Tents and trash are back under the Wadsworth Boulevard overpass at 6th Avenue in Lakewood, and nearby residents say so are their worries. Campers have returned to the same gulch where crews cleared a large encampment last year, and neighbors report finding needles, feces, and evidence of open fires. Lakewood police and outreach staff visited the area this week as the city and state agencies sort out how to clear debris while still connecting people in the camp with services.
“It poses safety risks for neighbors,” said Joyce Wells, who told KDVR she has found needles and human waste near the underpass. The Fox31 report detailed tents and piles of trash once again lining the area around 6th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard. Neighbors say the encampment feels worse than it did before the 2025 cleanup.
Police and outreach response
Lakewood’s Community Action Team, a six-person unit that pairs two homeless navigators with two mental-health co-responders and two LEAD staff, has been making regular visits to the site to offer outreach and referrals, according to the City of Lakewood. City materials describe the team as part of a broader strategy to link people with shelter, case management, and supportive services while also tackling public-safety hazards. Those same documents highlight ongoing partnerships with nonprofits and regional programs that aim to move people from encampments into more stable housing.
Cleanup, coordination, and enforcement
Lakewood police told reporters they arrested two people on outstanding warrants and issued multiple citations during recent visits to the underpass, and said cleanup crews are coordinating with the Colorado Department of Transportation to remove property and clear the corridor, KDVR reported. Officers said they are trying to balance enforcement with offers of help, steering people toward the city’s navigators and partner shelters. Officials also noted that much of the land beneath the overpass is under state jurisdiction, which limits how and when the department can operate in the area.
Lakewood has been expanding its outreach capacity at the same time it renovates a Navigation Center that the city says will add more year-round shelter beds and housing-focused services, according to the City of Lakewood. The city says its navigators proactively engage people across Lakewood to connect them with county shelter programs and case management. Budget documents show the Navigation Center and coordinated outreach efforts as central pillars in the city’s plan to reduce unsheltered homelessness.
Regional context
The encampment’s return comes as homelessness rises across the region. Jefferson County reported roughly a 27% increase in homelessness between 2024 and 2025, and many of those counted were newly homeless, county officials told the Denver Gazette. Officials say the trend underscores the need for coordinated work across cities and service providers. Neighbors, meanwhile, say they plan to keep pressing elected leaders for faster cleanups and clearer strategies, even as outreach workers continue trying to secure longer-term housing for the people now living beneath the bridge.
