Faces of the Fort Collins homeless population
Police have increased their presence in the homeless population of Fort Collins in recent months, according to a September article in the Coloradoan. While rent increases across the city, both for businesses and for housing, volunteers at shelters have said the city’s transient population is steadily increasing.
Domingo believes the population of homeless people is increasing, in Fort Collins and in the state. He said many people cannot get into the mission at night because it is overcrowded. Men and women are separated in the shelter, and some married couples don’t like to stay there because they cannot sleep with their spouse.
Those who cannot get into the shelter sometimes sleep at Jefferson Park, but many said the police have had a heavy presence in the park lately.
The city recently considered moving the shelter farther away from old town, but several volunteers were worried about where the homeless population would sleep and work in the meantime, as several of them work for their stay at the shelter.
Erin Douglas is a junior at Colorado State University pursuing two degrees in journalism and economics. Read more of her articles at collegian.com where she works as the Collegian news editor.