In Fort Collins, a temporary winter shelter located at 212 W. Mountain Ave. is now open from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. 

The shelter is for overflow for men experiencing homelessness and is especially important for the winter months, as overnight temperatures often dip below freezing. Seth Forwood, senior director of the Fort Collins Rescue Mission, said this shelter will provide overnight housing, a hot meal for breakfast and dinner and some food for people to take with them. 

“The capacity at Fort Collins Rescue Mission for men experiencing homelessness is always outpaced by the demand every winter,” Forwood said. 

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “chronic homelessness increased by 15% between 2019 and 2020,” and more than 600 people were considered “chronically homeless” in Fort Collins last quarter, according to a City press release.

I believe (shelters) benefit not only those experiencing homelessness but the wider community … (in) really getting them into permanent, stable housing through the partnerships that we have with our service organizations.” – Seth Forwood, senior director of the Fort Collins Rescue Mission

The temporary shelter is being used for overflow because the permanent FCRM location at 316 Jefferson St. is at capacity, as well as the Catholic Charities of Larimer County’s Linden Center Drive shelter, according to the press release.

“Having a place to keep their belongings, shower regularly and not have to worry where to sleep allows many to keep a steady job,” Forwood said in the press release. “It also allows for further access to case management and resources to find permanent housing.” 

The Rescue Mission staff has also been able to help more than 60 men experiencing homelessness find jobs in the Fort Collins community, Forwood said.

“More than 25% of the total homeless population are unsheltered, living on the streets, under bridges, in cars or abandoned buildings or camping in open areas,” according to the FCRM webpage.

Forwood said the temporary shelter is only for men experiencing homelessness because the Fort Collins community has a higher proportion of men experiencing homelessness and because the Catholic Charities shelter is used for families and women.

The winter shelter is operated by FCRM, and Precision Security Team staff will be on-site during the hours of operation. Forwood said last year, the seasonal overflow shelter at Blue Spruce Temporary Shelter also had Precision Security, which partnered with many other agencies that have had experience working with people who are homeless.

“They do a good job working with our staff, making sure that our facilities are safe, giving peace of mind for the businesses, neighbors and community members that are in the vicinity of our shelter,” Forwood said. “And most importantly, (for) the safety for our guests who experience homelessness.”

The Mountain Avenue seasonal shelter opened the first week of November and will stay open until the end of April. In May, the FCRM Jefferson location transitioned the shelter’s hours to 24/7, which has shown a positive outcome for guests, according to the press release.

Forwood said that FCRM’s first priority is always providing safe, warm, caring shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

“I believe (shelters) benefit not only those experiencing homelessness but the wider community … (in) really getting them into permanent, stable housing through the partnerships that we have with our service organizations,” Forwood said.

To learn more about the shelters in Fort Collins and people experiencing homelessness, go to Fort Collins’ social sustainability page. People can also donate or volunteer their time to help people in need by going to the Fort Collins Rescue Mission website. 

Reach Austria Cohn at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @AustriaCohn.