Samaritan House Three-Year Renovation Plan

Samaritan House offers a 120-day extended stay program in which single men and single women experiencing homelessness receive support for their basic needs as well as set and make progress on holistic goals. These goals take place in individualized case management meetings and span categories such as income acquisition, mental and physical health, self-care, and finding stable housing. During the program, participants attend a range of life skills classes such as money management, housing resources, and seeking employment. Participants make use of on-site services which include resources for counseling, apply for SSI/SSDI, and support for acquiring full-time employment. The goal is to support our participants, work to meet their needs, and provide tools for them to obtain stable, sustainable housing.

Renovations of the men’s and women’s dorms are part of a three-year project that will make significant capital improvements as Catholic Charities continues its mission of serving those in the greatest need. It includes major modifications and upgrades to the entire Samaritan House facility. The family floor or third floor renovation, completed in November 2019, expanded the number of rooms by four for a total of 25 rooms or a 16 percent increase in the number of families that Samaritan House serves at one time. The renovations to the first floor of Samaritan House begin April 2020 and will continue through the end of 2020. Improvements to the 33-year-old facility include ensuring a safe and dignified place for those we serve. Construction crews will upgrade utilities and HVAC systems, as well as update bathrooms, lockers, lighting, and ceiling tiles. Fresh paint and new flooring are also part of the scope of work included in the construction plans.

During construction, the Family Services Program, Veterans’ Program and the Women’s Emergency Shelter will continue to be operational. Since Samaritan House is a 120-day transitional program, acceptance of new participants was suspended in mid-January to reduce capacity heading into April’s construction time frame. Case managers will be working with our single men and women in the 120-day extended program to help find alternate housing options. These options include but are not limited to permanent housing, transitional housing, other supportive programming and other transitional or emergency shelters. We are working closely with our community partners to best transition our participants.

The Samaritan House facility has been serving those in need – men, women, and children – in Denver for 33 years. The renovations, the first full-scale construction project of the aging building that continues to provide a home for the disadvantaged for more than three decades, are designed to continue to expand Catholic Charities’ mission to provide a dignified and supportive environment for families and individuals to regain hope, grow in self-sufficiency, and reintegrate into the community. Renovations will increase efficiencies, upgrade the facilities, and create a better experience for all participants in the program. The capital campaign for total renovations is projected to cost $6 million.