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Warming shelter for the homeless now open in Pueblo

Posted at 1:16 PM, Dec 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-17 15:16:54-05

PUEBLO – The long wait for a solution to the problem of homeless people risking their health on cold nights in the Steel City is over.  On Saturday, the temporary warming shelter opened inside a warehouse near West 9th St and Blake St.

City council member Mark Aliff tells News5 there were 15 people who came in from the cold on the first night of operation.

Warehouse near West 9th Street and Blake Street in Pueblo

Pueblo City Council voted unanimously on November 26th to approve the ordinance declaring and emergency and allowing the plans to move forward.

The property owner came forward with the offer on the condition it can be used for the winter months, a maximum of five months.

Prior to that, plans were approved to setup warming tents in the parking lot of the old Wayside Cross Rescue Mission. That idea ran into trouble as the Pueblo Rescue Mission was working to find solutions to insurance coverage and staffing.

Elected city leaders and community members have spent most of 2018 trying to find a solution to this problem. Councilman Aliff’s stated long-term goal is to secure a city-owned and funded shelter that does not rely on non-profits who historically run into trouble with funding and staffing in Pueblo.

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