{"id":2458673,"date":"2020-05-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=325977"},"modified":"2020-05-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T06:00:00","slug":"aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspen homelessness during the pandemic: What happens when staying at home isn\u2019t an option"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.7722789409933\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-325977-168\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled gallery-container\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"2.927027027027\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16.586486486486\">\n<p><strong>Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-1-1024x651.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Charlie, who preferred not to give his last name, closes his eyes as they water at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Charlie explained that his eyes and nose run as soon as he stands up in the morning. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.96938775510204\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12.602040816327\">\n<p><strong>Charlie, who preferred not to give his last name, closes his eyes as they water at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Charlie explained that his eyes and nose run as soon as he stands up in the morning. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-1-1024x651.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-1.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-1-1024x651.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Charlie, who preferred not to give his last name, closes his eyes as they water at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Charlie explained that his eyes and nose run as soon as he stands up in the morning. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-2-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas pass the football in the Aspen homeless camp after dinner on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. The two shared laughs as Vince pretended to throw the ball to Charlie and fake him out. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.96750902527076\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12.57761732852\">\n<p><strong>Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas pass the football in the Aspen homeless camp after dinner on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. The two shared laughs as Vince pretended to throw the ball to Charlie and fake him out. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-2-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-2.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-2-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas pass the football in the Aspen homeless camp after dinner on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. The two shared laughs as Vince pretended to throw the ball to Charlie and fake him out. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-3-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.489336492891\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.744075829384\">\n<p><strong>Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-3-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-3.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-3-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Camp manager James Hoge shares a laugh with his friends after flashing them his stomach next to his car at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Hoge has been homeless for ten years and now manages the homeless camp at the intercept lot. Hoge's license plate says \u201cZG BUM\u201d and his seat covers are t-shirts with \u201cHomeless in Aspen\u201d displayed on the chest. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.490022172949\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.760532150776\">\n<p><strong>Camp manager James Hoge shares a laugh with his friends after flashing them his stomach next to his car at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Hoge has been homeless for ten years and now manages the homeless camp at the intercept lot. Hoge&#8217;s license plate says \u201cZG BUM\u201d and his seat covers are t-shirts with \u201cHomeless in Aspen\u201d displayed on the chest. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-4-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-4.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Camp manager James Hoge shares a laugh with his friends after flashing them his stomach next to his car at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Hoge has been homeless for ten years and now manages the homeless camp at the intercept lot. Hoge's license plate says \u201cZG BUM\u201d and his seat covers are t-shirts with \u201cHomeless in Aspen\u201d displayed on the chest. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-5-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Dale Hughes, left, hands Jeremy Brockway a lighter as they talk to James Hoge, center, at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"1.9166666666667\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14.375\">\n<p><strong>Dale Hughes, left, hands Jeremy Brockway a lighter as they talk to James Hoge, center, at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-5-1024x683.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-5.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-5-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Dale Hughes, left, hands Jeremy Brockway a lighter as they talk to James Hoge, center, at the homeless camp in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-6-1024x651.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Landon Hartstein walks around his camper at the homeless camp in Aspen on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"-0.47383720930233\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9.4767441860465\">\n<p><strong>Landon Hartstein walks around his camper at the homeless camp in Aspen on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-6-1024x651.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-6.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-6-1024x651.