Pueblo homeless shelter plan scrapped, what now?
As temperatures continue to drop, the homeless problems will only continue to grow, especially in Pueblo. ‘The Steel City’ does not have any homeless shelters until the end of October.
The original plan was to restructure the Bargain Box on 4th Street into a homeless shelter or complex. The building would be complete with kitchen and courtyard. The building behind Bargain Box on Cedar Street would serve as the temporary warming shelter for this upcoming winter.
“We had our heart set on that building so to speak because it fit all of the criteria we needed,” said Pueblo City Councilman Larry Attencio.
However, those plans were scrapped when city officials discovered the property was on a flood plane, and the building wouldn’t be available to pursue grant money.
So now it’s back to drawing board for Pueblo City Council, and the clock is ticking before the winter weather arrives.
“Each one of us, the council members are going to go out on our own and look for buildings that we could possibly use,” said Attencio. “I personally toured a building last Friday with County commissioner Garrison Ortiz.”
At Monday’s Pueblo City Council meeting, multiple citizens voiced frustration over the canceled plans.
“It’s going to get cold, and people are going to die. Can we live with that?” said Pueblo Homeless Advocate Wayne Brown.
Every Sunday, Brown volunteers to feed homeless all over Pueblo. He was one of the many people to speak on the matter at Monday’s council meeting.
“I don’t just want to point fingers at city council or the commissioners,” said Brown. “But I think we as a people in the community, including the churches. If we got together, this problem can get solved.”
Brown is confident the city will find a new warming shelter before winter. Attencio agrees but is less certain.
“There is a fear that we might go into winter without a warming shelter,” said Attencio. “The problem is that there aren’t that many buildings where the neighborhood wants a warming shelter there.”
That was true for the proposed property as well. Local businesses were vocal in their opposition to any shelter moving into where the Bargain Box currently is.
At Monday’s city council, Larry Attencio mentioned one building ready for purchase. The Old Rocky Mountain Distribution Plan near I-25 and the Highway 50 bypass. However, those talks are still in the preliminary stages.
