Aurora’s Mayor Defends His Camping Ban Proposal

Denver’s urban camping ban has been controversial to say the least. Though it has remained popular with a majority of the voting public since it was implemented in 2012, the ban has led to the near-constant sweeping of encampments and displacement of the people living in them. The ban has stoked distrust and exacerbated the precarious nature of life for our unhoused neighbors. So when Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman announced plans earlier this week to propose a similar ban for Colorado’s third largest city, it came as a surprise. Today on the show, host Bree Davies, a vocal opponent of Denver’s camping ban, sits down with Mayor Coffman to hear how he came to this proposal and how his week-long stint pretending to be homeless back in December informs his approach to Aurora’s growing homelessness problem.

Mayor Coffman’s proposal will need the support of Aurora’s City Council, where it has already received some strong criticism.

The City of Aurora is currently reviewing a variety of alternative housing options to address their growing homelessness population. Residents are invited to review the options and provide feedback here through May 31: https://engageaurora.org/Homelessness

For more on the effects of Denver’s camping ban, make sure to listen to our episode from last month with David Gordon, in which he discusses his personal experience living in fear of a sweep: https://pod.link/citycastdenver/episode/36ef60a78752e3b83ba090e2bbc1c40a 

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