LAKEWOOD, Colo. — There's been an increased focus on how to help those experiencing homelessness in Lakewood.
"It's not getting better, and that has a lot to do with the affordable housing crisis," said James Ginsburg, executive director of Recovery Works.
Recovery Works opened up a navigation center last fall to connect unhoused community members to resources.
"Anybody who's unhoused can stop in and get emergency services, shower, laundry, food, and then access to case management," Ginsburg said.
The need for solutions is increasing. According to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative's Point in Time survey, the number of people who are experiencing homelessness in Jefferson County has grown each year, as has the number of people who are completely unsheltered.
"Last year, the city completed a housing study that showed a real need — mirroring much of the Front Range — for additional housing and sheltering options," said Travis Parker, City of Lakewood's chief of sustainability and community development.
Parker said the city is considering building micro-communities as a form of transitional housing.
Denver established micro-communities earlier this year. Lakewood city officials said to build micro-communities of their own, they need to change their building code.
"Specifically, it gets to reducing the requirements that would be applied to traditional single-family homes, like an attached foundation, the plumbing requirements, other things that traditional homes have that these structures just don't include," said Parker.
If adopted by the Lakewood City Council, some of the restrictions would be dropped. Current health, safety and fire code requirements would still need to be followed.
"These are designed in a community with their own safety standards. So they're attached to the ground in a different way, they're designed with different standards. It's no less safe, it's just the traditional standards are really built around larger traditional structures," said Parker.
Similar micro-communities have brought criticism from residents in cities where they've been built.
"I would say kind of mixed feelings on it because you have to waive the International Building Code to do that, but on the other hand, who can be against helping people sleep indoors?" said Steve Farthing, a Lakewood resident.
Farthing said he's eager to learn how potential future micro-communities would fit into the city.
"The comprehensive plan may say that a project has to seamlessly integrate with the neighborhood, but then along comes a project," said Farthing.
The city said there are no project designs or potential sites they have in mind right now. The proposed building code changes have to be approved by the city council.
"We are creating this as a tool to be available to us when the opportunity arises," said Parker.
Advocates hope that opportunity comes sooner rather than later.
"Anything we can do to add resources, especially housing and then adequate services to support folks," said Ginsburg.
Community members are encouraged to share their thoughts via the Lakewood Speaks comment portal or by attending the city council meeting on Sept 9.
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