$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE VEHICLE DWELLING IN RURAL COLORADO HUNDREDS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE SHELTERING IN VEHICLES IN THE DENVER METRO AREA PAGE 8 CLOWNING IS SERIOUS BUSINESS PSYCHIATRIST FLAVIO FALCONE HAS BECOME AN ICON IN BRAZIL FOR HIS UNIQUE APPROACH TO REACHING HOMELESS DRUG ADDICTS PAGE 4 PAYING THE PRICE RENTERS FACING EVICTION MUST SELF-ADVOCATE TO RECEIVE HELP PAGE 6 WORDS FROM VACCINATED STREET PAPER VENDORS STREET PAPER VENDORS ARE BEGINNING TO RECEIVE THE COVID VACCINE, AND WITH THE WORLD OPENING UP AGAIN, THAT’S MORE THAN WELCOME. PAGE 10 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 4, 11, 12 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 MAY 2021 | Vol.26 Issue 5 SINCE 1997, WE HAVE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO WORK. DONATE TODAY TO ENSURE OUR VENDORS CONTINUE TO HAVE JOBS. (DENVERVOICE.ORG) FROM YOUR VENDOR: CREDIT: PAULA BARD
EDITOR’S NOTE SINCE LAST MARCH, several VOICE vendors have not been comfortable with being around others, so as more of them return to their vending spots, we are finally getting a chance to hear their stories of how things have been for them. For this issue, we asked vendors ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR what things they weren’t able to do this past year that they’re looking forward to doing again. You can read their responses on page 4. We’re also hoping to publish a special issue later this summer, where vendors will share more about their experiences over the past 12-plus months. An additional outlet where vendors will be telling their stories is the recently launched City Cast Denver podcast. Each month, City Cast airs VOICE on the Street, which is a segment that features a Denver VOICE vendor. For their first installment in March, they interviewed John Alexander. Early on in the shutdown, Alexander had COVID. One day, he wakened in a hospital bed to discover he’d been there for several weeks, recovering from the virus. You can check out City Cast, or subscribe to their newsletter by visiting citycast.fm/denver. If you are among those who are leaving the house more these days, keep an eye out for Denver VOICE vendors. If you would like a copy of the latest issue but don’t have any cash on hand, you can pay with Venmo. As VOICE vendor Raelene Johnson points out, not only are Venmo payments convenient for both readers and vendors, it also can be a happy surprise when vendors discover that one of their buyers has donated more than the suggested $2. That additional amount can make all the difference in a vendor’s day. ■ May CONTRIBUTORS PAULA BARD is an award-winning fine art photographer, writer, and activist. She lives on a mountain top southwest of Denver. GILES CLASEN is a freelance photographer who regularly contributes his work to the VOICE for editorial projects, fundraisers, and events. He has also served on the VOICE’s Board of Directors. ROBERT DAVIS is a freelance reporter for the Denver VOICE. His work has also appeared in Colorado Public Works Journal, Fansided, Colorado Journal, and Medium.com. DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG @deeOCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Seybold MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Anthony Cornejo GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Kersten Jaeger Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing PHOTOGRAPHERS/ILLUSTRATORS Paula Bard Giles Clasen WHAT WE DO The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We give our vendors a job and help them tell their stories; this creates a space for them to be part of a community again. Vendors purchase copies of the VOICE for 50 cents each at our distribution center. This money pays for a portion of our production costs. Vendors can buy as many papers as they want; they then sell those papers to the public for a suggested $2 donation. The difference in cost ($1.50) is theirs to keep. WHO WE ARE The Denver VOICE is a nonprofit that publishes a monthly street newspaper. Our vendors are men and women in the metro Denver area experiencing homelessness and poverty. Since 2007, we have put more than 4,000 vendors to work. Our mission is to facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community. We are an award-winning publication, a member of the International Network of Street Papers and the Colorado Press Association, and we abide by the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics. With the money they make selling the VOICE, vendors are able to pay for their basic needs. Our program provides vendors with an immediate income and a support group of dedicated staff members and volunteers. Vendors are independent contractors who receive no base pay. EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT editor@denvervoice.org VENDOR PROGRAM program@denvervoice.org • (720) 320-2155 ADVERTISING ads@denvervoice.org MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 VENDOR OFFICE 989 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204 OFFICE HOURS: For the immediate future, we will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. WRITERS Lando Allen Paula Bard Giles Clasen Robert Davis Frances Ford Pepper-Lee Raelene Johnson Jerry Mullenix Larmarques Smith BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Michelle Stapleton, Vice President Lori Holland, Treasurer Jeff Cuneo, Secretary Chris Boulanger Donovan Cordova Pamela Gravning Raelene Johnson Zephyr Wilkins 2 DENVER VOICE May 2021 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY OUR Streets: CHARI BY PAULA BARD CHARI AND HER HUSBAND began their married life at Resurrection Village, a tent city set up north of Downtown Denver. The Village was created to honor Dr. King’s 1968 Resurrection City, a Washington DC vision of organizing the poor for racial and economic justice. ■ OUR Streets are stories of Denver’s unhoused residents as captured by Paula Bard, who walks the streets of Denver to photograph the faces and collect the stories of those her city has abandoned. CREDIT: PAULA BARD HOW TO HELP The money we take in from vendors helps us cover a portion of our printing costs, but we depend largely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to help us pay our rent and keep the lights on. DONATE Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductable. Go to denvervoice.org to give a one-time or recurring donation. You can also mail a check to: Denver VOICE | P.O. Box 1931 | Denver, CO 80201 GET THE WORD OUT We rely on grassroots marketing to get the word out about what we do. Talk to people about our organization and share us with your network. Support us on @denverVOICE ADVERTISE Our readership is loyal, well-educated, and socially concerned. Readers view purchasing the paper as a way to immediately help a person who is poor or homeless while supporting long-term solutions to end poverty. If you are interested in placing an ad or sponsoring a section of the paper, please contact us about rates at ads@denvervoice.org. VOLUNTEER We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. SUBSCRIBE If you are unable to regularly purchase a newspaper from our vendors, please consider a subscription. We ask subscribers to support our program with a 12-month pledge to give $10 a month, or a one-time donation of $120. Subscriptions help us cover our costs AND provide an amazing opportunity to those who need it most. Go to denvervoice.org/subscriptions for more information. May 2021 DENVER VOICE 3
