Park Ave Inn Residents Speak Up and Demand Housing and Humane Treatment

Monday November 17th residents of the Park Ave Inn hotel shelter will be coming to City Council to speak up on their collective demands for proper housing and case management assistance as the Park Ave Inn is slated to be closed at the end of January.

Press Conference: 4pm City Hall front steps (1437 Bannock st)
City Council Public Comment: 5pm in City Hall 4th floor

The Park Ave Inn has served as a non-congregate shelter run by Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for the past few years. Now it is closing in order to be demolished and to build low-income housing on the plot. We are glad for the development of low-income housing in place of this VERY run down hotel.

The problem – Many residents of Park Ave Inn have not been offered any housing and are facing going back to the streets. Many other residents are being forced to move to another CCH housing called Renewal Village that has strict guest policy hours and other reasons for not being appropriate housing for many residents. Some residents are fine with Renewal and a few got housing vouchers, but the majority of residents left do not have proper housing, much less case management assistance in seeking housing.

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) has said in response to a letter we sent them with resident demands and feedback, that “Of the 23 remaining residents, 12 have housing plans and we are working closely with them for a smooth transition. We continue to work with the remaining 11 residents on an exit plan.” However, when we surveyed 22 residents, 13 had nowhere to go upon the closure of Park Ave. This points both to a serious issue with communication to residents when it appears 2 of these residents supposedly have housing according to CCH, but do not know it. And most significantly, 11-13 people who – as it stands – are headed back to the streets in January unless CCH offers them housing.

Furthermore, when we surveyed these 22 residents, 9 of them were offered housing at Renewal Village or other housing. But 6 of these people who were offered Renewal Village cannot live there due to many issues with this housing option that do not work for them. The top reasons are not being allowed to live with partners or family, strict guest policy, and not trusting CCH. Others have other specific reasons too. No one should be forced to sign a lease and live in housing that does not accommodate their needs. Other housing options are needed for residents for whom Renewal does not work yet who are currently being told they can either go to Renewal Village or to the streets.

In addition to the pressing concern that residents have for securing appropriate housing before the closure of Park Ave Inn, residents have raised serious issues with how they have been treated while living at Park Ave Inn.

16 of 22 survey respondents expressed that case management has not been helpful to them in securing housing or that they have had serious issues with case management. Many residents spoke to how case managers did not show up to appointments, or how they never were approached to meet with a case manager the whole time they have lived here. Some residents spoke of how case managers screamed at them and treated them poorly. Two residents shared how they found out too late that they had a housing voucher but their case manager had not told them in time and they lost it. Other residents shared how they have been pushed to sign expired paperwork that could have lasting effects on future housing options. The consistency of issues with current case management and extra need for case management at this time of transition, reiterates the need for additional case management outside of current staff working at Park Ave Inn.

In a community meeting we had with residents, as well as the surveys, as well as other conversations, the issue of violation of privacy came up a disturbing number of times. This issue came from multiple residents in different forums unprovoked. Residents told how their mail had been opened by staff. A blind resident told how staff forged her signature on paperwork. Another resident shared how all her paperwork went missing from the case manager’s file and then was found in another resident’s room. Multiple residents spoke about how their case manager talked publicly about personal aspects of her case, including to one’s mother and to the maintenance worker. Another resident shared how staff took pictures of her mail. And another of how staff lost her vital documents and she had to bring them ID and vital docs multiple times. This quantity and severity of HIPPA and privacy violations brought up by residents raises deep concerns. Residents would like to see real actions taken to remedy these privacy violations – especially if they are expected to trust CCH enough to continue living in CCH housing.

Countless other issues of great concern have been raised by residents in our resident meeting and through direct conversations. You can read more in the notes from the resident meeting attached.

In order to ensure all these residents at Park Ave Inn receive the housing they need and deserve it is critical that CCH listen to these resident voices.

We have emailed CCH on behalf of the residents with the notes from the resident meeting and these survey findings, and made the ask on behalf of the residents for 1) housing of their choosing, 2) additional outside trained case management, 3) to meet with residents to hear from them.

CCH has replied with a commitment to move everyone to comparable housing or non-congregate shelter, but has simultaneously been still leading some residents to believe they are headed to the streets, refusing to accommodate residents for whom Renewal Village is not a viable housing option, refusing to bring in additional outside case managers, and refusing to meet with residents.

This is not acceptable! Park Ave Inn residents deserve humane treatment and proper housing upon closure of this site.

Join us in supporting these residents in their demands on Monday.