Media Contact: Chynna Cowart
chynna.cowart@state.co.us | 303-656-7464
The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), through the Division of Housing's State Housing Board, voted on, approved, and awarded a total of $52,049,000 for the creation of five Regional Navigation Campuses. A Navigation Campus is a primarily centralized and coordinated campus that provides low barrier, public access to a continuum of wraparound, co-located services for people experiencing homelessness. In 2022 and 2023 the legislature allocated funding to the Regional Navigation Campuses through HB22-1378 sponsored by Rep. Iman Jodeh, Senators Tom Sullivan, James Coleman and Chris Hansen and HB23-1232, sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie, Rep. Jodeh, and Senator Dylan Roberts.
“The state of Colorado is proud to help local governments reduce homelessness and we are committed to helping Colorado’s cities achieve success. We are pleased to announce the distribution of more than $52 million to fund five regional navigation campuses to reduce homelessness,” said Governor Polis. “I look forward to continuing to work with Mayors and local governments around the state to reduce homelessness, improve our communities, and ensure Colorado remains the best place to live and work.”
1. Bridge House Tri-Cities Navigation Center
The Division of Housing awarded Boulder Bridge House and Tri-Cities Homeless Initiative $1,647,801 to renovate a property in Englewood into a Regional Navigation Campus. The proposed navigation program plans to provide a fully-realized continuum of care — the overnight navigation program component will include up to 20 shelter beds and the site will have a publicly accessible, daytime navigation program available to drop-in, non-residential individuals. Both programs will have access to the separate Ready to Work residential program located within the same building, as available and requested by individuals. The chosen site will be co-located with and operated by Bridge House Ready to Work (RTW) Englewood, a site of Colorado’s only “work-first,” transitional employment program for adults experiencing homelessness grounded in social enterprise.
“Bridge House (a services provider in Boulder and Aurora) and Tri-Cities Homeless Initiative (an alliance of Littleton, Englewood, and Sheridan) are pleased to announce a Denver-Metro Regional Navigation Campus(es) grant of up to $1,647,801 from the Office of Homeless Initiatives,” said the Bridge House and the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Group. “The grant will provide for renovation of a property at 4675 S. Windermere Street in Englewood and operation of a navigation center for those who are without housing and seeking resources.”
2. Aurora Regional Navigation Campus
The Division of Housing awarded the City of Aurora $15,360,852 in funds and 35 vouchers to support the new construction of a transformational centralized coordinated low-barrier campus that can streamline access to resources and services needed for people experiencing homelessness to transition back into housing and thrive. The Aurora Regional Navigation Campus (ARNC) will cover the spectrum of shelter services from safe parking lots all the way to transitional housing and offer services to any unhoused adult seeking services. It will close the gap between people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and the amount of shelter beds available while congregating services in one space and removing transportation barriers.
“The $15 million from DOLA will empower us to make a big change in how we tackle homelessness,” said Jessica Prosser, Aurora's Housing and Community Services Director. “This funding will go into building the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus, which will provide vital support for those experiencing homelessness in Aurora and the region and contribute to a better future for our community."
3. Boulder Day Services Center
The Division of Housing awarded the City of Boulder $1,273,005 and 30 vouchers to leverage local funds to create and operate the Day Service Center (DSC) in a leased space in central Boulder. This daytime navigation center will co-locate and coordinate services to meet an individual’s basic and service needs in one physical location, while also expanding pathways to housing and connected services for individuals experiencing homelessness.
“This funding will help people in the City of Boulder exit homelessness and provide ongoing support to recently housed community members,” shared Homelessness Policy Advisor, Megan Newton. “The $1.27 million grant will be used toward the operation of a Homelessness Day Services Center and the additional support will strengthen the level of service we can provide.”
4. Denver Navigation Campus
The Division of Housing awarded the City and County of Denver's Department of Housing Stability (HOST) $24,437,719 and 195 vouchers to create 300 bridge housing units in the immediate term, create a three-site campus with 290 nearby supportive housing units, and leverage 600 vouchers through a State and Denver Housing Authority match. The “Encampment Resolution” program model in Denver will connect people experiencing homelessness, especially those who are currently unsheltered throughout the city, to outreach services, housing, and bridge housing on the path to stability. Denver’s Navigation Campus comprises three physical locations. The primary location will provide 24-7 shelter and supportive services to up to 450 individuals across 300 units of anticipated bridge housing. The Center is located in Northeast Denver, in a high-opportunity area and will be owned by Rocky Mountain Communities and operated by The Salvation Army.
“This award will allow us to significantly scale up our strategy of helping unsheltered residents get off the street and indoors while permanently closing encampments,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said. “We’re incredibly grateful to partner with the state to create this critical navigation campus, which will provide safety and stability for unhoused Denverites and put residents on a path to permanent housing.”
5. Jefferson County Regional Navigation Campus
The Division of Housing awarded the City of Lakewood $9,329,623 in funds and 40 vouchers to partner with a local non-profit, RecoveryWorks, to lease with the option to purchase and renovate a building to create the first low-barrier, housing focused, “one stop shop” Navigation Campus for people experiencing homelessness in Jefferson County. The project consists of a low-barrier emergency day shelter/navigation campus, including 75-150, 24/7 year-round shelter beds and public co-located services that are immediately accessible to unhoused adults. The lead service providers are RecoveryWorks in collaboration with the City of Lakewood, STRIDE, and Jefferson Center. Currently, no year round shelter beds exist in Jefferson County. This campus fulfills the strategic priorities outlined in the JeffCo Heading Home Plan to End Homelessness and serves as the core infrastructure in creating a transformational homelessness and rehousing response system for the region.
“Lakewood has been awarded a $9.3 million grant, 40 housing vouchers and $144,000 for tenant support services. The $9.3 million will allow RecoveryWorks, a local nonprofit, to buy a building at 8000 W. Colfax Ave., rehabilitate it and operate an emergency shelter to create a navigation center for those who are without housing and seeking resources,” said Kathy Hodgson, Lakewood City Manager. “This significant state grant and other support will allow Lakewood to make important progress in addressing the challenges surrounding homelessness in the city.”