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Landon Hartstein walks around his camper at the homeless camp in Aspen on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-7-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-7-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | James Hoge and Jeremy Brockway fist bump while drinking a beer and talking outside of Hoge\u2019s car at the homeless camp in Aspen on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10.569565217391\">\n<p><strong>James Hoge and Jeremy Brockway fist bump while drinking a beer and talking outside of Hoge\u2019s car at the homeless camp in Aspen on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-7-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-7.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-7-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"James Hoge and Jeremy Brockway fist bump while drinking a beer and talking outside of Hoge\u2019s car at the homeless camp in Aspen on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-8-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-8-1024x693.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Dale Hughes watches as one of the local crows flies over the camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. All of the clients at the homeless camp talked about how large the crows were, even nicknaming the largest \u201cthe king crow.\u201d(Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.48469387755102\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.632653061224\">\n<p><strong>Dale Hughes watches as one of the local crows flies over the camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. All of the clients at the homeless camp talked about how large the crows were, even nicknaming the largest \u201cthe king crow.\u201d(Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-8-1024x693.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-8.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-8-1024x693.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Dale Hughes watches as one of the local crows flies over the camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. All of the clients at the homeless camp talked about how large the crows were, even nicknaming the largest \u201cthe king crow.\u201d(Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-9-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-9-1024x676.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | James Hoge prepares potatoes and meatloaf for dinner at the camp as Derich Hantel keeps him company in the communal tent at the homeless camp on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. The Aspen Homeless Shelter brings food to the camp for the evening meal and the clients communally prepare the meals. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.4874651810585\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.699164345404\">\n<p><strong>James Hoge prepares potatoes and meatloaf for dinner at the camp as Derich Hantel keeps him company in the communal tent at the homeless camp on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. The Aspen Homeless Shelter brings food to the camp for the evening meal and the clients communally prepare the meals. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-9-1024x676.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-9.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-9-1024x676.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"James Hoge prepares potatoes and meatloaf for dinner at the camp as Derich Hantel keeps him company in the communal tent at the homeless camp on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. The Aspen Homeless Shelter brings food to the camp for the evening meal and the clients communally prepare the meals. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-10-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-10-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | A made up bed is unoccupied in the women\u2019s rooms at the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. One woman had been feeling unwell, so the staff allowed her to make up her bed earlier than normal to rest. Each client has a bag of their own bedding that includes a pillow and comforter for them to use in the evenings. The rule at the shelter is lights out at 10 pm. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.97995545657016\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12.739420935412\">\n<p><strong>A made up bed is unoccupied in the women\u2019s rooms at the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. One woman had been feeling unwell, so the staff allowed her to make up her bed earlier than normal to rest. Each client has a bag of their own bedding that includes a pillow and comforter for them to use in the evenings. The rule at the shelter is lights out at 10 pm. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-10-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-10.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-10-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A made up bed is unoccupied in the women\u2019s rooms at the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. One woman had been feeling unwell, so the staff allowed her to make up her bed earlier than normal to rest. Each client has a bag of their own bedding that includes a pillow and comforter for them to use in the evenings. The rule at the shelter is lights out at 10 pm. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-11-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-11-1024x675.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Jolanta Weiss helps a client get his unemployment card activated in the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"-0.47680412371134\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9.5360824742268\">\n<p><strong>Jolanta Weiss helps a client get his unemployment card activated in the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-11-1024x675.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-11.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-11-1024x675.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Jolanta Weiss helps a client get his unemployment card activated in the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-12-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-12-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Clients of Aspen Homeless Shelter have their names on lockers in the communal room to hold some of their belongings during the day on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10.569565217391\">\n<p><strong>Clients of Aspen Homeless Shelter have their names on lockers in the communal room to hold some of their belongings during the day on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-12-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-12.