How a Salvation Army homeless shelter became a potential deathtrap in Denver’s trendiest neighborhood

Denver fire officials say the shelter was so overcrowded and ill-maintained that it was primed for catastrophe: “There would have been major loss of life."

Tents are pitched on the street in defiance of the city's urban camping ban and a sizable blizzard. Dec. 17, 2016. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver’s new idea for homelessness commission: include more homeless people

Denver's 45-person homelessness commission will dissolve and reconvene later this summer as a smaller but more representative group.

Sidewalk storage units on Lawrence Street near the Denver Rescue Mission and Samaritan House. (Andrew Kenney/Denverite)

Denver tries giving homeless people a place to store their stuff

Fear of losing all their earthly possessions can be a barrier for homeless people seeking shelter, services and work.

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Mayor Michael Hancock, second from left, address reporters on May 29. Erik Soliván is at left, spokeswoman Jenna ESpinoza at right. At far right is 9News investigative reporter Jeremy Jojola, pensively looks out the window of the Colorado Convention Center. (Andrew Kenney/Denverite)

Denver is “moving beyond housing-first approach,” announces 30 actions on housing crisis

University of Denver's Burnes Center on Poverty and Homelessness founder Donald Burnes in an interview, April 27, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Donald Burns; University of Denver; homelessness; academia; kevinjbeaty; denver; colorado; denverite;

Marijuana isn’t attracting homeless people to Denver or Colorado, according to “best data we have”

He said it's an area that needs more research to have a definitive answer, but all the evidence to date is that it's not happening.

"Sweeps" of homeless camps on Park Avenue near the Denver Rescue Mission in 2015. (Kevin J. Beaty)

LOOK: Thoughts on a year of photographing Denver’s urban camping ban

This week seemed like an appropriate time to revisit how we got here, as activists and officials ponder where things will go next.

The 16th Street Mall. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

16th street mall; sixteenth street; central business district; downtown; denver; colorado; kevinjbeaty; denverite; cbd;

The mayor of Canada’s 23rd largest city has some thoughts on Denver

Jerry Burton hugs Sophia Lawson after all three defendants were found guilty of violating the city's "urban camping ban." Lindsey Flanigan Courthouse, April 5, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

homeless; urban camping ban; right to rest; lindsey flanigan courthouse; law; kevinjbeaty; denver; colorado; denverite;

A Denver jury finds all three defendants guilty of violating urban camping ban

"I feel I was not camping," defendant Randy Russell testified. "I did not have no smores. I was not having a good time."

An early (and already outdated) rendering for Beloved Community Village. The current design includes 11 of the smaller structures and only one of the circular structures. (Radian Inc)

Tiny-home villages take a huge step as city of Denver grants approval

Erik Soliván speaks before the Denver Commission on Homelessness on Feb. 27, 2017. (Andrew Kenney/Denverite)

What is HOPE? Erik Soliván lays out the mayor’s new strategy on housing and homelessness

Erik Soliván on a new approach to homelessness in Denver: "My role, being positioned within the mayor’s office, is ... 'How do we get past our silos?'"

The Salvation Army Crossroads Resource Center. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

crossroads; salvation army; homeless shelter; kevinjbeaty; rino; five points; denver; denverite; colorado;

Denver gives Salvation Army deadline to improve fire safety, sanitation at Crossroads homeless shelter

The nonprofit estimates that it could cost $300,000 to replace temporary bathrooms, establish proper escape routes and install new fire sprinklers.

Winter over the 16th Street Mall. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

holidays; christmas; weather; cowx; winter; denver; denverite; colorado; kevinjbeaty;

Denver in 5 minutes: What you need to know today, Dec. 18

Victor Martin Pacheco stands with a shovel at the launch of Denver Day Works. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

homeless; day labor; social work; kevinjbeaty; denverite; denver; colorado; kevinjbeaty;

Denver hires first longer-term employees through “Day Works” homelessness employment program

Officer Jason Rivera talks to Randy Russell, who already recieved a camping ban citation today. Protesters who have set up camp in front of the City and County Building to denounce Denver's urban camping ban are removed by police. Nov. 29, 2016. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

camping ban; right to rest; homeless sweeps; city and county building; police; protest; kevinjbeaty; denver; denverite; colorado;

ACLU to Denver: Stop taking homeless people’s blankets

The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado has sent a letter to Denver's elected leaders asking police not to seize blankets, sleeping bags and other survival gear from people living outside.

A tent representing a right to rest protest before a float at the parade of lights. Dec. 2, 2016. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

camping ban; protest; right to rest; homeless; parade of lights; holiday; christmas; civic center; kevinjbeaty; denver; denverite; colorado;

For three homeless people in Denver, their tents and sleeping bags are now evidence

Homeless people ticketed under Denver's camping ban want their gear back. Denver officials want them to just come inside.

Louis Plachowski interrupts Mayor Michael Hancock's Cabinet in the Community event as he hands a petition against the City Park Golf Course drainage plan. Nov. 19, 2016. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

mayor michael hancock; cole arts and science academy; politics; government; ditch the ditch; protest; kevinjbeaty; denver; denverite; colorado;

The plan: rebuild City Park Golf Course to stop floods. The resistance: getting louder.

About a hundred or so people hang out on the corner of Lawrence and Broadway just one day after so-called "homeless sweeps" by the city. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

camping ban; right to rest; denver rescue mission; denver; colorado; homeless; denverite; kevinjbeaty;

What Denver’s most arrested and cited man tells us about homelessness

The reports raise some important questions about how we are and are not responding to homelessness in Denver.

City Park Golf Course

city park; golf course; denverite; denver; colorado; kevinjbeaty

Lawsuit over Denver’s golf course flood control project moves forward

The city argued that the court didn't have subject matter jurisdiction because the claims were not "ripe." A Denver District Court judge didn't buy that.

People protest the clearing of belongings from the sidewalk near Park Avenue West and Broadway. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver sweeps out homeless people from Ballpark for a second time

Letterhead of the Office of the Medical Examiner.

A grandmother saw two bodies near Five Points one day. Now we know what happened.

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