Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said during a news conference Wednesday there will be money in the budget in 2025 to open warming centers for people experiencing homelessness when the temperature dips to 25 degrees.
Johnston said the 24-hour shelter will not make people leave in the morning. These are improvements homeless advocates asked for last winter. Currently, warming shelters open when the temperature dips to 22 degrees, according to city staff. Several council members tried unsuccessfully earlier this year to raise the threshold to 32 degrees. A few years ago, the threshold was just 10 degrees, according to city staff.
At least half of people experiencing homelessness in Denver during the winter months who seek cold weather shelter are turned away, according to report by Housekeys Action Network Denver, or HAND. However, the city added last year to its available shelter space by purchasing hotels with large ballrooms that can be used for congregate emergency shelter. The hotels include the former DoubleTree and Best Western on Quebec.