Mission Arvada says city council is unwilling

The Arvada Police Department estimates that 125 to 175 individuals are homeless in the city. (Photo by Ev from Unsplash)

During a Jan. 9 meeting, Arvada's city leaders decided to increase their oversight in homeless services coordination.

However, Mission Arvada, a homeless service organization based in The Rising Church in Olde Town, claimed that the city has not always been a cooperative partner.

The City’s Point of View on Homelessness

According to Arvada Press, on Christmas Day, a homeless man vandalized School House Kitchen and Libations, one of the Olde Town establishments owned by Scott Spears.

He reported the incident to the city council, community stakeholders, and city team members.

The man was eventually arrested, but Spears expressed his frustration with the situation and called for action to be taken against the church that he believes is attracting homeless individuals to the area.

He expressed his disappointment in the city leaders for not taking action and causing harm to his investments and dedication to the town.

In response to Spears' email, Arvada Mayor Marc Williams expressed support for the idea of moving The Rising Church from the historic district.

He stated that he and others also want to shut down the church.

Another building owner in Olde Town, Steven Howards, also expressed frustration with The Rising Church and called it a poor neighbor that lacks compassion for the community.

The number of calls related to homeless services increased from 1,100 in 2017 to 3,800 in the last two years, according to Deputy City Manager Don Wick.

Arvada Police Chief Ed Brady also reported that 1,100 arrests and tickets have been issued to homeless individuals in the past year.

The cost of the police department's response to homeless calls, including salaries for CORE team officers, co-responders, and camp cleanups, exceeded $1 million in 2020.

Brady stated that this demand for services is not a source of pride and does not account for the patrol officers who also deal with homeless issues.

And so, at the council study session, Wick stated his belief that homelessness will always exist in Arvada, no matter what actions are taken by the city or its stakeholders.

This is because according to the city's research, only 30 to 40% of homeless individuals wish to improve their situation and can be reached for housing or services.

Mission Arvada’s Response

The city of Arvada estimates that 1,126 people received day sheltering over a year, with 200 being unhoused, 64 being chronically homeless, 40 being veterans and 128 being disabled.

Meanwhile, the Arvada Police Department estimates that 125 to 175 individuals are homeless in the city.

Mission Arvada, which participates in the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, has served 1,090 unique individuals and placed 141 people into permanent housing over the past two years with a 97% retention rate.

With this, Karen Cowling, the Director of Mission Arvada, claimed that the city's research is inaccurate because it lacks a crucial element in offering support to homeless individuals, which is trust.

Cowling stated that 99% of the people they have gained the trust of have sought help, even though they initially appeared uncooperative or angry.

And so, she stated that the city’s perception that the homeless don't want help is false, as they are afraid and marginalized and do not trust the city enough to express their fear.

Stephen Byers, the pastor of The Rising and a leader of Mission Arvada, emphasized the importance of relationship building in helping individuals recover from trauma and moving on.

However, the city's study session on homelessness was lacking consideration of the relationship aspect.

Meanwhile, Rachael Kuroiwa, Arvada’s Director of Communication and Engagement stated that the city is planning to build a navigation center for homeless individuals.

The city has closed on the property and is working with Jeffco and neighboring municipalities to plan the center.

However, the project is still in its early stages and may take several years to complete.

Moreover, the placement of the center is not confirmed yet.

Until such issues are dealt with and the center is completed, the city does not plan to offer any services at the site.

A Push to Help Others Move Forward

Mission Arvada provides various services to the homeless, including giving away two meals a day, showers, clothing bank, severe weather items, laundry services, and other services provided by partners.

In exchange, those who use these services are required to attend an orientation and follow a 25-rule code of conduct.

However, Mission Arvada cannot solve all of the problems in Olde Town, according to Byers.

Byers believes that the city needs to improve its relationships with service providers to effectively partner with them.

Moreover, he stated that doing so enables them to provide a holistic approach to helping the homeless, as the government is not relational and cannot provide services alone.

With this, working together is necessary to get people into housing.