Colorado Safe Parking Initiative ends services due to "funding going away"
The Colorado Safe Parking Initiative is ending its operations and centralized services at the end of 2024. It's a program that began in 2020 and has helped hundreds of unhoused people have a place to safely park their car and sleep inside.
Terrell Curtis, the executive director of the group, says they're not able to fund the program anymore after federal and local dollars ran out leaving them unable to offer financial support.
"In that time, we've certainly been building a community of support," Curtis said. "It just hasn't been able to build up as quickly as to meet some of that local government funding going away."
For almost five years, the initiative has partnered with community organizations, including nonprofits and churches with empty parking lots. Those location would be willing to allow around 15 vehicles a night to park.
CSPI has also provided sanitation, outreach and intake services at the now 15 parking sites across five of the Denver metro area counties. CSPI also helped to connect the unhoused population to local services.
"There are a lot of people who are relegated to sleeping in their vehicles after losing housing, and then there's no safe or legal place for them to stay overnight," Curtis said. "We've served people as young as 19 years old, as well as into their 80s. The people who we serve often aren't able to access traditional brick-and-mortar shelter," she added.
In 2023, they wanted to expand the program to include four total sites in Denver, adding to the already two that were in the city. Denver City Council approved spending $600,000 to help with funding for things such as sanitation and case management services.
However, earlier this year, Denver City Council approved an amendment to the city's contract with the Safe Parking Initiative, which included taking back $400,000 and a decrease of the contract term by one year.
In a statement to CBS Colorado, the mayor's office said, "Available funds from this contract amendment have supported other citywide efforts to bring families and individuals inside into additional shelter capacity that has been created through Denver's All in Mile High initiative."
"Unfortunately, we have come to the realization that Colorado State Parking Initiative is not sustainable independently," Curtis said.
However, the need for safe parking remains. This year, CSPI serviced nearly 250 households. In 2023, CSPI received over 1,700 calls for help last year. Curtis explained about 80% of people they serve are homeless for the first time, and 40% are employed. Curtis also said nearly 800 people in the Denver metro area have been identified as people living in their vehicles as of January 2024, according to the Point in Time Count.
"We know there's a significant need. It's a largely unmet need. So that is something for communities to continue paying attention to," Curtis said.
The sites will not be closing, including the two in Denver. Moving forward however, Curtis said their partners will continue providing safe parking in the community, but with limited resources and without the funding and help of the Safe Parking Initiative.
"It's really been embraced and adopted by local communities, and that's incredibly gratifying," said Curtis. "They've seen the difference that it makes in their very local community. They feel that they even receive a great benefit in it."
