Neighbors want more answers about planned 24/7 homeless shelter in north Fort Collins
Formal plans for a 24/7 shelter for more than 200 men experiencing homelessness are working their way through the city's development review process even as residents of the city's north side have planned a public meeting to get more answers about the project.
Fort Collins Rescue Mission, which currently operates a shelter at the corner of Linden and Jefferson streets, submitted formal development plans to build a 40,000 square-foot facility west of the intersection of North College Avenue and Hibdon Court. That facility would double the space it has to serve men experiencing homelessness.
The proposed building has two wings around a vestibule and entry, an industrial feel with corrugated metal and a slanted roof. The southern wing will be for day use with a cafeteria, administrative offices and designated area for volunteers. The northern wing will have a second story and house the overnight shelter. The outdoor area on the west side of the building will be surrounded by a secure 6-foot-tall fence.
"The situation for those experiencing homelessness now in Fort Collins is serious," said Seth Forwood, senior director of Fort Collins Rescue Mission. "Even though we've opened our 70-bed seasonal overflow shelter and have 89 beds at our original location, we have already had to turn away a couple men simply because we didn't have any space for them."
The site, one of two recommended by the city's Homelessness Advisory Committee in 2021 is close to other services for unhoused people including the Murphy Center for Hope, Food Bank for Larimer County, Catholic Charities and others.
The committee reviewed several sites and Fort Collins Rescue Mission ultimately decided the current site was the best option, notably because the land is being donated by Fort Collins philanthropist Pat Stryker's Bohemian Foundation and was available immediately, reducing the time and money it will take to get the facility up and running.
Fort Collins Rescue Mission is still determining the project costs and continuing to raise funds, Forwood said. Larimer County has pledged $1.5 million, and the city of Fort Collins and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Transformational Homelessness Response Grant will each contribute $1 million. The Rescue Mission plans to use $4.5 million in capital funds, Forwood said.
The proximity to various services, transit and business "allows for those living there to have the best chances of success," according to the development application. The shelter "fulfills the first ladder rung in the housing spectrum and is a much needed steppingstone to help people transition from being houseless and getting access to much needed services," it states.
Residents of Hickory Village mobile home park have organized a public meeting scheduled Monday, Dec. 11, at the Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 Willow St. "We feel as residents that will be directly affected by this proposal that we need to have a larger discussion with all stakeholders; this includes neighboring communities, businesses, city, county and state leaders as well as those overseeing and funding the proposed men's 24/7 shelter," according to the email.
The email was sent to city leaders, Larimer County Commissioners Jody Shadduck-McNally, Kristen Stephens and John Kefalas; Fort Collins' Reps. Andrew Boesenecker and Cathy Kipp; Sen. Joann Ginal and Forwood.
"There are many questions that remain unanswered and there have been several barriers faced when we have attempted the discussions through the traditional routes normally offered to non-marginalized communities," said the email signed by Rebecca Mendoza of the Hickory Village Resident Association. "Your insight on this discussion would be immensely valuable and a strong message to the North College communities."
The meeting will include translation for the non-Spanish speaking participants.
Forwood said Fort Collins Rescue Mission will not be at the meeting, "but we are committed to hearing the feedback of Hickory Village, other neighbors and the larger community. We hope to continue to work closely with them, as well as in collaboration with other service providers, to explore solutions for what they are experiencing currently and to address the life-and-death dilemma for those experiencing homelessness in our community."
The shelter's location has long rankled North Fort Collins Business Association, which has said the north side is saturated with other services for people experiencing homelessness and adding an overnight shelter for more than 200 men would exacerbate issues already plaguing businesses in the area, including drug use and loitering.
Hickory Village residents have been voicing their concerns at monthly North Fort Collins Business Association meetings, citing disruptive behavior and safety concerns for their children, some of which may be caused by people experiencing homelessness.
The shelter is an approved use within its zoning district.
Bohemian's property is adjacent to land owned by the city of Fort Collins. Both parties have been negotiating a land swap that would help create more buffer between the shelter and homes to the west and create an area for stormwater retention.
The proposed shelter "provides a critical social safety net for those displaced from other housing options," the application states. "As equal members of our community, the future guests of FCRM deserve to be treated equitably and with acceptance, inclusion and respect. Providing shelter to meet their most basic needs is a small way our community can do that."
Interested?
The meeting organized by Hickory Village residents will be from 6-8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 11, at Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 Willow St.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins Rescue Mission submits development plans for 24/7 shelter
