Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community

Property Details

The Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community provides recovery oriented transitional housing to individuals experiencing homelessness. The program combines housing with peer support, educational, vocational and employment services for up to 250 people currently or formally experiencing homelessness from across the state of Colorado, with an emphasis on serving veterans experiencing homelessness.

The Program is located at the former Fort Lyon VA Hospital in Bent County, Colorado and is part of state and community efforts to re-purpose the facility to meet the needs of individuals across the state and to catalyze the re-use of the facility to meet a variety of community needs.

Stable Recovery
The program model allows people experiencing homelessness to leave the community in which they continue to struggle with substance use disorders and homelessness for up to two years in order to help them recover and attain health stability. As a result, participants will gain the resources necessary to maintain long-term recovery, employment and overall self-sufficiency.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless provides the transitional housing and recovery oriented supportive services. Bent County is the property manager for the facility. The program provides a recovery environment of on-site and community-based education, employment, and other services for its residents. Collaborative service providers include Otero Junior College, Lamar Community College, Southeast Mental Health Services, Prowers Medical Center and Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc.

Program participants fully engage in the overall operations of the campus including food services, facilities maintenance, grounds maintenance, housekeeping and waste water management—in conjunction with their daily participation in peer support groups. Additionally, the colleges provide customized educational and vocational training in computer technology, construction industries, health services, agricultural sciences and more.

Reintegration
Outreach and referrals of participants into the program come from homeless service agencies and health care providers from across the state. Upon completion of the program, residents will be assisted to obtain housing and employment as they return to their community of choice through partnerships with local and state-wide organizations. It is also anticipated that qualified graduates will have access to housing subsidies through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure long-term housing stability.

Community Investment
Initial funding to establish and operate the Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community has been provided by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Additional funds to sustain the program will be obtained through federal, state, local and private sources, including commitments from Bent County Office of Economic Development for local transportation and from Otero Junior College to provide an on-site computer lab.
 

Community Partners

Referrals

If you are a homeless service provider or health care provider seeking to refer a candidate to the Ft. Lyon program, please contact our Referral Liaison at [email protected] or (719) 662-1162.

Complete the Referral Application Online or Download the Referral Packet

If you are homeless and would like to enroll in the Ft. Lyon program, please consult with your case manager, homeless service provider, or health care provider about a referral to the program.
 

Property Contact

For more information, please call (719) 662-1100.

Learn more about Fort Lyon