TGTHR, a Boulder-based nonprofit serving homeless youth, announced on May 13 that it has closed its emergency shelter, The Source, citing reduced funding and financial uncertainty.
The Source, located on Broadway, provided 16 beds for people ages 12 to 21 and was the only shelter in the city specifically designated for young people.
“This is a community that is already experiencing a tremendous amount of challenges and barriers,” Alex Bergland, a spokesperson for the organization, told Boulder Reporting Lab. “To continue to remove critical services for this population is incredibly disheartening and not a decision we came to lightly.”
Bergland said the organization furloughed 19 staff from the shelter for up to six months. She said the decision to close was driven largely by a recent decline in public and private funding, as well as uncertainty over support from the federal government.
The closure followed a temporary suspension ordered by the Colorado Department of Human Services on April 21, after inspectors found licensing issues related to staff background checks and qualifications. The department cleared the shelter to reopen on May 9, but TGTHR chose to remain closed, according to Bergland.
“This temporary closure really just kind of sped up this decision,” she said. “We just thought it was the appropriate time to move ahead with this decision instead of bringing young people back into the shelter and then needing to close down again.”
Bergland said the organization is working to address the gap in services.
The licensing issue also affected Chase House, TGTHR’s residential treatment program for young people, which remains closed but is expected to reopen soon. The property where the program is located is for sale, but Bergland said TGTHR plans to lease the space from the future owner and keep the program running.
The organization’s two affordable housing sites — Nest56 in Denver and 1440 Pine Street in Boulder — remain open.
The closure of The Source comes amid broader financial strain for homelessness services in Boulder County. Earlier this year, All Roads, the city’s largest adult shelter, reduced its bed capacity from 180 to 160 due to a drop in county funding, according to the organization.
19 staff members for 16 beds? Is there a typo with one of those numbers?
There are strict government requirements for round-the -clock care for the youth, esp the under-18’s. There is also relief staff. I would guess that less that 7 are full time, and the rest are part time & relief staff.