Denver City Council Exploring Permanent Code Change for Safe-Camping Sites

After being adopted as a temporary fix for homelessness during the pandemic, Denver’s safe-camping site program may soon become a permanent tool for city officials.

“I think they have been demonstrated to be a really effective and a very orderly alternative to street homelessness. They have demonstrated that they help people stabilize. We have seen more than 180 people move to more stable housing,” says Councilwoman Robin Kniech, a major proponent of safe-camping sites in Denver in recent years.

Kniech and Councilman Chris Hinds plan to sponsor a zoning code amendment that will move the language that authorizes safe-camping sites from a temporary administrative rule tied to the pandemic to a permanent section in the Denver zoning code.

“This zoning code update is about making sure we…