Tents and trash are back under the Wadsworth Boulevard overpass at 6th Avenue in Lakewood, and nearby residents say so are their worries. Campers have returned to the same gulch where crews cleared a large encampment last year, and neighbors report finding needles, feces, and evidence of open fires. Lakewood police and outreach staff visited the area this week as the city and state agencies sort out how to clear debris while still connecting people in the camp with services.
“It poses safety risks for neighbors,” said Joyce Wells, who told KDVR she has found needles and human waste near the underpass. The Fox31 report detailed tents and piles of trash once again lining the area around 6th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard. Neighbors say the encampment feels worse than it did before the 2025 cleanup.
Police and outreach response
Lakewood’s Community Action Team, a six-person unit that pairs two homeless navigators with two mental-health co-responders and two LEAD staff, has been making regular visits to the site to offer outreach and referrals, according to the City of Lakewood. City materials describe the team as part of a broader strategy to link people with shelter, case management, and supportive services while also tackling public-safety hazards. Those same documents highlight ongoing partnerships with nonprofits and regional programs that aim to move people from encampments into more stable housing.
Cleanup, coordination, and enforcement…