Homeless In Denver In A Tough Spot After Civic Center Park Closure

DENVER (CBS4) - The signs around Civic Center Park now say 'closed.' The City and County of Denver shut it down indefinitely over public health concerns and a lack of physical distancing. Some city parks are gathering spots for the homeless, and Civic Center Park is one of the more popular areas. But now they find themselves pressed to find a new place.

"You know we heard about the closure just recently and because of the holiday weekend, we're not sure how it's going to impact us yet," Nissa LaPoint, Catholic Charities Public Relations Manager, said.

LaPointe explained that in some ways the city's effort could help those who are homeless get screened sooner.

"So we work with Stout Street Health Center, whenever we have someone that we suspect has COVID-19 we refer them to Stout Street and they will do the testing and if there's an issue, and they'll quarantine them or take care of them," Cheryl Talley, Catholic Charities Communication Director, said.

While shelters run by Catholic Charities have yet to see an uptick from the closures in Denver, they say it could put a strain on their personal protective equipment, which is running low.

"We've had a couple of amazing volunteers who have pulled together other people who know how to sew, and they've made more than 350 of these [masks], but we still need more, in fact we need a lot for kids," LaPoint added.

As shelters brace for potential impacts, the group said they're praying they will have enough PPE, volunteers and donations to keep up with all the changes COVID-19 is bringing.

And LaPointe told CBS4, as far as she knows, no one who has gone to a Catholic Charities shelter has tested positive for COVID-19.

CBS4 reached out to the City of Denver for further comment over the weekend but hadn't received a response before late Sunday night.