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-12-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Clients of Aspen Homeless Shelter have their names on lockers in the communal room to hold some of their belongings during the day on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-13-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-13-1024x647.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Jolanta Weiss bags up some of the meal she made for the clients at the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"-0.47668393782383\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9.5336787564767\">\n<p><strong>Jolanta Weiss bags up some of the meal she made for the clients at the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-13-1024x647.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-13.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-13-1024x647.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Jolanta Weiss bags up some of the meal she made for the clients at the Aspen Homeless Shelter on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-14-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-14-1024x734.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"2.927027027027\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16.586486486486\">\n<p><strong>Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-14-1024x734.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-14.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-14-1024x734.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-15-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-15-1024x734.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"2.927027027027\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16.586486486486\">\n<p><strong>Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-15-1024x734.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-15.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-15-1024x734.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-16-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-16-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.489336492891\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.744075829384\">\n<p><strong>Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-16-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-16.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-16-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-17-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-17-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.489336492891\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.744075829384\">\n<p><strong>Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-17-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-17.jpg\"> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/cover-atw-052120-1-17-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Vince Thomas gets emotional in his tent while smoking a cigarette in the homeless camp on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Thomas explained that he has been homeless since he and his wife divorced years before. He has been in Aspen for about five years. Thomas felt passionately that affordable housing should be available for people in need in the valley. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">On a recent evening at the Brush Creek Park and Ride, many locals began to make their end-of-day commutes home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Some jumped on buses headed downvalley or into Aspen. Others went from bus to car to Highway 82. But about a dozen locals at the park and ride were already home, steps away from their tents, campers or cars spaced neatly apart at the far south end of the transportation hub.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI\u2019m very grateful to Pitkin County for giving us this wonderful opportunity to have a place to stay,\u201d said James Hoge, a longtime Aspen resident and working homeless man.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Since early April, Hoge has worked as the manager of this temporary Brush Creek encampment, which was created by Pitkin County as a safe outdoor space for upper valley residents who need somewhere to stay during the novel coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">And while the camp isn\u2019t ideal for the Aspen-area locals who would rather have a more permanent place to call home, it\u2019s been a positive result of the pandemic many have expressed deep gratitude for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">FINDING SHELTER<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Hoge has lived in the Aspen area as a working homeless man for the past 10 years, but his local roots go back much further.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Before he found himself without a permanent home \u2014 he said it was too difficult to keep up with the cost of his housing \u2014 Hoge worked as the chef at Bentley\u2019s at the Wheeler Opera House in 1982, raised his two children here, helped construct many multimillion-dollar homes and built a lot of longtime friendships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">However, Hoge explained that even though he\u2019s an assistant to the superintendent, labor foreman and safety officer for a valley construction company, he makes too much money to get a federal housing voucher but too little to afford other housing options.