COLORADO SPRINGS — Kenneth Murriel, the executive director at Superior Connections, a recovery and support center for the formerly unhoused, is hoping to bridge the gap between the homeless population and outreach programs.
“I know with the homeless population, it’s an us vs. them mindset. If we can find a way around that, that’d be the first step,” Murriel said.
Many of his employees say they or people they know had less than favorable run-ins with homeless outreach programs.
“They ran me off and told me I need to get out of the area,” says Jacob Stouffer.
Now a peer mentor with Superior Connections, he was formerly homeless.
Mercedes Hess was also formerly homeless, and now works alongside Stouffer and Murriel.
“You are coming here and asking these people to leave from a place where obviously they don’t really want to be, but leave to where?” she says.
I reached out to the Colorado Springs Homeless Outreach Team and Downtown Area Response Team to understand more.
They tell me the combination of HOT and DART employs 14 officers and two sergeants and has improved response times and outreach. When possible, they connect individuals with outreach organizations that offer them available resources in the community.
Those most vulnerable are asking for more consistency in the treatment of the homeless.
“If you get to know the people that you are helping, it becomes a lot easier,” says Stouffer.
I asked Murriel if conversations could or should be staged between the homeless and agencies like HOT and DART.
“If we look at it like the homeless community, are stakeholders in their future, why would we not have them involved. It only makes sense to see what the actual needs are rather than trying to judge it from 1,000 feet away,” Murriel said.
Whether those meetings happen in the future, only time can tell.
