Homeless advocates to council: We need The Salvation Army gone

Members of Housekeys Action Network Denver, a homeless advocacy group known as HAND, gave impassioned pleas to the City Council Tuesday to stop funding contracts for The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army has long been criticized by the homeless community for unsanitary conditions at shelters. In particular, the Crossroads shelter is infested with bed bugs. Sometimes the toilet seats are smeared with feces.

Ana Miller of HAND became emotional describing having to stay there. Miller said people could risk sexual assault in the shower. “Stop giving the Salvation Army … money!” Miller told the council. Miller recalled meeting a man at Crossroads who had just been released from prison. Miller said the man commented he preferred prison to Crossroads. Miller said the man's shoes were stolen off his feet that night.

"Let's get this horrific provider out," said Terese Howard of HAND. "We need the Salvation Army gone."

Council votes down Salvation Army contract

Although complaints about the Salvation Army frequently come from members of the City Council and the homeless community, they continue to be the largest provider of homeless services in the city. Last month, the council voted down a $3 million contract with the Salvation Army, something that never happened before. The only “yes” vote was Kevin Flynn. Council member Shontel Lewis sounded the alarm that a rape occurred there, and the suspect was a Salvation Army employee. Denver police confirmed a rape occurred at The Aspen, formerly the DoubleTree hotel at 4040 Quebec.

Prior to speaking to the council Tuesday, HAND planned a protest at Salvation Army headquarters. They listed several grievances with the organization.

Should Colorado Coalition for the Homeless step in?

One speaker at the council meeting, Tyler P., said they live at the former DoubleTree, where the alleged rape took place. They expressed shock that it took three days for news of the crime to break.

Tyler P. said organizations like the Salvation Army profit from the suffering from others. She suggested Salvation Army contracts be handed over to Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, or CCH.

“Hell no,” political activist Jesse Lashawn Parris said of CCH receiving the contract. “CCH is just as bad as Salvation Army if not worse.” Parris described tenants of Fusion Studios, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless property where he lives, jumping out of windows and having mental breakdowns.

Recovery advocates in San Francisco say the Salvation Army there is known for its successful sobriety programs. The idea of getting sober at the Salvation Army sites in Denver seems far fetched, however. Illicit substances were rampant at Crossroads when I stayed there in 2019. One advocate who asked not to be identified said the low-barrier requirement means shelters must look the other way and allow intoxicated guests.

San Francisco recovery advocate, Tom Wolf, supports the Salvation Army. “I support programs that work. And I'm particular about Salvation Army as I'm a graduate of their drug programs in San Francisco,” reads one of his social media posts. “I urge you to support them. Their programs work. I'm living proof.”