The Springs Rescue Mission seeks help from the city

The Springs Rescue Mission does a lot of work for people who need it.

But its location on Las Vegas Street in Colorado Springs didn’t allow it to expand.

Because the mission sits in what is designated as a floodplain.

The organization has to take on the extra expense of carrying flood insurance and has restrictions on expansion.

The city has submitted a request to have the floodplain designation removed. Now the time for a decision from the Federal Emergency Management Administration should be cut down from several years to a few months.

“Part of the city’s work in ending homelessness has been providing technical assistance, has been clearing regulatory hurdles, issuing permits for facilities and providing resources,” said Aimie Cox, the manager of community initiatives and economic vitality for the city of Colorado Springs.

If the change in designation is approved, the Springs Rescue Mission is planning to buy land to build a homeless day care facility.