Ask a VENDOR THIS COLUMN IS A PLACE FOR DENVER VOICE VENDORS TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS AND STAFF. Q Over the past year, what was something you couldn’t do that you’re looking forward to returning to? COURTESY OF REUTERS / INSP.NGO CLOWNING IS SERIOUS BUSINESS FOR DOCTOR TO HOMELESS COMMUNITY IN A RAELENE JOHNSON Being able to visit in people’s homes. Being able to go sight-seeing at places that have been closed for the last eyar. Also, being able to travel more! JERRY MULLENIX Getting back to work for the VOICE and getting my camper running so I can get on the road. LARMARQUES SMITH Going to an amusement park. I used to go to amusement parks every summer. I plan to get a season pass to Elitch Gardens. BRAZIL’S “CRACKLAND” BY JAKE SPRING Costumed as a jester with a bright red nose, psychiatrist Flavio Falcone has become an icon in Brazil’s “cracolandia,” treating a growing number of Brazilians driven onto the street by the COVID-19 pandemic which has devastated the country’s economy. Working with actress Andrea Macera, Falcone uses costumes and music to break the ice with those who are homeless as a first step to getting them the mental health and addiction treatment they need. IN HIS WHITE DOCTOR’S JACKET, psychiatrist Flavio Falcone could not get homeless drug addicts to talk. But costumed as a jester with a bright red nose, he has become an icon in Brazil’s “cracolandia,” or crackland: a dangerous wasteland of about eight blocks in the historic center of Sao Paulo where addicts twitch and pushers roam. Falcone’s patients know him as The Clown, not as a doctor. He treats a growing number of Brazilians driven onto the street by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has devastated the country’s economy. Early government support, a lifeline for many, has also wavered. “This character represents the exposure of mistakes, of the fragility of what exists in the shadow. The exposure of failures,” said Falcone. “What makes you laugh is the clown that trips, not the What do YOU want to ask? If you have a question or issue you would like vendors to discuss, please email community@denvervoice.org. 4 DENVER VOICE May 2021 clown who walks straight. The people who are on the street are really the failures of capitalist society.” Falcone is not your average carnival clown. Infused with hip-hop street culture, he sports a gold chain and flat brimmed cap and struts the streets followed by a speaker blaring rap. Working with actress Andrea Macera, Falcone uses the costumes and music to break the ice with the homeless as COURTESY OF REUTERS / INSP.NGO a first step to getting them the mental health and addiction treatment they need. During “radio” time organized by Falcone and Macera, homeless people in crackland can request songs and even rap along. Around the public square, addicts huddle together and openly light up slim crack pipes. His work in the neighborhood since 2012 has earned him a loyal following. One man who received addiction help from Falcone tattooed the word “clown” in Portuguese on his wrist. With government support receding from crackland, Falcone has tried to fill the void. In April 2020, one month after the pandemic first hit Brazil, the government closed down a homeless shelter as part of an effort to clean up the city center to make way for construction. The nearest shelter is about 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) away. Falcone and Macera helped find housing for about 20 of those displaced and distributed 200 tents provided by a Brazilian non-government organization. In late 2020, they launched a new program called “Roof, Work and Treatment” to offer support to the homeless, with funding from the local labour prosecutor’s office. NATIONAL STORY
LOCAL NEWS The homeless population has surged after 600 reais ($106.16) per month government emergency aid payments to the poor were reduced and eventually ran out at the end of 2020. After a delay in congressional approval, payments are set to resume this month at an even lower rate. For many, that help is too little, too late. Millions have sunk into poverty since the start of the year. For Jonatha de David Sousa Reis and Bruna Kelly Simoes, that meant losing their home. The couple moved into a makeshift tent strung between two trees on a public square in crackland this year. “As long as there are no jobs, the emergency payment should have been maintained as it was,” Reis, 34, said. “It’s been difficult, very difficult.” They are arriving on the streets just as COVID-19 hits the deadliest point on record in Brazil. Every week since late February has seen new daily records for deaths from coronavirus. Soon, Brazil may overtake the U.S. record of 3,285 deaths per day, based on a seven-day average, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. Reis said he hoped to get a job back at habitability standards – received 1,268 substandard living complaints. That total has grown by 20% since 2017, according to the agency’s data. However, the new license would only apply to parcels of land, not individual units. The ordinance says this approach is meant to create more equity and streamline both the implementation process and fee collection. The ordinance is co-sponsored by Councilwoman Robin Kneich (At-Large) and Council President Pro Tem Jamie Torres (District 3). The stakeholder group includes the City of Boulder, Elevation Community Land Trust, and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “This code shall be construed to ensure public health, safety, and welfare insofar as they are affected by the continued occupancy and maintenance of these structures and premises. In the future, efficiency standards for rental properties to ensure emission reductions, improved indoor air quality and affordability of rentals for tenants and landlords may be implemented into these provisions,” the ordinance reads. According to data from Denver’s assessor’s office, the the shipping company where he used to work once the pandemic eases, although that seems unlikely to happen soon. Epidemiologists expect the outbreak to worsen in the months to come. Brazil is second to only the United States in deaths and cases. For Jailson Antonio de Oliveira, 51, Falcone is his main lifeline. The clown’s philanthropy effort pays for a room for himself and his girlfriend, even if he can no longer afford meat after the emergency payments ran out. “Today I have a better life because of Flavio Falcone, the clown,” said Oliveira, with clown tattooed on his wrist. “He’s my right arm, he helps with everything he can.” ■ Courtesy of Reuters / INSP.ngo ordinance would apply to approximately 37% of the city’s housing stock that is currently rented – or around 520,000 properties. This includes 19% of single-family homes, 38% of condos, and 26% of rowhouses. Phase 1 is expected to go into effect on January 1, 2022. It will open rental licensing for all dwelling units on a given parcel. Phase 2 will go into effect the following year and require landlords who offer, provide, or operate two or more rental dwellings to be licensed. Examples include apartment buildings, condo units, and rowhome units. Phase 3 will require landlords who offer a single rental unit on a given parcel to be licensed. This includes single-family homes and ADUs. These licenses will be renewable every four years unless property ownership changes. Application fees for the license will vary by property type, DENVER PLANS LONG-TERM RENTAL PROPERTY LICENSE AMID PUSH FOR GREATER PROTECTIONS FOR RENTERS BY ROBERT DAVIS COUNCIL PRESIDENT STACY GILMORE (District 11) introduced an ordinance on Wednesday, April 14, to create a long-term rental license for landlords designed to promote healthy homes across the city. The purpose of the ordinance is to centralize regulations for landlords and tenants of residential property, according to the ordinance’s text. Currently, Denver does not track its rental stock data nor keep records of landlords and operators. If passed, the ordinance would require landlords to provide an executed copy of leases greater than 30 days to the city and provide tenants with information about their rights. Tenants must also be informed of their rights and resources in cases where a landlord formally demands rental payments. To obtain a license, landlords would need to have a certified private home inspector inspect their units before applying. Parcels with two or more rental units will be required to have at least 10% of their units inspected at random. These provisions mirror Boulder’s rental license model. Last year, Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment – which oversees the city’s residential according to the plan. Early licensing during Phase 1 will be $25 but can be cut in half during the early phase. Phases 2 and 3 will require a $50 application fee. Similarly, license fees will be assessed depending on the number of units a rental property offers. Single dwelling units such as apartments will have a $50 license fee, while a building offering 250 or more units will pay a $500 license fee. These fees are refundable if the license is not approved. Building types that are exempt from these regulations include on-campus college housing, boarding homes, shortterm rentals, and commercial lodging such as hotels. This includes new builds that are less than four years old. Affordable housing developments where 80% or more of units are income-restricted must show proof of inspection, even those owned by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The plan was announced amid a concerted effort by City Council and state lawmakers to increase legal protections for renters across the state. Council members Candi CdeBaca (District 9) and Amanda Sawyer (District 5) are working to build on the city’s eviction legal defense program from 2018. The proposal would limit protections to renters earning up to 80% of the city’s median income—approximately $60,000 per year. It would also establish a new office within the Department of Housing Stability that would be responsible for overseeing the problem. