Alamosa’s sanctioned camp takes care of its people

St. Benedict Camp

The St. Benedict Camp opened in Alamosa with federal COVID funds and private foundation support to provide a sanctioned campsite for people experiencing homelessness. The site, which is on the outskirts of town, has running water, bathrooms, refuse collection services, and limited electricity. Police patrolled the camp throughout the day, and security cameras were put up.

La Puente, a nonprofit addressing poverty and homelessness in the San Luis Valley, provided residents with tents and winter survival gear. The outreach team delivered other supplies as needed.

“It was a pretty negative experience when individuals first started moving in, just because it is hard for folks to have police tell them they have to move,” said Christina Bolt, La Puente’s street outreach director. “But I think that overall, most of our folks who are living out there have recognized some of the benefits that have come with having that city sanctioned area to stay.”

One of the benefits is that it is easier to receive services at a central location, and less time is spent locating and accessing individual campsites. “We are able to go out there and just sit for a couple of hours with a laptop and get all sorts of stuff done for people. We were able to get people enrolled in new services and meet a lot of needs really quickly,” Bolt said.

The camp doesn’t have a manicured lawn. It is a wild piece of land with sage and tumbleweeds creating a thick layer of brush. A dirt road winds through the camp, and during the early months, tourists drove through the camp gawking.

With input from the camp, resident changes were made, and St. Benedict took shape as a community with security and stability for those camped at the site.

“I’m not homeless; this is our home,” said Popeye, a St. Benedict resident. “I’ve been here for a year. A lot of people here have special needs. People here came from violence and tough backgrounds and are trying to get by. This place isn’t perfect, but it offers some hope.”

Popeye became homeless following a divorce. He receives disability benefits due to a back injury that he sustained while working in construction. He said that he lives with addiction to opiates after being prescribed painkillers following his injury. Popeye’s addiction ultimately led to a drug conviction.

“I tried to find a job, but they won’t hire felons out here. There aren’t many second chances when everyone knows you and has labeled you,” Popeye said. “This camp, though; this camp is a second chance for a lot of us.”

The camp has helped Popeye to create a home for himself, but he feels that it is not enough. He is frustrated that the City of Alamosa has ticketed and towed residents’ vehicles parked in a nearby parking lot. He also believes that the rules are enforced too harshly and inconsistently by the police, used as a weapon against the residents more than as a tool to keep the peace.

“There are so many stories here, but they don’t listen. How do they expect us to find a job or work when they take our cars?” Popeye said. “The city and police see us as a problem. They say they’re helping, but they’re not helping. If they’re going to help, then help by listening to us.”

Popeye said that there are still barriers to overcoming homelessness that the city could help remove.

The compromise

The St. Benedict camp was created because federal courts had prevented local government camping bans when there was no alternative shelter.

Homelessness had become a bigger issue for Alamosa, and there was public demand in city council meetings to sweep unsanctioned encampments. To sweep the unsanctioned camps, Alamosa had to offer an alternative shelter, and St. Benedict became the solution.

But Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman contends that St. Benedict was not created simply to meet the legal requirements to sweeping unsanctioned campsites.

“The thing about people who are homeless: we have to always remember that these are human beings,” Coleman said. “They’re deserving of community support and a second chance. And St. Benedict is just one of the ways to support those who are the most vulnerable among us.”

The calculus for keeping St. Benedict open changed this year when the Supreme Court ruled in June on the Grant Pass v. Johnson case. The ruling stated that camping bans were not a violation of the rights of people experiencing homelessness and that encampment sweeps could be completed by local governments, even when alternative shelters were not available. Grant Pass meant that the City of Alamosa could close St. Benedict, which the City seriously considered this past August.

Ultimately, the City chose to keep St. Benedict because it had become a successful way to deliver services and had proved successful in preventing unsanctioned sites from popping up in residential or business areas.

Follow-up discussions led to the creation of new camp rules in October by the City Council. The most significant change requires residents to show progress toward overcoming homelessness, or else face eviction. People can now only live in the camp for six months. After that, they are evaluated on their progress and may be given a six-month extension.

There is no camp manager, and the city police enforce the rules and evaluations. The police can now ban people from the camp for violating the rules. It takes a letter from the Alamosa Police Chief to be reinstated as a resident.

The Alamosa Citizen reported in August that Alamosa Police Chief George Dingfelder advocated for closing the St. Benedict Camp.

Coleman said that he believes that the new, more restrictive rules seek to ensure the safety of the Alamosa community and the people residing at the camp.

“I want [people experiencing homelessness] to have a place to stay until they get themselves together,” Coleman said. “They are safe and secure at St. Benedict, and we don’t have bad actors over there destroying, being destructive, and causing harm. So, I believe it can be that in the future. But it’s going to take a lot of effort of several different parties to bring about that change we want to see.”

