With winter descending on the valley, those experiencing homelessness can seek shelter starting Friday.
The Recovery Resources Resiliency Center, a Colorado nonprofit empowering people to overcome adversity, will provide sleeping arrangements for up to 12 people between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. at the Schultz Health and Human Services Building, from Friday until April 30, 2025. The building is located at 405 Castle Creek Road suite 103. During the day, they also provide basic services like laundry, showers, and food.
In a council meeting last week, Snowmass approved funding to support the Emergency Winter Overnight Shelter. They will join Pitkin County and the Aspen Valley hospital to fund the effort, providing over $27,000 — 20% of the shelter’s total funding.
Snowmass Town Manager Clint Kinney told The Aspen Times on Monday that with the shelter, Snowmass can help ensure people experiencing homelessness are safe.
“It’s an impacted population in our community,” Kinney said.
With the current funding agreement, Snowmass would increase their contribution for the shelter by 35% from the previous two years, because the city of Aspen has not yet agreed to allocate funding. Pitkin County and the Aspen Valley Hospital would also increase their contributions to make up for the lack of money.
In the meeting, Snowmass Town Councilmember Alyssa Shenk asked why Aspen decided not to participate in the program this year.
“You would have to ask those elected officials,” Kinney said. “But the rest of us chipped in the difference and decided to keep the process going forward.”
In an Aspen City Council Work Session on Monday, city officials said they would consider allocating funding to the shelter if they receive a proposal from either the county or from the Resiliency Center, detailing how requested funding would specifically be used.
“If we had a specific $25,000 request from the county with a justification, I would certainly entertain it,” Aspen City Councilmember Ward Hauenstein said. “I think we’re lacking that.”
Mayor Torre said Aspen made a request for a detailed budget proposal from the county a couple months ago, but never heard back. The council decided in the meeting to request a more detailed funding proposal for the shelter from both the county and the Resiliency Center.
Regarding Aspen, Kinney said on Monday they would still be happy to have them partner with the other groups on the funding effort.
Once open, the shelter will allow stay for up to 45 days. They will prioritize those most in need based on vulnerability, taking into account age and health, among other factors.
In the meeting last week, Kinney said the county and the Resiliency Center will tackle homelessness and general human needs with a “wraparound” service, a holistic approach that addresses homelessness, helps treat substance abuse, and helps locate housing for individuals.
“To get that wraparound service in place,” Kinney said, “has been a gigantic innovation by the county.”
Resiliency Center Executive Director Janelle Duhon said this type of approach is the only way to achieve zero homelessness in the valley.
“We can’t just continue to put a bandaid on our approach,” Duhon said.
Pitkin County Human Services Director Lindsay Maisch said they employ Case Managers to help individuals experiencing homelessness find their next step after the shelter, such as housing or a job. The shelter provides laptops so people can create a resume or apply for housing.
Maisch said they have also hired a consulting company this year to further this holistic approach. The consultant, SHG Advisors, will survey the Pitkin County Community this year to identify their greatest needs, such as those relating to homelessness, addiction, or mental health.
Once they’ve collected the data, they hope to collaborate with Pitkin County, Aspen, Snowmass, Basalt, Aspen Skiing Company, and the Aspen Community Foundation, to address the valley’s needs, she said.
“We’re just now getting the consultants going,” Maisch said. “And through that, I think we’ll have some really good opportunities to engage other partners in that conversation and see if there’s any interest in how we all support these efforts.”
Between daytime visits and night stays, 191 people visited the shelter last year, according to Pitkin County Human Services. Thirty three people slept at the shelter throughout the winter. Twelve people can stay overnight at a time.
“We have homeless in our community,” Duhon said. “We just don’t see them always.”
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.
