Residents and service providers urge Grand Junction council to extend Resource Center lease 90 days

Dozens of community members, service providers and health-care workers urged the Grand Junction City Council on March 19 to extend the downtown Resource Center's lease for 90 days to avoid service disruption while a replacement site is found.

The Resource Center, which provides food, hygiene services, case management, bus passes and connections to jobs and health care, is currently scheduled to close April 15. Kristen Seidel, identified in public comment as the Grants and Outreach Coordinator with Mutual Aid Partners, told the council that clients who use the center rely on it to secure identification and transportation to look for work and that a disruption would harm “hundreds of others like him who are trying to find work and housing.”

Why it matters: The speakers said the center functions as a one-stop hub that reduces barriers to services for people experiencing homelessness. Service providers and clinicians warned that closing the site abruptly would increase burdens on emergency services and fracture partnerships built around the center.

Multiple speakers asked council to authorize a temporary 90-day extension of the existing lease so providers have time to secure and prepare an alternate site. Richard Cressman, a board member of Mutual Aid Partners, said the extension would “bridge that gap” and allow working groups to scout and secure a location rather than dispersing clients across downtown.

Health-care and social-service perspectives

Stephanie Avascones, who identified herself as executive director of Mutual Aid Partners and co-chair of the Resource Center Service Council, told the council she had learned the day before that a person receiving services at the center died by suicide. Avascones and other clinicians described regular mental-health outreach at the center (Lifespan Psychiatry, Lifespan Shift Counseling and Amos Counseling were named) and said closing the site would interrupt continuity of care for high-risk clients.

Porsche (Portia) Silverberg, speaking as a downtown business and resident advocate, said supporting unhoused neighbors and restoring downtown vitality are not mutually exclusive and urged the council to create “open dialogue sessions” that include businesses, residents and service providers. Jeremy Sheets, speaking for the Elks, said he supported the planned closure date and urged the city to find a different site, such as an unused Riverside Parkway school, if necessary.

Community and provider concerns raised to council

Speakers repeatedly asked for clear communication about transition plans and for neighborhood outreach so residents know who to contact about safety concerns during any relocation. Providers said the center offers showers, food, storage, and case management that help clients take “the next steps out of survival mode.” Several speakers pressed council to avoid what they called rushed decisions that would “dump the problem elsewhere.”

Council response and next steps

Council members referenced recent provider workshops and ongoing work by service partners. Council member Bialfuss noted a Mesa County Coalition for the Unhoused workshop and council member Stout noted continuing staff work on memoranda of understanding for lodging-tax recipients. No formal vote on a lease extension was recorded at the March 19 meeting. Council members indicated they expect staff to continue working with providers and community groups to find solutions; several emphasized the need for greater neighborhood communication as part of any transition.

Ending: The council did not take immediate action to extend the lease during the March 19 meeting. Several public commenters and council members said they expect staff to return with proposals and that any relocation should prioritize service continuity and improved outreach to neighbors.