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Castle Rock and The Rock Church reach agreement to host temporary RV housing for people in need
Summary
Speakers at the HEART Committee meeting described a local agreement allowing up to seven RVs to operate at The Rock Church as temporary, screened housing; faith-based leaders and town representatives said the arrangement has already helped families and individuals find housing and services.
Castle Rock town representatives and leaders from The Rock Church told the HEART Committee they reached an agreement to use church property to host up to seven temporary RV units for people experiencing homelessness, provided the participants are screened and operations are managed to reduce neighborhood impacts.
Max Brooks, a Castle Rock Town Council member who was representing Mayor Jason Gray at the meeting, described the agreement as the product of negotiations between the town and the church. "The town and The Rock now wish to inform the public that they have reached an agreement, and this settles the issues regarding the future use of The Rock's property to provide temporary housing to those in need," Brooks said.
Representatives from The Rock Church described the program as emergency temporary housing rather than a long-term shelter for chronically homeless people. A speaker from The Rock said the site can accommodate "up to 7 RVs" and that operators will screen residents to limit neighborhood impacts. Church leaders said the site has been used to shelter 14 individuals over the past year, including eight children, and that 11 people who used the service are now housed, with additional residents in process of placement.
The church speaker described additional supports available on-site: donated clothing inventories, vehicle assistance for people without transportation, and food supplies. The speaker said the church had more than 100,000 pounds of food on site and that volunteers and staff work with county HEART partners to connect residents to GOALS and other county housing programs.
County officials and committee members praised the faith-based partnership and said the county welcomes collaborative solutions that add temporary housing capacity while coordinating with HEART outreach and county services. Commissioner Layden and other commissioners said they support the church-town partnership and encouraged continued coordination with HEART and county housing programs.
