Mayor Kicks Off RISE Bond Program by Visiting VOA Family Motel

The project is part of the forthcoming $366 million general obligation bond issuance, including the largest for housing in 45 years.

Today, Mayor Michael B. Hancock and city leadership toured the Volunteers of America (VOA) Family Motel, a facility serving families experiencing homelessness and veterans and individuals recovering from medical procedures set for reconstruction thanks to the voter-approved RISE Denver bond program. RISE Denver includes $38.6 million to support building or rebuilding facilities that serve youth, families, and people experiencing homelessness. It is the first time in 45 years Denver has used bond funding for projects to support homelessness resolution and housing programs and is the largest amount ever dedicated to the housing purpose using GO bonds.

Michael B. Hancock, 45th Mayor of the City of Denver

“The people of Denver said, when it comes to our recovery and the city we want to be after the pandemic, this is the type of investment we want to see – investments that will have a multi-generational impact,” Mayor Hancock said. “The RISE Denver bond program will invest in over 80 community improvements across the city, including this Family Motel, new construction at the Urban Peak Youth Shelter and the purchase of the 48th Ave. shelter. This is how we drive community recovery – by lifting people up with thoughtful social infrastructure that can make all the difference in a family’s life and help set a new trajectory.”

The VOA Family Motel works in partnership with the Denver Human Services to provide shelter for families experiencing homelessness in a motel atmosphere that is connected to wrap-around services from DHS and VOA Colorado. The VOA Family Motel served 1,481 families, veterans, and respite care guests from March 2020 to March 2021.

“For decades the VOA Family Motel has served as a welcoming space for families experiencing homelessness and for unhoused residents who are recovering from illness or medical procedures, and this bond-funded project is going to allow them to improve their facility and support their larger project to transition people to more stable housing all on one site,” Chief Housing Officer Britta Fisher said.

“Nothing could be more transformative for the City of Denver’s homeless initiative than a new 24 hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week, trauma-informed designed hotel facility combined with enhanced services that will allow more families than ever to flourish.” Dave Schunk, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Colorado said.

Projects in the RISE Bond to support people experiencing homelessness include:

• 450 beds: $7.4 million for purchase of the 48th St. Shelter

• 136 beds: $16 million toward the overall project costs to build the Urban Peak youth homelessness shelter

• 52 beds: $12.2 million toward the overall reconstruction of the VOA Family Motel

On Monday, Denver City Council approved a $366 million GO Bond package that combines projects from the 2017 Elevate Denver and 2021 RISE Denver bond programs. The VOA Theodora Family Hotel and Urban Peak Youth Shelter reconstruction projects and the 48th Avenue Shelter purchase are all included in the first issuance of the RISE GO Bond. The full housing purpose of nearly $37 million goes toward acquiring facilities and closing gaps in the shelter system by implementing needed improvements to existing shelters.

The GO Bond issuance, set to price in late April and close in May, is a key step in the Hancock Administration’s comprehensive plan to rebuild an inclusive and sustainable economy. With the RISE and Elevate GO Bonds supporting infrastructure improvements across the city, Denver’s comprehensive financial plan for recovery leverages $308 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support community, nonprofit, and business needs as well as the entire housing spectrum, from affordable housing projects to alternatives to sheltering.

Residents helped build Denver’s recovery strategy, with more than 6,200 community members participating in an outreach process in 2021. Through surveying, telephone townhalls, and forums, residents submitted nearly 10,000 comments and project ideas to tailor bond packages and investment strategies to meet their community’s needs. An additional 4,000 comments were submitted in 2016 leading up to Elevate Denver. This summer, Denver will again work with community to identify priorities for the next round of American Rescue Plan Act recovery funding.

About RISE Denver Bond Program

RISE Denver is a a$260 million general obligation bond program approved by voters in 2021. The GO Bond is one tool for Denver’s recovery plan to Rebuild for a Sustainable Economy. RISE Denver drives economic recovery by investing in people. The bond program creates thousands of jobs, preserves historic structures, creates much-needed community assets in underserved areas of our city, improves safety, serves our most vulnerable, and increases accessibility to city facilities for all residents.