Denver is hustling to shore up emergency housing for families, with the City Council on Monday approving funding to add 20 non-congregate family shelter units at The Crossing in Northeast Park Hill. The move adds roughly $602,016 to the city's contract with Denver Rescue Mission, raising the program to 30 family units while the Salvation Army's Lambuth Family Center temporarily shuts down for renovations. City officials say the additional space is intended to prevent a gap in shelter capacity for families with children during the Lambuth project.
Per City and County of Denver, the amendment (file RR26-0709) increases the Denver Rescue Mission agreement by $602,016, for a new total of $2,089,958, to support 20 additional family shelter units at The Crossing. The resolution keeps the contract term unchanged and was filed after the Community Planning and Housing committee approved the item in late May. The extra funding is described as an increase in the per-unit subsidy to run non-congregate family rooms.
What The Crossing Will Offer
Denver Rescue Mission describes The Crossing as a large transitional campus that provides residential programs, on-site case management, meals, and a youth center. The location at 6090 Smith Road is listed as offering housing navigation, benefits connection, and weekly face-to-face case management for families. Those services are framed around moving households toward more stable housing and self-sufficiency.
Temporary Shuffle During Lambuth Renovation
As reported by Denverite, some of the new units will be used to replace rooms at the Salvation Army's Lambuth Family Center while that shelter undergoes renovations. The Lambuth Family Center site lists its address at 2741 N. Federal Blvd. and says it can house up to 20 families, providing private rooms, meals, and intensive case management. Advocates and shelter operators have long warned that family-sized shelters are scarce in Denver, and providers say the swap is intended to keep families from entering the street system during construction.
How The City Will Run It
The city's scope of work lays out motel-style rooms with utilities, free laundry, wireless internet, on-site staff 24/7 and no requirement that families pay for rooms or sign leases, according to the City and County of Denver. HOST's paperwork also calls for program standards, regular consumer feedback reporting, and staff sensitivity training, measures the city says are intended to make the temporary family shelter more stable and service-oriented. City officials and providers say the amendment is meant as a stopgap while longer-term family housing solutions are pursued.
