Denver’s first-time homelessness rate doubled from 2020 to 2021. Denver7 is taking an in-depth look into the issue and those working on a solution
Our in-depth conversation on homelessness started on a bench in Cheesman Park in Denver. Denver7 connected with a man with a very important story to share, and he wanted to share his story there, specifically.
“I paroled to sober living when I got out,” Bengert explained. “That was the support that I needed. That support was what kept me sober when I first got out of prison.” “It’s just… hearing and seeing things you’re not used to hearing and seeing in Denver,” said Lori Greenly, a resident of the Lower Downtown neighborhood of Denver. “You just have to be alert and aware in a way you didn’t have to be before.”
But Greenly also stresses what advocates continuously say, as well — that homelessness, addiction and crime are separate issues. Experts say they do not directly cause one another. However, they can, at times, intersect. It’s these intersections that offer the deepest challenges, and, perhaps, opportunities.
Calhoun advocates for a policy called “housing first,” which pushes to get people off the streets and into homes with no strings attached. She acknowledges that it may take longer to see results; but she argues the positive outcomes will be more likely to stick. Even still, Calhoun does not view the issue of homelessness with despair. On the contrary, she believes it is an imminently solvable problem.
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