Pueblo City Council passes ordinances funding housing for COVID positive homeless individuals
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Monday evening, the Pueblo City Council passed two resolutions related to funding for homeless housing.
The first ordinance gives the Pueblo Rescue Mission $20,000 to provide shelter for individuals in Pueblo experiencing homelessness and COVID-19.
The ordinance aims to relieve homeless shelters that may have too many COVID-19 positive visitors to operate. If approved, the ordinance would allow the Pueblo Rescue Mission to help homeless individuals suffering from COVID shelter off-site. According to the proposal, $10,000 of the funding would go towards motel stays.
The second is an emergency ordinance that allows Posada, a Pueblo non-profit that assists homeless people, to convert a four-plex along Castle Royal Dr. into housing for people needing to quarantine for COVID-19 illnesses.
Kim Bowman, the Executive Director of Posada, said, "There isn't a dedicated shelter available for covid positive homeless individuals. "We are going to address congregate shelter for covid positive single homeless individuals in the community."
If passed, Posada received $395,000 from the City of Pueblos American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The money helps Posada purchase the four-plex and get it up and running for the homeless population.
Also, according to the proposal, the four-plex will be used for rapid rehousing, temporary, transitional, and permanent housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or other negative economic impacts due to COVID-19.
"We are looking for other alternatives to make sure that we can keep those people segregated from the community during that period of time that they need to be quarantined," Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar said. "A couple of the units I understand are occupied, but a couple of them are vacant and so those should be available immediately for COVID positive homeless individuals identified by Posada."
The Regular City Council Meeting is at 7 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and it will be streamed on Comcast Government Access Channel 17, the city's website, and the city's Facebook page.
To view the agenda for Monday's meeting, click here.
