Denver homeless advocates raise alarm on Catholic Charities shelter after women forced to leave

A Denver nonprofit that advocates for people experiencing homelessness is raising concerns about clients at a Catholic Charities of Denver shelter being asked to leave for minor infractions.

Housekeys Action Network Denver reported that a group of women were asked to leave the Samaritan House 48th shelter at 4330 48th Ave. in late September, many of whom were more than 60 years old.

The women were written up for infractions such as their beds being two inches past taped lines or not downsizing their items quickly enough, according to a news release from HAND.

Women at the shelter were again given warnings in October for having jackets and towels draped over the side of their beds. When residents spoke about the treatment at a meeting with Denver city staff, shelter leaders voided recent write-ups, according to HAND.

“This one intervention does not stop the underlying, ongoing causes of this abuse of authority and inhumanity at the shelter,” HAND organizers wrote. “These issues and complaints have been going on for far too long, but residents and other staff have been too afraid to speak up and call out the inhumanity in fear of either losing their place to live or their job.”

A spokesperson for Catholic Charities of Denver, which runs the shelter, confirmed that 21 people were discharged from the shelter in September.

None of the women were dismissed permanently, spokesperson Stacy Baum said, and they were given six days of notice. Of the 21 women asked to leave, at least 17 are now back at the shelter, Baum said.

“The overall well-being of everyone within our shelter community including health, safety, security and dignity is paramount,” Baum said in a statement.

“The Women’s Emergency Services team at Catholic Charities regularly reviews protocols, is currently addressing these alleged incidents that occurred in September during warm weather conditions and is working directly with the participants involved in compliance with standard practices and procedures. We will continue to work with our team to monitor and improve safety protocols,” she continued.

Samaritan House 48th is open all day, every day and can house up to 270 women in dorm-style beds on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Catholic Charities of Denver’s website.

The shelter also serves three meals a day and has showers, laundry and case management services.

Advocates want to see changes in how the shelter treats its residents, HAND organizer Terese Howard said.

“They’re human beings who are being treated as less than human and being thrown out on the street,” Howard said. “Sure, a lot of them get back in, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re on the streets for a week with nothing, trying to survive.”

It’s even more concerning for women with complex health conditions to not be allowed in the shelter, Howard said. One woman who was asked to leave uses a colostomy bag that requires the kind of care that’s not possible while living on the streets.

“That’s not okay,” Howard said. “We cannot stand for having a shelter that is run like that.”

Catholic Charities of Denver cannot comment on specific cases due to privacy concerns, according to Baum.

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