LOVELAND, Colo. - Loveland Mayor Jacki Marsh has called a special meeting with the city council following community outrage over the closure of the South Railroad Facility, which has been operating as an overnight homeless shelter since 2023.
In an email to councilmembers, Marsh said, "Please accept this email as my formal request to schedule a Special Meeting, ASAP, for City Council to discuss and to vote on amending the UDC Code to allow for the extension of the SRF Temporary Permit or to approve a variance of the Code for the SRF."
That meeting will now happen at 6 p.m. on Oct. 2 to consider an ordinance extending the maximum length of the temporary use permit for the shelter by one more year.
- Read the proposed ordinance below
The meeting comes as community members have spoken out strongly in opposition to the closure of the shelter, which housed up to 50 people.
As the sun rose over the SRF on Tuesday, a group of community members where there, showing their support for the people being forced to leave. Some held signs criticizing the Loveland City Council, with phrases like "Even the Tin Man had more heart than you. Shame!"
"The majority of citizens in Loveland have repeatedly said that they want adequate sheltering for homeless people," said Linda Breen, a Loveland resident.
The shelter's last day of operations was Tuesday, and by the afternoon, the temporary tan tents that served as a shelter were gone.
"All of us at the Salvation Army were very sad and concerned," said Olga Duvall, director of the Salvation Army in Loveland.
The nonprofit is bracing itself for an increased need, something they already started to see before the shelter's closing.
"We see people really every day, and recently, with the closure of the shelter, we are seeing more and more people," she said.
She encourages the community to donate any warm clothes or food they can. Financial donations will also help keep people off the streets this winter.
"To support the programs like shelter for people, shelter at hotels that Salvation Army will be providing more than ever during this winter," said Duvall.
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Denver7 requested an interview with Loveland officials several times, but were told no one was available. They did share that Loveland's Resource Center at 137 S. Lincoln Ave will remain open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. It offers several daytime services like mental health support, veterans resources, full-service dental care, food assistance, haircuts and justice system navigation. The Resource Center will also operate as an emergency overnight shelter during cold-weather events, according to the city.
The conversation continues on Tuesday with the first in a series of community meetings hosted by the city. City officials said prior sessions were hosted with "nonprofit organizations, members of City board and commissions, and the business community to explore long-term, community driven solutions." These meetings, meanwhile, will focus on resident perspectives.
The first community meeting is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the Loveland City Council Chambers and has already hit capacity.
A second meeting is being planned for mid-October.
A community group plans to gather outside of the city council chambers during the meeting to hold a vigil for unhoused people who have died in northern Colorado and across the country.
As the future of the city's long-term homeless response plan continues to take shape, community members hope it reflects their voices.
"It will create chaos in our city. It will create a horrible humanitarian crisis when the weather turns cold," said Breen.
