Safe Outdoor Spaces
What is a Safe Outdoor Space?
In July of 2020 the Denver Mayor’s Office announced a partnership with the Colorado Village Collaborative (CVC) to open several Safe Outdoor Spaces for people experiencing homelessness. These Safe Outdoor Spaces are healthy, secure, staffed, resource and service-rich environments that provide an outdoor, individualized sheltering option for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Denver. Safe Outdoor Spaces use a harm reduction approach intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness.
The first two Safe Outdoor Spaces successfully operated in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood from December 2020 until May 2021. Since then, CVC has operated SOS locations in the Park Hill, La Alma Lincoln Park, Clayton, Barnum, Regis University, and Montbello neighborhoods.
CVC is the winner of the 2021 Neighborhood Star Award from Denver Inter-Neighborhood Connection (INC), which connects Registered Neighborhood Organizations across the city. We received this award for our commitment to working with RNOs, neighbors, villagers and guests to ensure a safe, clean and welcoming environment at our safe outdoor spaces and tiny home villages.
Locations
The Model
Staffed 24 hours per day by Colorado Village Collaborative
Outreach and case management
Up to 50 individualized shelters, serving a maximum of 60 people
Resident placement conducted through street outreach and referrals
Food provided through partnerships with faith community and existing food service providers
Shelters, cots, and sleeping bags provided to residents at entry
Outreach & Supportive Services
These spaces will expand outreach to people not accessing existing services, creating equitable links to hotels, health care, and ongoing case management and housing resources.