The All Roads Shelter has been open to the public every weekday for a little over a year. For many shelters, that’s hardly news; for us, it was a big deal. Transformation does not come easily, and the costs are real. The rewards, however, have been significant. We’ve learned some things, too. Like these:

The power of place. Daily, we see and feel the importance of people having a place to simply be. Folks who know people on the street well understand the mixed reputation that congregate settings like shelters can have. I don’t know of any community in which shelters are universally loved – especially by people experiencing homelessness. So when All Roads proposed to offer day services, knowledgeable people reminded us to keep expectations low. “People will want to get out of there, and no one wants to travel up to north Broadway,” I heard.

In our first few days of staying open during the day, I got a very different message. People went out of their way to express vocal, unprompted gratitude. A couple even had tears. But in the months since things have reverted more to the norm, and I hear more complaints than thanks. The building is hot. The toilets are plugged. The laundry machines are not working. The elevator keeps breaking down. Basically business as usual for a nearly 25-year-old highly utilized facility. Yet, folks continue to vote with their feet. In warm months, we average about 90 people during the day. When it’s cold, our kitchen counts lunches in the 140 range. Things are not perfect, but people value having a safe place where they are welcome.

More than 115 of those people who came in during the day resolved their homelessness, and a few of them still come back during the day. In the shelter, they are in a space that is familiar and comfortable, where they are with people they recognize and are not lonely on their own. Of course we welcome them. Our mission focuses on sustainable housing, and this is another way that day services advances that mission.

The power of partnership. Ending a person’s chronic homelessness depends on a lot of us working together. More than a dozen organizations and hundreds of volunteers regularly come to the shelter to offer services ranging from immediate needs such as food and clothing to longer-term endeavors such as connection to therapists and, ultimately, housing. By opening during the day, we have seen how connections between partners who regularly interact can foster amazing results. Our colleagues from Clinica Family Health and Wellness, for example, report unexpectedly high numbers of people accessing their mental health services. I attribute that to relationships-built day by day in the building. Peer services delivered by Focus Reentry have been crucial in helping folks maintain their housing. Recovery Café and Alcoholics Anonymous offer weekly support and connection to people wrestling with substance use. The indomitable folks from Deacon’s Closet have provided hundreds of people with clothing. Naropa University, Feet Forward, and a resilient array of volunteers hold space for drawing, painting, writing, discussion, and other forms of artistic expression and personal engagement. I’m sure to be unintentionally missing a few fantastic allies here.

The power of persistence. Day services did not teach this as a new lesson so much as it taught us in a new way. In the past, our team did most of their work during the hurry scurry of an evening intake, while serving dinner, or for a couple hours in the morning. Things are calmer now, and people can work with even more focus and intentionality. We’re also able to better coordinate our support networks. As a result, some people who have experienced homelessness for years, even decades, are now staying in their own homes. I’m often pressed to explain how a senior citizen who has stayed in our shelter for years would choose to turn down a place to live. It’s not easy for those of us used to secure incomes and safe space to comprehend the fear, anxiety, and feelings of undeserving that can accompany long-term homelessness. The simple fact that All Roads and our partners are working together during the day has made it possible for us to be persistent, innovative, and flexible in addressing the needs of these high-needs individuals.

The results are remarkable: Among other things, there has been a 75% drop in “long stayers” who have been in our shelter for more than 800 stays.

It’s been a bit more than a year. Things are not perfect. We know that we face some tough challenges in the near future. When we started our Day Services Center a year ago we asked the community for its support and it took that leap of faith.

I’m convinced that, together with our supporters and partners, we’re moving in a good direction, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive for our community and our clients.

Spencer Downing,
Chief Shelter Program Officer, All Roads