City Council Approves Contract for New Temporary Safe Outdoor Spaces
By Robert Davis
City Council approved a contract with Colorado Village Collaborative (CVC) for filing on February 3 that allows the organization to operate up to two temporary safe outdoor spaces until the end of the year.
One site is located in the Denver Community Church parking lot at 1595 Pearl St. in Denver.. According to the agreement, CVC is responsible for locating the second site, which has yet to be determined.
The nearly $900,000 contract added St. Francis Center as a subcontractor to operate one of the camps. Chris Conner, director of homeless resolution for the Department of Housing Stability (HOST), said the partnership allows the City to leverage existing service providers.
In return for the funding, HOST is asking service providers to report baseline data on camp usage, demographics of participants, and program exits that permanently resolve homelessness.
“Beyond that, we’re monitoring our ability to provide people experiencing homelessness with a sense of stability, to connect to a variety of services, and we’re seeing successes there,” Connor said.
“For Councilwoman Robin Kniech, the safe outdoor space model is an example of how community activism can impact local government.
‘It took a minute to get the administration to embrace that model. But, the truth is we sat at a lot of tables; we had a lot of conversations, and here we are approving contracts for this city,’ she said.”
While Connor admitted HOST is not expecting every camp participant to find housing solutions at this time, the model’s foundation – keeping people safe from COVID-19 – is strong. Since the camps opened, operators have reported a zero percent transmission rate.
For Councilwoman Robin Kniech, the safe outdoor space model is an example of how community activism can impact local government.
“It took a minute to get the administration to embrace that model. But, the truth is we sat at a lot of tables; we had a lot of conversations, and here we are approving contracts for this city,” she said.
It can be argued that the push for Denver’s safe outdoor spaces began in 2000 when local activists submitted their first proposals for a tent city. However, after the Occupy movement and with the passage of Denver’s urban camping ban, tents became a symbol of criminality in the Mile High City.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic started, housing advocates began asking the City to house people experiencing homelessness. In April, service providers pitched the idea to Mayor Michael Hancock. However, Hancock slow-rolled the idea through the summer. Protesters even disrupted a press conference to call attention to the issue. But, it wasn’t until this past Halloween that HOST sent out its initial request for proposal. The first safe outdoor space opened in early December 2020.
Even in the short time the camp has operated, Connor said it’s making a real impact. He’s heard stories of residents staying sober for the entirety of their stay, and some have been offered homes in Beloved Community Village.
Cole Chandler, executive director of CVC, said the safe outdoor space model offers a compassionate way to address a persistent problem.
“Avoiding the ongoing nature of encampment closures and homeless sweeps that just push people down the block. This is an opportunity to bring people into services in a brand new way,” he said.
The City Council will finalize the contract’s approval on February 8.