The city of Durango has yet to secure a location for a managed homeless camp just 3½ weeks before La Plata County closes the unmanaged site at Purple Cliffs.
But city councilors said at their Tuesday meeting the city has offered one proposed site to the county and has not received word back. The city is also considering several other sites, although councilors did not disclose details about any of the potential locations.
Mayor Barbara Noseworthy said councilors could not publicly discuss specifics at this time.
Sixteen Durango and county residents attended the meeting to urge the city to take immediate action to find a solution for sheltering Purple Cliffs residents who will soon be displaced.
During public participation, many of the residents spoke in support of a petition with nearly 450 signatures delivered to City Council last week by Project Moxie, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing. The petition demands the city amend codes to designate one or more camping sites and an area for overnight parking with trash and restroom services for the unhoused.
Project Moxie Director of Community Engagement Matt Lynn said the petition had gathered nearly 550 signatures as of Tuesday.
Lynn criticized a recent city news release that said despite efforts to find a solution to support people displaced from Purple Cliffs, “there are limits on what can be done locally.”
He said Project Moxie is specifically calling on the city to help the displaced “so that people don’t freeze to death this winter.”
“Can you imagine for a moment if a wildfire displaced 100 people from their homes and the city and county put out a joint press release stating that there are limits to what can be done locally to mitigate the effects of climate change because it is causing an increase in fires across the country?” he said.
Lynn added that an “unprecedented” amount of state and federal resources and funding are currently available to mitigate homelessness in Colorado and nationwide, but even so, not many resources are needed to designate camping and parking areas to shelter homeless residents while long-term solutions are figured out.
“People you serve are at risk of losing their lives in the coming months as they try to survive a winter without shelter and we simply don’t have the available units in Durango to house the 100 people, let alone units that are within reach for people who are residing at Purple Cliffs,” he said.
Jenn Lopez, president of Project Moxie, told the council she served former Gov. John Hickenlooper as the first director of homelessness in the state of Colorado and her experience taught her that the cost of ignoring homelessness is high.
“Statistics say that communities are spending anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 per unhoused individual,” she said. “I just want to point this out as a policymaker: The best policy is to use our limited resources and to get solutions done.”
She said she can get funding to support the residents of Purple Cliffs, but she needs to know what the city’s role will be in supporting the displaced residents.
“It’s really making it difficult for our team to move forward and make sure that people have a place to go in a few weeks,” she said. “You’re all amazing. I know you know something, but you’ve got to share it with us or we can’t get this done.
“Please let us know. We’re on standby. Resources are there. And we can do the right thing.”
Other community members who oversee the Manna soup kitchen and provide other forms of community outreach also urged City Council to find a solution right away.
After public participation, José Madrigal, city manager, Brice Current, deputy chief of Durango police, and Luke Alvey-Henderson, Durango library director, gave a presentation about current efforts to prepare for Purple Cliffs’ closure.
Alvey-Henderson said next week city staff members will undergo “de-escalation training” so they are prepared for potential behavioral problems at public buildings.
The city is also working on securing a reporting app for “areas of concern” that would allow a person to file a report about illegal activities, wildfires or other natural disasters or risks, he said.
The city is searching for additional code enforcement officers in anticipation of Purple Cliffs residents migrating downtown where services are most abundant, as well as partnering with the La Plata County District Attorney’s Office and police to keep track of activities.
The city is also seeking drug treatment and sobriety programs to make help available to those who want it, Alvey-Henderson said.
Current said Durango Police Department fosters a culture of offering aid before enforcement. He said voluntary compliance is sought first by officers unless the person won’t stop their behavior.
Alvey-Henderson said as of Friday, 82 residents were counted at Purple Cliffs. Six families with children have been placed in hotels, but 10 children from three families are still living at the unmanaged campsite on La Posta Road (County Road 213).
cburney@durangoherald.com