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">And despite having a good-paying job but little to no access to affordable housing, Hoge isn\u2019t open to leaving Aspen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI call this place my home, I\u2019ve been here going on 40 years,\u201d Hoge said. \u201cI can\u2019t think of anyplace else that I would want to live. I\u2019m very enchanted with this valley. There\u2019s nothing that can sour me here with me being me and me being right here. I just wish I could afford to rent a place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Hoge isn\u2019t the only local in this living situation. Many homeless men and women in Aspen are employed but still unable to secure affordable housing. Other locals struggle with more situational or seasonal homelessness, mostly due to the high cost of living and because housing is often tied to employment in the Aspen area. Once seasonal work is over or a job ends for whatever reason, many people lose their homes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But homelessness isn\u2019t as black and white as having access to affordable housing. It also can be the result of mental illness or mental health challenges, substance abuse and addiction, and other behavioral results of \u2014 or responses to \u2014 traumatic life events, according to Vince Savage, a longtime psychologist and executive director of the Aspen Homeless Shelter. These many overlapping and often co-occurring factors make homelessness a multifaceted and difficult problem to solve.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThere\u2019s often a reason people are homeless and that can be what I like to call attitudinal adjustment deficits. \u2026 It\u2019s a lot more complex than people think,\u201d Savage said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cBut there is a misconception that every homeless person is like the hardest-core chronic homeless you see in urban areas. Our people are really pretty high-functioning homeless partially because it\u2019s so easy to become homeless in Aspen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">For more than a decade, the Aspen Homeless Shelter has worked to keep area homeless people alive, safe and fed, according to its website. The nonprofit serves as a \u201cgateway organization\u201d that helps area homeless access local resources they need to transition to a more stable, financially independent lifestyle with secure housing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Savage, who refers to himself as a sort of \u201crenegade psychologist,\u201d said he\u2019s always taken on challenges that aren\u2019t your normal \u201cRodeo Drive issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">This philosophy has taken him from talking people down from acid trips in Atlanta\u2019s Piedmont Park, to running a treatment center for Inuit and Dene people in northern Canada, to serving as the Aspen Homeless Shelter\u2019s executive director.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI\u2019ll tell you this, it\u2019s never boring,\u201d Savage said when asked what\u2019s kept him with the shelter for so long. \u201cAll of these guys are normal guys under their certain circumstances and most of them are pretty interesting guys and gals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The Aspen Homeless Shelter does not have a permanent shelter location, though it does have a year-round day center and meal program based out of the Pitkin County Human Services building, Savage explained. In 2019, the shelter served 210 unique visitors, according to county documents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The shelter vets the homeless people it serves to ensure they\u2019re from the Aspen area or have \u201cstrong ties,\u201d and will expel clients who cannot behave well in the group environment, Savage said. The organization also operates an overnight shelter from Dec. 1 to March 31 each year out of St. Mary Catholic Church.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But March 11, the shelter was forced to significantly shift its operations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe got word through the local Catholic priest that we wouldn\u2019t be allowed (to have the) overnight (at the church) any longer through that month,\u201d Savage said. \u201cI kind of had to beg and plead for one more day because we couldn\u2019t show up at 9 p.m. at night in a snowstorm and say \u2018Oh hey, you\u2019re not allowed in.\u2019 \u2026 So we got one more night and had to scramble to figure out what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Luckily, since most locals began to work from home in March as the result of the pandemic, Savage said the shelter was able to gain the county\u2019s support in converting two of the Human Services\u2019 building meeting rooms into sleeping areas. The county is even paying to have the rooms professionally disinfected each night to ensure those sleeping there are well protected from the coronavirus, Savage said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Savage also mentioned some of the other pandemic procedures put in place at the shelter, like barring any new clients beyond those who were there when the stay-at-home order began \u2014 though meals are available for pick up and are delivered to the Brush Creek camp \u2014 and trying to keep clients contained to the Aspen area to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">That means people at the Brush Creek camp are not allowed in the day center or overnight facility except for showers two times a week, Savage said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">As a result of these stricter rules, the Aspen Homeless Shelter clientele numbers during the pandemic have gone from the 20s and high teens to the single digits, Savage said. The shelter will be allowed to operate out of the county building through the month of May, and will most likely cease its overnight operations June 1.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">One local who has been utilizing the temporary shelter during the pandemic is Doug, a man who has been homeless in Colorado for about 20 years. Doug did not wish to share his last name with the Aspen Times Weekly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Doug said he\u2019s been working between Aspen and Glenwood Springs for several years, but has always had \u201cthe best luck\u201d in Aspen. In November, Doug was hired as a janitor for the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority at Rubey Park, which he said was a good job with good pay that he really enjoyed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But by mid-March, Doug said his hours with RFTA were cut down to just a few each week, as the Rubey Park station was closed due to the COVID-19 crisis, leaving him with little to do.