COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Thursday morning, I set up at Springs Rescue Mission. It's one of the few places in town that help people experiencing homelessness. I talked with Cameron Moix who is the spokesperson there. He says the Rescue Mission has 75 beds available right now. They do want to share that they only serve adults. I asked where families can go and they told me the Salvation Army or The Place.
Taking a closer look, back in 2008, the Colorado Springs Police Department launched the Homeless Outreach Team or HOT. They say homelessness comes at a cost for the city of about $58,000 per person. That's for the police, fire, and medical services. Lt. Brian Steckler is with Patrol Operations, overseeing the HOT and DART teams will be presenting.
We talked with people here in town who are concerned about homelessness. Jack Harvey lives in District 1 and says "I really feel that we need to compassionately care for these people and get them to a place where they can be helped which is not around here. We don't have facilities out here. We don't have the resources."
If you're interested in attending tonight's town hall, it's from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Utilities Conservation Center on Mesa Road near Fillmore Street. It's hosted by City Councilman Dave Donelson.
The city of Colorado Springs has several other resources available for people experiencing homelessness on its website.
Local Colorado Springs School Shut Down Over Unsafe Conditions
The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) notified Colorado Springs School District 11 of structural concerns at Jenkins Middle School just before the holidays in December.
