DENVER — Several residents of the Aloft Hotel stood on the steps of the Denver City and County Building Monday alongside members of Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND), an organization that helps the unhoused, to protest the hotel's closure.
The City and County of Denver leased the Aloft Hotel during the COVID-19 pandemic and used it as a temporary emergency shelter. It was designed specifically for people who were particularly vulnerable to the virus due to health conditions.
Three years later, the shelter is closing at the end of April as pandemic response winds down and federal funds expire.
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Among Monday's group was John Waldo Paul McClaugherty, 66. He moved into the Aloft Hotel in June 2022 and must move out by the end of the month.
“I'm worried a little bit, but we got people like this lady I’ve known for a long time. She’ll help us out,” McClaugherty said, referring to Terese Howard, one of the organizers of HAND.
"Numerous residents have told us straight up, "If I were to go to a shelter, this would be a death sentence,"” said Howard.
The 124 guests who lived at the hotel were told about the closure in January. Since then, many people have already moved to other housing, according to officials, while some are waiting to move into shelters they've been matched with.
Meanwhile, work is still underway to match a remaining 19 people with housing.
McClaugherty is one of those 19. He suffers from lung issues and nerve damage, so he's worried about what would happen to his health if he ends up back in the shelter system.
"I don't want to be with 700 people out of Crossroads. I’ve been there before I worked there and volunteered there, but I can't live in those conditions with the restrooms,” said McClaugherty.
This is why organizations like HAND are stepping up to help.
"What we need to do now is ensure that this step of creating housing options that the city and Salvation Army in the state have taken for many residents is extended to all residents — that no resident is treated like trash,” said Howard.
The Department of Housing Stability says it's doing what it can to get those 19 folks the housing they need and that there are other options.
“At the end of the day, for anyone we don't have housing for, there’s still an opportunity for shelter, shelter programs folks can move into as well,” said Angie Nelson, deputy director of Housing Stability and Homelessness Resolution for the City and County of Denver.
The Salvation Army, which partnered with the city and county to help with the transition, said "every available resource is being provided" in order to help Aloft Hotel residents find new housing.
"The Salvation Army continues to offer equal access, housing focused case management services to all guests at Aloft. Fifty-two vouchers were made available by the State of Colorado to qualifying guests of Aloft. All vouchers are assigned, and those guests are in the housing process. Just last week 13 guests moved to their new housing and many more positive housing placements are lined up over the next two weeks. We currently have a small number of guests staying at Aloft who are not connected to a state housing voucher. Despite The Salvation Army’s best efforts to outreach and engage all guests, some guests were slow to respond to case manager outreach efforts and were reluctant to believe that the facility was truly closing in April. Although our goal is to successfully house every guest at Aloft, and we have or soon will successfully house most Aloft guests. Given the unique nature of the remaining guests’ personal circumstances and lack of appropriate housing resources we are unable to house all guests. Every available resource is being provided to these individuals and as a last resort our staff is coordinating their exit from Aloft to Denver Rescue Mission or Crossroads Men’s Shelter. The team will continue to make every effort to divert individuals from returning to the congregate shelter setting."
Officials say the plan is to reopen the Aloft Hotel as a hotel once the shelter is officially closed.
