Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

Last week, after nearly three hours of public comment and debate, the Grand Junction City Council voted 5-2 to remove from the city’s camping ordinance some language that prevented enforcement of a camping ban when no overnight-shelter beds are available.

Grand Junction has prohibited camping on public property since 2019. However, city officials argued the recent closure of Homeward Bound’s North Avenue shelter and consolidation of services into the Pathways shelter reduced the availability of overnight shelter beds and made portions of the ordinance effectively unenforceable.

Under the previous language, officers were required to determine whether overnight shelter was available before enforcing the camping ban. City officials said that requirement became increasingly difficult to meet after the North Avenue shelter consolidated into the Pathways shelter.

Supporters argued the change is necessary to address growing public-safety, environmental and wildfire concerns associated with encampments on public property. Opponents questioned what will happen to people living in those camps, particularly those who may not qualify for available shelter beds or housing programs.

City officials emphasized that enforcement is not intended to begin with citations or arrests. Grand Junction Police Chief Matt Smith described a process that typically starts with outreach, conversations with individuals living in camps, referrals to service providers, notice before cleanups occur and opportunities for people to remove their belongings before crews arrive.

According to Smith, the city has been conducting organized encampment cleanups for more than a decade and has relied on outreach and voluntary compliance before taking enforcement action. Depending on the location and circumstances, encampments have historically been given anywhere from several days to nearly a month before cleanup crews arrive.

Still, throughout the nearly three-hour discussion, one question surfaced repeatedly from council members, service providers and residents: If camping enforcement increases, where will people go?

To better understand what options are available for individuals living in encampments, The Business Times spoke with Samantha Denard, a care advocate with The Joseph Center, 2511 Belford Ave. in Grand Junction.

According to Denard, the answer depends largely on the individual’s circumstances.

“We’re a circle of resources, so we’re not just going to give you one thing,” Denard said.

Denard said care advocates help assess an individual’s circumstances and connect them with the organizations and programs best suited to their needs. That can include everything from housing assistance and recovery programs to employment support, family-reunification efforts, transportation assistance and emergency financial aid.

She said organizations including The Joseph Center, Salvation Army, Catholic Outreach, Center for Independence, House with a Heart, Health Solutions, Women in Recovery, Oxford House, Ariel Clinical Services and Hilltop’s Foster Alumni Program, help clients in the community.

“A lot of the other resources in town, you just have to go out and seek them,” she said. “They’re here, they’re available, but it’s whether or not people are going to use them.”

Barriers beyond shelter

Denard said one of the challenges service providers encounter is barriers to stability often extend beyond simply finding an available bed.

Food resources are available throughout the community, she said, but transportation can make accessing them difficult. Some individuals are also reluctant to leave encampments, because they worry about losing their possessions or returning to find their belongings stolen or removed either by other homeless individuals or the police.

Distance from services can also create challenges, particularly for people without reliable transportation. Housing is often another significant hurdle.

Denard said many individuals seeking housing have prior evictions, criminal records, poor credit or other issues that make landlords hesitant to rent to them.

“On paper, they just don’t look very well,” she said.

Part of the Joseph Center’s role is advocating for clients with landlords and helping them navigate the housing process while providing ongoing support after placement.

“We can advocate for them, give them a chance in these houses and then see how they do and have that wraparound services,” Denard said.

Mental health and addiction

Mental-health and substance-abuse challenges frequently overlap, Denard said. Many individuals seeking assistance are dealing with mental illness and addiction, sometimes after using drugs or alcohol to cope with underlying mental health issues.

“We deal with a lot of people, they come to us and they tell us, ‘OK, we want to be sober.’ We try to see, can we send you to detox? Can we send you to programming first?” Denard said.

She said local providers often begin by connecting individuals with detox and recovery services before addressing longer-term housing and mental-health needs.

Health Solutions West provides local detox services, while some individuals are referred to treatment programs in Denver. Women in Recovery also provides services locally following detox treatment.

However, Denard said participation ultimately depends on the individual’s willingness to engage in services.

“We can preach to you all day about how we can help, but you have to want to accept it and take it and go from there,” she said.

Family reunification and returning home

The Joseph Center also assists with family-reunification efforts. Denard said staff work with parents seeking to reconnect with children and coordinate with other agencies that provide counseling and support services.

In some situations, organizations also help individuals reconnect with family members or support systems outside the Grand Junction area.

Mesa County’s traveler-aid program can assist certain individuals who have family or support networks elsewhere and need help returning home.

Limited options for some individuals

Denard said individuals with criminal histories often face additional barriers when seeking housing or treatment. Programs vary in their eligibility requirements, and some are able to work with clients who have criminal backgrounds, depending on the nature of their offenses. However, she said there remains a significant shortage of programs for men with criminal histories.

“To be honest, there is a lack of services for men who have criminal backgrounds,” Denard said.

At the same time, she noted some criminal records are connected to circumstances that happen after becoming homeless.

“A lot of their criminal background comes from being homeless,” she said.

Preventing homelessness before it starts

While much of the public discussion centers on people already living in shelters or encampments, Denard said a large portion of The Joseph Center’s work focuses on preventing homelessness altogether.

When funding is available, the organization helps residents with rent, utilities, vehicle repairs and other emergency expenses that could otherwise lead to housing instability.

“A lot of what the Joseph Center does is prevention,” Denard said.

The organization regularly assists with rent payments, electric bills, water bills and other emergency needs intended to help individuals remain housed before a crisis escalates into homelessness.

“That’s where our funding is allocated,” she said. “It’s a preventative measure.”

Employment and stability

Employment assistance is another part of the organization’s work. Denard said staff frequently contact employers directly on behalf of clients seeking jobs and work to connect them with opportunities throughout the community.

In some cases, advocates call businesses before sending a client to apply, helping create an opportunity for an interview and a fresh start.

“It’s my job to advocate for that person and try to get them a job,” Denard said.

When does the amendment go into effect?

The ordinance will take effect 30 days after adoption.

During the council discussion, Smith indicated the city is expected to resume the same outreach and cleanup process it used prior to March, when the shelter-availability provision effectively halted enforcement in many public spaces.