JOINT RELEASE: SIGNED! $45 Million Bill to Reduce Homelessness, Connect Coloradans with Supportive Services
New law will help develop a recovery community to provide vital health services, behavioral health care & housing access resources
DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed a bill into law that aims to help people experiencing homelessness access the supportive services they need to care for their health and well-being.
SB22-211, championed by Senators Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, and Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, as well as Representative Alex Valdez, D-Denver, invests $45 million to repurpose an unused, state-owned facility into a recovery oriented community to help those experiencing homelessness and seeking recovery access a continuum of behavioral health services and treatment, medical care, skill development, housing services, and more.
“Addressing homelessness is so much more than creating more housing options. It’s also about connecting people without stable housing to the supportive services they need to move forward and thrive,” said Fields. “With this law, we will be able to better connect Coloradans experiencing homelessness with the care they need to support their health and stability, like access to recovery services as well as primary, dental and mental health care.”
“This campus will help people who are experiencing homelessness get back on their feet and access the services they need to successfully recover from a substance use disorder and find long-term, stable housing,” said Valdez. “The law Governor Polis signed today will expand our region’s capacity to holistically support people with substance use disorders who are experiencing homelessness.”
“In order to help folks experiencing homelessness get back on their feet, we need to expand access to critical health services and housing resources to do it,” said Hinrichsen. “By expanding access to resources that will help folks access supportive housing and care for their health, we can set them up for success and help them thrive in the future.”
This new law will help homeless Coloradans with behavioral health and substance use disorder needs on their recovery journey by providing a wide range of resources and services so folks can attain economic and housing security. The new law also creates a Federally Qualified Health Center or a similar clinic that will offer primary care, dental care, and outpatient mental health care that will be available to the campus residents and to the general public.