Homeless Assistance Program Announced in Fort Collins

In an effort to be more proactive with the homeless population an assistance program has been developed.

The city announced Monday that a partnership between Fort Collins Police Services, the City Attorney's Office, Homeward 2020 and the Murphy Center has been formed and with them the Fort Collins Municipal Court will start offering monthly Special Agency sessions.

The Special Agency sessions will provide opportunities for motivated defendants to participate in services and programs specifically designed to help break the cycle of dependency and homelessness. This is a way to reach a resolve in residents concerns over quality of life violations in a compassionate way.

Defendants charged with panhandling, trespassing, camping or like offenses will be recommended for the program. The only condition is that the defendants will have to admit their wrong doing and agree to participate in monthly updates and assessments.

Alternate sentencing will include several options, such as, counseling, signing up for social services benefits and getting a state ID.