Longmont City Council on Tuesday night gave initial approval to giving $30,000 to help fund a COVID-19 Recovery Center in Boulder County to house homeless people who show symptoms or have tested positive for the virus.
The vote for the COVID-19 Recovery Center, or CRC, was unanimously approved on first reading with no comment from council members.
The vote followed a decision in March when a team from the city of Boulder, the city of Longmont and Boulder County developed a plan to shelter people with COVID-19 who are experiencing homelessness. The shelter was especially aimed at housing those who showed early known symptoms of the virus and needed to quarantine and isolate, said Heidi Grove, systems manager for Homeless Solutions for Boulder County.
The initial location for the CRC was at the East Boulder Community Center. It recently moved to the former Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Boulder to provide a more permanent home for homeless COVID-19 victims, Grove said.
“The site monitors each person’s daily symptoms and temperature checks everyone, including staff,” Grove said. “This is not intended to be a walk-in center like the other homeless shelters, but patients residing at the CRC are there through a referral process from our shelters. “
If a patient’s symptoms worsen or if they require medical attention, they are transported to the hospital, Grove said.
The total operating cost for the CRC is $100,000. Grove said Longmont is part of a coalition of cities, Boulder County, nonprofit and housing partners that makes up the HSBC. The coalition “made the decision to commit to such projects (like the CRC) related to homelessness,” Grove said.
