COMMUNITY PROFILE bathrooms, trash services, and limited electricity. Police patrolled the camp throughout the day, and security cameras were put up. La Puente, a nonprofit addressing poverty and homelessness in the San Luis Valley, provided individuals with tents and winter survival gear. The outreach team delivered other supplies as needed. “It was a pretty negative experience when individuals first started moving in, just because it is hard for folks to have police tell them they have to move,” said Christina Bolt, La Puente’s street outreach director. “But I think that overall, most of our folks who are living out there have recognized some of the benefits that have come with having that citysanctioned area to stay.” One of the benefits is that it is easier to receive services at a central location, and less time is spent locating and accessing individual campsites. “We are able to go out there and just sit for a couple of hours with a laptop and get all sorts of stuff done for people. We were able to get people enrolled in new services and meet a lot of needs really quickly,” Bolt said. The camp doesn’t have a manicured lawn. It is a wild piece of land with sage and tumbleweeds creating a thick layer of brush. A dirt road winds through the camp, and during the early months, tourists drove through the camp gawking. With input from the camp, resident changes were made, and St. Benedict took shape as a community with security and stability for those camped at the site. “I’m not homeless. This is our home,” said Popeye, a St. Benedict resident. “I’ve been here for a year. A lot of people here have special needs. People here came from violence and tough backgrounds and are trying to get by. This place isn’t perfect, but it offers some hope.” Popeye became homeless following a divorce. He is on disability due to a back injury he sustained while working in construction. He said he lives with addiction to opiates after being prescribed the painkillers following his injury. Popeye’s addiction ultimately led to a drug conviction. “I tried to find a job, but they won’t hire felons out here. There aren’t many second chances when everyone THE CAMP DOESN’T HAVE A MANICURED LAWN. IT IS A WILD PIECE OF LAND WITH SAGE AND TUMBLEWEEDS. “ THE CITY AND POLICE SEE US AS A PROBLEM. IF THEY’RE GOING TO HELP, THEN HELP BY LISTENING TO US.” knows you and has labeled you,” Popeye said. “This camp, though, this camp is a second chance for a lot of us.” The camp has helped Popeye create a home for himself, but he feels it isn’t enough. He is frustrated that the City of Alamosa has ticketed and towed residents’ vehicles parked in a nearby parking lot. He also feels the rules are enforced too harshly and inconsistently by the police. Popeye said he feels like the rules are there as a weapon against the residents more than to keep the peace. “There are so many stories here, but they don’t listen. How do they expect us to find a job or work when they take our cars?” Popeye said. “The city and police see us as a problem. They say they’re helping, but they’re not helping. If they’re going to help, then help by listening to us.” Popeye said there are still barriers to overcoming homelessness that the city could help remove. THE COMPROMISE The St. Benedict camp was created because federal courts had prevented local government camping bans when there was not alternative shelter. Homelessness had become a bigger issue for Alamosa, and there was public demand in city council meetings to sweep unsanctioned encampments. To sweep the unsanctioned camps, Alamosa had to offer an alternative shelter, and St. Benedict became the solution. But Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman contends St. Benedict wasn’t simply created to meet the legal requirements to sweeping unsanctioned campsites. “The thing about people who are homeless: we have to always remember that these are human beings,” Coleman said. “They’re deserving of community support and a second chance. And St. Benedict is just one of the ways to support those who are the most vulnerable among us.” The calculus for keeping St. Benedict open changed this TERRY PAQUETTE SAID HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO MOVE INTO ST. BENEDICT AND HAS RECONNECTED WITH FAMILY BY HAVING ONE LOCATION HE CALLS HOME. year when the Supreme Court ruled in June on the Grant Pass v. Johnson case. The ruling stated that camping bans were not a violation of the rights of homeless individuals and that homeless encampment sweeps could be completed January 2025 DENVER VOICE 9
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