Homeless coalition updates Alamosa council on St. Benedict’s operations, transportation support and trespass actions

Donna Wehe, chair of the Alamosa City homeless coalition, briefed the city council on the coalition’s annual activities and operational data, including updates on St. Benedict’s campsite and coordination with service providers and law enforcement.

Wehe, joined by coalition members Verne Hiersink (county), Judy McNeal Smith (La Puente), and Don Melgaris (housing authority coalition), said the coalition now meets every other month and focused much of the year on St. Benedict’s. She said the coalition updated campsite rules to prohibit unaccompanied youth and that outreach coordination with police and street outreach teams has improved.

Wehe reported that as of Dec. 2 there were 18 residents at St. Benedict’s, and the site had processed eight renewals (described as six-month extensions). She also provided transit support figures for 2025: 90 vouchers totaling $2,304 for local bus transportation and 28 Greyhound tickets totaling $5,818.18. The coalition reported 14 individuals had been trespassed from the site for incidents including cleanliness violations, substance use, drug dealing and threatening behavior; none of the trespassed individuals had been reevaluated for reentry.

Wehe praised the community service officers and a co-responder program for keeping the camp clean and maintaining records, and said on some days maintaining the site requires at least four hours of a CSO’s time. She also said coalition members discussed expanding food pantry locations, public education about homelessness, and the leadership and operational changes at La Puente.

Councilors thanked the coalition for the report and recognized the county’s participation. No formal council action was taken; councilors indicated appreciation and asked staff to continue coordination with coalition partners.