Homeless Camp Near School Concerns Parents In Curtis Park Neighborhood

DENVER (CBS4)- Homeless camps have started popping up around a Denver school located near a park. That has parents worried about safety.

One of those parents is Aurora Ramirez, "This morning is when I actually saw what is going on here."

The school is on Arapahoe Street. When school lets out for the day, Ramirez and dozens of others wait on one side of the street to pick up their children.

On the other side, there are homeless camps.

"My worry is the kids walking to and from school, without adult supervision, that they are going to walk by and pick up something," Ramirez said.

Tents started popping up in the Curtis Park neighborhood after the City of Denver's recent homeless sweeps.

The camps around Denver shelters had become a public health concern and crews shut down the sidewalks in order to clean it up.

Julian Begaye is living near 24th and Arapahoe.

"We can't get too far away from that shelter, that's our food source, our source of washing our clothes... everything is right there."

When asked about concerns from parents when it comes to sanitary issues, and fears about drug use, Begaye replied, "That does happen and I have seen that."

He continued, "Every once in a while in these camps, you hear someone holler, "Kid on the block!' and that tells people in that camp there are children there and to watch themselves… and everybody does."

The issue of homelessness one that stretches across the city, one that our youngest generations are now forced to deal with.

"You have to talk to our kids about more now I guess," Ramirez said.