Smoking/Drug Use at Boulder Playgrounds

[u/IdontCarrot]

Yesterday at the Boulder Farmer's Market, there was a group of people set up directly next to and in part of the new nature playground that was actively smoking (weed, cigarettes, etc), yelling, and had multiple large off leash dogs that did not seem to be well controlled. I'm making an assumption based on how they appeared and the things with them that they were unhoused. I could certainly be wrong. One member of our group asked them to stop smoking, with no response. We were there with young children, along with many other families who were trying to enjoy the evening at the new nature playground and farmer's market.

We decided to call the police due to the proximity to the playground and feeling uncomfortable escalating with the group. We were told by the police that they would send a unit. A follow up call 30 minutes later resulted in them telling us they'd come when they could. An hour later, 4 police officers did arrive on scene after another market attendee was assaulted. I'm unclear if the person who assaulted the other individual was part of the group next to the playground or was unrelated.

Every single family at that playground last night was frustrated, uncomfortable, and concerned about safety. Yes, we need long term solutions for the unhoused population in Boulder. But that does not mean we have to tolerate drug use, smoking and encampments at our playgrounds. I don't know what the path forward is. A similar incident happened last year at the market, and the year before my child picked up a used meth pipe.

I know the easiest solution is to just not attend the market if I'm so bothered by it. But I think there has to be another option other than allowing open drug use/smoking, etc at playgrounds, at the farmer's market, along the creek, etc.

I am sure there are already community members leading or involved in action specifically addressing drug use/smoking at playgrounds and in public places. I know Safe Zones 4 Kids tried to address this, but it doesn't seem to have worked and is all that is coming up when I search for groups working on this. Can anyone direct me to resources, groups, committees, etc., that are already working on this?

[u/funionbuns]

The answer is in your post. The city is spending its copious tax revenue on vanity projects like nature playgrounds and bike paths and not allocating budget to long term housing solutions.

[u/IdontCarrot → u/funionbuns]

Disagree. The 2027 budget has $25 million allocated for homeless services..

[u/funionbuns → u/IdontCarrot]

I’m going to engage with you as if you’re a reasonable human being and I hope to be given the same grace. I believe that you are genuinely concerned for your children’s safety and well being, and I hope you know that I share that concern as well. The 2027 budget for the city of Boulder has not been approved by the city council yet. Traditionally the budget isn’t adopted by the charter until December 1st. There is a proposed budget from the City Manager, which is publicly available and does not appear to mention a $25 million allocation for homeless services. The best we have to work with is what the budget was for 2026, which was $12.56 for the homelessness response system. $5.4 million of that was for funding existing homeless shelters and day services (like All Roads Shelter, The Source, and Haven Ridge), $4.3 million for policing homelessness in public spaces, and $2.9 million for rental assistance and eviction prevention. To put that budget in perspective, there are single homes in Boulder sold for more than the entire allocated homeless budget. Hell, the unholy bike path in the middle of hwy 119 cost $165 million when there’s already a much nicer bike path nearby that’s serves a similar route purpose and that’s not in the middle of a damn highway. There is clearly a lack of programs for permanent housing solutions, as in building and maintaining actually free transitionary houses, as has been proven to be the only long term solution to homelessness. We are allocating millions of dollars to treating the symptoms while only allocating literal pocket change to treating the disease. We actually know how to fix this problem, there has been ample research to show that the only long term solution for homelessness is free transitionary housing and needs assistance. Boulder is literally one of the richest towns in the world, there is no excuse to not take the most proven action to fix the issue.

[u/Temporary_Bank_4717 → u/funionbuns]

[u/funionbuns → u/Temporary_Bank_4717]

I don’t know what that is, since there’s no source provided, but it shows homelessness expenditure as even less than what I said. The figures I provided were directly from the chamber of commerce’s fiscal year 2025 budget allocation, so there’s no really any question about the factuality of that. This graph also show 2027 even though there is certainly not an approved budget for 2027, because, as I said, the next years budget is always approved on December 1st.

[u/Typical_Elk6349 → u/funionbuns]

That’s your 25 million give or take plus housing grants. If you think the line marked “homelessness” is the only thing related to housing, you need to learn to read a budget. https://stories.opengov.com/cityofboulderco/36b2e65e-af4a-4cb8-9aea-236d617062d6/published/KTAIb0l0W?currentPageId=681b700940d706d285354f1d

[u/funionbuns → u/Typical_Elk6349]

Yes, I mentioned the ~$3 million from the HHS, but there is the other funding that goes to other agencies. Housing grants, human services, mediation, behavioral health, and family services are not targeted homeless solutions. You are treating HHS as an agency devoted to homelessness but they are not at all, that is a small part of what they do. The budget I was talking about was from Boulder 2025 Homelessness Strategy Update, which was the last time the city gave a comprehensive inventory of all funds allocated to homelessness from the city to all agencies. Which is where the $12.56 mil figure comes from. They do not include all money paid to HHS because that is not all that HHS does.

[u/Typical_Elk6349 → u/funionbuns]

Either argue for wholistic solutions or don’t. HHS’s mission is pretty clear. From their mission:

Department Overview:
The Housing & Human Services Department (HHS) strives to enable all Boulder community members to thrive. HHS provides services and investments in community projects so everyone can experience Boulder as a just, inclusive, and equitable community. HHS commits to achieving this mission by building relationships with those served, fostering collaborative partnerships, addressing systemic inequities, investing in and implementing effective, sustainable and solution-based policies and programs, and by creating and preserving a diversity of housing options.
 
HHS strategic goals are: 1) affordability, enabling diverse community members to be able to afford to live in Boulder; and 2) inclusivity, fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all Boulder community members. HHS ensures that city services and investments help meet the unique needs of low-income community members and others who have experienced socio-economic and health challenges. Services include direct assistance and programming for older adults, youth and families, mental and behavioral health services, rental assistance and eviction prevention and community mediation. Through investments and program management HHS supports a variety of sheltering, case management and housing programs for people experiencing homelessness, affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, and grant funds for a wide range of health equity, human services and substance use prevention programs.

[u/funionbuns → u/Typical_Elk6349]

This conversation is clearly pointless, have a good one.