From the Editor-in-Chief
As someone who has lived in Colorado Springs for almost three years, attended countless City Council meetings, and walked around the downtown and Monument Creek areas, it is clear this city has a homelessness problem.
The problem has persisted, and the city government has done almost nothing close to groundbreaking to solve it despite the average $57,760 it costs taxpayers annually per homeless person.
Most recently, City Council proposed the ‘sit-lie’ ordinance, which would prohibit anyone from sitting or lying down in areas not designated for sitting in Colorado Springs’ two commercial districts between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends.
The city designed the ordinance primarily to promote safety and economic prosperity according to a video the city produced to inform citizens on the ordinance. Whether the intention of the drafters of the ordinance or not, ‘sit and lie’ would unjustly fine and jail the sub-community of the 1,200 El Paso County homeless people residing in Colorado Springs.
I will not comment on whether I agree or disagree with the city’s reasoning behind the ordinance because that is a can of worms into which I’m not willing to throw myself. I will, though, express my frustration with the city on not only their inability to properly address homelessness but their seemingly enthusiastic attitude towards adding yet another layer of failure to addressing it.
In January 2014, former Mayor Steve Bach announced a $5 million federal-funded program to provide emergency shelter beds in the winter, fund more affordable housing options, and expand outreach programs. It was the first and only substantial measure Bach took to address homelessness despite his promises in late 2012.
Later that year, the Gazette published an article titled “Search for homelessness solutions in Colorado Springs continues, even after some thought they had answers.” Clearly that $5 million accomplished a lot.
When Mayor Gary Suthers announced his plan to address homelessness, it involved everything that Bach did but once again no initiatives to pull people in this sub-community out of homelessness and into a job.
Here’s an idea, Mayor Suthers: Remember at the mayoral debates last year when you said that CC students could better involve themselves in the community by “picking up trash on the highway?”
How about funding job creation for the homeless to do that? Another solution would be to hire homeless to refurbish the parks that so desperately need maintenance to keep attracting tourists?
I’m not a politician, nor am I brave enough to ever become one. But the way in which Colorado Springs addresses the homeless problem is part of the reason the city’s economy has not rebounded as hoped.
The ‘sit-lie’ ordinance will not help the economy directly, but it will displace people deserving of a job that could contribute to the city’s economic rebound.