Annie Kurtz

The Project

Annie worked to dismantle laws and practices criminalizing homelessness in Colorado through community-informed outreach and services, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation.

Colorado’s recent, rapid expansion has come with predictable costs: gentrifying neighborhoods, an acute shortage of affordable housing, and mass displacement to the streets. In this Colorado, “camping” is not the picture of a Rocky Mountain vacation, but a daily question of survival. Rather than address the root causes of growing homelessness, cities have opted to wield criminal law to try to make the unhoused invisible or force them out of town. These laws make it illegal to use a blanket as shelter from the cold; to sit or lie down in the city center; and to sleep or camp in public, even when a shelter is not an option. The law tells the homeless to “move along,” but there is nowhere to go: at every turn, a web of ordinances makes their basic survival a crime, while inevitable criminal records block the exits.

Annie’s background in impact litigation and direct services shaped her commitment to pursuing community-led advocacy for systemic change. She is grateful for the opportunity to work in close partnership with Denver Homeless Out Loud and unhoused people in Colorado to ensure that her project reflects community priorities and experience.

Fellowship Highlights

During the two-year Fellowship, Annie:

• Represented two organizational nonprofits in litigation and potential litigation challenging laws that criminalize homelessness
• Participated as counsel and/or amicus counsel in three high-impact litigation cases specifically challenging laws that criminalize homelessness in Colorado
• Authored an amicus brief in support of unhoused plaintiffs’ successful motion for preliminary injunction to stop unconstitutional sweeps in Denver; authored a second amicus supporting preliminary injunction on appeal
• Successfully advocated for an end to the unconstitutional six-month residency requirement for shelter in Boulder, Colorado
• Advocated for a humane approach to encampments in Loveland, Colorado during the pandemic
• Collaborated with over 40 groups, including law school clinics, unhoused service providers, mutual aid groups, and local, regional, and national organizers and activists

Next Steps

After the Fellowship, Annie will remain at the ACLU of Colorado as a Staff Attorney.

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