HOMELESS PERSONS MEMORIAL VIGIL
December 16, 2009
Steps of the City and County Building
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202
On December 16, 2009, several hundred people gathered on the steps of the Denver City and County Building for a candlelight vigil and name-reading ceremony.
Hosted by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, the annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil pays tribute to the people who lived on the streets of the Denver Metropolitan Area and died during the past year. For many individuals, it will be the only tribute they receive. It also serves as a reminder of the ultimate cost of homelessness.
In 2009, 154 homeless individuals died in the Denver Metropolitan Area. They ranged in age from 3 months to 73 years old. These deaths were preventable.
Overall, the average life expectancy for Americans is almost 80 years of age; yet, for those that experience frequent homelessness, the probable life span is somewhere between 42 and 52 years.
“Health problems cause homelessness and homelessness causes health problems,” said John Parvensky, President of Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “Homelessness complicates efforts to treat illness and people die unnecessarily. Each of these deaths could’ve been prevented with a stable home and access to quality and integrated healthcare services.”
The Institutes of Medicine reports that half of all personal bankruptcies in the United States result from health problems, and it is a short downhill slide from bankruptcy to eviction to homelessness. Moreover, some health conditions that are more prevalent among homeless people than in the general population – such as addictions, mental illnesses, and HIV/AIDS – are known to undermine the family and social supports that provide a safeguard against homelessness for many vulnerable people.
“We in Denver look forward to the day when there are no longer any names to read at this Vigil. The Winter is a cold reminder of the fact that there is no good time to be homeless,” said Mayor Hickenlooper. “We are urging the Denver community to continue to embrace the work of our homeless providers and Denver’s Road Home, our ten-year plan to end homelessness, and remain focused on housing, healthcare services and prevention to minimize the impact of preventable mortality in our community.”
People experiencing homelessness are mercilessly exposed to the elements, to violence, to communicable diseases, and to parasitic infestations. Circulatory, dermatological, and musculoskeletal problems are common results of excessive walking, standing, and sleeping sitting up. Homelessness and poor nutrition go hand-in-hand, increasing vulnerability to acute and chronic illnesses. Stresses associated with homelessness also reduce resistance to disease, account for the emergence of some mental illnesses, and enhance the false promises of relief offered by alcohol and drugs.
The healthcare delivery system is not well attuned to the realities of living without stable housing. Healthcare facilities often are located far from where homeless people stay, public transportation systems are insufficient or nonexistent in many places, and most homeless people don’t have cars. Clinic appointment systems are not easily negotiated by people without telephones, for whom other survival needs (finding food and shelter) may take priority. Standard treatment plans often require resources not available to homeless persons, such as places to obtain bed rest, refrigeration for medications, proper nutrition, or clean bandages.
The Vigil is held in conjunction with the National Coalition for the Homeless Campaign: National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. In 2008, over 100 communities participated in the campaign, spanning 38 states.
2009 Press Release
2009 Program and List of Names
2008 Program and List of Names