Over this winter, hundreds of families lived out of sight in cars, tents and under bridges. When they asked for shelter from the city and nonprofits, many were denied, even as the city expanded its cold-weather shelter program.
Some families called the Salvation Army’s family homelessness hotline dozens of times with no answer. Many struggled to get into cold weather shelters during freezing cold days and nights. Most of those who were brought inside the emergency cold-weather shelters were released back to the streets with no connection with a case worker and no pathway toward a homeless shelter, much less housing.
Families, even those with children as young as six years old, say they’re not admitted to most of the city’s homeless shelters, which serve individuals. They feel invisible — unseen because they’re in cars, not camped out in obvious spots in downtown Denver…