Westside neighborhood demands action to curb homelessness crisis

Senior Reporter

(Cover design by Dustin Glatz, Photo by Bryan Oller)

Judith Daley and her Westside neighbors live near a "homeless highway," and they’ve seen it all.

Trash. Drug syringes. Human feces. Piles of blankets and clothes. Tents. A cave dug into the side of a hill as a shelter. Aggressive dogs. And, most recently, "Hail [sic] Hitler" and racial slurs sprayed in black paint on the sidewalk and around the playground of Blunt Park in their area in mid-May.

One neighbor, Nancy Robinson, awoke in the wee hours in early May to find a homeless man shooting up between his toes in her bathroom before he climbed into the shower. When she screamed for him to get out, he told her, "They told me I could be here." Robinson tells the Indy the comment is obviously a reflection of his detachment from reality.

(Photo by Rich Duquet)

Daley and her husband, Bill Morris, live on West Vermijo Street just north of Fountain Creek, where the Midland Trail interrupts for several blocks on a detour to Cucharras Street. In that intervening four- to five-block area along the creek, they’ve seen hundreds of homeless people congregate and set up what resemble living quarters, using blankets for tents or whatever they can dig from trash cans or steal, the neighbors say.

The couple have lived there for more than 35 years, and many of their neighbors are also long-term residents.

But in the last two years, the homeless situation has become more acute, to the point where Daley and her neighbors often call police and submit complaints to the city multiple times a week.

They’ve pleaded for authorities to do something, but when Robinson's home was invaded, that was the last straw, and the neighborhood decided to organize and to not be ignored.

They’ve reached out to the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Office, to police, to the city's complaint website and to newly elected District 3 City Councilor Michelle Talarico.

And they’ve proven the old cliché true. "I am a really good squeaky wheel," Daley says.

Makeshift shelters (top) and the aftermath of a recent fire in a camp (Photo by Rich Duquet)

But while some things were accomplished within a couple of weeks of their activism, time will tell whether things have changed for good.

Besides the constant presence of homeless people who knock on their doors, look in their windows and hang out in the park — some with aggressive dogs that scare neighborhood kids — residents in the Blunt Park area have another complaint.

It seems that more and more of the homeless people there are armed with knives; one man had a machete, another carried a bow and arrow.

"They all walk around with big knives strapped to their legs," Daley says. One group was seen throwing a hatchet at trees, over the tops of one another's heads, she says.

Residents also recount screaming fights at 2 a.m. between homeless people dickering over shopping carts and other disputes.

"We’re talking three to five times a week," Daley says.

Jamie Mills says one homeless woman came to her back fence yelling that she couldn't find her way out from the area around Fountain Creek.

Then there's public urination — that's fairly common — and people looking to swipe whatever they can sell, residents say. Some neighbors say they don't feel comfortable opening their windows during the summer for fear of a break-in.

Sean "Shanti" Lally, Robinson's son, says the neighbors aren't unfeeling. They’ve often helped when asked. One homeless woman came to his door in the rain. He allowed her to sleep on the porch and gave her a blanket.

John Spengler points to where a homeless camp was recently cleaned up. (Photo by Pam Zubeck)

"We’re a compassionate bunch and look at people as individuals," he says. They exchange names with homeless people sometimes, he says, and try to get to know them. In return, they find bags of drug needles, a befouled creek and a city park spray-painted with racial slurs.

On top of all that, four fires have erupted near the creek since last October.

Something of a night owl, Daley happened to be rambling in her house at 2:30 one December morning when she saw flames shooting 15 to 20 feet in the air from the creek bed. Apparently, a propane tank people were using for heat or to cook exploded, she says. Then, ammunition starting popping. "There were bullets going off," she says.

Colorado Springs Fire Department responded quickly, but it took two hours to extinguish the blaze, Daley says.

The Fire Chiefs of El Paso County last fall urged county commissioners to do something about fires in homeless camps that endanger homeless people, property, firefighters and other citizens. It's especially a problem during drought conditions, given the city's large wildland urban interface, they said.

CSFD reports that firefighters responded to 851 fires in homeless camps last year, and to 603 so far this year.

A defaced sidewalk in Blunt Park (Photos by Kate Modzelewski)

As one neighbor put it, "We’re kind of a neighborhood under siege." Another says, "You’re constantly having to be on guard."

John Spengler, a longtime resident who moved to another neighborhood about 10 years ago but whose son still occupies his home near Blunt Park, suggested the Midland Trail be routed through the park to encourage more traffic from cyclists and hikers, which might deter homeless people from malingering.

But another neighbor, Rich Duquet, who walks his dog on the Midland, said the trail itself has become a magnet for homeless people and their shopping carts.

"As soon as you pave it," he says, "you have made a homeless highway."

The annual Point In Time Survey that counts people experiencing homelessness was taken in January, but results won't be released for several weeks. The 2022 survey showed an increase in homeless people living in Colorado Springs and El Paso County compared to the prior two years. The survey showed 1,443 homeless people were counted, compared to 1,156 in 2021 and 1,339 in 2020. The high-water mark was 1,562 in 2019.

