Denver buys former La Quinta to help the unhoused

The Denver City Council has approved funds to help buy the former La Quinta at 3500 Park Avenue West. That hotel will help the city's population experiencing homelessness. 

The hotel has been used during the city's COVID-19 homelessness emergency response. With the funding, it will continue to provide shelter and eventually support housing for the next 60 years. 

The city council approved the $5 million contract with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. The hotel has provided 103 rooms to those experiencing homelessness since April 2020. 

The plan for the Globeville site is to continue providing shelter through at least 2024. The long-term vision is to redevelop the site into approximately 200 units of supportive housing. 

"Leveraging hotel sites like this is paramount to creating more housing for our unhoused neighbors," said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock in a statement. "This investment clearly underscores ARPA's ability for communities to create one-time transformational change. We're grateful for the Coalition's work in bringing this sheltering and housing site forward."

"Motel and hotel sites have been a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness in Denver to recover from COVID and to stay in safe protected spaces," said John Parvensky, President and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, in a statement. "We know that these recovery spaces are an ongoing need through this pandemic and for future health care needs. As the emergency winds down, we hope to convert the site into desperately needed affordable and supportive housing over the next few years to serve our unhoused community."

According to the City of Denver, future redevelopment of the site will help support HOST's Five-Year Strategic Plan goal of producing 900 supportive housing units across several sites.