Aurora, Colo. — Homeless encampments within the Aurora city limits are getting larger, said Emma Knight, the city’s assistant homelessness director.
Knight made her remarks Thursday during the City Council’s public safety committee meeting. “Camps are getting larger; I think people are congregating at camps together so we’re looking at that and how we can manage that a little better.”
Knight said she did not think there were more encampments in the city. However, she said the city received 421 calls in August regarding homeless encampments, which is more than usual. “We had more abatements in August this time than in the past few previous months by about 20 which means more people were moving around which means they might be more visible at the same time as they are moving to different parts of the city.”
Homeless frown upon Comitis
Knight said 175 camps were cleared in August. Nobody accepted an offer of shelter at Comitis, Knight said.
“People don’t want to go to congregate shelters, or at least they don’t want to go to Comitis,” Knight said. “Specifically, they have to sleep on a mat on the floor and only a three-day stay is allowed, not much time to stay. They don’t like packing and moving their stuff quite as much. People also list safety concerns a lot when they go to Comitis.”