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   DENVER — Last week, Denver7 reported on the City of Denver's plan to   
   purchase a 194-unit hotel near I-70 and Quebec and convert it into a   
   homeless shelter.   
      
   The $26 million purchase was expected to close in mid-August and the   
   city's lease was expected to start Sept. 1.   
      
      
   Another viewer, Liz, asked for clarification between a homeless   
   shelter and the "supportive housing" billed in the city's original   
   press release.   
      
   We took those questions straight to Denver's Department of Housing   
   Stability (HOST), which will operate the shelter, to get answers.   
   Here's what we learned.   
      
      
   FIRST, IS THIS REALLY A HOMELESS SHELTER? Yes, the city plans to use   
   the facility as a homeless shelter – a "non-congregate shelter" in   
   city lingo, meaning each resident has an individual or roommate   
   space rather than a large community space – for as long as a few   
   years.   
      
   "Eligibility will be literal homelessness," a HOST spokesperson told   
   Denver7 in an email.   
      
   After its period as a homeless shelter, the city plans to convert   
   the facility to "supportive housing," a term for low-income housing   
   that provides residents with voluntary resources like healthcare and   
   employment services.   
      
   Keep in mind, Denver's new mayor has pledged to end homelessness   
   during his first four years in office. The goal of the eventual   
   "supportive housing" is to help tenants create long-term housing   
   stability.   
      
   Once converted to supportive housing, at least 40% of the complex   
   will be reserved for tenants earning 30% of the Area Median Income,   
   according to the city's press release. Other units will aim to help   
   people transition away from homelessness.   
      
      
   BEYOND THE $26 MILLION PRICE TAG FOR THE HOTEL, THERE ARE, OF   
   COURSE, OPERATING COSTS. We asked HOST for its estimates.   
      
   The cost to operate the hotel as a homeless shelter will be between   
   $3 million and $4 million per year, a HOST spokesperson told   
   Denver7. Eventually, it'll cost about $800,000 to operate it as a   
   supportive housing facility.   
      
   Those operating costs will come from the city's General Fund,   
   Denver's largest operating fund sourced largely from sales and use   
   tax dollars. HOST already has a contract for non-congregate shelters   
   paid for with the General Fund and told Denver7 an expansion of that   
   contract – in the form of the Homelessness Resolution Fund – just   
   needs city council approval.   
      
   To convert the hotel to supportive housing, the city will make   
   renovations, including building out kitchenettes for the tenants.   
   The logistics and costs for those changes are still under   
   negotiation and will be determined in partnership with the Denver   
   Housing Authority, HOST said.   
      
      
   WE ALSO ASKED HOST ABOUT DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AT THE SHELTER. Here's   
   what they told us:   
      
   HOST funds low-barrier shelter, meaning that drug and alcohol use   
   are not prohibitive factors in people experiencing homelessness   
   gaining access to shelter. We ask that our service provider   
   establish shelter policies and procedures that account for guest   
   needs, including trauma informed care, harm reduction, and person-   
   centered case management. When the site converts to supportive   
   housing, partners continue to deploy housing first strategies that   
   reduce harm, connect people to services, and provide other supports   
   to keep stably housed.   
      
   https://www.denver7.com/follow-up/denver-bought-a-hotel-to-turn-it-   
   into-a-homeless-shelter-heres-what-itll-cost-how-itll-work   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)