Conner Miller spends a lot of time at the Loveland Public Library. He鈥檒l charge his phone in the second-floor computer lab or relax in a comfy chair.
鈥淚 sit in this little cove back here, take naps with my friends,鈥� Miller said with a chuckle.
At night, Miller sleeps on a cot in a tent at the South Railroad Facility Shelter. The city-run temporary overnight homeless shelter opened in April of 2023, nearly a year after Loveland passed an encampment ban.
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The shelter serves 50 people, but it鈥檚 only open at night and is not ADA compliant.
鈥淭hey get us up at six o'clock,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have from six to seven to get out.鈥�
When Miller leaves in the morning, he鈥檚 on the move. His first stop is the Loveland Resource Center for coffee and breakfast. Sometimes he鈥檒l get a haircut or meet with his social worker. But the space is so small that he doesn鈥檛 like to linger and will walk to the library.
鈥淔inding places to go that don't look down on you,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ave some compassion to let you rest somewhere, for 30 minutes, if not more.鈥�
About seven hours later, Miller sits at a table at Loveland鈥檚 Community Kitchen. The kitchen is open for dinner service seven days a week and serves prepared meals that can be eaten on site or taken to go. Tonight's dinner is beef stroganoff and sides, which he washes down with milk, hot chocolate and a slice of cake.
鈥淭hey like, let people sit in here and just hang out and they're really nice,鈥� he said 鈥淭hey serve everybody.鈥�
Then Miller walks back to the South Railroad Facility Shelter.
Miller is one of about 500 people experiencing homelessness who are currently seeking resources in Loveland, according to a recent report. Shelter, food and services are available but spread out around the downtown area. The city has said it wants a facility that can house these three resources under one roof.
鈥淪ervices are key to getting out of homelessness. Without a wide variety of service providers, it's incredibly unlikely that it will ever happen for anybody,鈥� said Alison Hade, Loveland鈥檚 community partnership administrator.
鈥淎n obstacle for the city鈥�
A mile and a half north of the library is First Christian Church. The church acquired this property, roughly 16 acres, in 1962.
鈥淚t was always the congregation's intention to be involved in some aspect of affordable housing,鈥� Pastor Michael Stein said.
In 1976, the church worked with the Loveland Housing Authority to create affordable housing for seniors on the land. Over the decades the church helped start the local Habitat for Humanity chapter and built houses. It has also partnered with another organization to house homeless families.
鈥淲e kind of feel this is part of our mission," Stein said. "It鈥檚 part of our DNA.鈥�
Two decades later, the church added a 500-seat sanctuary, anticipating the congregation would grow. Instead, the numbers dwindled to about 100 today.
In December 2023, First Christian took a leap of faith. It listed the 26,000 square foot property and the remaining 4.5 acres of land for lease or sale.
Since then, the church has merged with First Baptist Church and plans to move to their campus this spring.
鈥淲e've prayerfully felt like this is not good stewardship,鈥� Stein said. 鈥淲e're meant to do something more with this.鈥�
In 2021, Loveland hired the non-profit Homeward Alliance to lead the city鈥檚 strategic plan to address homelessness. Then the encampment ban went into effect in May of the following year, making the homeless community more visible. People who鈥檇 spent most of their time tucked away in a tent or a homemade shelter now walked around in search of places to go.
The encampment ban shifted the priorities of the strategic plan, said Sandra Wright, who works in technical strategy for Homeward Alliance.
鈥淭he visibility of homelessness, particularly within the downtown region of Loveland,鈥� Wright said. 鈥�(Is still) quite an obstacle for the city. And how to move forward, not only to help those experiencing homelessness but also have a thriving community as well.鈥�
Homeward Alliance developed the Homelessness Task Force in 2023 with people from all sectors of the city. One goal was to find a location for a 24-7 Homelessness Resource Center and overnight shelter that would be owned and operated by non-profits. But this type of shelter actually wasn鈥檛 possible due to the city鈥檚 zoning code. This was a surprise, she said, because other cities like Fort Collins, Boulder and Denver allowed this type of land use.
鈥淭he city did not have in place code within their unified development code that allowed for overnight sheltering of individual adults that were experiencing homelessness,鈥� she said.
Loveland鈥檚 planning department worked with the task force to develop a code amendment for special use standards for homeless shelters. The city council last June.
By then, the task force had identified a property that met the city鈥檚 specific requirements. The location was ideal. It was near transportation, not within 500 feet of a school, and the closest neighbors were two cemeteries and two businesses. The task force did its due diligence on the property, held public meetings and conducted surveys to gather community feedback.
The property is First Christian Church. But there was one issue: the zoning.
鈥淲e鈥檝e done our job鈥�
First Christian Church is split zoned for commercial use and residential low density housing. The church submitted an application to the city to rezone the land under the new homeless shelter code. The application was first reviewed by the Loveland Planning Commission which voted against forwarding a recommendation of approval to the city council.
Despite that decision, there was hope. The city council could still vote in the church鈥檚 favor.
At last December鈥檚 city council meeting, the shelter was on the agenda. Stein, who had joined the homelessness task force, sat with other members, ready to present their proposal. But they never got the chance. Two minutes into the meeting, Councilor Patrick McFall moved to table the church鈥檚 rezoning hearing and requested a comprehensive study.
鈥淚 was sitting there with an hour and a half of presentation to present information,鈥� said Stein. 鈥淚 thought that was a pretty good opportunity for them to get that, but (it) didn't work out that way.鈥�
The motion passed five to four and the hearing for the shelter was . No further information was given regarding how the impact study should be conducted and completed.
Over the course of six months, the city went from amending the zoning code to allow a homeless shelter to putting the First Christin Church project in limbo.
Stein left the meeting feeling frustrated.
鈥淲e feel like we鈥檝e done our job and it feels kind of like the goalposts keep getting moved,鈥� he said.
Stein does have a little sympathy for the city council. They are in a no-win situation, he said, getting a lot of pushback from some community members. However, if no progress is made on the creation of a 24/7 homeless shelter, he has this prediction.
鈥淣ext year, the same people who came in droves to protest this project are going to be demanding of them that they do something about all the homeless people,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e just need something鈥�
Conner Miller heard about the First Christian Church proposal and, as a person experiencing homelessness, doesn鈥檛 understand why there鈥檚 an issue with the property.
鈥淚t would be totally beneficial just to have extra space, (a) place to sleep, (a) place to go,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e just need something in Loveland like that.鈥�
Miller might have a place to go to soon. He鈥檚 on the waitlist for a subsidized two-bedroom apartment that鈥檚 located a few blocks from the church. Overall, he thinks the city has good resources to help people get back on their feet.
鈥淚t just seems like we need a little more work on the homeless community,鈥� he added.
Turns out Miller was right, Loveland does have more work to do. Earlier this month First Christian Church withdrew its rezoning application. This action was in response to the city council鈥檚 decision to indefinitely table the hearing which the church interpreted to be a 鈥渃onstructive denial.鈥� The same day the homelessness task force announced it was dissolving due to the city鈥檚 inaction.
Loveland City Council has a study session on Tuesday to determine next steps. This includes discussing a fiscally responsible plan to end the city-managed temporary homeless shelter which is slated to close in April.
