LOVELAND, Colo. — A new shelter for teenagers and young adults experiencing homelessness will open in northern Colorado soon.
This facility, located in Loveland, will fill a gap in services since the nearest shelters focused on unhoused youth are in Boulder and Denver. The new space is housed in the former Monroe Early Childhood Center just north of Eisenhower Boulevard off of Monroe Avenue.
The shelter named "The Landing," will be able to serve young people ages 15 to 20, offering not just a safe place to sleep overnight, but also resources and support throughout the day.
Kristen Battige is the Director of Operations with the Thompson School District. She said after the early childhood development center closed, the school district was looking for something to do with the space.
The district is partnering with The Matthews House, a nonprofit, to repurpose the space.
Currently, when teens or young adults need shelter they often have to travel to Boulder or Denver, which can be a barrier.
Nicole Armstrong, Executive Director of The Matthews House said, "Right now if someone needs a youth shelter, we must coordinate down to Boulder or down to Denver, which is prohibiting for them to stay in their communities and their connections within this area."
Armstrong said they've identified around 400 unaccompanied youth who are unhoused in Larimer and Weld counties.
The grand opening for "The Landing" is expected to happen on Wednesday, Dec. 18.