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are debating Senate Bill 21-173, which would provide renters with a legal avenue to seek recourse against a landlord for an illegal eviction. It also prohibits rental agreements from containing provisions that would shift fees from landlords to renters. ■ Spring WISH LIST NEW ITEMS NEEDED: Socks Reusable water bottles Hand-warmers, toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick Paper products for the office GENTLY USED ITEMS NEEDED: Refurbished laptops or desktop computers Backpacks Ball caps/hats for warm weather Gloves Panchos & windbreakers (Men’s L, XL, XXL) DENVERVOICE.ORG/VENDOR-NEEDS Drop-offs are accepted Mon, Weds, Fri., 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., or schedule a drop-off by emailing program@denvervoice.org. May 2021 DENVER VOICE 5
LOCAL STORY PAYING THE PRICE Renters facing eviction must self-advocate to receive help BY GILES CLASEN AND ROBERT DAVIS ALLEN BOE LIVES FOR THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE. He gets joy from volunteering and serving others. He enjoys a smoke. He likes getting takeout now and again. And he loved his old apartment. The apartment wasn’t much to speak of, but it was Boe’s. He kept it clean and spent a lot of time watching TV. Most importantly, Boe could afford the apartment on his Social Security income. Boe had $250 left of his Social Security each month after paying his rent and his phone bill – his most significant monthly expenses. He also had food stamps. “I could live a good life on $250 a month after my bills were paid,” Boe said. On October 20, 2020, Boe found a note taped to his door from Cornerstone, an apartment management company, saying he had less than two months to vacate the apartment he loved. The building had been sold and would be undergoing construction before it was reopened to new renters. Cornerstone was hired by the new owner to manage the building moving forward. Boe didn’t have a backup plan or significant savings. He was never able to save much for retirement. After receiving the notice that his lease wouldn’t be renewed, Boe looked for a new apartment. Realizing he couldn’t afford much in the Denver area, Boe wasn’t sure what his next step would be, but he was coming to the realization that he was likely to be homeless. Luckily, Boe walked by the Safe Outdoor Space in Capitol Hill as volunteers were working on it. The Safe Outdoor Space’s campsite is a legally sanctioned, temporary encampment for individuals experiencing homelessness. It is managed by Colorado Village Collaborative and located in the parking lot of Denver Community Church. Boe utilized his background in construction and volunteered to help build the shelter. This ensured that Boe was able to live in the encampment when he moved out of his apartment. After moving into the camp, Boe realized the space serves a much bigger purpose to the unhoused community. “I don’t think people understand what it is like to be homeless,” Boe said. “Everyone else looks at you like you’re worthless. But I want to see them try it. It takes a lot of work to get through a day. Just getting the things you need, getting around, getting to appointments, trying to find food, trying to find housing – it takes work to be homeless.” Boe also acknowledged the role community plays for those experiencing homelessness. “Everybody is in this together. We need to help each other. Sometimes, just a pat on the back means everything to these people.” At 65-years-old, Boe still has the energy to work a regular job, but it’s been difficult to find someone to give him the opportunity. After fracturing his leg on a job site several years ago, Boe was forced into retirement. He’s been collecting disability and Social Security benefits ever since and hopes to find rental assistance to afford an apartment in Denver. A PRICE TO PAY Before being evicted, Boe lived at the Cornerstone Apartments at 1317 N. Pearl St. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. For their part, Cornerstone offered to refund residents one month of rent plus their security deposit for the inconvenience. Shannon MacKenzie, deputy director of the Colorado CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Poverty Law Project, described Boe’s case as heartbreaking because it represents a loophole that landlords exploit in the eviction moratoria put in place due to COVID-19. The moratoria, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Congress via the CARES Act, protected approximately 6 DENVER VOICE May 2021
LOCAL STORY 46% of the nation’s renters from eviction in most cases, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Meanwhile, the moratorium Polis issued in March 2020 provided a broader set of protections for renters and homeowners. However, Polis’s order expired on January 1, 2021. State lawmakers went a step further to provide residents of mobile homes with additional means of avoiding eviction. They passed several amendments to the Colorado Mobile Home Park Act during the 2020 legislative session, one of which allows tenants to stay in their unit after their lease expires if they have nowhere else to go. Only under very limited circumstances could these renters be evicted. MacKenzie said Boe might have been protected from a lease termination if he had filed a Declaration of Need, the document required to evoke state-level protections from eviction. This document could have allowed Boe to stay in place until June 30, 2021. However, MacKenzie said this raises another issue with Colorado’s system – it doesn’t fully educate renters about their rights. “We are seeing tons of folks who don’t know about the protections or that they have to sign a declaration to evoke the protections,” MacKenzie told the Denver VOICE in an emailed statement. Since Colorado’s protections ended, MacKenzie said the courts that once dismissed eviction holdover cases are now ushering them through. She has also seen cases where tenants obtain rental assistance, pay their landlord back and future rent, and still have eviction proceedings filed against them by landlords. One way to stem the impending flow of evictions would be to implement protections for apartment lease holdovers similar to those afforded to mobile home residents, MacKenzie added. However, Colorado’s political climate makes it difficult to imagine a path forward for this kind of legislation. “I can guarantee pushing forth that legislation would be met with great opposition from the Apartment Association, the Tschetter law firm (a Colorado law firm specializing in representing landlords in eviction cases), and other property owner groups,” MacKenzie said. THE SYSTEM FAILED Charlie Hogan, who is the chief operating officer with Cornerstone, said that Boe’s situation was unfortunate. He said Cornerstone tried to offer Boe and the other residents as many opportunities as possible to find a new home before they had to vacate their apartment. Cornerstone also offered to return the rental deposit to all renters and gave an incentive that if renters moved out by November 30, 2021, the renters would receive back one month’s rent. “Understand that from a property management standpoint, our clients, our customers, are renters,” Hogan said. “We really do come from a place of trying to make sure that we’re providing great customer service.” Hogan said that Boe and the other residents of the building were on month-to-month leases. Landlords and renters each can find value in this kind of lease because it offers flexibility to both parties. Unfortunately, such a lease also leaves renters vulnerable to a lease that may be terminated by the landlord at any time and with little notice. According to Hogan, the previous landlord did a disservice to Boe and the others by not signing long-term rental agreements. Landlords are required by law to give renters a 15-day notice when their lease is being terminated. Cornerstone went beyond that requirement, providing the