Fort Collins Rescue Mission Opens Winter Shelter in Building Owned by City

Beginning the first week of November, the City-owned building at 212 Mountain Avenue will be temporarily used as an overnight, overflow shelter for people experiencing homelessness, and will be operated by Fort Collins Rescue Mission (FCRM).

Shelter availability is especially important in winter months as overnight temperatures are often below freezing and FCRM’s Jefferson location and Catholic Charities’ Linden location are at maximum capacity. The Mountain Ave. shelter’s hours of operation will be 5:00 pm – 8:00 am and FCRM and Precision Security staff will be on-site during the hours of operations.

November is also National Homelessness Awareness Month. Throughout the month, the City will be sharing social media posts from the local homelessness service provider network to showcase the collaborative way this community-wide challenge is addressed and to share ways you can support this critical, life-saving work.

“Since May, Fort Collins Rescue Mission has transitioned operations at our Jefferson location to 24/7 sheltering for men. This shift has shown positive outcomes for our guests,” said Seth Forwood, Director of Fort Collins Rescue Mission. “Having a place to keep their belongings, shower regularly, and not have to worry where to sleep allows many to keep a steady job. It also allows for further access to case management and resources to find permanent housing. Since May, Mission staff has helped over 60 men experiencing homelessness find jobs within our community.”

Last quarter, more than 600 people in Fort Collins were considered “chronically homeless” and more than 2,000 people accessed support services. The provider network consists of many non-profit organizations working together to provide basic needs to the most vulnerable community members and helping to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.

To learn more about shelter and homelessness in Fort Collins, visit fcgov.com/socialsustainability/homelessness.