[HPN] Denver Sleep-In: Homeless & poor demand housing at Colorado State House FWD House FWD

[Tom Boland]

http://insidedenver.com/news/0225poor7.shtml
FWD  Denver Rocky Mountain news - February 27, 2000

NEEDY DEMAND HOUSING HELP

Homeless, low-income citizens ask legislature
for slice of state surplus

By Lynn Bartels
Denver Rocky Mountain News Capitol Bureau

     Colorado's homeless and low-income citizens rallied on the steps of
the Capitol Thursday for a piece of the state's $730 million surplus.

     They want lawmakers to help solve the problem of affordable housing.

     "Pushin' a broom? Try renting a room!" one sign said. "Colorado, Land
of Plenty, Land of Homeless" read another.

     "I think there is a feeling that homelessness is not the government's
role, but we're such a wealthy state it's ridiculous," Mindy Klowden of the
Colorado Coalition of Homeless said before the rally.

     She said the state provides $2.6 million for affordable housing but
does not support much else, leaving local governments to handle the problem.

     Rep. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, told the homeless and low-income people
they are "invisible constituents."

     "Homeless people don't make big campaign contributions and they don't
have very many lobbyists," he said, urging them to make themselves heard.

     Erin Minks, who works with the disadvantaged in the San Luis Valley,
said rural Colorado copes with the problem differently than the metro areas.

     "They're not on street corners because we don't have many street
corners," she said.

     The rally was the first in a series of events to kick off awareness of
homeless and low-income people.

     A "sleep-in" was staged Thursday night at the Denver City and County
Building.

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