Denver will open homeless warming shelters at 25 degrees, mayor says

Staying in a tent during bitterly cold temperatures is dangerous, homeless advocates say.Photo byTara Kane

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said during a news conference Wednesday there will be money in the budget in 2025 to open warming centers for people experiencing homelessness when the temperature dips to 25 degrees.

Johnston said the 24-hour shelter will not make people leave in the morning. These are improvements homeless advocates asked for last winter. Currently, warming shelters open when the temperature dips to 22 degrees, according to city staff. Several council members tried unsuccessfully earlier this year to raise the threshold to 32 degrees. A few years ago, the threshold was just 10 degrees, according to city staff.

At least half of people experiencing homelessness in Denver during the winter months who seek cold weather shelter are turned away, according to report by Housekeys Action Network Denver, or HAND. However, the city added last year to its available shelter space by purchasing hotels with large ballrooms that can be used for congregate emergency shelter. The hotels include the former DoubleTree and Best Western on Quebec.

Unhoused people interviewed

HAND obtained city data and conducted interviews with almost 50 unhoused people as part of its research. Representatives of HAND presented their findings in May to the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee of the City Council. They said that some people chose not to use the shelters. “There are reasonable explanations for why people don’t go to shelters, even in the cold,” according to the report. Top reasons include “chaotic, inhumane, stressful environment created by both other shelter seekers and disrespectful, authoritative” staff members.

Shelter dwellers interviewed

HAND interviewed unhoused people at St. Francis Center day shelter, Denver Rescue Mission, Salvation Army Crossroads, 48^th Street Shelter, Samaritan House, The Gathering Place, and at large encampments. The study found that half of people experiencing homelessness were turned away from day shelters and 66% were turned away from night shelters. About two thirds were told the shelter was at capacity, according to the report. Another 16% could not enter for reasons they blamed on the shelter, such as “The person I was with was trans” or “Not being nice, he was letting no one else in,” the report states. Rules-related offenses comprised 12% of reasons why people were turned away, according to the report, including violating curfew, being intoxicated, or previously being banned from the shelter.

'Felt suicidal'

Survey participants had various reactions to being turned away, including “felt suicidal, passed out in alley, used trash bags to stay warm, rode the busses to stay warm and slept on a bus bench,” according to the report. A representative from the city’s Department of Housing Stability said HAND’s numbers do not include overflow beds that are activated in wintry weather. Terese Howard of HAND said there are 100 extra mats at Crossroads during cold weather and 40 extra beds at the Denver Rescue Mission.

When asked what staying at a day shelter during cold weather is like, survey participants answered, “Long lines, turned away, Just beds no chairs, I had to go to sleep at 6 p.m., they treated everyone like we are in jail, standing in the cold, hands cold, feet cold, didn't have enough gear, no cover, nose running, I keep asking when we can go inside, they give no answers.”

Those surveyed described night shelters as “stressful, locked in, horrible, stress on people, five stalls and sinks for 48 people, no discipline as far as staff, no experience with houseless people, very bad threats of rape due to being transgender, horrible, unacceptable treatment like I’m in jail.”

Homeless, newcomer budgets slashed

Overall, Johnston said the homelessness budget will decrease by $84 million in 2025 to $57.5 million. That is because the city already has made eight property acquisitions for sheltering the homeless, Johnston said. Money still will be available for wraparound services at city-owned homeless hotels and tiny home communities, Johnston said. The city will continue to work to house shelter dwellers in permanent housing, he said.

The “newcomer” budget – money for supporting migrants – also was slashed, from $90 million in 2024 to $12.5 million in 2025, Johnston said. He said $22 million from 2024 will be returned to the general fund from the migrant budget due to cost savings.