Denver City Council Approves $5 Million for More Homeless Services
By Robert Davis
Denver City Council approved three contract amendments worth over $5 million on Monday, April 19, for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) to provide additional resources and housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness.
One amendment adds $1.2 million to a contract CCH holds with the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) to provide bridge housing services through the Bridge to Home Program.
According to the agreement, Denver’s OneHome Coordination Entry System is responsible for 50% of the referrals, while the Denver Street Outreach Collaborative is responsible for the other half.
HOST says the funds will provide “temporary housing and supportive services while they are supported to obtain a permanent housing exit” for 300 vulnerable families.
Units for program participants are made available at Fusion Studios (3737 N. Quebec St.), Beacon Place (3636 W Colfax Ave.), master-leased apartments, and master-leased motel units. The program is designed both for individuals and families who are staying in shelters or sleeping rough, and individuals who are exiting homelessness through institutionalization or community care housing.
Denver has been funding the Bridge to Home program since 2019.
Another amendment adds three years to an agreement that requires CCH to provide housing placement and treatment services each year to 60 chronically homeless adults in Denver. These services are offered through the Renaissance at Civic Center Apartments (25 E. 16th Ave.). The amendment adds $1.2 million and requires CCH to help 180 individuals or more before the term expires.
Services offered include nursing care, behavioral health care, case management, vocational support, and several therapeutic treatments.
City Council also approved $2.8 million, which is slated to provide 245 people experiencing homelessness with housing services and supportive services, as part of the Denver Social Impact Bond (SIB) program.
“We are grateful to receive the continued support from the Denver City Council, the Mayor’s Office, and HOST to house and provide services to many of our most marginalized community members,” CCH’s Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer Cathy Alderman, told the Denver VOICE in an emailed statement.
“The continuation of these contracts ensures housing stability and pathways to stability for hundreds of Denver’s residents. Housing is the solution to homelessness and these funds demonstrate the continued commitment of the Denver community to ensure a safe place for hundreds of our neighbors to call home,” she added.
SIB is a performance-based program, where investors or philanthropists invest funds to complete a certain objective. Outcome payments are dispersed only if the stated objective is met.
For example, Denver set an original goal of housing 250 of the city’s chronically homeless when it developed the program in 2016. Two years later, the City implemented SIB 2.0, which added an additional 75 people to the goal.
Denver began the program with an initial $8.6 million investment from eight entities. According to the Department of Finance (DOF), these investors leveraged over $15 million in tax credits and other incentives, too.
As of December 31, 2020, Denver re-housed 261 individuals through SIB and another 60 through SIB 2.0, DOF data shows.