urbanism

“He has sentenced houseless people of Denver to more sickness, suffering, loss of limbs, and potential death,” Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND), an advocacy organization composed of people who are currently or have previously been homeless, said in a statement.

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“[Sweeps,] we predict, will contribute up to 25 percent of the deaths among this population over a 10-year period,” Dr. Joshua Barocas, the principal investigator of the study and infectious disease doctor and associate professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, told Denverite in April. “To put that a different way, it means our states and our cities are literally killing people with this.” Dr. Barocas is a supporter of the city ordinance and, in November, told Denver City Council’s Safety and Housing committee that cold weather begins to pose risks of bodily harm under 32 degrees.

City policies toward unhoused people, like homeless sweeps in freezing temperatures, result in a measurable loss of lives. In 2022, 226 unhoused people in Denver died, constituting 1 out of every 21 unhoused persons in the city. In addition to high mortality rates, homeless people in the Denver metro area also face risks to their health that can land them in the hospital. According to the Common Sense Institute, unsheltered individuals sought medical attention at Denver Health an average of four times annually, likely due in part to injuries resulting from freezing weather conditions.