Pueblo Homeless shelter denied by the mayor in June is now asking council members for help
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - A proposal from Crazy Faith Street Ministry asking the City of Pueblo to buy a building to help shelter more people experiencing homelessness was turned down by the Mayor’s Office in June. Now, the ministry is asking the city council for help.
Crazy Faith Street Ministry helped house dozens of people in the winter who needed a place to sleep and a warm meal. The organization said it will not be able to run if they don't receive any leftover COVID-19 relief money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to purchase a new building.
However, Director of Crazy Street Faith Ministry Tammy Kainz said the ARPA Coordinator sent her an email stating that Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar decided the city would not buy Crazy Faith a building using the funds.
KRDO confirmed with the City of Pueblo that Kainz was sent an email on June 26.
During a city council meeting on June 26, Kainz said she and her husband were told the city came to its decision because Crazy Faith is a “faith-based organization.”
KRDO asked the city of Pueblo about this claim and they said in the original proposal there would be a portion of the property that would host church services. The Public Information Officer for the City of Pueblo, Haley Robinson, said the city does not fund religious needs.
The City of Pueblo wants to make it clear that it has given money to Crazy Street Faith Ministry in the past. However, only to help shelter unhoused Puebloans.
However, the mayor is not solely responsible for passing an ordinance, that's up to city council members. Crazy Faith Street Ministry created a presentation and presented it to the city council on Monday, July 10 during a work session asking the city council for $545,000 of ARPPA funds to purchase a building in Pueblo.
Robinson said the mayor is not for this proposal at this time because there are a couple of ARRPA projects that are on hold and the city wants to consider using the leftover COVID relief money for other needs. Pueblo only has $350,000 left of COVID relief money if the pending proposals go through.
In the city council work session Monday Gradisar said the city acquired the building next to the Pueblo Rescue Mission, which they're going to knock down.
Gradisar said they plan on putting a warming shelter in a tent there but are unsure if it will be ready by the upcoming winter.
Robinson said the next steps include direction for city staff to provide a comparison of Posada, Crazy Faith, and Pueblo Rescue Mission for services offered. No discussion of an ordinance being written by city leaders is being conducted at this time, according to the city of Pueblo.
