CONTACT: Adriana Hayes, adriana.hayes@tgpdenver.org

Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs partners with Rodeway Inn to provide hotel vouchers for displaced residents

“We’re heading in the right direction, but aren’t out of the woods yet.” - Megan Devenport, CEO of The Gathering Place

DENVER, COLO. – This week, The Gathering Place (TGP) secured ‘Community Access Team’ (CAT) vouchers for a portion of their residents who will be losing their access to shelter at the end of this month. The Rodeway Inn, TGP’s non-congregate 24/7 shelter serving women, transgender and non-binary people experiencing homelessness, will be closing on the 31st of August due to the City of Denver’s decision to no longer fund the Inn.

“We’re encouraged to work with the State Department of Local Affairs to provide CAT vouchers for up to 36 of our members,” said The Gathering Places’ CEO, Megan Devenport. “Rodeway Inn’s residents are in desperate need of these vouchers. Our members are not only at risk of returning to living on the streets but are also the most vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and harm while living unsheltered. It’s life and death at this point.”

By working with The Salvation Army and Denver’s Office of Housing Stability, and meeting with elected officials (among countless other actions), TGP staff has been working tirelessly to aid Rodeway’s members in finding housing since the closure announcement in May of this year. Recently, the newly-elected Mayor of Denver, Mike Johnston, visited with TGP’s team to discuss the homelessness crisis, weeks after he declared a ‘state of emergency.’

“The Mayor shared his belief in the power of community and his understanding of the importance of shelters specifically for women, trans and nonbinary people, which was promising to hear.” Devenport shared. “We were glad to meet with Mayor Johnston to share our low-barrier, community-centered model and show why our programs provide better outcomes for the most vulnerable. We look forward to continuing to be a part of the City’s coordinated effort to address the homelessness crisis.”

TGP’s Rodeway Inn has connected more than 140 people with permanent housing by providing low-barrier, trauma-informed, and gender-specific services. With Denver’s only gender-specific non-congregate shelter closing at the end of this month, there will be a significant gap in services throughout the City for women, transgender, and non-binary individuals, who make up 39% of the population experiencing homelessness.

Want to help The Gathering Place support women, transgender, and non-binary folks? Visit their website: here.