residents of 1317 N. Pearl St. with a 52-day termination notice. Hogan said Boe never reached out to Cornerstone to ask about other rental possibilities within the company or explain his circumstances. Instead, Boe stopped paying rent and remained in the apartment beyond the date he was required to move out. Disputing this claim, Boe said that he has records of the calls he made to Cornerstone, but those calls were focused on getting back his deposit, not asking for help with finding a new apartment. Cornerstone started the eviction process in December of 2020 but stopped once Boe left the property on December 18. Cornerstone then waived any legal fees associated with beginning the eviction process. Additionally, the company did not pursue the back rent Boe had not paid and returned his security deposit to him. Hogan said Cornerstone works to offer apartments at competitive rates. The company manages 4,700 apartments, and the company’s average rent is $1,200 per month. This is below the average Denver rental cost of $1,464 according to the Apartment Association of Metro Denver. The average household income of Cornerstone’s renters is $43,000, well below the Denver median household income of $68,592. Cornerstone also has more than 100 renters who receive Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, a housing assistance program for low-income individuals. Hogan said he couldn’t guess at a hypothetical of what he would have done had Boe called the company for help. He also said that because Boe didn’t reach out and instead stopped paying rent, there isn’t much Cornerstone could do. They can’t help someone if they don’t know a renter needs help. Jim Lorensen, president and founder of Cornerstone, seconded Hogan, adding, “We’re not a social agency. At some point, people need to ask for help. Where is his family? Where are his friends? Where is his church? If [Boe] needed it then he should have asked for assistance. There are systematic failures here, and unfortunately, this guy got caught in that downdraft.” Lorensen said he believes his company went above and beyond in trying to show compassion to Boe and the other renters of the building. Cornerstone could have pursued collection of the back rent Boe didn’t pay, or they could have kept the deposit in lieu of rent. Instead, Cornerstone issued Boe a new check for the deposit once they learned Boe hadn’t received the first one. Lorensen also explained that the sale of the Pearl Street property was not a major corporate transaction. “The individual who owns this property is not some wealthy individual or some large corporation. They bought this building as an investment.” According to tax records from the Denver Assessor’s Office, the building at 1317 Pearl St was sold to a company called 1317 Pearl, LLC. for $3.5 million in October 2020. That LLC was formed in September 2020, and the main address registered for 1317 Pearl, LLC. with the state of Colorado is the same address as Riker Capital, a Chicagobased investment company. MARKETED OUT Boe said that staying at the Safe Outdoor Space has given him a little hope. He’s seen several of his neighbors get jobs and move out of the camp, and he is saving every penny he can to help him move into a new apartment. Boe believes he’ll get his chance to find an apartment and is hopeful he will receive some rental assistance. But he fears without assistance he won’t be able to afford an apartment for long. According to the latest data from the Colorado Association of Realtors (CAR), Denver’s affordability index dropped 10% during 2020. The affordability index measures whether housing is affordable for those earning the median income for the region. In Denver, the median wage is now approximately 70% of what is necessary to afford a median-priced single-family home and just 78% of what is needed to be competitive in the overall market, according to the index. One factor for the drop in affordability is the city’s historically low inventory. In March 2007, shortly before the Great Recession began, Denver had more than 25,000 homes listed for sale. In March 2021, that total stood at just over 1,900, representing a 70% year-over-year decline, according to CAR data. The short supply of homes also has caused home values to appreciate at record paces. Last year, home values appreciated nearly 22% in Denver County, according to CAR. The median home price stands at $635,000 while the average sale price is nearly $100,000 more. Because of increasing home prices and lower inventory, more individuals are renting. This increased demand for rental properties means an increased cost for apartments, adding financial stress to those with lower incomes. Meanwhile, the pool of competitors for homes has grown to include private equity and other investment firms. A report by The Wall Street Journal found many firms are investing in large swaths of land and existing apartment structures to renovate and flip for a premium return. According to the John Burns Consulting Firm out of Houston, investors have likely accounted for around 24% of home sales in real estate boomtowns such as Miami and Las Vegas. The firm also anticipates this trend to continue, which will lead home values to see two more years of doubledigit increases. The fast-rising costs of housing in Denver leave individuals like Boe more vulnerable to becoming homeless. Boe said he never expected to be homeless. He worked his whole life and took care of himself. He never made enough to save much for retirement but hoped his Social Security would be enough so that he wouldn’t have to worry about money once he left work. As Boe pointed out, if this could happen to him, it could happen to anyone. Explaining how he felt about being evicted, Boe said bluntly, “It is kind of heartless,” he said. “People should be a lot more understanding of other people’s situation and not be so worried about money.” ■ For information about emergency rental and mortgage assistance, visit cdola.colorado.gov/rental-mortgage-assistance. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN May 2021 DENVER VOICE 7
COMMUNITY PROFILE Seen but Unseen: VEHICLE DWELLING IN RURAL COLORADO BY PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD THE SAFE PARKING INITIATIVE Sheltering in vehicles is often the last stop. SHELTERING IN VEHICLES is often the last stop. Hundreds of individuals and families are estimated to be sheltering in vehicles in the Denver metro area. According to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative Point-in-Time Survey, there are nearly a thousand individuals statewide, a figure supplemented by municipal- and county-level counts. The actual number tends to be higher than official counts because surveys of the unhoused tend to undercount people living in vehicles. Vehicle dwellers are considered the ‘seen but unseen’ unhoused — very easy to miss. They are indistinguishable on a lot with many other cars or discretely parked in a neighborhood. Sheltering in vehicles is often the last stop for those who lose jobs and permanent housing. Cars tend to break down and are increasingly expensive to fix, register and insure. (Not so long ago, repair shop rates were $20 per hour.) Without intervention and support, many vehicle dwellers can spiral down into homelessness and end up on the streets. The Safe Parking Initiative is a volunteer organization that focuses on creating safe parking spaces for people living in their cars. They collaborate with faith-based organizations and have set up safe parking lots in Arvada, Broomfield, Longmont, and Boulder. They are working on lots in Denver and Adams County. Each small and dispersed site hosts fewer than 10 Vehicles. “What we want to see is that every community could do this if they’ve got people who are living in vehicles,” said Chelsey Baker-Hauck, co-founder of the Safe Parking Initiative. “They need to be connected to services and need a safe place to park.” Right now, the group is focusing on the 7 county Denver metro area and aiming for underutilized church parking lots. In Jefferson County, in addition to the safe parking lot in Arvada, there is one planned for Golden. Working in concert with community partners, the goal is not just to create a place for people who shelter in vehicles, but to wrap them around with essential support that includes sanitation, showers, help with keeping vehicles road-worthy, and keeping track of who’s coming and going — with a formal check-in process. They encourage the hosting groups to offer housing assistance, job