Boulder Fire Victims Somehow Less "Homeless" Than Others Without Homes

If you're left homeless because of the economy, you can't sleep in the parks in Boulder, thanks to the city's short-sighted no-camping ordinance. But if you're a firefighter whose house burned down in the ongoing "Boulder fire," you probably can. Boulder is apparently redefining "homelessness" — at least until the biggest fire in the county's history, which has eaten up 3,500 acres to date, is extinguished.

At least nine firefighters and their families have been left homeless by the fire and I have seen no news about where they'll be staying; probably at a hotel, possibly on the department's dime, in a fire station, or wherever they can find to stay on their own. Maybe like the rest of the city's homeless they'll have to depend on the kindness of friends and family until that wears thin. Those with bank accounts that haven't been depleted by the economy may be able to move into other apartments or homes — with the deposits and other extravagant costs suspended to help them out of a tough time. Or maybe not.

City and state officials are still advocating evacuation of the area. An additional 1,000 homes have been evacuated since the fire started. That's around 3,000 new homeless people in Boulder, however temporary. If government officials had plans to house people in the event of a disaster, they probably don't include those already homeless. Do they realize how bad their inability to help those homeless because of the economy looks while they help those homeless because of the fire?

Many are saying, "Let them stay in the shelter!" Right. The shelter that only operates in the winter and routinely turns away large numbers of homeless people who then risk getting a ticket for sleeping outdoors? Like there are clean beds waiting with fresh linens and a chocolate on the pillow for each evacuee? Funny how losing your home to a fire makes you somehow less homeless, while losing your home to economic collapse can make you a criminal.

Arrangements have been made to allow evacuees to get their mail at the post office with no hassle. Other residents are tweeting their willingness to take in the pets of those made homeless by the fire — to foster them until they can find other arrangements. In the coming days we'll see jars and fund-raising drives to help those burned out of their homes get back into permanent shelter. It is respectable to be (for a limited time anyway) homeless because of a disaster. There is pity and compassion for now. But be warned, there will be a cut off date. If they have not bootstrapped their way into housing and a car within a month or two after the fire ends, they too could become the same undesirable homeless being ticketed in public parks.

Photo credit: chrisof4