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThey cut me down to two-and-a-half hours a week, so I basically had to quit. But things are starting to open up again now and I\u2019m hoping for another janitorial job because that way you don\u2019t have to deal with people too much,\u201d Doug said, smiling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Outside of losing work, Doug said the rest of his day-to-day life hasn\u2019t been all that impacted by the pandemic. He\u2019s utilized Aspen Homeless Shelter services since November, and hopes to stay at the temporary overnight shelter as long as he can.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI\u2019m glad I\u2019m up here. It\u2019s not a bad place to be for quarantine,\u201d Doug said. \u201cI\u2019m not too worried for my health either because I\u2019ve got the shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Without access to computers at the library, Doug said it\u2019s been hard to search for jobs but that hasn\u2019t kept him from trying. He said he usually walks around town looking for open positions posted in the newspapers or on business doors, and has even considered purchasing a lawnmower so he can help with local landscaping.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Regardless, Doug said he feels confident he will find something in the near future and is just grateful to be in Aspen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cTo me, I\u2019ve gotten really lucky,\u201d Doug said of the overnight shelter. \u201cWe\u2019ve got it pretty good here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">SETTING UP CAMP<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Beyond housing the temporary day and night center for the Aspen Homeless Shelter and its clients, Pitkin County Human Services officials also felt it important to create a safe, outdoor living space for homeless residents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThis pandemic is not anything we trained for or anticipated and the primary focus of it is people are safer at home. Our people experiencing homelessness don\u2019t have a home,\u201d said Nan Sundeen, director of Pitkin County Human Services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThere were some complaints that they were riding the buses because they had nowhere else to go, there are no bathrooms open, no showers, no facilities for them to go where they might continue their lives, \u2026 so from a community safety and individual safety aspect, it was imperative for us to create this safe space for them and for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">This safe space or encampment includes portable bathrooms, socially distanced camp or vehicle sites separated with the help of crowd control gates, bear-proof storage containers, a camp shower and food provided by the Aspen Homeless Shelter and Aspen Family Connections, among other various campsite donations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Sundeen said the ability for the county to act quickly and develop the camp stems from the work the county\u2019s multi-stakeholder Pitkin County Housing Stability Workgroup has done over the past two years to end homelessness in the county.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">According to the workgroup\u2019s Community Action Plan to End Homelessness, affordable rent at minimum wage in Pitkin County should be $577 a month. Fair Market Rent \u2014 the amount needed to pay the gross rent plus utilities of \u201cprivately owned, decent and safe rental housing of a modest (non-luxury) nature,\u201d as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development \u2014 is nearly triple that at $1,725 a month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">This means many people in the Aspen area spend upward of 60% or more of their incomes on rent. The Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield tri-county region also has a 2,100-unit shortfall of housing units for low- to moderate-income households, per the 2019 Roaring Fork Regional Housing Study.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Given these stats and other local, state and national data, the workgroup identified a handful of short- and long-term strategies for the county to pursue. These strategies include expanding case management and mental health access for people experiencing homelessness; creating a year-round, 24\/7 emergency shelter; offering short-term housing coupled with case management to help stabilize people experiencing homelessness; and creating a long-term affordable housing program with intensive services and without preconditions or barriers to entry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe\u2019ve really been taking some very aggressive actions to try to end homelessness and to have a sense of who our homeless are and what they need,\u201d Sundeen said of the county\u2019s working plan to end homelessness, which was first released in late January.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI think all of that work has positioned us to move really quickly in March and April and to create supportive plans for the homeless amid the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Over the past two months especially, Sundeen said county human services staff have worked really hard to help locals who lost their incomes because of the pandemic-related shutdowns pay for rent and keep their housing. Roughly 80% of the approximately $2 million county COVID-19 relief funds have gone to support rent or shelter costs, Sundeen said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But despite this local support and the state and federal unemployment support many Aspen area residents are utilizing to get through the pandemic, Sundeen said she and her staff feel they may start to see more people lose their housing as a result of the economic fallout of COVID-19 by mid-summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe really have been taking strong actions to try to prevent homelessness right away,\u201d Sundeen said. \u201cNobody knows where this is going, so we\u2019re just trying to figure out what else people need and how to sustain any support separate from unemployment and stimulus money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The COVID-19 relief fund and the Brush Creek camp are the county\u2019s main housing-related supports in place to assist locals during the pandemic as of early May. So far, the camp has run smoothly, according to Sundeen and Braulio Jerez, health and human resources officer for the Aspen Police Department.