LOVELAND, Colo. — With funding running out last week, the City of Loveland closed its only full-time overnight homeless shelter.
The South Railroad Facility opened in 2023, intended as a short-term solution for unhoused individuals in the community. A vote to extend the shelter’s permit failed during an emergency city council meeting last week, keeping the shelter closed.
Read our previous coverage below:
- Vote for Loveland City Council to extend permit to re-open South Railroad Facility fails 4-4
- Loveland mayor calls emergency meeting to discuss future of recently closed homeless shelter
- Loveland cuts shelter services despite ACLU pushback, community outcry
The move left many shelter users like Edmon Lessley without a place to go. He told Denver7 he just got a job at a local Walgreens after months of searching, only for his temporary home to close shortly after.
“It’s chaos. I slept in a ditch south of the old Fairgrounds Park,” he said. “A lot of us are really trying to dig out of this hole, and with their help and God's help, we can do it, but when everything that's supposed to help us turns against us, it makes it really difficult."
Many Loveland residents spoke out against the closure. In the following days, around 50 former residents then set up a homeless encampment outside Loveland City Hall.
Loveland Mayor Jacki Marsh visited the community over the weekend.
“Having spent a couple of nights here with people, I know they chose this location because it felt safe,” Marsh told Denver7 on Monday.
As rain fell and temperatures dropped Sunday night, Marsh invited those in the encampment into City Hall to get out of the cold. She said about 15 people joined her inside overnight, including Lessley.
“We all prayed together,” he recalled. “It was safe, it was peaceful. There was laughter, there was hope.”
Marsh, who is not running for re-election, said she stands by the decision.
“I honestly don't understand what anybody else would have done if they were me,” she told Denver7. “You just let people get soaked? I made the call that I can live with. I will never regret the call that I made. I don't know if anybody would have had hypothermia or worse, but I wasn't going to let that happen without trying to do my best.
“I believe our city attorney is considering charging me with trespass, unauthorized accessing the building,” Marsh said. “You know, my answer is: Go ahead. I will fight that.”
In a statement to Denver7, the City of Loveland said the call to open up a city building after hours should be made by the city manager, who “did not approve or deny the request” from Marsh.
- Read the full statement below
On Sunday night, October 5, City Hall was opened outside normal hours by the Mayor to allow members of the public inside. The City Manager was informed but did not approve or deny the request. We offered another location – the Loveland Resource Center. Per City code, the City Manager and authorized designees are the only parties with the authority to modify hours of operation for City buildings and approving uses outside of regular hours.
City Hall operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and remains open after hours only for scheduled public meetings. It is not zoned, staffed, or equipped to serve as an emergency overnight shelter. The Civic Center Plaza remains open daily from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Beginning tonight, the City Manager has authorized the activation of the Loveland Resource Center for temporary overnight shelter. The indoor space will be prioritized for women and people with physical disabilities and other individuals will be able to stay using their own tents. City staff continue to connect individuals with resources, including the ability to connect with friends and family outside the area for reunification and sheltering. The LRC is available as overnight shelter to individuals who are 18+.
During tomorrow night’s City Council meeting, City Council will discuss a possible long-term shelter option in executive session. If City Council has interest in moving forward, the topic will be brought to an upcoming public meeting.
Loveland City Council Member Steve Olson does not agree with Marsh’s decision to use her access to the building to let in the unhoused community members.
“She violated our code by bringing people into that building, and I think that's wrong,” he told Denver7 Monday.
When asked about the mayor’s stance that doing so was the humane thing to do, Olson responded, “These people have been homeless, they're experienced in being in environments like this, and we provide services for those when it gets really cold.”
Those cold-weather services are usually offered at nearby Loveland Resource Center, which was reactivated Monday as an emergency overnight shelter option, though it’s unclear for how long. The city said the building will be prioritized for women and those with disabilities, while others can stay outside in their own tents.
Advocates are concerned that the property is too small.
“It’s a two-bedroom, one bath house, so there's not a lot of room there,” Marsh said.
City leaders are trying to find a way to move forward when it comes to homelessness.
“We're never going to get rid of homelessness by just warehousing people, and that's what we've been doing for the last two years,” said Olson. “I want a long-term transformational strategy for helping people to address their specific needs.”
The city said the Loveland City Council is expected to discuss a possible long-term shelter solution during a virtual meeting Tuesday.
As for her decision to let people into City Hall overnight, Marsh said she is not shying away from responsibility.
-
Click here for more stories Denver7 revisited
-
The Follow Up
Littleton voters to decide future of neighborhoods this November
-
The Follow Up
Aurora residents share their thoughts on BRT options along Colfax east of I-225
-
The Follow Up
RTD Board of Directors votes to increase base fare for Access-on-Demand program
