DENVER (KDVR) — As the City and County of Denver moves forward with city sanctioned homeless camps, FOX31 Problem Solvers are asking specifically what will be done to eliminate rare diseases popping up within the homeless population.
Denver homeless out loud estimates there are 30 encampments with roughly 1,300 people living on the streets with limited access to medical care.
“Unfortunately we are going to see it getting worse, we have this looming eviction crisis coming up and we don’t know what’s going to happen with that,” Cuica Montoya said.
Montoya is gearing up to manage Denver’s first sanctioned camp known as a Safe Outdoor Space run by the Colorado Village Collaborative.
Montoya was previously homeless herself for three years in Denver.
“Never in a million years would I have thought that such societal negative thing would uniquely qualify me for something like this,” Montoya said, adding “It felt like my purpose laid out right in-front of me.”
The location for the Safe Outdoor Place is not confirmed yet. However, Montoya says plans are to have 50 tents housing 60 people spaced out about 12 feet apart.
“Since we’re standing this up in response to a public health crisis, we need to make sure we have adequate hand washing stations, we have portable restrooms, we will also have a shower trailer, laundry,” Montoya said.
Infectious disease doctors tell Problem Solvers these amenities can help eliminate the rare trench fever recently found in the Denver homeless population. The trench fever is spread through lice.
“If you were able to shower and keep your clothes clean, you wouldn’t have any risk for this disease,” Dr. James Neid at Medical Center of Aurora said.
Montoya understands community members are concerned about diseases among other factors with news of the new sanctioned camping.
“It brings up concerns about safety, is it going to bring possible spread to the neighborhood, and these are the things we have action steps that we are going to take for,” she said.
Montoya said the space is going to run similar to a “well person’s camp” and will be staffed 24 hours a day.
Daily healthcare amenities from clinicians visits to testing and triage are all part of the Collaborative’s plans for the Safe Outdoor Space.
“Basically we’re standing this up as a little city,” Montoya said, adding “We want folks to feel safe there and then also try to abide by the safe at home. It’s hard to be safe at home when you don’t have a home.”
Montoya says narrowed down details on the camp’s location should come out next week.
