Denver Wants To Keep Homeless Shelter At National Western Complex Open Through Mid-August

DENVER (CBS4) -- Officials with the City of Denver are hoping to keep the homeless shelter at the National Western Complex open through mid-August.

Britta Fisher, Director of Housing and Homelessness in the City of Denver, spoke during a press conference on Friday.

"We're in negotiations to extend the auxiliary shelter at the National Western through August 15. We anticipate bringing an amended licensing agreement to city council very soon," said Fisher.

Fisher said the auxiliary shelter at the National Western Complex serves about 668 guests per night and the Denver Colisieum has a nightly average of 169 guests.

Fisher said they are aware of the increase in camping in neighborhoods and are working to meet the increased demand for shelter.

Fisher said they are reconfiguring space within existing shelters and finding hotel and motel rooms to meet needs -- and they have increased their outreach to encampments, with a very strong focus on Morey Middle School.

"Through the outreach this week alone we have moved nine people from Morey into the hotel motel rooms, including six into protective action rooms designated for people who are more vulnerable to COVID and three into activated respite rooms for those who need to medically isolate," Fisher stated.

Denver has more than 800 hotel/motel rooms contracted. Fisher says the focus now is to help get people who are over the age of 65 and with underlying health conditions into those rooms.

"We're continuing to make a significant difference for persons experiencing homelessness and helping to ensure public health, throughout the community," Fisher stated.