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December 4, 2024
Dear Friends:
Five years ago, a group of volunteers and local faith communities came together to figure out how to provide safe places for people sheltering in their vehicles to park overnight.
From 2020 – 2023, with funding streams related to the COVID19 pandemic and ARPA (the American Rescue Plan Act), CSPI grew to offer “safe lots” in five counties. More than 100 people slept safely every night, formed communities, and found their way into stable living situations and the organization’s central operations were supported by government funds.
In 2024, available government funding is no longer sufficient to support operations of the Colorado Safe Parking Initiative, and we do not expect that situation to improve in the coming years. The federal government considers people living in their vehicles to be unhoused. As a result, many city and county governments have diverted funding from safe parking to programs that immediately move people into housing or indoor shelter.
Thus, we have made the difficult decision to cease operation on December 31, 2024. While CSPI will no longer provide centralized services, many of our partners will continue to operate in partnership with nonprofit and government partners in their communities. In this way the work of safe parking continues in Metro Denver, and we are working with them so they can be set up for success.
The need for safe parking remains great. CSPI received over 1,700 calls for help last year and at least 799 people in the Denver Metro area have been identified as living in vehicles. In the four short years since our founding, CSPI is proud to have demonstrated the effectiveness of safe parking as a community-based intervention for those experiencing homelessness and living in their vehicles.
We are so grateful to all of our government, nonprofit, and faith community partners, and especially to the generous donors who supported this vital work. Together, genuine change came for hundreds of families. Thank you. For immediate questions, please reach out to terrell@colosafeparking.org or gary@coloradosafeparking.org
Sincerely,
Terrell Curtis, Executive Director
Gary Sanford, Board President
Advocate for and support operation of safe parking programs in Colorado, while partnering with vehicle residents on their journey to more stable housing.
CSPI is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization working to create a statewide network of safe, legal parking locations for people experiencing homelessness and living in their vehicles (PSV). The initiative was started by two women with previous experience living in their vehicles and is now led by a professional staff and an extensive group of volunteers, including an 8-member board of directors. The organization offers safe parking and relevant support services to PSV in the Metro Denver area.
Organization name
Colorado Safe Parking Initiative
other names
CSPI
Tax id (EIN)
85-1324210
Category
Housing & Shelter
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
1114 W 7TH AVE SUITE 215Denver, CO, US
Adams County, CO, US
Jefferson County, CO, US
Arapahoe County, CO, US