Westminster council approves hotel agreements for cold‑weather and bridge sheltering after split votes

The Westminster City Council voted to authorize the Westminster Homeless Navigators to contract with area hotels for temporary sheltering and bridge housing in two separate measures on Dec. 16.

The council approved a motion authorizing up to $325,000 in annual hotel expenditures for sheltering and bridge housing, and a separate motion authorizing up to $790,000 annually for cold‑weather sheltering. Both measures included a waiver of the competitive bidding requirement for individual hotels and passed on 4‑3 roll calls.

Why it matters: Council members said the hotel agreements are intended as a short‑term, humane response to people experiencing homelessness and as a way to connect individuals with case management. Opponents said the commitments are large, open‑ended and should be paired with clearer enforcement and long‑term planning.

Councilor Camarillo said the hotel program “brings us up to the standards that are currently held right now in Adams and Broomfield Counties” and argued the approach reduces the risk of people dying outdoors and helps enroll individuals in navigator case files. Councilor DeMott said…