A man holds a sign at the stoplight at Dominguez Drive and Highway 160/550 near Walmart. Such sites are becoming a more common occurrence around town. Recently, the Business Improvement District launched a campaign asking residents and visitors to donate dollars to local service organizations rather than give them to panhandlers./Photo by Jennaye Derge

Where it counts

Local group rolls out new program to address uptick in panhandling

by Tracy Chamberlin

There’s no official count, but using what Tim Walsworth called the eyeball test, it definitely looked like more people were panhandling on Durango’s downtown streets this summer.

“It certainly felt different to our merchants,” the Business Improvement District executive director said.

Get involved To get handbills or posters promoting the Make it Count! Campaign, call 375-5068 or email timw@downtowndurango.org.

In an effort to address the growing problem, BID recently rolled out a new program called “Make it Count! Durango Cares!” The idea is to ask residents and visitors to donate dollars to local charities who help individuals and families in need, rather than hand them directly to someone on the street.

It’s not going to completely solve the issue of homelessness, Walsworth said, but it’s something they can start doing today. He called it a complicated issue and a delicate message to deliver.

After all, many roads lead to a life on the streets. For some, it’s the result of a battle lost to addiction and mental illness. Others are crushed under the weight of traumatic experiences or financial troubles.

For those who are looking for change, local services like the Manna Soup Kitchen and Durango Community Shelter offer the helping hands they need.

For others, it’s a choice. Those individuals  who choose to panhandle for a living are typically not looking for a helping hand, so community services are not the answer.

Walsworth said panhandlers and the homeless can often be two very different populations. Either way,
dropping a couple dollars into a cup isn’t necessarily the answer. In some cases, it can even enable self-destructive behaviors. What BID is trying to do is redirect those
dollars.

“We’re just encouraging people to donate, not give to panhandlers,” he said.

Walsworth explained that this is a short-term solution, but one that lets local business owners know they are trying to address the problem.

As for the long term answers, community members came together this summer to form the Durango Homeless Coalition.

Made up of police officers, health-care specialists, city representatives, business owners, community organizations like BID, and others, the coalition is looking to identify gaps and redundancies in local services.

“We expect the coalition to issue recommendations and findings for City Council’s review and consideration in early 2016,” said Ariel Wishkovsky, business development coordinator for the City Manager’s Office.

He said the coalition has two teams, a Public Relations and Education subgroup and Public Lands and Community Vitality subgroup, which are looking for innovative and pragmatic solutions to aggressive panhandling.

It’s not a city-run endeavor, but a community effort to address the multitude of issues surrounding panhandling and homelessness.

Walsworth said he thinks the coalition arose because of the perceived increase in panhandling.

And, the reasons for the uptick? He questioned if it could be legal marijuana, something that has changed in the past couple of years. Another possibility is the high quality of basic needs services in this area.

Walsworth said he’s spoken with the soup kitchen and, so far, they have served fewer meals this year than in the past. It’s the same story from the homeless shelter.

“It doesn’t compute,” he said.

Durango used to have a ban on panhandling in the city limits.

Last year, however, city officials were approached by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU believed the ban violated an individual’s freedom of speech – people had a right to simply ask for money. The group warned city officials it would file a lawsuit against Durango if the laws were not changed. In response, City Council and staff amended the ordinance.

“I think they did what they had to do,” Walsworth said. “I don’t want my tax dollars spent on a case we’re going to lose.”

The new ordinance allows individuals to ask for money while defining what’s called aggressive panhandling, when freedom of speech turns into harassment.

Eventually, the temperatures will drop and the snow will fall. This change in weather will likely force many to move on, making it seem as though downtown Durango no longer has an issue with panhandling and begging.

“But come spring, we expect they will be back,” Walsworth said in a press release. “We want to test the waters now … and then be prepared for a larger public awareness campaign come spring.”

Walsworth said it would be great if the Homeless Coalition had bigger solutions next spring. And, that’s just what they are working on now.

“There’s no silver bullet,” he explained.

It’s a problem that’s always existed – not just in Durango, but across the nation and the world. And, if local solutions can be found, they can be shared with other communities.

“We’re going to do everything we can,” Walsworth said.