Arvada approves $88,000 DOLA grant for street outreach after residents press council on Old Town safety

The Arvada City Council on March 18 approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to accept $88,000 for homeless street outreach services.

The award is a partial grant: the city had requested $288,000 from DOLA to fund street outreach and homelessness prevention, but DOLA awarded $88,000 solely for street outreach. Miss Espinosa, city staff, told council that because prevention funding did not come through, "we will not be able to fund anything under homelessness prevention," and that the $88,000 will be used for items such as "vital documents, bus tickets, outreach supplies, cold weather gear, and a vehicle for the homeless resolution case managers." The resolution passed unanimously, 7-0.

Why it matters: Council and staff said the award will help case managers and outreach partners purchase supplies and provide direct assistance to people experiencing homelessness, especially in Old Town Arvada, where parents and school staff have raised safety concerns. Public commenters pressed the council both to support faith-based providers doing nightly shelter and to pursue a permanent navigation center or more comprehensive responses.

Public comment framed the council discussion. Karen Cowling, director of Mission Arvada, described the nonprofit’s winter operations and services and said the organization serves "about 75 individuals daily" and that "Mission Arvada is underfunded and overburdened." Keith Kelly, finance director at the Rising Church and Mission Arvada, said the church and Mission Arvada stepped in this winter to provide extreme weather shelter nights and asked the council to consider funding similar to what the city previously gave to the Severe Weather Shelter Network.

Several parents and community members told the council they feel Old Town conditions are affecting children at Saint Anne's School. Katie Lee, a parent, said a friend’s child was offered something through the school fence and urged officials to develop a concrete plan beyond just adding police presence. David Holland, who volunteers at the school, said he found a hypodermic needle on the sidewalk during a campus tour and described other incidents that prompt concern for student safety.

Council members asked staff how the grant would be spent and who would carry out outreach. Staff said the DOLA award is limited to street outreach activities. Hudson, a city homeless-services staff member, explained the city contracts with local provider Family Tree under a separate Transformational Homeless Response (THR) grant to perform street outreach; the DOLA funds could be used to buy supplies to support that team or to support the city’s own homeless-resolution case managers. Espinosa said the city will manage grant compliance and reporting.

Council requested an interim expenditure report. Council member Marriott asked for a clearer breakdown and a mid-year update; Espinosa agreed to provide updates on spending and planned uses. The motion to approve R25-029, the DOLA agreement, was made and the measure passed 7-0.

The council and staff repeatedly framed street outreach as a step toward housing: staff said a key goal for outreach is to engage people with services and move them toward permanent supportive housing when appropriate. "The street outreach team… the ultimate goal is to get folks into housing, specifically permanent supportive housing," Espinosa said.

What's next: Staff will administer the one-year grant, decide specific purchases and partners, and report back to council on spending and program outcomes. The council also discussed, outside this grant, broader options including navigation centers and partnerships with nonprofit providers to address the year-round needs highlighted by residents.