But Coleman said that he struggles with some of the problems that he associates with homelessness, like drug use. Coleman voted in November with the rest of the city council to reject a year-round low-barrier shelter to be run by La Puente. Coleman said that providing low-barrier services allows people to continue to exhibit behaviours that he believes makes the community unsafe.

“[The vote] was also based upon the huge public outcry that we’ve heard, and the public wants people to be accountable for their actions,” Coleman said.

Alamosa City Councilor Jan Vigil believes that the St. Benedict camp strikes a balance between those experiencing homelessness and the wider community.

“I think our community has really stepped up to address homelessness and is trying to address the needs of folks [experiencing homelessness]. We have to balance their needs and the needs of people in town, businesses, homeowners, and property owners,” Vigil said. “Trying to find that balance has been difficult because homeless folks are our citizens, and they have rights, as well. We need to be there for them too.”

Vigil said that those experiencing homelessness in Alamosa are primarily from the San Luis Valley. A few of the people, like Plunkett and Buchanan, are traveling to Alamosa to seek services. Coleman sees the St. Benedict camp as a way for the Alamosa community to take care of its people.

“What I really like about the Valley is we really protect our own and support our own. There has been some opposition, but really I have seen this community step up and help these folks, and I know we can continue to try and change lives,” Vigil said.

He added that most people understand that if the camp is closed or the city provides less support to those experiencing homelessness, then the unsanctioned camping will pop up near the river and in other public places.

He wants to see the City of Alamosa do more to help people to recover from homelessness.

“Providing people a place to stay for one year is good. But I worry that it’s not good enough because the Valley doesn’t have a lot of programs for people to move to from the camp,” he said. “The camp’s not enough because it doesn’t really give people the security they need to find a job, get a home, and move on with their lives.”

A community, both good and bad

For Bolt, the camp’s most important service is creating a community for people going through a shared experience. “I don’t think that growth ever happens in isolation. In my life, most of my growth has happened when I’ve had a good community around me,” she said. “I think that when people have other folks to rely on and to go to, it sparks a desire to grow and change.”

She said that she has seen people become more motivated to enroll in services, work with a case manager, or try to find a job. The communal nature of the camp has also led to fewer deaths among people experiencing homelessness.

“We have seen very few overdose deaths at the camp. Our folks are in community and able to help with Narcan quickly and effectively,” Bolt said. “We have not had any deaths because of exposure out there, either, because if you are not prepared for the winter, people out there will give you tips on how to survive the cold.”

But the community in the camp doesn’t work for everyone. Bolt said that it can be hard to live in close proximity under stressful circumstances. The La Puente outreach team continues to serve a small number of people who are camping illegally around Alamosa.

Lilelk Dyapp Jones said that he has refused to move to the camp because he doesn’t feel safe living near other people. “Being around other people can be toxic for me,” Jones said.

He said that he has had bad experiences with the police and other people living on the street, so he tries to stay hidden and away from people as much as possible. He set up his own camp and is proud of his self-sufficiency. “The police came and asked me to move but I didn’t want to. I have everything I need here, and I don’t bother anyone. I wish [the police] would leave me alone,” Jones said.

Bolt said that more than 25% of former St. Benedict residents have moved into houses or apartments. La Puente’s most recent count of people experiencing homelessness in the Valley recorded the smallest number on record, she added.

There are more factors contributing to this success than just the St. Benedict camp, but she believes that the camp played an important role.

Making it to the Springs

St. Benedict played a significant role in helping Buchanan and Plunkett to get off the street. They both found jobs while living at the camp. Buchanan also connected with behavioral health services at the San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group and began receiving therapy for trauma from her childhood and first marriage.

“I was depressed and didn’t realize it. I was living with ADHD and PTSD and trying to make it on my own without realizing I was sick,” she said. “I was constantly having anxiety attacks, and I didn’t even know it. I thought it was normal. It was no wonder my life was a mess.”

Buchanan and Plunkett left the camp to live in an RV. They had some negative interactions with the police because of their wood-fired stove, and they felt leaving that the camp was their only option. But the two continued to participate in case management, behavioral health, and other services that they signed up for while living at St. Benedict. In time, they received a housing voucher and an apartment.

Buchanan’s time at the camp even created the opportunity for her to attend college. She is studying to be a vet technician. They moved to Colorado Springs in November so that she could finish her clinical work and graduate.

“I’m glad I’m in school and have a future,” Buchanan said. “God must have wanted me to come to Alamosa, to [St. Benedict], so I could get help and get therapy and get housing and go to school and end up in Colorado Springs after all.”

Courtesy of DenverVOICE / INSP.ngo