Life on Curtis Street has gotten a lot louder, and neighbors say they know exactly when it started.
Curtis Park residents report that a daytime homeless shelter across the street quietly stopped paying for after-hours security in early February, and they link that change to rowdier nights, more sidewalk camping and the occasional tense exchange outside their front doors. One neighbor says security video captured a woman trying to force open a front door at about 4:45 p.m., while several others describe more people staying on the sidewalk overnight. The shelter sits across from narrow row houses, and neighbors say the difference is most obvious once the center shuts down for the day.
Neighbors told BusinessDen that St. Francis Center cut its after-hours security at the start of February, a move they say lined up almost perfectly with more camping and disturbances on the block. The outlet reviewed negotiation notes and emails showing that neighbors had been working toward a draft good-neighbor agreement that would have required the shelter to make a “good faith effort” to fund after-hours patrols and to provide security “for a minimum of five hours daily.”
What the center says
According to St. Francis Center, its day program at 2323 Curtis St. offers showers, mail, phone access and case management to hundreds of guests every day. The nonprofit describes those daytime services as a pathway to housing and benefits for people experiencing homelessness. Neighbors say they tried to raise the security issue directly with leadership, but that they received little information in response.
Public money and oversight
Public records show the operation is heavily supported by taxpayer dollars. According to BusinessDen, the City of Denver allocated about $1.4 million to run the day shelter in 2026 – roughly 79% of the program’s budget – and set aside about $145,000 for “professional services,” a category that can include security. Federal grant listings also show a $143,690 award to St. Francis Center tied to housing and homeless-services programs, as per the Federal Register. Councilman Darrell Watson’s office told the outlet it is actively reviewing the situation and coordinating with stakeholders to figure out next steps.
Neighbors press for answers
CEO Nancy Burke has appeared in local TV coverage discussing the shelter’s operations and rehousing efforts, telling Denver7 that the nonprofit had been managing placements at a hotel shelter that is winding down and has helped dozens move into housing. Neighbors say seeing that kind of public outreach makes the quiet approach to the security cut feel especially sharp, and neighborhood organizers say they plan to press both the center and the council office for clearer, written commitments…