4 days ago
Salvation Army to end program operations at 3 hotel shelters in Denver at end of year
The Salvation Army will end its program operations at three hotel shelters in Denver at the end of the year. The current contracts at the locations, The Aspen, Stone Creek, and Tamarac shelters, end on Dec. 31, 2025.
The Salvation Army said in a news release on Thursday that the organization is pivoting to "focus on its strategic and sustainable programs" in the community.
"This is a decision we've made as an organization to ensure our financial sustainability," said Major Nesan Kistan, Intermountain Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army, in a statement.
The three locations were part of Denver Mayor Johnston's All in Mile High initiative, which was designed as a transformative approach to homelessness in 2023.
The Aspen, a former DoubleTree Hotel, located at 4040 Quebec Street, opened its doors on Dec. 7, 2023 to help people experiencing homelessness move toward stable, permanent housing. The Aspen has 289 units for single, adult men and women.
Stone Creek, a former Best Western hotel, is located at 4595 Quebec Street.
The Tamarac Family shelter opened its doors on Dec. 28, 2023 with 205 units for families with minor children.
The Salvation Army said that in the past two years, it has shouldered more than $5.2 million in shelter operating costs and that those expenses have "outpaced available funding."
"Continuing to absorb these costs would jeopardize the quality and integrity of all our programs," said Kistan in a statement. "Instead of spreading our resources too thin and risking the standard of care we've upheld for more than 160 years, we've made the necessary decision to step back in some areas to strengthen and sustain our impact where it's needed most."
The Salvation Army stated in the news release that the organization will continue to operate "the Lambuth Family Center, a short-term family shelter; the Connection Center, which provides access to Salvation Army and community resources and services; the Harbor Light Center, a haven for men recovering from addiction or looking to prevent a relapse; and the Crossroads Center, a 24/7 emergency shelter serving at least 250 men daily in partnership with the City."
