Plans to use a southeast Denver hotel for housing as part of the mayor's House1000 initiative are still in the works, albeit with a change and a minor delay.
Last month, the city announced that they were interested in leasing the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Tech Center North at 7525 E. Hampden Ave. in City Council District 4.
Originally, the city said that the hotel would serve families with children along with non-binary and transgender individuals experiencing homelessness. However, the city has switched gears and the hotel will now primarily focus on families with children, "regardless of how individuals may identify themselves."
"Families and children facing homelessness often face a lack of stability, safety and hope," said city officials with the Homelessness Resolution Operations Center in a statement. "The shelter at 7525 E. Hampden Ave. aims to provide families with a dedicated shelter that can offer consistency, a healing community and a sense of belonging where families can access the support they need to move toward stable housing. This site is the administration's first for-families-only shelter for our House1000 initiative and the first in southeast Denver."
The city added that the micro-community currently under construction at 1375 N. Elati Street will "focus on serving transgender and non-binary people experiencing homelessness, as well as women."
The hotel in the Hampden neighborhood has about 200 rooms and would be used as a non-congregate shelter. The site would also provide wraparound services, though the city did not say specifically what would be offered.
Several contracts would need to be approved by City Council before the city could begin using the space as shelter. A lease agreement for the building that was set to go before council's finance committee in early December was delayed "to allow more time for the city to finalize details on the agreements," the city said.
However, a purchase agreement is now being considered by City Council on Monday. The $30,900,000 contract would be between the City and County of Denver, East Hampden Hotel Fee, LLC and Hampden Heart, LLC for the City to acquire the hotel. Council President Jamie Torres approved the contract for direct filing Thursday.
As officials mentioned, if approved by council, the site would be the first hotel shelter in District 4 under the mayor's housing plan. The district was originally slated to host a micro-community at 5500 Yale Ave. but the proposal was nixed "based on the criteria [the city has] identified including economic viability, projected site yield and consideration of other viable options," according to the city.
A community meeting regarding the site is still slated for 10 a.m. on Dec. 16 at Hamilton Middle School, 8600 E. Dartmouth Ave.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with details on the previously delayed contract.
