Federal judge orders Denver officials to provide 7-day notice before most homeless encampment sweeps
Denver7
and last updated 2021-01-26 21:21:35-05
DENVER â A federal judge has ordered an injunction requiring Denver officials to provide at least seven days notice before conducting most homeless sweeps.
This comes after Denver Homeless Out Loud filed a class-action lawsuit against the state of Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and others on Oct. 20, 2020 seeking to stop sweeps altogether.
The lawsuit claims defendants 4th and 14th Amendment rights have been violated, as well as Colorado constitutional violations due to homeless encampment sweeps over the summer of 2020. The lawsuit also claims a breach of contract based on a previous 2016 lawsuit, resulting in an agreement that the state would provide a seven-day notice before large-scale homeless sweeps.
During a January 14 press conference, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock expressed frustration over the slow pace of COVID-19 vaccinations, particularly among communities of color and other vulnerable demographics and new statistics from Denver Public Health underscore his concerns.
The first vaccines arrived in Colorado on December 14, just over a month ago. Phase 1A of the vaccination program, which focuses in part on residents and workers at nursing homes and assisted-living centers, is supposed to be nearing completion, while phase 1B, prioritizing those ages seventy and above, is beginning.
A breakdown on DPH s Denver COVID-19 Data Summary page, however, shows that not a single person age seventy and older has been inoculated for the first time in several of Denver s 78 official neighborhoods and in 53 of them, fewer than fifty people in that age group have gotten their initial shots. Moreover, the neighborhoods with the most vaccinations, including a higher-than-average perce
Mercedes Jara and other volunteers fill food baskets for neighbors at the Wonderbound Campus on E 40th Avenue Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, in the Globeville neighborhood of Denver. Volunteers deliver the food to residents in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea areas every Friday. We Don’t Waste and other non-profit organizations served more than 500 cars during a drive-thru food bank the same day. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Christian Murdock/The Gazette
Christian Murdock, The Gazette
Christian Murdock/The Gazette
photos by Christian Murdock, The Gazette
Christian Murdock, The Gazette
Clinics in Denver that primarily serve people of color are having varied experiences when it comes to obtaining and distributing COVID-19 vaccines. Only one clinic that Denverite spoke to has so gotten doses for its patients, and another said it was waiting to get more information from the state about providing doses to its clients.
COVID-19 cases in Denver continue to disproportionally affect people of color, especially Black and Latinos residents. Statewide figures show a similar discrepancy. One of the ways the city has tried to address these discrepancies is by opening free testing sites in historically underserved neighborhoods. But a special focus on these communities may not necessarily factor into the city’s developing vaccine plan, said Cali Zimmerman, an emergency management coordinator with the city’s public health department. Zimmerman said over email that at some point during the vaccine rollout plan’s third phase, which will begin in the summer and will provide v
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Polis also said that the state will work with employers to create targeted vaccine distribution plans for additional frontline workers as part of Phase 1B, such as in those who work in education, food and agriculture, public health, transportation or who provide support to those experiencing homelessness, as well as grocery store workers.
State health officials said they are working with local public health agencies to determine which additional providers will vaccinate members of the 1A and 1B groups as they continue to bring on new providers.
CDPHE said several counties plan to hold mass vaccination clinics for members of their communities. In the coming days and as more information