The 2022 survey also showed a record high number since 2011, at 396, of those considered as "chronic homeless." That's defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a homeless person with a disability who lives in a place not meant for human habitation or in an emergency shelter who's been homeless for at least 12 months or homeless on at least four separate occasions in the last 3 years with that duration lasting at least 12 months.

Blunt Park neighbors say city officials have told them some people who have lingered in their neighborhood and along Fountain Creek have been homeless for 10 years.

Crystal Karr, the city's homeless prevention and response coordinator, says she doesn't recall making that statement, but she acknowledged there are tough cases.

A recent cleanup of a homeless camp adjacent to Blunt Park (Photo by Kate Modzelewski)

"We have a working group comprised of non-profits providing services to people experiencing homelessness, hospitals, senior service agencies, and we are working to include mental health and substance use providers as well," Karr says via email. "There are some individuals and families that due to high medical, behavioral/mental health, and substance disorders that are not able to obtain shelter. Often these are the individuals the public sees on our streets and living outdoors. This group is working to create both immediate, short-term, and long-term solutions. The difficulty is that there is not a one fits all solution; this takes time and joint efforts."

The neighbors say that while they’re aware that police do issue citations for illegal camping and other offenses, they’ve learned that many homeless people don't show up for court, and they continue to commit the illegal acts.

It's something of a game of whack-a-mole, residents say.

Although the municipal court doesn't keep data specifically on homeless people and can't say how many individuals cited for illegally camping miss their court dates, Chief Municipal Judge HayDen Kane reports in an email that only 40 percent of people cited show up for their criminal arraignment dates.

"There are serious challenges with ensuring that people facing homelessness appear in court," Kane writes. "The court can and does issue warrants that allow police to take an individual into custody overnight and escort them to their arraignments."

Though illegal camping could carry a sentence of up to 180 days in jail, he says, "oftentimes the first goal of the city is to get the individuals to agree to participate in outreach services that hopefully would provide them support to provide a path out of homelessness."

That was the goal in the city starting its Homeless Outreach Court Program. In 2022, 28 defendants were sentenced to probation via Outreach Court, totaling 59 cases.

A load of trash was hauled out of the homeless camp next to Fountain Creek. (Photo by Kate Modzelewski)

Asked about all that, Springs Rescue Mission's director of Communications Cameron Moix says he can't explain why some people choose not to avail themselves of programs and opportunities provided by the mission that would break the homelessness cycle. "It's complicated," he says.

"The reality is in these summer months, we might have 150 empty beds, and so it's not for lack of space," he says. "The things keeping people away from shelters oftentimes are people don't want to seek help. It's a difficult thing."

Moix noted the 2022 Point In Time Survey showed the highest number of sheltered homeless persons in at least a decade, at 1,176.

"People seeking services are getting help but some people, for whatever reason, can't bring themselves to seek help," he says.

The Westside neighbors say it seems that there's no shortage of materials — tents, blankets and bedrolls — for homeless people to re-establish camps after sweeps remove those materials from time to time.

Says Moix, "We don't give out bedding generally because we try not to promote camping. But there are a lot of groups around that provide sleeping bags and blankets. I think part of it is lack of understanding of the services that are available."

Persuading someone who's lived without shelter for years to get into programs to break the cycle is daunting, Moix says.

"It's really tough. It's a complicated thing," he says. "I feel like getting to know those people enough to understand what would get them on a pathway out of that is a really good start. And then match them to whatever programs and services they’re willing to seek out.

"How do you get someone to want something for themselves?" he says. "A lot of people feel they’ve been pushed around, and they’re trying to get to a place to fight for a better life. We try to remind people they matter and deserve better for themselves."

During a May 18 meeting of the neighbors with Councilor Talarico, some residents wondered if Colorado Springs’ homeless population has grown due to an abundance of services offered.

In response to a question about what state has the best homeless resources on the website Squat the Planet, one man posted this on Jan. 29, 2023: "I find Colorado Springs, Colorado a [sic] easy place to regroup and get back on your feet…YOU CAN GET FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICAL VERY QUICKLY..YOU CAN FLY A SIGN AND MAKE GREAT MONEY AT HOME DEPOT, WALMART AND MOST OFF RAMPS AND TRUCK STOPS..BUSING IS DESCENT [sic] AND YOU CAN GET A BUD TENDER JOB EASY."

Moix says he's unaware of Colorado Springs being a draw for homeless people from other states due to service availability, and there's no evidence he's aware of that homeless people are being directed here by authorities in other states.

"There were people who came here after being evacuated from natural disasters," he says. "But they just came. Nobody put them on a bus."

Moix says that Springs Rescue Mission is seen as a model that other cities want to emulate, including Aurora. "We would always encourage communities to develop programs like we have, so they can support their own communities," he says.

Evan Caster, senior manager of Community Health Partnership's Homeless Initiatives, says via email that reports regarding the local homeless situation show that during the last reporting period (Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022) there were fewer people who had previously exited homelessness who then later returned to being homeless. And that's a good thing.

However, those reports for the same period, show that the "number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time" increased here by more than 500.

