Denver’s first managed homeless campsite at Capitol Hill’s First Baptist Church will begin operations Monday.

The Safe Outdoor Space will shelter unhoused people in Denver during the pandemic and provide tents, cots, sleeping bags, storage, hygiene products and access to services including housing assistance, employment navigation and mental health resources.

“First Baptist Church has a long legacy of partnering with our unhoused neighbors, and we are proud to be part of this new initiative,” said Brian Henderson, minister at First Baptist Church.

A second campsite location at Denver Community Church on Pearl Street is scheduled to open within the month, officials said.

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This opening comes after months of failed attempts to choose a space for the campsite, including proposals for the Denver Coliseum and the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library that were shot down by outrage from the surrounding communities.

The encampment at First Baptist Church will house up to 30 women and transgender individuals. Denver Community Church will house men, women, couples and pets with a capacity of 40.

Both Safe Outdoor Spaces will feature 24/7 onsite staff, in addition to rules and guidelines regarding cleanliness standards and COVID-19 screenings.

“Beyond providing a safe place for women and transgender individuals to shelter outdoors amidst a pandemic, the SOS will connect the unhoused with vital services that will place them on a path to becoming housed,” said Kathleen Cronan with EarthLinks, which will run the site’s day-to-day operations.

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The city hopes to add one to three more sites in early 2021. Current sites are expected to close operations in late May.

The sites were established in response to an increasing number of unhoused people living outdoors in Denver during the pandemic. 

Since the pandemic began, homeless shelter services have reduced by 56%, according to Dr. Kathleen Van Voorhis, director of housing justice with The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado.

“As people of faith, we believe that we are called to serve the poor and vulnerable among us,” Henderson said. “In the midst of this public health crisis, the Safe Outdoor Space is an important step in the right direction for our neighborhood and our city.”