AURORA, Colo. An Aurora shelter that serves single adults experiencing homelessness is changing its model and will instead serve unhoused families beginning in November.
For decades, Mile High Behavioral Healthcare has served the homeless community through the Comitis Crisis Center, providing support for individuals on their recovery journey as well as shelter and meals to those facing housing instability.
"So you come up to the door, you ring the doorbell, and a housing case navigator will meet you and bring you into the facility and do a light intake with you and find out what your needs are and how we can support you," explained Robert "Bob" Dorshimer, CEO of Mile High Behavioral Healthcare.
Earlier this month, the Comitis Crisis Center announced it is changing its focus to families and will no longer offer services to single adults after Oct. 31.
"At the end of the month, our friends that are unhoused that are single women, single men will be moving to different shelters throughout the metropolitan area," said Dorshimer. "One East, as we call it here, will be transformed into an emergency shelter, which is currently upstairs. We're moving it down to make more space this winter. Then upstairs, we'll be adding more temporary assistance for needy families, so six-month to eight-month stay rooms."
Dorshimer said they've seen a rise in families needing emergency support following the COVID-18 pandemic.
"When it came to local homeless or unhoused families, they've kind of been kept in the hotels because they've had the vouchers. But now that that's ending, you're starting to see this surge," said Dorshimer.
The center will prepare its space throughout the month of November in hopes of welcoming families beginning in December. Dorshimer said 54 single beds will be lost during this shift but there will be a handful of beds for single adults who fit specific criteria.
"There'll be one small footprint left for singles, and that's for substance use and mental health as well as medical respite since we're right here on the campus. We'll be continuing to provide medical respite here," said Dorshimer.
The shelter is helping single adults find different shelters in the metropolitan area ahead of the change.
"We've been providing them resources and helping them navigate new shelters in Denver. So shelter numbers are low right now because we're having an 80 to 85-degree October, so it's been very lucky for all of us in the industry. We will have everyone transition," said Dorshimer.
In January, Aurora City Council purchased the Crowne Plaza Hotel off Interstate 70 and Chambers Road with plans to transform it into a center to address homelessness. Jessica Prosser, director of housing and community services for the City of Aurora, said the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus will do more than just provide shelter.
"We're looking at having a three-tiered system of emergency shelter, step-up shelter for those seeking services, and then transitional housing, as well, along with workforce development, medical, job skills training, all encompassed into one space," Prosser said.
The Aurora Regional Navigation Campus is expected to open in late 2025. In the meantime, Prosser said the Aurora Day Resource Center is available for support, and the city is "exploring additional options for overnight shelter prior to the navigation campus opening, in hopefully about a year."
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