Homeless Memorial 2010

Date:                December 21, 2010

Time:                5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

Location:         1437 Bannock Street — Denver, Colorado

MORE THAN 140 HOMELESS MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN DIED IN THE DENVER METROPOLITAN AREA IN 2010

THESE PREVENTABLE TRAGEDIES UNDERSCORE THE VITAL NEED FOR HOUSING AND HEALTHCARE SERVICES – ESPECIALLY MENTAL HEALTHCARE. 

Denver (December 21, 2010) – For the twenty-fifth year, several hundred concerned citizens gathered on the steps of the Denver City and County Building this evening to attend the Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil.

Hosted by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), the candlelight vigil and name-reading ceremony paid tribute to 145 people who lived on the streets of the Denver metropolitan area and died during 2010. This was the only memorial service that will be conducted for most of these individuals.

Speakers included: John Parvensky, President, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless; the Honorable Bill Vidal, Deputy Mayor, City of Denver; Colorado State Senator Lucia Guzman, Minister; Randle Loeb, CCH Board Member; members of the CCH Consumer Advisory Board and the NU Spirit Gospel Choir.

The Office of Governor Bill Ritter released a proclamation stating that December 21, 2010 is "Homeless Persons' Memorial Day" in the State of Colorado.

Of those recognized, 31 were women, 114 were men; and they ranged in age from 2 months to 81 years.  Causes of death included cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, substance abuse, hypothermia due to exposure, vehicular accidents, suicide and murder. 

The inability to access appropriate healthcare services results in extremely high rates of poor health. Some health conditions that are more prevalent among homeless people than in the general population – such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes, addictions, mental illnesses, and HIV/AIDS – are known to undermine the family and social supports that provide a safeguard against homelessness for many vulnerable people.

Homeless people experience illnesses at three to six times the rates experienced by housed people. Overall, the average life expectancy for Americans is almost 80 years of age; yet, for those that experience frequent homelessness, the probable life span is somewhere between 42 and 52 years.

“Health problems cause homelessness and homelessness causes health problems,” said John Parvensky, President of Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “Homelessness complicates efforts to treat illness and people die unnecessarily. Each of these deaths could’ve been prevented with a stable home and access to quality and integrated healthcare services – especially mental healthcare.”

People experiencing homelessness are mercilessly exposed to the elements, to violence, to communicable diseases, and to parasitic infestations. Circulatory, dermatological, and musculoskeletal problems are common results of excessive walking, standing, and sleeping sitting up. Homelessness and poor nutrition go hand-in-hand, increasing vulnerability to acute and chronic illnesses. Stresses associated with homelessness also reduce resistance to disease, account for the emergence of some mental illnesses, and enhance the false promises of relief offered by alcohol and drugs.

The healthcare delivery system is not well attuned to the realities of living without stable housing. Healthcare facilities often are located far from where homeless people stay, public transportation systems are insufficient or nonexistent in many places, and most homeless people don’t have cars. Clinic appointment systems are not easily negotiated by people without telephones, for whom other survival needs (finding food and shelter) may take priority. Standard treatment plans often require resources not available to homeless persons, such as places to obtain bed rest, refrigeration for medications, proper nutrition, or clean bandages.

The Coalition’s Stout Street Clinic was an indispensable option for homeless individuals in 2010. There is never a charge for services. Fees might literally mean the difference between life and death. On average, 12,000 patients are served each year, but many more still need help, especially for mental healthcare services.

Although there is no official tracking of homeless deaths in Colorado, the Coalition conducts the count in conjunction with the Denver Coroner’s Office and through a coordinated process involving more than 25 homeless service organizations, in the seven-county Denver metropolitan area, representing medical clinicians and other healthcare professionals; case managers; outreach and social workers; hospice, shelter and emergency service personnel; housing managers; chaplains; volunteers and others who provide direct assistance for those that are homeless.

The Vigil is held in association with the National Coalition for the Homeless Campaign: National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day.  In 2009, over 152 communities participated in the campaign across the United States.

The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families, children, and individuals throughout Colorado. The Coalition advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being and stability of those it serves.  For more information, please visit www.coloradocoalition.org

The 2010 Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day Roster follows: