DENVER — The City of Denver swept a homeless encampment in Denver's Ballpark neighborhood on November 1. One week later, the encampment has come back just one block away.
The encampment was bordered by Broadway Avenue, Curtis, 20th and Arapahoe streets. City officials said 61 people were given shelter, while others moved their tents and belongings.
“A lot of them want to keep what they got. They don't want to downsize,” said Rick Waite, who was living in an encampment only a month ago. “Hey, we got lucky. We had a friend to move us in. But we still have friends out here. And it’s starting to get awful cold."
Christian Batizy, who owns The Lobby, a Ballpark brunch spot, said any type of movement is a good thing, but believes future encampment sweeps will be an uphill battle.
“I’m definitely worried that all they’re doing is continuing to shuffle the problem,” said Batizy.
A spokesperson for the city said they haven’t decided if they will close any other Ballpark neighborhood encampments at this time, like the one stretching along 20th from Stout to Curtis streets.
“Ignoring the problem has definitely not made it get any better in my neighborhood. So any sort of action is a step in the right direction, in my opinion,” said Batizy.
City teams, including Denver police, will closely monitor closed encampment areas in an effort to prevent individuals from returning. Additionally, the public may report any camping in the closed encampment area by calling 311.