City Councilor Michelle Talarico (facing the camera) met with neighbors in May. (Photo by Pam Zubeck)

Daley and others have grown increasingly demanding after Robinson's home invasion. Morris, Daley's husband, went to the Parks Department office and waited until he could speak with someone about possible resources available to better secure Blunt Park.

The parks employee referred him to CSPD's Gold Hill Division, which referred him to Officer Wesley Wilkerson, a member of the department's Homeless Outreach Team.

The officer inspected the premises and mobilized a roll-off dumpster as well as a loader, which bulldozed the flimsy living structures and cleared out blankets, clothing and other materials. That was in mid-May.

Previous cleanups haven't lasted long. The campers move back in within days, the neighbors say.

But residents have a list of ideas they think might help:

• Extend fencing across residents’ backyards to create a barrier between yards and the creek. (Daley says the Parks Department promised to do that nine months ago. The Parks Department says the materials were purchased in December, but the ground was too frozen to install the fence posts. The posts got installed the week of May 15, and chain link was erected on May 23 and "seems to be working so far," she says.)

• Undertake fire mitigation of the heavily wooded area along the creek to discourage people from nestling in.

• Declare the creek a riparian area, a bird sanctuary and wetland worthy of protection. During a recent tour there, a crane was spotted, along with several ducks. Residents report seeing all kinds of wildlife — beavers, foxes, deer, geese, ducks and an occasional wildcat. They wonder if the Fountain Creek Watershed, Flood Control and Greenway District could adopt the area as a project.

Asked about that, the district's Executive Director Alli Schuch says in an email, "Unfortunately, we are quite limited in our abilities as we do not have sustainable funding." Funding comes from member governments, she says, and creek restoration work has been mostly funded by Colorado Springs Utilities via $50 million provided in 2009 to offset impacts from the Southern Delivery System.

"Those funds may only be spent on new projects, south of the Pueblo County line and will be exhausted in the coming years," Schuch says.

She acknowledged the watershed needs work in various places, but that the district doesn't have staff or resources to deal with a creek project as envisioned by the Blunt Park neighbors.

• Create more HOT teams. The residents and the Rescue Mission staff had only good things to say about the HOT team officers they’ve dealt with.

Typically, CSPD's senior public communications supervisor Robert Tornabene reports via email, the HOT Team is broken down into two three-person teams. But the unit has a vacancy at present, so Sgt. Olav Chaney has created two two-person teams and a shift for a lone officer, and Chaney helps as well.

"Staffing is an issue throughout the department," Tornabene's email says. "The goal would be to add personnel to the unit. But until staffing increases in patrol they can not add more people to the HOT team."

Asked about adding more dedicated police personnel to work on homeless issues, City Council President Randy Helms demurred, saying via email, "Ultimately adding more HOT Teams is a budgetary consideration. Per Charter, the new Mayor will propose a budget to the Council during the first week of October. Traditionally the Council has been supportive of more funding for CSPD, but I cannot speak for the entire Council until we have these conversations over the summer."

Mayor Yemi Mobolade has named homelessness as one of his top three priorities as a subset of public safety. (The others are infrastructure and economic vitality.)

He's said those living unhoused represent various societal ills, including substance abuse, poverty, escape from domestic violence, mental illness, and the lack of affordable housing.

Vowing to support the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care, a consortium of local providers with expertise in specific areas of homelessness, Mobolade has said he will try to find a balance between providing services to homeless people "while meeting the public safety needs of our residents."

To that end, he promises to double down on partnerships with local providers of mental health care and supportive housing case management services.

"In addition," he wrote in the Indy's election candidate questionnaire, "I will increase street outreach to address homeless camps through cost-effective, innovative city service personnel who are trained to work with homeless individuals and provide them with assistance."

Talarico, who took office on April 18, told residents she's new to office and "can't intervene."

"I don't feel I have that power yet," she said, but added, "I want to be an advocate for this community."

She said as she becomes more familiar with the various city departments, she’ll have a greater understanding of what the city can and can't do.

When Daley reminded her, "You need to know you are our elected official," Talarico responded, "I want to leverage that when I know more. I’m six weeks into this job."

Residents responded they want to reclaim the area and take ownership as a community. "We would love the city to get creative to provide resources to support us," one person said. "It's on us to show up, but without fear and threat we will be assaulted."

Talarico acknowledged that a city park that residents termed "under siege" seems worthy of prioritizing, as well as protection of an ecosystem.

But, she noted, "It's easy for people to say, ‘Not my problem.’"

Despite not being promised much at the meeting, Daley says she felt "wonderful" about the gathering with Talarico.

"We have all been cowed into our houses," she says. "Then we all came out from our fortified nests to be together and say, ‘We’ve got to change this.’ I think everyone felt invigorated with her presence."

Senior Reporter

Pam Zubeck recently reached her 45-year mark as a journalist. She's worked at newspapers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado, including at the Indy since 2009. She's known for her dogged pursuit of accountability, no matter where the trail leads, and has investigated crooked public officials in all three states. Two went to jail because of her reporting. Know of an injustice or something shady? Contact Pam at [email protected]