The Colorado Council of Churches joined faith leaders and faith-based organizations in a statement raising our concerns about the recent sweeps of homeless people being done by the city of Denver. We submitted the statement to local media for publication, but no one published it. We share it with you now:
To Whom it May Concern,
It’s unbelievable that the city spent funds donated to help people who are homeless to confiscate their belongings and sweep them from the streets.
In March, we were on the streets to witness to this policy that left people scattered and fragmented with nowhere to go. It’s hard to understand what positive outcomes this policy sought. They have continued to move people along while advocates proclaim, “move along to where?!” People with unstable lives are woken in the middle of the night and told to move causing added stress, sleep deprivation, and community breakdown.
It’s appalling that the Mayor took funding from donations to be used for food, shelter and counseling. This shows a genuine disconnect between policymaking and on-the-ground realities.
Rather than sweep people in our community under the rug, we must reach into our deeper humanity to creatively address their needs while addressing needs of the larger community.
Rabbi Joe Black, Temple Emanuel
Amanda Henderson, The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
Nadeen Ibrahim, The Colorado Muslim Connection
Adrian Miller, Colorado Council of Churches
Rev. Dr. Jim Ryan, Doing Justice LLC
