The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless will honor 312 people who have died on the streets of Denver so far in 2023.
The Homeless Person's Memorial Vigil will begin Thursday at 5 p.m. outside of the Denver City & County Building. The annual memorial is meant to highlight the ongoing crisis of people living on the streets and facing the elements.
The event will feature memorials and a reading of 312 names out loud, the most in the 34-year-old event's history, said Cathy Alderman, the coalition's spokeswoman.
"It's essentially a funeral," Alderman said. "And in many instances it will be the only opportunity for some of these individuals to be honored and recognized."
Each year, the coalition gathers its list of names from local service providers, the state's Homeless Management Information System and local community members. Death numbers rose this year due to an overall spike in people experiencing homelessness, Alderman said.
"As that population grows, we see more deaths on the street," she said.
The rise comes as the deadline approaches for a first benchmark in Mayor Mike Johnston's ambitious campaign promise to end homelessness in four years -- something no other mayor has done.
Johnston launched an ambitious short-term plan the day he took office, estimated to cost taxpayers more than $48 million, to bring 1,000 people living on the streets indoors into housing and shelter by the end of the year.
The House1000 effort has stumbled over transparency issues. The city's dashboard says 607 people have been moved indoors, with outcomes including moving into hotels, leased units, and reunifying with families.
Thursday's vigil will focus mostly on the lives lost this year. Attendees can donate warm winter clothing such as jackets, socks and hats at the event.
"We'll also have a board that people can sign onto that expresses their respect for the individuals who passed away their thoughts about what's happening in Denver," Alderman said.
Light refreshments will be provided. For anyone unable to attend in person, a livestream has been made available through a partnership with Denver Community Media.
