Northern Colorado city council votes on 2 homelessness issues after hours of public comment

The Loveland City Council in Northern Colorado voted on two items about homelessness in the city early Wednesday morning. The vote happened around 2 a.m. Wednesday after hours of public comment. 

Dozens of concerned citizens from around Loveland and Larimer County packed into the city council chambers in Loveland to debate how the city will address homelessness moving forward. The regularly scheduled council meeting began at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and ended about eight hours later. 

"Homelessness can be experienced anywhere," said Callie Sutherland, a 14-year-old Loveland resident who attended the meeting to express her thoughts.

On the agenda, the city council was addressing two topics that would impact the unhoused.

The first topic would permit the city to spend more than $2 million of taxpayer dollars to purchase a building and transform it into a long-term homeless shelter, one which would cost more than $100,000 a year to staff and upkeep.

The second measure would reform the city's ordinance when it comes to forcing the homeless to relocate from a camp where they are staying in. Current ordinance forces police to give most camps a 72-hour notice before taking action. And, it also requires taxpayers to fund the storage of belongings from the homeless members who need to relocate.

Around 50 people signed up for public comment on Tuesday alone, with many more being allowed to speak after those who signed up finished their order.

"I haven't found a single business owner, yet, who is happy about the homelessness situation," said Sarah Lutz, a resident in Loveland.

Others took the side of the unhoused, saying they are misunderstood and in need of support.

"I talk to people who camp in the woods, and they are kind and safe," said Linda Breen, a resident.

In mid-2025, the City of Loveland tore down a long-term tent camp it had been operating for years. However, that action then sparked outrage among many residents who felt the city was abandoning homeless residents, while also trying to push them to other cities.

"Option one is to burden our poorest residents with daily fines and sweeps of their belongings until they are forced to choose between jail and fleeing Loveland," said council member Sarah Rothberg. "The other, where no one in our city is forced to sleep outside, and where everyone has access to resources that will help and resolve homelessness."    

One longtime resident told the city council she felt a stronger approach to tackling the issue of homelessness may be beneficial.

"I had a son who lived on the streets of Loveland for two years, addicted to meth. We know what tough love looks like. And that's what it took to bring him to a place where he was ready to start again," she said.

Sutherland, who is looking to enter the workforce for the first time, said the recent unprovoked attack by a homeless man on a young tanning salon employee made her concerned for her safety in Loveland.

"With everything that is happening, I feel unsafe getting a job and being alone with nobody to supervise me," Sutherland said shortly before speaking to the council. "There's a lot of adults speaking, but I feel like someone who is my age will make a really big impact."

The city council approved an ordinance reforming city policy around unauthorized camping. The city will no longer need to offer shelter before issuing citations to campers.   

The city council also voted to move ahead with plans to purchase a building that will be a new shelter location.