The Aloft Hotel, home to 124 homeless people identified as having a high vulnerability to COVID-19, is closing April 27.
The future for 19 of the tenants remains uncertain as The Salvation Army, City of Denver and state work to connect them with housing resources.
Located in the heart of Denver at 800 15th St., the hotel has been leased by the City and County of Denver throughout the pandemic. The city calls it a protective action shelter. The program was planned to be temporary, sunsetting when the pandemic wound down and federal aid dollars dried up.
The shelter is operated by The Salvation Army. The organization is assisting other agencies, including Denver's Department of Housing Stability, find housing for the residents.
So far 37 people have been relocated to housing. Of the remaining 87, 30 are eligible for state services and are being matched with housing. The Salvaton Army and HOST have matched 38 others with housing options.
“We recognize that this transition is a difficult one, and we are so grateful to all our partners who are working diligently in the final days of this facility’s operation to find the best possible outcomes for all of our guests and to transition them smoothly,” Executive Director of HOST Laura Brudzynski said in a news release.
Denver has another shelter like this, the Park Avenue Inn at 3500 Park Avenue West. That shelter is owned and operated by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and is set to close in June. Colorado has committed to offering the same assistance for residents at the Park Avenue Inn.
Using hotels as homeless shelters has been a mainstay of Denver's attempt to address the issue, which has spiraled in recent years. In September, the Denver City Council earmarked $5 million for a hotel purchase and in January the city bought a former La Quinta Inn for $9 million to serve as transitional housing.
In the 2023 city budget, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock allocated $254 million to fight homelessness and improve housing stability.
Even with that investment, homelessness in Denver and the surrounding metro area increased by 25%, or 1,400 people, according to the 2022 point in time count. Since that only records homelessness on a specific day, the actual number may be higher or lower.