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Jerez said he hasn\u2019t received any complaints related to disturbances or misconduct at the camp. He also said he and Sarah McNamara of Pitkin County Public Human Services check in on the camp multiple times a week to see how many people are utilizing the space and what their needs are.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI\u2019ve never thought there was a need for a law enforcement presence out there; it\u2019s more about having an individual they can bounce ideas off of and talk through things with,\u201d Jerez said of his weekly camp check-ins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Every person who stays at the Brush Creek camp is required to sign a social contract with guidelines and regulations, and must check in with Hoge each day. So far, an average of 10 to 15 people have been staying at the Brush Creek site each night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Jerez said there are strict rules against allowing people from outside Pitkin County to stay at the camp, as the goal is to provide a safe stay-at-home space that helps mitigate the spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Because of this stay-at-home culture amid the coronavirus pandemic, Jerez said Aspen police have had less daily and weekly contacts with the area homeless population, and that the overall success of the encampment has been somewhat of a surprise to some people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThe success of our encampment has raised eyebrows for sure,\u201d Jerez said. \u201cWe\u2019ve never been under these circumstances, of course, but we\u2019ve never had an opportunity to try something like this out. This is all new and an experiment to an extent, and I think the experiment has been successful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Jerez said he hopes the success of the encampment contributes to pushing some of the identified short- and long-term strategies to end homelessness in Pitkin County more toward becoming reality, but that only time will tell how it impacts future decision making.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">For Hoge, the fact that the encampment exists and that he is able to help oversee its operations is both a shock and a big compliment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Hoge said he served on the Pitkin County Housing Stability Workgroup for a while and suggested the idea of creating an outdoor encampment as a solution to ending homelessness, but that it never took hold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Savage also has brought up the idea to the workgroup, with both men emphasizing that a managed camp with shared facilities could enable homeless people to be self-sufficient in a safe, contained way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI remember telling them, \u2018This is a no-brainer for you guys,\u2019\u201d Hoge said of starting an encampment. \u201cThis was a hard choice they finally had to make and I\u2019m very proud of the county for making it, even if it\u2019s temporary for now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Like Jerez and Sundeen, Hoge also has deemed the camp a success, with no rule-breaking or other major issues thus far.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cAs you can see this is not a tramp camp, there aren\u2019t any beer cans laying around. Everything is orderly,\u201d Hoge said, pointing to the patchy grass and dirt areas where tents were put up and cars were parked. \u201cAs far as I know, we have full marks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">As Hoge talked about the camp from the driver\u2019s seat of his vehicle, softly playing rock music and smoking a cigarette, the relaxed and easy-going nature of the safe space was evident.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">A few men played catch with a football. Others talked and ate dinner beneath a makeshift canopy tent. The rest kept to themselves at their designated campsites, some walking over to join the group every now and then.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cOne thing I\u2019m thankful for is all these guys that I know. I love and respect them and I think they put the same thing back at me. It\u2019s like dribbling a basketball,\u201d Hoge said. \u201cThat\u2019s one thing that works for me here because I have the love and respect of my fellow troops and they know there\u2019s not one thing I wouldn\u2019t do for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">ENDING HOMELESSNESS<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">While many of the people staying at the overnight shelter and Brush Creek encampment are \u201cfamiliar faces,\u201d there are some people staying at the camp who have recently become homeless, or have nowhere else to go.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">One camp resident, who referred to himself as \u201cBob,\u201d said he is a longtime Aspen local who moved back to the valley in his RV right when the COVID-19 crisis started. He was able to find a job, said he \u201chas another place but someone else is living in it,\u201d and doesn\u2019t mind being in his \u201chome on wheels\u201d at the Brush Creek camp.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Dale Hughes, another camp resident, said about three years ago after his rent amount started to outstrip his paycheck total that he decided to go \u201cleaseless,\u201d living and splitting rent with people but not bound to a rental agreement. This move allowed Hughes to afford to go to a Denver Broncos game and do \u201call the things (he) couldn\u2019t do when (he) was broke paying rent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But going \u201cleaseless\u201d also is why Hughes said he\u2019s at the Brush Creek camp, as he\u2019s not a legal tenant of any local property and doesn\u2019t want to get any of his friends in trouble for housing him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">And Landon Hartstein, a Los Angeles native who has worked and lived in Aspen for six years, was forced out of his home after his landlord refused to extend his lease through the pandemic, forcing him to buy a camper and move into the Brush Creek Park and Ride.