For the 25th year, the names of those who died on the streets in the seven-county metro area this year were read aloud on the steps of the Denver City and County Building tonight.
The names of 145 people were called during the candlelight ceremony put on by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
Last year the vigil honored 155 transients, and 164 names were read in 2008.
Gov. Bill Ritter declared Dec. 21 “Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day” across the state.
According to the coalition, the 145 homeless people who died included 31 women and 114 men, ranging in age from 2 months to 81 years old.
Causes of death from cancer and heart disease to pneumonia and substance abuse.
“Health problems cause homelessness and homelessness causes health problems,” John Parvensky, president of Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said in a statement.
“Homelessness complicates efforts to treat illness and people die unnecessarily. Each of these deaths could’ve been prevented with a stable home and access to quality and integrated healthcare services – especially mental healthcare.”
On average,12,000 patients a year are treated at the coalition’s Stout Street Clinic.
