Boulder’s Homelessness Day Services Center will be located at 1844 Folsom St., which is a vacant one-story, 6,000 square foot office building currently.
Boulder City Council and staff announced the new location at the study session Thursday, according to a press release.
The center will serve as a inclusive space for individuals experiencing homelessness to engage with service providers all in one location. The goal of this site is to build a sense of a health community and support those experiencing homelessness through each stage of their housing journey, according to the press release. This location meets the requirements needed for size, being a standalone one-story building and a short distance from public transportation, schools/day care and zoning, according to the release.
A survey conducted in August 2022 asked community members, service providers and homeless, or formerly homless, to offer feedback about what would be important for this center. The results were the basis for the Community Outreach Report, released in October, which outlines top considerations:
- Easy access to transportation networks
- Building accessibility for people with disabilities
- Near social and medical services
- Near housing options so newly housed individuals can continue to access support services
- Centrally located and connected to the community
The city is working with Boulder Shelter for the Homeless (BSH) to come to a formal agreement for BSH to operate the center, according to the press release. If the city and BSH can come to an agreement, more steps will be taken including determining the center’s hours, services and discussions with neighbors.
“We are excited to partner with the experts at Boulder Shelter for the Homeless to create an inviting, caring and welcoming space for any individuals experiencing homelessness to connect with the services they need in one central location,” Kurt Firnhaber, director of Housing and Human Services, said in the release. “It is our goal that the center is a place to help individuals exit homelessness and to provide ongoing support for recently housed community members.”
This site will be used as the day services center for the next 18 to 24 months. The city plans to work with a developer to make a site for a 7,000-to-8,000-square-foot day services center along with about 50 apartments for permanent supportive housing, according to the release. During construction, an interim location will be used for the center.
