by Homeless Bill of Rights Working Group
You may have been one of the almost 500 people who took the time to fill out a
survey asking how laws against acts of survival in public space have affected
you. We now have compiled some of the results of these 431 collected surveys
from 12 Colorado cities...with more on the way. Here is what people have
reported:
70% of those surveyed were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for sleeping, with 25%
being ticketed and 14% being arrested.
64% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for sitting or lying down, with 15% being
ticketed and 7% being arrested.
35% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for panhandling, with 11% ticketed and 7%
arrested.
50% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for loitering, with 14% ticketed and 6%
arrested.53% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for drinking alcohol or smoking weed, with
26% ticketed and 16% arrested.
24% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for sleeping in a vehicle, with 5% ticketed
and 2% arrested.
48% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for standing up for another person, with
10% ticketed and 8% arrested.
52% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for “appearing homeless,” with 7% ticketed
and 3% arrested
23% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for urinating privately in public, with10%
ticketed and 4% arrested.
43% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for park curfew, with 19% ticketed and 8%
arrested.
When asked, “Do police ever harass you without having any legal reason?”
79% said yes.
When asked, “Have you encountered private security guards hassling people, ordering
people away or otherwise policing public sidewalks or parks?”
78% said yes.
When asked, “Have police or city employees ever taken your belongings?”
42% said yes.
These findings show plain as day that people who are homeless in Colorado are being
treated as criminals for performing basic acts that any person must do to survive. Our
basic human rights to sleep, sit, store belongings, use a restroom, and ask for help are
being violated. What kind of world do we live in where it is ok that 70% of us are being
harassed, ticketed, or arrested for sleeping!
In Colorado we are working to prepare a Homeless Bill of Rights that will protect
people’s basic rights to do what is necessary to survive, even when the only place you
have to do so is public. We are working along side California, Oregon, and Washington
in this movement. It will not be easy but it is necessary!
We need you to get involved and stand up for your rights!
-Come to Homeless Bill of Rights meetings every Wednesday at 2:30pm at the
American Friends Service Committee room in the Court House Square Apt building
(901 W 14th Ave - 14th and Santa Fe - across from King Soopers).
-Share how these laws criminalizing surviving in public space have affected your life by
writing, doing a video interview, or attending public meetings to speak on these issues.-Create art about the criminalization of homelessness.
-Spread the word to friends about the Colorado Homeless Bill of Rights campaign.
-Use your own ideas to carry out actions that support the Homeless Bill of Rights
campaign and the work to end the criminalization of homelessness in Colorado.
Contact us:
Denverhomelessoutloud.org - [email protected] - 720-940-5291
survey asking how laws against acts of survival in public space have affected
you. We now have compiled some of the results of these 431 collected surveys
from 12 Colorado cities...with more on the way. Here is what people have
reported:
70% of those surveyed were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for sleeping, with 25%
being ticketed and 14% being arrested.
64% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for sitting or lying down, with 15% being
ticketed and 7% being arrested.
35% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for panhandling, with 11% ticketed and 7%
arrested.
50% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for loitering, with 14% ticketed and 6%
arrested.53% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for drinking alcohol or smoking weed, with
26% ticketed and 16% arrested.
24% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for sleeping in a vehicle, with 5% ticketed
and 2% arrested.
48% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for standing up for another person, with
10% ticketed and 8% arrested.
52% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for “appearing homeless,” with 7% ticketed
and 3% arrested
23% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for urinating privately in public, with10%
ticketed and 4% arrested.
43% were harassed, ticketed, or arrested for park curfew, with 19% ticketed and 8%
arrested.
When asked, “Do police ever harass you without having any legal reason?”
79% said yes.
When asked, “Have you encountered private security guards hassling people, ordering
people away or otherwise policing public sidewalks or parks?”
78% said yes.
When asked, “Have police or city employees ever taken your belongings?”
42% said yes.
These findings show plain as day that people who are homeless in Colorado are being
treated as criminals for performing basic acts that any person must do to survive. Our
basic human rights to sleep, sit, store belongings, use a restroom, and ask for help are
being violated. What kind of world do we live in where it is ok that 70% of us are being
harassed, ticketed, or arrested for sleeping!
In Colorado we are working to prepare a Homeless Bill of Rights that will protect
people’s basic rights to do what is necessary to survive, even when the only place you
have to do so is public. We are working along side California, Oregon, and Washington
in this movement. It will not be easy but it is necessary!
We need you to get involved and stand up for your rights!
-Come to Homeless Bill of Rights meetings every Wednesday at 2:30pm at the
American Friends Service Committee room in the Court House Square Apt building
(901 W 14th Ave - 14th and Santa Fe - across from King Soopers).
-Share how these laws criminalizing surviving in public space have affected your life by
writing, doing a video interview, or attending public meetings to speak on these issues.-Create art about the criminalization of homelessness.
-Spread the word to friends about the Colorado Homeless Bill of Rights campaign.
-Use your own ideas to carry out actions that support the Homeless Bill of Rights
campaign and the work to end the criminalization of homelessness in Colorado.
Contact us:
Denverhomelessoutloud.org - [email protected] - 720-940-5291
RSS Feed
