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Community Town Hall Use Planning Update: 4905 W. 60th Avenue ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Hall Civility Commitments ★ Listen thoughtfully and please do not interrupt. ★ It’s OK to disagree as long as we focus on the idea, not the person sharing it. ★ Be respectful. Name calling and disparaging comments are counter-productive and do not align with the Arvada way. ---PAGE BREAK--- Did you receive this flyer? Residents who did have expressed feelings of stress, anxiety and worry. This is NOT a city-produced document. This flyer is an example of misinformation. Addressing Misinformation ---PAGE BREAK--- Over the past few weeks, many residents have reached out with concerns. We will address them all. A Navigation Center is not: ●A mental health hospital ●An addiction treatment or rehab facility ●A migrant shelter / immigration center ●A community release home for individuals convicted of crimes ●A traditional homeless shelter What is a Navigation Center? ---PAGE BREAK--- A hand-up, not a hand-out. Navigation Centers are designed to be a “one-stop shop” designed to meet the unique needs of those currently experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness. Working with nonprofits and specialist partners, Navigation Centers provide a broad array of services that can be customized to address an individual’s or family’s specific needs. Often, Navigation Centers will pair temporary - or “bridge” - housing with resources in one location to create a stabilized environment that helps folks focus on their journey out of homelessness. What is a Navigation Center? ---PAGE BREAK--- A view of homelessness Nearly all of the concerns shared with City Council so far have related in some way to the population that would be served. Common concerns relate to public safety and quality of life: ● Crime ● Drugs ● Break-ins / Theft ● Litter and trash ● Loitering ● Harm to property values ---PAGE BREAK--- ● An estimated 200 individuals in our community are homeless on any given night – this number has been increasing year-over-year. ● Most - 77% - are families with children. ● Unfortunate life events are overwhelmingly the cause of homelessness in our community: ○ Loss of housing (rent increase, landlord decides to sell, fire, flood, etc.) ○ Loss of a job or income source ○ Change in family situation (death, divorce) ● 94% of Arvada’s unhoused want to be securely housed. Homelessness in Our Community ---PAGE BREAK--- The Arvada City Council is responding to what we have heard from the community: that homelessness is a top priority and that you expect us to work with regional partners to make progress. ● Strategic and sustainable approach to address and prevent homelessness ● Homelessness Action Strategy: research-based, community-appropriate ● Critical actions identified include: ○ Emergency shelter ○ Navigation Center ○ Increased affordable housing and permanent supportive housing options How did we get here? ---PAGE BREAK--- Not any space could do The W. 60th Ave. property met specific criteria necessary for a Navigation Center model to be a success: ● Flexible, adaptive space on the market at a reasonable cost ● Recent updates made by ECA means less investment required to upgrade the property ● Central location to access the resources of multiple jurisdictions ● Easy access to public transit and grocery ○ Both of these are critical for supporting our working homeless and families ---PAGE BREAK--- Everyone needs a safe place to call home and a safe community. This is why we are taking security security seriously, for the Navigation Center and for you. ● Planned security measures include: ○ An operator on-site 24/7 ○ Enhanced building security and security on-site ○ Arvada P.D. presence in your neighborhood Community Safety & Engagement ---PAGE BREAK--- YES! Navigation Centers have been gaining in traction over the past decade due to higher rates of success than other models. And we are not alone: ● Navigation Centers have been increasing across the U.S. In Colorado, several already exist or are in development, including in Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Denver, Englewood, Lakewood, and Weld County. ● Designs of Navigation Centers will vary, based on the need of the local community. They are adapted to blend into the local neighborhood. Is this model successful? ---PAGE BREAK--- Real examples of actual Navigation Centers: A key goal of such facilities is to blend in with their surroundings. What does it look like? ---PAGE BREAK--- Transforming how we approach homelessness: ● Focus on early intervention: when we connect with people early we stand the greatest chance of successfully re-housing them permanently. ● Prevent homelessness by creating a landing place for at-risk individuals to access assistance before they’re homeless. ● Invest taxpayer resources responsibly into proven services that treat the root causes of homelessness rather than emergency services that only treat the What is the long-term vision? ---PAGE BREAK--- ● Over the next year the City will work with our regional partners to identify core goals of the Navigation Center and issue and seek a professional operator to run the facility. ● The desired nonprofit partner will have significant experience with this type of work and with fundraising. ● Severe weather shelter is likely to come sooner. With winter approaching, this is a critical need that cannot wait. Next Steps ---PAGE BREAK--- Remember: ● This is the beginning of the conversation, not the end. ● All community members are important and valued — honest feedback is critical to developing the right solutions! ● Not everything will be or could be decided tonight. This will be a process, and everyone has an important role to play in that process. Discussion ---PAGE BREAK--- Here’s how to get involved: ● Sign up for email updates at ArvadaCO.gov/470/Homelessness-In-Arvada ● Communicate with City Council through public comment, email, or regular mail ● Visit our website to keep up with the project ArvadaCO.gov/470/Homelessness-In-Arvada Thank you, Arvada! Scan QR code to sign up for emails.