received an additional $18 million during the pandemic but it's unclear how much of it may go to the affected communities.
Clarks' girlfriend, Vanessa Slay, said that most homeless people simply want and need help getting back on their feet.
"To get it, the homeless have to go to unfamiliar or uncomfortable surroundings," she said. "Why not bring the help to them, in their setting? Or set some land aside for them."
