I recently read an article by Heath Urie, “Boulder city manager: Don’t change camping laws” (Colorado Daily, Feb. 2), about the camping law in Boulder.
Currently there is a very urgent problem in Boulder regarding the homeless. There are more than 500 homeless, however there are only 150 beds for them to take shelter! This situation leaves more than 350 men, women and children sleeping outside in the bitter cold.
In addition, Boulder’s camping law fines those 350 homeless for sleeping outside; however, if they are homeless how do we expect them to pay for a ticket?
Recently, the Boulder City Council met and discussed the homeless situation and the camping law. The council came up with two options — either suspend the law or keep it in place. These two options still leave two huge problems; there will still be homeless stuck in a cycle they cannot escape from or store stoops are littered with abandoned makeshift shelters.
The Boulder camping law should not be suspended, instead, it should be revised. The council should choose a strip of land where the homeless should be allowed to sleep. Conditions should include cleaning up after themselves and, on cold nights, open various churches and buildings for the homeless to take shelter. In addition, the council should consider a program to help these unfortunate men, women and children find jobs in order to turn their lives around.
We have elected the men and women on our council to voice our opinion. The council should be setting an example for the rest of the community. The revision of the camping law is just the beginning to helping the Boulder homeless. It is still winter and it is still harshly cold, we need to find an answer for the cold families sleeping outside.
Christina Egkan
Boulder
