Douglas County, Colorado, has significantly reduced its homeless population by implementing a “Handouts Don’t Help” initiative. The program directs people experiencing homelessness to resources and encourages donations to local charities instead of direct handouts.
A Colorado county has gotten almost every homeless person off of the streets by enacting a “ Handouts Don’t Help” initiative amid the nearby city of Denver’s all-out homeless and drug crisis.
“The thought dawned on me from a common sense standpoint – I saw a lot of people like my daughter feeling conflicted at an intersection,” Republican Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon “I saw it coming from Denver – people would get off the light rail, not pay for a ticket, get off at Long Tree,” Laydon said. “Next thing you know they’re asking for money on a corner.”
According to Laydon, the initiative is not just about signs and redirecting people to donate to an accredited charity instead of to panhandlers. Task forces are directly engaging with and aiding people who end up on the streets.“If people need services, they’re getting them. They’re getting hotel vouchers, we’re partnering with Ready to Work,” the commissioner said. “If somebody needs a job, they will get one. If they need a bus ticket back to their family in Tennessee, we’ve done that.
Camping on the streets is also illegal, but the HEART Team said that they encourage people to go to shelters rather than writing a ticket every time.
Homelessness Colorado Douglas County Initiative Handouts
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