Code Blue | Winter Emergency Shelter Plan
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Citizens' Assembly Brief

Code Blue: A Community Plan for Winter Emergency Shelter

A local, life-safety plan focused on what Montrose should do when temperatures drop below freezing so no one loses their life to exposure.

View Core Actions See Next Steps
Life-Safety Focus
Community Deliberation
Action-Oriented

Our Shared Goal

The core focus of this Citizens' Assembly was to develop a plan for emergency weather shelter for unhoused persons.

The immediate goal is to determine what Montrose should do on Code Blue nights when temperatures drop below freezing.

This deliberation intentionally looked past long-term causes of homelessness and focused on immediate life-safety during severe winter weather.

Key Status Quo and Challenges

The Assembly began by reviewing the current shelter reality in Montrose and where the biggest operational gaps exist.

The Need

44

Unsheltered individuals identified on a single winter night (2025 PIT Count).

Estimated Need

30-45

Beds needed on Code Blue nights.

Existing Capacity

30

Maximum beds at Lighthouse winter shelter.

Average Utilization

16

Guests per night during winter 2024-2025.

Why Existing Beds Go Unused

🐾 Pet restrictions
👥 Perceived crowding
🛡️ Safety concerns
⏰ Rules and curfews conflicts

Proposed Solutions Voted On By Participants

Participants weighed trade-offs and cast ballots comparing proposals against the status quo.

Physical Structure (Brick and Mortar)

100% Support

Authorize a fixed-site existing building near Shepherd's Hand to open only on Code Blue nights.

Overflow Large Tent

88% Support

Authorize a heated tent in the Brown Center/Lighthouse lot, activated when Lighthouse is full on Code Blue nights.

Core Actions Under Deliberation

Two actionable strategies are being reviewed for immediate response when the City's Code Blue trigger is activated.

A) Seasonal Fixed-Site Code Blue Shelter

City identifies a specific building to open only on Code Blue nights.

Key Benefits: Reliable location, easier staffing and supervision, consistent services and referrals.
Trade-offs / Risks: Requires ADA-compliant site, higher fixed costs, and neighborhood impact considerations.

Next Steps

The Citizens' Assembly outcomes are advisory recommendations intended to shape near-term action and public accountability.

Step 1

Submit Recommendations

Share full recommendations with City Council, nonprofits, and the broader public.

Step 2

Public Response

The City has agreed to publicly respond to ideas that emerged from the assembly.

Step 3

Sustain Deliberation

Continue reflective, informed, resident-led decision-making on hard community issues.

Building Safety and Dignity Together

This process shows that residents can come together, face hard issues, and shape practical, life-saving solutions for winter emergencies.