training, healthcare access, and food. Breckenridge has led the way in Colorado. Their local overnight parking program offers a safe and supportive environment just at night for 10 residents living in their cars. It is an overnight parking lot with portable restrooms and snow plowing for both the working and non-working people who are unhoused. It began as a collaboration between Good Bridge Community and the Summit Colorado Interfaith Council with local county partners. First in the state, it has proven to be a successful working model. “We’ve heard about people in Montrose and Durango. So there really is need. I think wherever people are living there’s probably people experiencing homelessness,” said Baker-Hauck. “What we want to do is make this model available and provide technical support assistance to as many communities as possible. It is such a low-barrier service; it’s low cost for communities to do. It is easy to scale up or down.” She pointed out that it’s easy and effective in fitting in with community norms. The Safe Parking Initiative group can work with unique individual needs, enabling the community to do it for themselves. NIKI “They are not designed to live in, and they don’t last.” IMAGINE LIVING THE TRAVELING RV LIFE, and your partner dies unexpectedly. Do you carry on? Niki’s partner, Kenny, died in her arms a year ago. They had been traveling together for 10 years. “It’s a choice; we had to keep the scenery changing, otherwise he got bored.” She intends to resume a solo RV traveling life after a challenging year of grieving. She has been living at her mother-in-law’s ranch up in Park County while fixing up the RV. Confident about her own abilities, she intends to depend on their previous itinerant handyman skillset for travel — an ambitious project with her older RV. Niki is antsy; she and her dog are ready to hit the road. “Living in a vehicle is a choice because that means you go CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD anywhere, anytime.” She is ready. Possibly, she’ll head back to back to California, where she grew up. “At least the part that hasn’t burned,” She is anxious to meet her first grandchild. Alone now, she still hears the road call. 8 DENVER VOICE May 2021
COMMUNITY PROFILE JESSE She bought her current RV a year ago, and everything was supposed to work. It doesn’t. BURSTING WITH STORIES, Jesse laughs easily, “I have literally been robbed like five times here. I’ve had to replace all my clothes and jewelry, and all I have, all the beads and stuff. So, they steal the beads and whatever they can get their freaking hands on. They will take it if you turn your back.” Ah yes, life on the road. Friendly and engaging, Jesse talks a mile-a-minute, all the while doting on her two companionable little dogs. It’s cold in Colorado, and the shivering little dogs need jackets, she said. They all live in her RV, currently parked at the Rainbow Trout Campground just off Highway 285 in Jefferson County. It is one of the few winter RV campgrounds in the state. She migrates between the campground, which costs $600 a month, to the free dispersed camping out on Jefferson County’s vast National Forest and BLM lands — camping is free for 14 days at a time. Sometimes. she travels down to the Colorado state campgrounds, like Chatfield. But she finds the city often dangerous — more drugs, less safety. After 10 years as a Head Start teacher and a stint at Denver’s Purina Plant, she “snapped her foot pushing a thousand-pound cart;” no workers comp. At 54, after work injuries and debilitating migraines, Jesse is living on disability. Her last job as a West Colfax hotel manager didn’t last, she said. She was too kind. Then she was jailed after rescuing her mother-in-law from a nursing home, another story that comes with a bemused smile. CREDIT: PAULA BARD Jesse and her partner, Derrick, a commercial electrician who “knows how to do everything,” live in two uninsulated 1980’s RV’s that require endless repair and clever innovations. The roofs leak, the four batteries alternately go out, the generators break down, they run out of gas when the temperature plummets, leading to emergencies with no heat and no cooking. Jesse is insulating the walls, which, she says laughingly are just, “metal and wallpaper.” But it’s no joke when temperatures are below freezing. She bought her current RV a year ago, and everything was supposed to work. It doesn’t. And now it won’t pass emissions. After growing up in LA, she raised her five children in CREDIT: PAULA BARD Northern California. She stays in touch with all of them and tells everyone she hopes fervently for grandchildren. An ambitious cook, she treats everyone in her vicinity with generous home-cooked meals and sometimes, even pies. Capable and buoyant, she is at peace with her current life. BLAIR Aligning her activism with freedom of movement. BLAIR LIVES THE COMMITTED LIFE of an activist and online graphic designer, all from her car — as long as she can maintain internet access. With her souped-up jeep, she has lived the vehicle life for almost a year. Her Colorado activism began with a legislative research job and has moved on to support the Safe Parking Initiative, where she helps organize sanctioned parking spaces for fellow vehicle dwellers. She supports Denver’s unhoused with Allies to CREDIT: PAULA BARD Abolitionists. Currently, she is offering haircuts on Mutual Aid Mondays to those in Denver’s unhoused encampments. Originally from Alabama, she enjoyed summer church visits to Colorado and eventually migrated to the state. Now she has managed to align her activism with freedom of movement and huge doses of the outdoors, while avoiding Colorado’s prohibitive housing costs. With glorious views, she is currently nestled up on a jeep trail overlooking Idaho Springs. Her strong environmental leanings drive decisions; she has fashioned a sturdy rock fire-pit and cleaned up the area around her campsite. With creativity, Blair has fashioned a life that suits her. CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD Next, she heads to Arizona to help stave off international mining giant Resolution Copper’s exploitation of sacred Apache lands, called Oak Flat. She can hit the road in a flash. May 2021 DENVER VOICE 9
INTERNATIONAL STORY PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CONTRIBUTOR DISPATCHES FROM VACCINATED STREET PAPER VENDORS: “NOBODY SHOULD GO WITHOUT THE SHOT” BY JILL SHAUGHNESSY EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY With Covid vaccines being rolled out differently across the world, that means marginalized and vulnerable communities in different parts of the world are receiving immunization at different rates. But it does mean some good news: street paper vendors are beginning to receive the jab, and with the world opening up again, that’s more than welcome. WITH PFIZER, ASTRAZENECA, MODERNA, JOHNSON AND JOHNSON, and more vaccines beginning to become available, countries are starting to vaccinate their populations, starting with the elderly. The rollout of the vaccine begins to provide a light at the end of a very dark tunnel that is the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the process to grab a vaccine appointment remains a mystery to many. Homeless populations are eligible for the shot in different parts of the world. The requirements differ globally, but a few street paper vendors have gotten their jab. In Nashville, Tennessee, soon-to-be expired doses are being sent to homeless shelters around the city. As of 5 April, 10 DENVER VOICE May 2021 Tennessee was in phase 3 of the vaccine distribution. That means all people considered homeless, regardless of age, are eligible to get the shot. Three vendors from The Contributor street paper in Nashville have already received their vaccine. In an interview, vendor Paul describes his experience getting the jab at Music City Center. He tells The Contributor that the entire process took about 30 minutes. In Paul’s experience, it took 15 minutes for the shot, and 15 minutes of observation time to ensure he didn’t have a bad reaction. He describes how he experienced no pain with the shot and was ready to grab a cup of coffee and get to work afterward. Paul encourages everyone to get the vaccine. “Nobody should go without the shot. Nobody. The more people get the shots, get vaccinated, the sooner the city can reopen to full capacity,” he said. Teresa is another vendor who received her vaccine in Nashville. She was originally turned away at the Walmart vaccination center because she didn’t have health insurance. To her relief, after an hour of waiting, she was able to get the shot anyway. Teresa had no real pain after, just a little discomfort in her arm. “It’s not as bad as you think it would be. Even the scaredy cats that are afraid of shots, it’s not that bad,” she said. Megaphone in Vancouver, Canada is also seeing some success with vaccine distribution for their sellers. “We have been fairly fortunate in Vancouver, B.C. There have been several vaccination clinics for marginalized people — including vendors — in the Downtown Eastside, which is home to mostly low-income residents and also a lot of people experiencing homelessness. In fact, the office building where Megaphone is located hosted a vaccine clinic (Friday 26 March) and many of our vendors signed up,” said Megaphone editor Paula Carlson. Peter Thompson, a vendor for Megaphone, received his vaccine at the Carnegie Community Center. He did not
