Dennis Schroeder, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Across the US, sky-high housing costs, a serious shortage of affordable housing, as well as stagnating wages have shredded the social fabric of numerous communities, driving major increases in homelessness and long-term poverty.
In Denver, Colorado, the issue has grown in pace with national trends. According to a local study, at least 5,755 homeless people reside in the Mile High City.
Therefore, when a Quality Inn and Suites situated on a major road went up for sale, John Parvensky, the president and CEO of CCH, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, saw the ideal opportunity to transform the former hotel into a place where unhoused residents could rebuild their lives.
Parvensky has headed the local nonprofit organization since 1985. He now purchased the 139-room hotel for $8.4 million combining private, state, and city funds before he renovated the property and renaming it Fusion Studios. This building is the 17th of its kind that Parvensky has opened in the 30-plus years he has been working on the problem.
Fusion Studios, now comprised of 139 "micro-apartments," will serve as a critical source of shelter and support for some of Denver's unhoused population that keep on struggling to survive in the face of the urban camping ban that is still in force despite the ban being ruled unconstitutional by a county judge.
Rooms are available for those who come in from shelters across Denver or even directly off the streets. Tenants will have access to exclusive vouchers from the state and city, which ensures they will only have to pay 30% of their income for rent.
Parvensky noted that many tenants typically can only pay about $100 per month, most of which comes from benefits such as disability payments.
Each room will be equipped with a private bathroom and kitchenette, as well as such amenities as a bed, dresser, desk and chair, a mini-refrigerator, a television, microwave, and even a food pantry.
COMMENTS