DENVER — At Broadway and Bayaud, the sidewalk on the southwest corner of the intersection is nearly impassable because of this growing homeless encampment. It's a growing frustration for parents as the new school year approaches.
McNulty and other parents say this is how their kids get from Baker across a busy Broadway to South High, and the encampment is a direct violation of the city’s own commitment to the Safe Routes to Schools program. They’ve also held seven town hall meetings, have six groups in the mayor’s office working on homeless issues and are still committed, they say, to getting 1,000 homeless individuals into housing by the end of the year.“I’ve had to lock the doors because people have had knives out and I’ve felt unsafe,” McLaughlin said. “An important thing is ensuring public safety above all else and right now, that’s just not the case.