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Council debate intensifies as Homeward Bound faces winter uncertainty; city schedules workshop
Summary
Council and public pressed for immediate action as Homeward Bound's winter funding and possible closures drew urgent comments. City staff said Homeward Bound will present at a Dec. 1 workshop; council members urged faster and more coordinated responses to prevent displacement.
Multiple speakers and council members used the Nov. 19 meeting to press for a faster response to potential service disruptions at Homeward Bound and for broader homelessness support.
Resident and homeowner Mark Buchanan described market impacts from encampments at Columbine Park and urged mitigation to restore park use and help neighbors sell homes. Recovery coach Nathan Jukes updated the council on outreach work and a fundraising target: a task force is trying to raise $120,000 to keep the Homeward Bound North Avenue emergency shelter open through January and February; he also said a PIT count will be conducted Jan. 27 and reported that recent cold-weather outreach equipped 236 people with tents, sleeping bags and other gear.
Council members debated next steps. Council Member Scott Bialfuss urged a special session or immediate council action, warning that if a large number of residents lose shelter in winter it will fall on public-safety providers and nonprofit partners. Mayor Kennedy and City Manager Mike Bennett said Homeward Bound is scheduled to present at a Dec. 1 workshop; Bennett said the city is coordinating with nonprofit partners and has previously allocated funds to address homelessness. Bialfuss and others said the timing is too slow and asked for actionable decisions before cold months arrive.
What the council said it will do: staff confirmed Homeward Bound is on the Dec. 1 workshop agenda and council directed continued coordination with local nonprofits (Hilltop, Catholic Outreach, Joseph Center, United Way). Council members emphasized the need for clear, near-term plans for shelter capacity and service continuity.
The exchange highlighted tensions between requests for rapid emergency action and the council's preference to address complex funding and service questions in a workshop setting with nonprofit partners present.
