Fund Recovery, Not Addiction.
Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver is a grassroots, non-partisan group started by a diverse mix of Denverites. We believe our city should be safe and clean — a place where residents and businesses can thrive.
A Model That Works
Cities across the US are confronting a humanitarian crisis of addiction and mental illness that shows up as street homelessness, disorder, crime, despair and death. We are a founding member of North America Recovers — a coalition of people committed to managing this crisis responsibly. Here is our plan:
Psychiatry for All
Psychiatric care and addiction treatment should be open to everyone — including mandatory treatment for people who pose a danger to themselves or others, or who can no longer look after themselves.
Close Drug Markets
Authorities need to act now to stop the open sale of deadly drugs on social media, on sidewalks and inside tents — pairing social services with law enforcement.
Shelter First
Enough emergency shelter has to be available, and more comfortable, private housing should be offered as a reward to those who meet treatment goals such as sobriety, taking their medications and joining job training.
Petition to Mayor Johnston:
Honest Answers to Denver's Addiction, Mental Health and Unsheltered Homelessness Crisis
July 20, 2023: Denver7 News Report
“The biggest takeaway was the idea of a moratorium on large camp cleanups for an extended period of time,” said Craig Arfsten with Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver.
“It's not healthy for the individuals that are on the street. It's not healthy for businesses that have encampments in front of their business. It's bad for neighbors that have to navigate this and the open drug use and crime in the neighborhood is just a bad situation.”
After the two-hour meeting, Denver7 reached out to Johnston’s team for clarification on the new policy and was told there would be no pause on sweeps and that the confusion amounted to a miscommunication.
July 21, 2023: CBS4 News Report
Sources tell CBS News Colorado that Mayor Johnston has planned to end all sweeps through the end of the year.
“The mayor's spokesperson said that's not true. She says he will continue to close large encampments, but she says he also plans to make encampments cleaner by meeting the hygiene and housekeeping needs of the people who live there.”
But Denverites like Craig Arfsten wonder, why make an encampment comfier and cleaner if you plan to close it?
"I heard the mayor is going to bring in port-a-potties, dumpsters, showers. The Mayor is going to make their lives more comfortable, but what about the lives of the residents that live around these encampments?" Arfsten asked.
