DENVER — The Denver City Council on Tuesday approved the $9 million purchase of a hotel in the Central Park neighborhood, along with two-adjacent parcels of land, in order to house those experiencing homelessness.
The hotel is located at 12033 East 38th Ave., while the nearby parcels are located at 3835 Peoria Street and 3805 Peoria Street.
The four-story hotel includes 96 bedrooms, 95 of which will be reserved for those experiencing homelessness, according to the City of Denver. The remaining unit will be reserved for an on-site manager.
Most of the rooms have been recently updated with kitchenettes, which include a microwave, mini-fridge, hotplate, coffee maker, food storage area and sink, the city said in a press release Tuesday. There is also on-side laundry.
“The solution to homelessness is housing, and we will continue to pull on every lever available to create more homes for our unhoused residents,” Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock said in a statement. “We’re proud to transform yet another hotel into new, supportive homes for those who are in need of it most.”
The city says the purchase was made possible through federal funding, including a $2 million grant championed by U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), as well as funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant.
Denver's Department of Housing Stability will soon begin the search for a partner to help complete building renovations and operate the site. The city hopes to begin housing residents by late 2023.