PUEBLO — Walking along Fountain Creek in Pueblo next to I-25, it’s not difficult to spot the massive piles of trash or the large encampments that scatter the area.
For someone like Odean, who’s been unhoused for six years, it’s her home. But now, she fears everything is about to be taken from her. It’s a sentiment shared by others living in the area.
Next week, the City of Pueblo plans to conduct large-scale homeless encampment sweeps along Fountain Creek from the 4th Street bridge to the 8th Street bridge.
The city said it’s in conjunction with BNSF Railroad as much of the encampment is along their property, with other agencies and departments like police, public works, and stormwater taking part.
“I've been depressed since they started talking about it. And also, I have nowhere to go. I'm lost,” said Odean. “I have so much stuff. I don't have no way of taking it. I would have to leave it behind and start all over again.”
Some estimates place the number of unhoused in the area into the hundreds. And there is growing concern for where this community will go once the sweeps occur.
During Monday night’s city council meeting, several Pueblo residents spoke during public comment asking for solutions outside of the sweeps.
Project Apollo, a nonprofit that provides medical services to the Pueblo homeless community, said it fears the sweeps will push their clients away who need access to their healthcare.
The group has taken it upon themselves to walk along the creek to notify those living there about the upcoming sweep.
“It's kicking the can down the road. There is no plan for what to do with these individuals there,” said Jamie Cooke with Project Apollo. “They'll move somewhere else temporarily. They may come back here.”
Cooke and other residents at the council meeting said those removed in the sweeps could end up in residential areas, causing other issues.
There are some beds available at shelters, but Cooke said many of the unhoused he interacts with have no desire to live in what they call “barracks-style” housing. And those with pets can’t bring them into those shelters.
Cooke said they’ve been reaching out to the city for more details, hoping to have some support provided for everyone being removed.
“They've told us that rail will be giving 72 hours notice, but it's Labor Day weekend, and they're not providing any supportive services,” said Cooke. “We've asked, ‘Why are public health not involved? Why is the housing department not involved?’ And we've heard ‘I'll look into that.’ And then requests to those departments have also so far gone unresponded to.”
Pueblo enacted a public camping ban in February, which was bolstered by a summer Supreme Court decision granting local jurisdictions the ability to enforce such bans.
The high court acknowledged homelessness is a complex situation, but ruled local governments are allowed to address the matter.
In an email with input from Mayor Heather Graham, the city confirmed they weren’t providing specific support services, but said they’d be posting notifications to give any unhoused in the area “proper time allowance” to find shelter or housing.
“We also know there are many nonprofits who are working to provide support and hopefully proper housing for these folks to live in safe, secure locations,” the city said in the email, placing the onus on nonprofits to help with relocation.
In the email, Mayor Graham and the city said the sweeps were being conducted now because citizens have asked for the community to be cleaned up and the current conditions are dangerous, unhealthy, and “unsightly for our residents and visitors to see the trash as they drive on I-25.”
She noted there are typically open beds in the Pueblo Rescue Mission for some to take advantage of.
And addressing some of the concerns during Monday night’s city council meeting, Mayor Graham didn’t want to use the term “sweeps,” but rather called it an enforcement of their municipal code.
“I don't like the term sweep. We’re going in there to make sure that the property is clean and will be maintained. The trees will be trimmed, the trash will be cleaned. It's a pretty significant mess down there,” Graham said to the council.
Email Senior Reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow @brettforrestTVon X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook.
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