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Providers urge Tri-Cities action on long-term, low-barrier sheltering; suggest task force
Summary
Change the Trend facilitator Julie Hall said the region lacks permanent, low-barrier shelter options and described clinical and operational gaps; committee members discussed Ready to Work navigation beds, HotForce capacity and possible task-force creation to pursue long-term solutions.
Julie Hall, outgoing facilitator for Change the Trend, told the Tri Cities committee that the region faces a persistent gap in permanent or low-barrier shelter options and urged coordinated action, including a potential task force to design long-term shelter solutions.
“First of all, biggest gap is permanent, what I'm calling permanent shelter or overnight beds, that we continue to see in our region,” Hall said, describing both capacity and suitability concerns for clients who avoid Denver shelters and noting the recent closure of a shelter in Aurora.
Hall recounted specific operational gaps. She said HotForce had at least 200 people registered and that Move The 5280 typically serves about 30 people on overflow nights. She described HotForce’s voucher inventory as roughly 40 rooms and said Ready to Work’s planned beds (variously reported in the discussion as 15–25) are intended as navigation beds for clients already in case conferencing rather than as general overflow shelter.
Tim (committee speaker) clarified that the Ready to Work contract is held by Littleton and that the contract’s intent was never to create a general shelter. “The term shelter or shelter bed was never used in that contract,” he said, adding the program was structured for short-term navigation stays tied to assessment and service linkage (VI-SPDAT or equivalent) and that stays are time-limited once services are linked.
Multiple committee members echoed Hall’s concerns about sustainability, funding and staffing for emergency providers. Emily and others said Ready to Work beds would help a subset of clients — for example, people stabilizing while completing applications or waiting for a first paycheck — but would not cover the full spectrum of needs. Joe and other participants suggested a low-barrier option that falls between severe-weather sheltering and permanent supportive housing could address unmet needs.
Hall proposed forming a task force of service providers, real-estate and funding experts to develop a long-term shelter plan. Several participants, including Catherine and Jim, said a working group attached to the homeless coordinating committee or the severe-weather-shelter work group could pursue options and coordinate with Aurora and county-level efforts currently underway.
Ending: Committee members asked staff to track referral intake procedures for Aurora’s navigation center and to consider amending the Tri Cities action plan if members choose to pursue low-barrier shelter study or implementation.