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">If he doesn\u2019t find a more permanent living situation before he\u2019s rehired to his hotel job at the Aspen Meadows Resort in mid-June, Hartstein said he might have to leave the valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThis is not something I\u2019m happy about. I\u2019m definitely not thrilled with my situation, but it could be a lot worse,\u201d Hartstein said. \u201cSo from that perspective, I\u2019m grateful they created a parking lot where I can sleep. \u2026 If I can say anything about this whole pandemic, I\u2019ve never lived in a place where I\u2019ve felt so taken care of by the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">This diversity of situations and contributing factors that have left these people homeless or without a permanent place to stay are exactly why Jolanta Weiss, a case manager with the Aspen Homeless Shelter, said it\u2019s so important not to judge people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Weiss moved to Aspen from Poland as a single mother of three nearly 20 years ago. She raised her youngest son in Aspen and experienced what it was like to work at least two jobs and move from one affordable housing unit to the next, eventually working her way into a deed-restricted home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">For 12 years, Weiss worked in beauty salons and as a caretaker for an Aspen home on Willoughby Way. For about three years, she\u2019s worked at the Aspen Homeless Shelter, now as a full-time case manager on the night shift who is known for her \u201creal\u201d mentorship and superb cooking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cIt\u2019s a great contrast,\u201d Weiss said of transitioning from Willoghby Way to the Aspen Homeless Shelter. \u201cBut I love it, there are a lot of rewards. You can help motivate clients, help them come onto the right track, but you also have moments when you need to step back and disconnect because there are a lot of people who have heavy-duty baggage from the past.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">On a recent evening in the day center common area, Weiss talked about some of the success stories she\u2019s seen and some of the challenges she\u2019s faced working with the shelter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Weiss has helped clients find jobs, access mental health or substance abuse resources from other organizations if they need them and secure housing if possible. She said she\u2019s tried to impart her strong work ethic to the people she helps at the shelter and to encourage them to never give up on their goals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But a lot of times, Weiss said she finds herself serving as a mother figure more than anything else as she listens and cares about each person, makes sure they\u2019re well-fed and shows them the love they may have never received.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned from this is they are people. They are really good people. They just were not lucky to have parents or one parent or just someone who would care for them,\u201d Weiss said. \u201cBesides the other contributors, most of them just never had anyone to care for them or love them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But while Weiss says she\u2019s grateful for the opportunity to help Aspen Homeless Shelter clients like Hoge and doesn\u2019t understand why they look up to her so much, Hoge says people like her and Savage are the reason he\u2019s persevered over the past decade, moving from a \u201cbackpack warrior\u201d into a \u201cwheel-estate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cBelieve me, I would have been in dire straits here and there and everywhere without them,\u201d Hoge said of Savage and the Aspen Homeless Shelter. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve had a lot of gracious people come and donate things to the (Brush Creek) camp. I\u2019ve got a lot of thank-you cards to write here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Yet Hoge and many of the locals both at the Brush Creek camp and the overnight shelter don\u2019t just acknowledge the community\u2019s gratitude. They also understand the stigma that surrounds homelessness. They know when people look down on them and that many couldn\u2019t last more than a few days in their shoes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But beyond why they are where they are or how they got there, Hoge hopes the success of the Brush Creek camp and the positive interactions he has with Aspen residents willing to listen can shift their perspectives, eliminating the stigma and proving that many of the area homeless are simply just Aspen people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThe only thing that\u2019s wrong with us is we don\u2019t have a home. Most of us are good, honest, hardworking people that were raised with family values,\u201d Hoge said. \u201cWe have a heart, we have a past and we have a future. I\u2019m just like, where is it? Give me some future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">He continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe\u2019re all caring and kind, loving people out here. We\u2019re all brothers and sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/weekly\/aspen-homelessness-during-the-pandemic-what-happens-when-staying-at-home-isnt-an-option\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charlie, left, and Vince Thomas, right, prank their friend and camp manager James Hoge at the homeless camp across from the Intercept Lot in Aspen on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. \u201cThis is my troop,\u201d said Hoge. \u201cThese are my people. I respect and love them was much as they respect and love me.\u201d (Kelsey Brunner\/The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2458673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-17 10:48:06","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2458673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458673\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2458673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2458673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2458673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}