Opinion: No, pallet shelters for homeless in Denver, Aurora don’t fold into caskets

Denver has invested in pallet shelters but not to the degree Mayor Mike Johnston originally envisioned.Photo byCity and County of Denver

No, pallet shelters for people experiencing homelessness don’t fold into caskets.

It’s a question a reader posed one of the first times I wrote about pallet shelters. I find the pallet shelters to be more palatable than ice fishing tents. The Colorado Village Collaborative operates both micro-communities and the so-called Safe Outdoor Spaces with the tents. We all learned the tents are not safe when a fire roared through a CVC Safe Outdoor Space, destroying the compound quickly. Officials never disclosed a cause of the fire.

Some question whether pallet shelters and tiny homes make better shelter than a tent. Because these little enclosures are provided with smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and fire extinguishers, I would say they are far safer than tents.

A box, but transformative

An Aurora man found the box-like compartment transformative. According to an article on the Pallet website, “The inside of Tim's Pallet shelter in Aurora reflects what brings him joy. Denver Broncos and Colorado Avalanche jerseys brighten the space. A replica of a Detective Comics cover with Batman on the front is over the window. And dozens of Hot Wheels line the wall.”

The article explains that the man lost his previous Hot Wheels collection but is building a new one. “That is my salvation," he explained in the article. "That takes me back to a more innocent time in my life where I can just lose myself in Hot Wheel cars. It was easy for me to do it as a kid. It's really, easy for me to do it as an adult. They're the coolest things on Earth."

Photo byBen GrantonUnsplash

Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., he's lived in Colorado for several years, according to the article. He became homeless after a series of traumatic events, the article reported. He stayed at a warehouse-style shelter with hundreds of other people, according to the article, before moving to the pallet community, which has 56 cubes. "This is way better,” he said of the pallet home. “You have your own key. You have four walls that you can lose yourself in or whatever, and you can ride out whatever unpredictable in your life, save up some cash and move on to your next step."

The Salvation Army is the service provider at the site, according to the article. Working with case managers, the man secured a lifetime voucher with the Aurora Housing Authority, the article reported.

Hotel rooms beat pallet shelters for popularity

But the popularity of pallet shelters and tiny homes pales in comparison to a hotel room with plumbing, officials in both Denver and Aurora explain. That is the route both cities have taken recently. Aurora recently purchased a former hotel it will transform into a homeless navigation campus. And Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, despite promising as many as 10 micro-communities citywide during his campaign, only opened three, instead opting for buying up hotels.

Aurora officials recently disclosed a policy of only allowing people to stay at the pallet shelters for 30 days. This has created a revolving door, staff explains, cycling the same people in and out.

Aurora's pallet shelters came from a different vendor than Denver's. Pallet supplied the Aurora shelters.Photo byCity of Aurora

Many return to street encampments when their time in the pallet shelter runs out, Jessica Prosser, homeless services director for Aurora, said. Then, the city sweeps the encampment again, and they get to come back to the shelter for another 30 days, Prosser explained. This process can be repeated multiple times.

The issue was discussed during the Public Safety, Courts, and Civil Service Committee meeting last month. Prosser said it takes longer than 30 days to get a person moved from an encampment into housing or another shelter. She noted that even veterans, who have more resources available to them than most people experiencing homelessness, must wait 30 days just to get an appointment for an intake for a Veterans Administration housing voucher.

When hotel opens, pallet shelters will no longer be used

Prosser said the issue will be moot when Aurora opens its regional homeless navigation campus in a former hotel. The campus will offer emergency shelter and tiered accommodations for those who engage with case management for substance abuse treatment, mental heath care and jobs, according to city staff. Prosser said they likely will eliminate the pallet shelters once the new homeless campus opens.

The Aurora City Council voted in January to buy the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 15500 E. 40^th Ave. for $26.5 million. Council members Curtis Gardner, Alison Coombs and Ruben Medina voted against the purchase. Gardner said he believes the goal of creating a homeless navigation campus could be achieved more inexpensively. Coombs said the purchase does nothing for helping homeless families because the center would only house individuals.

The hotel is in very good condition and boasts 255 rooms, an industrial kitchen, industrial laundry, congregate space, and space for service providers to do case management and other services, according to city staff. There are bus lines outside the hotel and Gateway Park light rail station is nearby.

Pallet shelter perks

I never have lived in a pallet shelter, but I do live in a tiny studio apartment in a former hotel owned by Colorado Coalition for the Coalition. I don’t have a problem with its small size.

Denver's pallet shelters were purchased from Pallet PBS.Photo byCity of Denver

I poked around the internet trying to find studies on people who live in small spaces. Here’s what VeryWell Mind reported:

“Assuming that the space isn’t dirty, over-run with possessions, or in disarray, one of the advantages of living in a small space is that it’s calming. Like a nest, you might very well feel cozy and comforted.”

There are other perks, too. “Without having to focus on the minutiae that comes from having many rooms in a bigger home, those embracing minimalism are happier,” VeryWell Mind reported. “With no need to spend hours cleaning up a vast residence or working an undesirable job in order to be able to pay a mortgage on an oversized space, small-home dwellers are able to be self-sustaining and still have time for hobbies and adventures.”

So no, pallet homes don’t fold into caskets. And with enough time, the proper wraparound services and a bit of compassion, people experiencing homelessness can get back on the racetrack of life while living in one, Hot Wheels and all.