Denver Announces New Partners to Manage Non-Congregate Shelters

Denver Announces New Partners to Manage Non-Congregate Shelters

Published on October 09, 2025

The City and County of Denver's Department of Housing Stability (HOST) will present three service providers to City Council's Community Planning and Housing Committee next Tuesday for approval to operate the city's 24/7 non-congregate shelters (NCS) beginning January 1, 2026.

Urban Alchemy, Bayaud Works (a subsidiary of AC Disaster Consulting), and St. Francis Center were selected through a competitive request for proposal process and represent a significant step forward in Denver's continued transformation of its homelessness response system. Urban Alchemy was selected to operate the Aspen Shelter, 4040 Quebec St., while the St. Francis Center was selected to run the Stone Creek Shelter, 4595 Quebec St., and Bayaud Enterprises was chosen as the future services provider of the Tamarac Family Shelter, 7525 E. Hampden Ave. Existing service providers at the five other All in Mile High communities were selected to continue their operations.

As part of this next phase, providers will operate under a performance-based contracting model. Rather than reimbursing providers for their expenses, HOST will compensate them based on the performance of critical services designed to improve shelter operations and help residents on their journeys out of homelessness. This model ensures public resources are directed toward high-performing programs that deliver real results.

"This is the progress we envisioned when we launched All In Mile High," said Mayor Mike Johnston. "Helping an individual off the streets is only the first step in a life of self-sufficiency, and these three partners embody our commitment to urgency, innovation, and humanity in how we serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness."

Denver's All In Mile High initiative has already delivered transformative results, reducing street homelessness by 45% over a two-year period-the largest multi-year reduction of any major U.S. city. Since taking office in July 2023, Mayor Johnston's homelessness resolution efforts have resulted in more than 7,000 individuals transitioning into interim housing, and over 5,500 moves into permanent homes. These outcomes reflect the city's coordinated, housing-focused approach and its commitment to making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Urban Alchemy, a new provider to Denver, manages and operates shelters and transforms public spaces in cities across the country, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Birmingham, Santa Fe, Atlanta and Portland.

"Urban Alchemy aims to provide a Four Seasons like experience and service for our guests at our shelter," said Urban Alchemy CEO Dr. Lena Miller. "We take responsibility for the conditions both inside and outside of our shelters that we manage and operate to give our guests a sense of belonging, pride, and safety while ensuring our surrounding community is respected and heard. We look forward to contributing to the progress of Denver's "All in Mile High" initiative, and helping our guests get connected to services, career pathways, and permanent housing."

Bayaud Works and St. Francis Center will expand their existing roles in Denver's homelessness response. Bayaud has long provided services including cold weather shelter and micro community management, while St. Francis Center has offered shelter, outreach, and housing support.

"At Bayaud Works, our commitment has always been to meet people where they are and to ensure that care never stops at the door," said Alyssa Carrier, CEO of Bayaud Works. "The Tamarac represents a continuation of that promise - to provide safe, stable, and human-centered environments that empower individuals on their path toward housing and stability. Through collaboration and compassion, we remain dedicated to preserving continuity of care across every program we operate and every life we have the privilege to serve."

"We believe in an individualized, evidence-based approach to ending homelessness," said Nancy Burke, CEO of St. Francis Center. "The data is clear: combining access to safety and stability with adaptive, wraparound services works. We're proud to partner with HOST and support the Mayor Johnson's priorities to expand access to housing, jobs, and treatment."

The selected providers will operate hotel-based shelters and micro-communities, offering low-barrier access to shelter and wraparound services including housing-focused case management, mental health and substance use support, and employment assistance.

There will be no expected interruptions in service during the transition. HOST is working closely with current operators and the newly selected providers to ensure a seamless handoff, with continuity of care and staffing wherever possible. HOST will be engaging with current staff and residents to ensure their voices shape the future of shelter operations.

About the Providers

• Urban Alchemy: Urban Alchemy's Housed Communities initiative helps individuals exit homelessness, emphasizing intake, referrals, and care coordination. Urban Alchemy provides homeless outreach using a strengths-based approach and offers various interim housing options that provide alternatives to sleeping on the streets.

• Bayaud Works: Bayaud Works is a Denver-based social enterprise committed to creating pathways to stability, dignity, and independence for individuals facing barriers to employment and housing. Through Bayaud Works' second-chance employment programs, workforce development initiatives, and supportive shelter operations, the organization empowers people to rebuild their lives and re-engage with their communities. In partnership with the City and County of Denver and numerous community organizations, Bayaud Works continues to expand its continuum of care-bridging compassionate support with meaningful work and sustainable opportunity for all.

• St. Francis Center: St. Francis Center is a nonprofit institution with roots in the Episcopal Church. It has been a transformation hub for people experiencing homelessness in Metro Denver for more than 40 years, offering a wide array of programs to guide individuals transitioning from homelessness to stability. As a multi-service organization, St. Francis Center focuses their efforts in four key areas: day shelter services to meet immediate, basic needs; permanent, supportive housing and case management; employment services offering specialized career training to justice-involved individuals; and outreach to those living on the streets.

• Housing and Homelessness