Federal officials have approved an initial plan to provide housing to the homeless and families in need of a transitional shelter at a 59-acre site adjacent to the Federal Center in Lakewood.
The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless got word from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week that it can move ahead with submitting to the government a detailed financing and operational plan for what could be a 500- to 600-unit, $120 million affordable housing initiative — one of the largest projects of its kind in the metro area.
The deadline for submitting that plan is March 9, after which the organization could take possession of the land at the corner of West Sixth Avenue and Simms Street. The land is currently owned by the federal government.
“This approval brings us one step closer to being able to provide safe and stable shelter, housing and services for hundreds of families and individuals that are currently experiencing homelessness,” John Parvensky, president and CEO of the coalition, said Wednesday.
The coalition’s plan has raised red flags among some elected officials in Lakewood, who worry about the project’s potential impact on the level of social services that would need to be provided by the city and Jefferson County.
Parvensky said the coalition will “continue to collaborate with local elected officials, service providers and community members to make sure we are addressing the unique needs of the local community in our ongoing effort to improve the lives of so many that have been marginalized and left behind in Colorado.”
The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless cited the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which gives agencies that serve the homeless the right of first refusal when surplus federal properties are sold, in claiming a stake to the land. It successfully sued the federal government last year to stop it from auctioning off the parcel to the highest bidder.
