It appears people living in homeless encampments won’t be getting a reprieve from sweeps, which they call “traumatic displacements,” in cold weather.
While the Denver City Council approved 7-6 Monday a bill that would end sweeps in temperatures of 32 degrees or less, the mayor has indicated he may veto the bill. He has said it would prevent the city from performing encampment sweeps efficiently. If the mayor vetoes the bill, it will take nine votes by the City Council to override it. The bill only has seven votes.
The conversation among council members centered on bureaucratic interpretations of the proposed ordinance. The bill essentially said the city must post seven days’ notice before a sweep. If the temperature dips below 32 degrees the day of a planned sweep, it will have to be reposted. Some council members feared this could lead to length delays of sweeping encampments.
Voting against the ordinance were Flor Alvidrez, Kevin Flynn, Chris Hinds, Diana Romero Campbell, Amanda Sawyer and Darell Watson. Both sides argued from a standpoint of compassion. While the supporters of the ordinance, including its four sponsors, maintained that encampment dwellers are better off in their tents in cold weather than being outside moving their homes in the cold due to a sweep. But council members opposed to the ordinance said there is nothing compassionate about letting people stay in tents when it’s below freezing.