PAGE TITLE WRITING THROUGH HARD TIMES COURTESY OF DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY AND LIGHTHOUSE WRITERS WORKSHOP FRANCES FORD THE FAMILY FOOT ITCH My grandmother wanted wheels to turn and bells to jingle each toss of the harness, brightness of many paints and arcane carvings to curve about the wagon boards, rolling hills and road dust and river roars, and streams of strangers vague or distinct as dreams can be. She dreamed of an omened life, unveiled in the crystal or the card by candlelight, lines that loop the open hand. She couldn’t touch PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CONTRIBUTOR that unguarded fate, but she always said she wished she were a gypsy. Kee-ack, kee-ack, kee-ack, kee-ack: as if the heart counts schedule an appointment ahead of time but rather walked into the vaccine center after hearing about it from the Megaphone office. “It is a feeling of relief as it brings me one step closer to seeing my family again. It has been so long since I have seen them... It takes a toll on a person — mostly the emotional stress,” he said in the March edition of Megaphone. After the shot, Thompson is feeling “fine, grateful, and relieved.” In the United Kingdom, seventy-year-old Gordon was the first Big Issue North vendor to get the shot. Gordon received the jab in January due to his lung condition and it provided a beacon of hope for him. “I know loads of people are still waiting to have the first injection so I’m very lucky,” said Gordon. In Hamburg, Germany, residents of emergency shelters will be vaccinated in the coming weeks, but the rollout remains slow. One vendor of the Hinz&Kunzt street paper has been vaccinated, however. “Elsa is older than 80 years and those people have the highest priority to be vaccinated here in Germany,” said Benjamin Laufer, an editor at Hinz&Kunzt. It appears more and more vendors will be getting the jab in the upcoming months. In the United States, President Biden plans to have 500 million total doses administered by August. Although the European Union missed its first vaccination goal, the world is closer to normalcy than it was a year ago. “It’s really important that people get it. Better to be safe than sorry,” said vaccinated vendor Gordon. “The quicker we can get out of this lockdown, the better. I’m sick of this lockdown. I’m bored of it. I just can’t wait to get back selling the magazine again.” Big Issue North and Big Issue (UK) vendors in England and Wales return to their pitches. ■ Courtesy of INSP.ngo May 2021 DENVER VOICE 11 The Hard Times Writing Workshop is a collaboration between Denver Public Library and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. It’s open to all members of the public, especially those experiencing homelessness. Each month, the Denver VOICE publishes a selection of writing from these workshops. Virtual workshops: lighthousewriters.org/workshop/denver-public-library-hard-times More writing by these featured poets: writedenver.org far off whispers of a train on track. It travels at the speed of thought, snags at me, takes me along, and I, too, can dream. PEPPER-LEE A THANKLESS JOB So I think Im falling in love. In love with the fame, that accompanies this game. ...Just in love with the pain. A pre-meditated plan gone all awry. A well articulated genius Not at all privy to pry. Cannot tell a lie, Promises: meant to be broken. Trauma: Life’slove token, Of appreciation As well, A memory of life’s degradation. Why love me and not touch me? Hug me, and NEGATE our lovemaking, Just totally? Kiss me, And yet, ABANDON me? A stranger to these streetsssss, I’d by far much rather be, Rather I’ve harbored a tendency To share myself so intimately To a beloved stranger, All up in, and within my sheets! “Who pays you to think?” It’s what they consistently told me. Put yourself in my shoes, Catch yourself elatedly molding.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS Man! It is already known that we help a lot of rich people get richer, and people in power are fighting pay raises already. I wonder what we’re going to do when we reach the future. There are things that are here already like the selfcheckout lines at the grocery store. Cars that drive themselves will replace Uber drivers, truck drivers, and more. I don’t want to scare people. I just want to give people a heads up on what is coming our way. ■ A Hard Talk WITH SELF BY RAELENE JOHNSON, VOICE VENDOR LANDO ALLEN. CREDIT: SARAH HARVEY TODAY! BY LANDO ALLEN, VOICE VENDOR I LOOK AT ALL THE PROBLEMS IN OUR COUNTRY, from Q-Anon, to people who are racist and say racist things, trying to put Americans against each other. People who are hungry on keeping power, and the people who get elected by us and don’t do anything to help us when we need them to give us a hand. Personally, I’m tired of the separation stuff they put us through, but once in a while, I hear something that keeps me up at night. Right now, [what keeps me up] is technology that can take people’s jobs. That’s the way of the future, and it got me scared. People are already struggling to get jobs, pay for housing and keep themselves from being homeless. WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT MASS SHOOTINGS in the USA. It was very hard to know that where you shop, someone can walk into a store and kill people. When will the madness with guns stop - guns that should never be on our streets? How can we be safe to go about our everyday lives, Self? It could have been me, Self. How can all the shootings keep going on, and no party in government will do anything? Neither side can get it right for us. Why do we have to live in the madness we are put in? You overcame death so many times. Now, Self, you have to be on the lookout, for you may catch a bullet while you’re out shopping. How can that be? How can 20 babies in school get killed? Why can’t we stop making guns for war? Why do we allow people with mental problems to have guns, Self? Five days after [the shooting at the King Soopers in Boulder], I’m waiting for a friend at Collyer Park in Longmont and saw police surround a car at the same time my dog wanted to get out of my car. As I shut my car door, a cop ran and told me I was in the line of fire. He took me to safety, and 15 minutes later, it was over. I couldn’t believe just going to the park I could be in the line of fire. Thank God it came to a peaceful conclusion. RAELENE JOHNSON. CREDIT: CORTNEY TABERNA Then, a few days after that, the Motel 6 in Thornton had a hostage situation for 14 hours. That is the same place my son and daughter happened to be staying. Thankfully, they were on their way back from work when it happened. They were told no one was allowed in or out until it was over. They couldn’t get to their dogs that were in their motel room until later in the night, with the police escorting them. Self, we can’t be so afraid to leave the house, but you must be careful about what and who is around you. Be right with your higher power. Always tell your loved ones how much you love them because you or they may never hear those words ever again. Just think if your last words were hateful. How do you think you or your loved ones would feel? So, Self, be careful. Watch around you and always tell loved ones how much you love them before it’s too late. ■ Subscribe online: NEVER MISS AN ISSUE! DENVERVOICE.ORG/SUBSCRIPTIONS 12 DENVER VOICE May 2021 Become a Denver VOICE subscriber and get the paper delivered directly to your mailbox every month. Both personal and business subscriptions are available. Your donation goes directly to support our program!
