Denver to expand shuttle services for people experiencing homelessness
DENVER — Starting in 2023, people experiencing homelessness in Denver will have more opportunities to safely travel throughout the city to reach vital resources.
The city’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) recently announced it is close to finalizing a contract with Central Student Transportation, which will provide daytime shuttle services to and from overnight shelters for unhoused people. The contract is worth $450,000, according to a spokesperson with HOST.
“Connection to stabilizing services is essential for all shelter guests,” said HOST executive director Britta Fisher in a press release. “There are many supports that are vital to helping individuals become healthy, housed and connected. We're pleased to continue offering transportation to link shelter guests to these services.”
The shuttle buses, which will be ADA accessible, will operate Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The buses will travel from the overnight men’s and women’s shelters at 4330 and 4600 E. 48th Ave — which are operated by the Denver Rescue Mission — to downtown Denver.
Stephen Hinkel, the public relations manager at Denver Rescue Mission, said the new shuttles are addressing a major need in the unhoused community.
“There’s no current, best transportation option for individuals who are [at the shelter] that need to get into the city,” Hinkel said, adding that current public transportation routes in place an be limiting for people at the shelters. “Whatever services they may need, whether it’s a dentist or a doctor or some other paperwork. This program … is actually a very big win for those individuals at the 48th [Ave] location since they're much more removed from the center of the city.”
Research shows reliable transportation is a major factor in helping people escape poverty or homelessness. A 2015 study from researchers at Harvard found the relationship between transportation and social mobility is stronger than the relationship between social mobility and factors like crime or test scores.
Moreover, a recent article published in Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless explained how the “cost of transportation, in particular, has been found to prevent individuals’ upward mobility out of homelessness by limiting employment opportunities, social inclusion, and access to social services.”
Hinkel explained how I-70 separates Denver Rescue Mission’s overnight shelters from downtown, which makes transportation difficult. Currently, people can access downtown Denver from the overnight shelter by using public transportation, but it is worth noting that Denver’s public transportation has some of the highest rates in the country.
“But because of this program, transportation to that side of 70 and to the downtown Denver area becomes a lot more accessible to people who don't have cars,” Hinkel said. “And most people who are experiencing homelessness don't have easy transportation. So hopefully this will help their process of getting services that they need … much easier.”
A spokesperson for HOST said the shuttle buses will resemble RTD buses.
The new shuttles will complement existing services provided by Busco Inc., which provides transportation for unhoused people in the mornings and late afternoons. On Dec. 5, the Denver City Council approved a new contract with Busco for $950,000, ensuring service will continue through at least 2023.
Kyle Cooke is the digital media manager at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at kylecooke@rmpbs.org.
Jeremy Moore is the senior multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can email him at jeremymoore@rmpbs.org.