EVENTS DENVER FILM: VIRTUAL CINEMA Choose from a wide variety of arthouse and festival hits, all from the comfort of your own home. A portion of the proceeds will support Denver Film, which operates Colorado’s only nonprofit movie theater, the Sie FilmCenter. WHEN: Ongoing COST: $13 MORE INFO: watch.eventive.org/denverfilm RICK GRIFFITH: NON-VIOLENCE & ACTIVISM Artist Rick Griffith is joined by Evan Weissman and Stephen Brackett to discuss nonviolence and activism in art and beyond, asking the questions: How do we continue to apply pressure to our government? What is the action that moves the needle? How do you take activism from the digital world and social media to the real world? WHEN: May 5, 5 p.m. COST: Pay what you can. MORE INFO: mcadenver.org/events FRIDAY NIGHT BAZAAR: RINO ART DISTRICT Drink, eat, and shop local at this festive community event. WHEN: May 7, 14, 21, and 28, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. COST: Free entry. WHERE & MORE INFO: 2424 Larimer St. | facebook.com/DenverBazaar SPRING ARTS AND POTTERY SALE Purchase one-of-a kind gifts and eye-catching essentials made by the students and teachers of Washington Heights Arts Center. Just in time for Mother’s Day! Masks are required. WHEN: May 8, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. COST: Free entry WHERE & MORE INFO: Visitor Center at Heritage Lakewood, 801 S. Yarrow St. | lakewood.org DENVER REFLECTIVE STORYTELLING WORKSHOP The folks from StoryCenter, a non-profit that helps individuals find and tell stories from their lives, will create a supportive, online space where participants can gather as a community to share their own personal struggles, joys, and moments of resilience. WHEN: May 14, 12 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. COST: Free but registration is required. MORE INFO: denverlibrary.org/events/upcoming ACROSS 1. Muslim holy man 5. Eyebrow shape 9. “Th e Sun ___ Rises” 13. Star in Orion 15. Pacifi c palm 16. Shakespearean king 17. Insect stage 18. Ski lift 19. Aft er-bath powder 20. Sultan’s palace 22. Concept in Hinduism and Buddhism 24. Cobbler cousin 25. Flightless bird of New Zealand also known as a takahe 27. Writing a computer program 30. “Once ___ a time...” 31. Tiptop 32. Fall guy 37. Entangle or disentangle 39. Down with the fl u 40. Expresses exhaustion or boredom 41. Bones of the hand and foot 43. Actress Catherine ___-Jones 44. 18-wheeler 45. German songs 47. One with memory loss 51. Behave (like) 52. “I’m a little ___...” 53. Try out 58. Director Preminger 59. Bumpkin 61. Shelf 62. Must-have 63. Canal of song 64. Shouts 65. Gaelic 66. Cincinnati nine 67. Bakery selections DOWN 1. Colored eye part 2. Gesturer 3. Gelatin substitute 4. Unit of graphic resolution 5. Dead against 6. Genetic messenger usually abbreviated in crosswords (but not this time!) 7. Tax preparer, for short 8. Car roof style 9. Place to exchange vows 10. Discover 11. Game ragout 12. Killer whales 14. Use a username and password 21. Pants part 23. Snookums 26. Milky gems 27. Food fi sh 28. Brightly colored fi sh 29. Hindu deity 32. Greek letter 33. Geographical index 34. Was in debt 35. Add to the pot 36. Ivan the Terrible, e.g. 38. Cow catcher 42. Nor’s partner 45. Boy 46. With frostiness 47. Do penance 48. Poet’s concern 49. Hoopster Archibald and statistician Silver 50. Lyric poem 54. Hawaiian strings 55. One way to stand by 56. Lecher’s look 57. Bitter end? 60. Anger COURTESY OF DEBORAH LASTOWKA PUZZLES Thanks to Deborah Lastowka, who provides this list of ideas for entertainment people can enjoy while practicing social distancing. COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 May 2021 DENVER VOICE 13 PUZZLE COURTESY OF STREET ROOTS, DENVER VOICE’S SISTER PAPER IN PORTLAND, OR PUZZLE COURTESY OF STREET ROOTS, DENVER VOICE’S SISTER PAPER IN PORTLAND, OR
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RESOURCE LIST FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER DENVERVOICE.ORG/RESOURCE-LIST DIAL 211 FOR A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF RESOURCES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR FOOD, MEDICAL CARE, SENIOR SERVICES, YOUTH PROGRAMS, COUNSELING, EDUCATION, SHELTERS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE, AND MORE. EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG WITH CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS. FREE MEALS AGAPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2501 California St., Sat., 11am CAPITOL HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1100 Fillmore St., Sat. lunch at 11:30am capitolheightspresbyterian.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES Go to mealsforpoor.org for meal locations CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 1530 Logan St.; sandwiches & coffee Mon.-Fri. 8:30am denvercathedral.org CHRIST’S BODY MINISTRIES 850 Lincoln; Mon. closed, Tues.-Thurs. 10am-3pm, Fri. 8am-11pm; groceries & hot meal on Sat. at 2pm (at 16th & York); Sun. church service at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. christsbody.org CHRIST IN THE CITY Home-cooked meal; Civic Center Park at Colfax & Lincoln at 1pm every Wed. & 2nd Sat. christinthecity.org CITYSQUARE DENVER 303-783-3777, 2575 S. Broadway; Food pantry Tues. 10am-6pm citysquare.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES Hot meals served at 1820 Broadway (in front of Trinity United Methodist Church), Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 11:45-12:15 mealsforpoor.org DENVER INNER CITY PARISH 303-322-5733, 1212 Mariposa St., VOA Dining Center for Seniors, free 60 yrs and older, Wed.-Sat. 9am-12pm. Food Bank, Wed.-Fri., tickets at 9am, food bank open 10am-12pm. dicp.org DENVER RESCUE MISSION 1130 Park Avenue West, 3 meals 7 days/week: 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm 303-294-0157 denverrescuemission.org FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 1101 W. 7th Ave. 303-607-0855. Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Not open weekends. Breakfast is at 8am, and lunch is served at 11am frwoodyshavenofhope.org FEEDING DENVER’S HUNGRY Food service on the second and fourth Thurs. of each month; locations found at feedingdenvershungry.org/events.html FOOD NOT BOMBS Wed. 4pm/Civic Center Park facebook.com/ThePeoplesPicnic HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45-7:30pm krishnadenver.com HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH 910 Kalamath, community dinner on Thurs., 6-6:45pm, men’s breakfast 1st Sat. of the Month, 8-10am, women’s breakfast 2nd Sat., 9-11am. hislovefellowship.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., sandwiches, Mon.-Sat., 10-10:30am holyghostchurch.org JORDAN AME CHURCH 29th and Milwaukee St., Tues. lunch 11:30am-1:00pm jordanamedenver.churchfoyer.com OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St., Sat. morning breakfast: 8am, Sun. dinner (required church attendance at 4:30pm) meal served at 6pm. 303-830-2201 odmdenver.org/home ST. ELIZABETH’S Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. on Auraria campus, 7 days/week, 11:00am; food, coffee. stelizabethdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER 2323 Curtis St., Wed. & Fri. 3-4:30pm (except third Wed. of each month). sfcdenver.org ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN 1600 Grant St., Street Reach meal Mon. 1-4:30pm. Grocery room open at 11:30am every Mon. saintpauldenver.com ST. PETER AND ST. MARY 126 W. Second Ave., dinner at 6 on Tues. 303-722-8781 stpeterandmary.org SAME CAFÉ 2023 E. Colfax Ave. Restaurant serving mostly organic food—not free, but pay what you can or work off your meal in the kitchen: Open Mon.-Sat., 11am to 2pm, Closed Sun. & holidays, 720-530-6853 soallmayeat.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. 3 meals, Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm. 55+ seniorsupportservices.org/programs URBAN OUTREACH DENVER 608 26th St., Thurs. dinners, 6pm-7pm lovedenver.org VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA 2877 Lawrence St., breakfast (8am), lunch (11:30am), dinner (5pm) Mon.-Thurs., 12pm on Fri., 1pm on Sun. Food & clothing bank 9:30am-4pm Mon.-Thurs. voacolorado.org/gethelp-denvermetro-foodnutrition-themission CAREER SERVICES COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER Level 4, Denver Central Library, 14th Ave. & Broadway. 720-865-1706. Hours: Mon. & Tues. 10am-8pm; Wed., Thurs., Fri. 10am-6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm & Sun. 1-5pm; FREE services include computer/internet use, wifi, computer classes, job search/resume classes and one-on-one tech help appointments. denverlibrary.org/ctc THE WESTSIDE ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER Denver Department of Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd., Mon.Fri., 7:30am-4:30pm; Services include: employment counseling, assisted job search, résumé preparation, job/applicant matching, phone bank for calling employers, access to computers, copiers, fax, etc. careercenteroffices.com/center/231/denver-westside-workforce-center MEDICAL & DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY L.I.F.T. CareVan at Open Door Ministries, 1567 Marion St., Tues. 9am-12:30pm DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER 303-436-6000, 777 Bannock St. denverhealth.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800; 112 E. 8th Ave.; Mon.-Fri., 9am-12pm. HIV/Hep C/ Gonorrhea/ Chlamydia testing available. Our services are restricted to active IV Drug Users. Offers clean syringes to active users, as well as safety training on how to properly dispose of dirty syringes. harmreductionactioncenter.org LIVER HEALTH CONNECTION 1325 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite B302. Resources and support for those affected by Hep C. Free Hep C testing offered. 800-522-4372, info@hepc-connection.org, liverhealthconnection.org INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER 303-296-1767, 3800 York St. Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Tues. 9am-5pm; Sat. 8am-2pm. Emergency walk-ins. SALUD CLINIC 6075 Parkway Drive, Ste. 160, Commerce City; Dental 303-286-6755. Medical 303-286-8900. Medical Hours: Mon.-Wed. 8am-9pm, Thurs.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Sat. (Urgent Care only) 8am-5pm; Dental Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Pharmacy Hours: Mon.-Fri. 1-5pm; After Office Hours: 1-800-283-3221 saludclinic.org/commerce-city STOUT STREET CLINIC 303-293-2220, 2130 Stout St. Clinic hours for new and established patients: 7am-4pm Mon., Tues., Thurs., & Fri. The clinic is open Wed. 11am-7pm. coloradocoalition.org/healthcare SUNSHINE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (YOUTH SERVICES) Services for youth facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. 833-931-2484 sunshinebehavioralhealth.com VA MEDICAL CENTER 303-399-8020, 1055 Clermont St. va.gov/find-locations/facility/vha_554A5 WORKNOW 720-389-0999; job recruitment, skills training, and job placement work-now.org DROP-IN & DAYTIME CENTERS ATTENTION HOMES 303-447-1207; 3080 Broadway, Boulder; contactah@attentionhomes.org. Offers safe shelter, supportive programming, and other services to youth up to age 24 attentionhomes.org CITYSQUARE DENVER 303-783-3777; 2575 S. Broadway; Mon.-Thurs. 10am-2pm, Denver Works helps with employment, IDs, birth certs; mail services and lockers citysquare.org FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 303-607-0855; 1101 W. 7th Ave.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Six private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch & more thoh.org THE GATHERING PLACE 303-321-4198; 1535 High St.; Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm, Tues. 8:30am-1:30pm. Daytime drop-in center for women, their children, and transgender individuals. Meals, computer lab, phones, food bank, clothing, art programs, GED tutoring, referrals to other services, and more. tgpdenver.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800, 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri. 9am-12pm. Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harm-reduction counseling, safe materials, Hep C/HIV education, and health education classes. harmreductionactioncenter.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., help with lost IDs and birth certificates holyghostchurch.org HOPE PROGRAM 303-832-3354, 1555 Race St.; Mon.-Fri. 8am-4pm. For men and women with HIV. LAWRENCE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER 2222 Lawrence St.; 303-294-0157; day facility, laundry, showers, restrooms, access to services homelessassistance.us/li/lawrence-street-community-center OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-5:30pm. Drop-in center: bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, WIFI odmdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER 303-297-1576; 2323 Curtis St. 6am-6pm daily. Storage for one bag (when space is available). Satellite Clinic hours- Mon., Tues., Thurs, Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm; Wed. 12:30-4:30pm sfcdenver.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. For those 55 and older. TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, and more. seniorsupportservices.org SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES) 2017 Larimer St. Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30 years old. Meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. Tues.-Fri. 12-4pm & Sat. 11-2pm. soxplace.com THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) 2100 Stout St. 303-291-0442. Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am. If you are a youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, please contact 303-974-2928 urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-and-services/drop-in-center URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) Youth 14-24 in Denver and Colorado Springs. Overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skills and training, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing. 730 21st St. 303-974-2900 urbanpeak.org May 2021 DENVER VOICE 15 DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 13
Since 2007, the VOICE has provided jobs for more than 4,400 people experiencing homelessness. For every dollar we take in, we put $3.00 directly back into the pockets of those who need it most. WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN DO MORE. DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATE
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