ALAMOSA — Members of the Alamosa City Council resolved an issue in this week’s meeting related to whether the City of Alamosa should proceed with building a soup kitchen and emergency shelter near the industrial park on the south side of Alamosa. 

In communication to members of city council, staff recommended the project be ended.  

“After discussing the change in operations, staff recommends that Council not move forward with the project,” the communication read.  

After listening to comments, a motion was made and seconded to stop the project and return the grant money to the funder. The vote was unanimous to stop further work on the facility construction. 

The issue had its origin in discussions between Alamosa’s Homeless Coalition and the city about moving the location of a soup kitchen currently located in a shelter operated by La Puente.  

At the direction of Alamosa’s city council, staff worked with La Puente on a plan to construct a new building that would house a soup kitchen and cold weather emergency shelter. The new building would be built just south of St. Benedict, allowing for the existing soup kitchen to be moved closer to people who are unsheltered while also providing access to shelter on nights when inclement weather puts people at risk.  

The project was estimated to cost about $2 million, and city staff, working in partnership with La Puente, obtained a grant for $145,000, more than half of the $240,000 estimated cost of engineering and design. 

However, a recent Supreme Court ruling that removed the city’s legal obligation to provide a space for people who are unsheltered to camp put the entire project in question, opening up the topic for public discussion as to what services should be provided. 

At the same time, La Puente re-examined their role in operating the soup kitchen and felt it wasn’t feasible to do so when the shelter was only open during the winter months. They cited difficulty in hiring temporary staff for just three months a year as their primary obstacle and requested the city the low barrier shelter be open year-round. If the city did not agree to that condition, La Puente said it would not be able to operate the soup kitchen. 

The situation was exacerbated by time as, if the city was not intending to spend the grant money they had received, they needed to return it to the funder in the near future. 

When La Puente informed the city of their requirements to operate the soup kitchen, the council decided to have a work session where they could get questions answered. Several days before the session was scheduled to take place, the city announced it had been cancelled, as council members no longer had questions. 

Members of the public had voiced opposition to a second shelter in Alamosa when it would be only open during the winter months. The proposition of the shelter being open year-round was met with even greater resistance, as was evident during public comment in Wednesday night’s council meeting. 

Alamosa resident Wade Price addressed council, voicing his opposition. 

“I own two businesses, and I’m against [the project],” Price said. “There are more homeless people now than there have ever been before. Success is reducing a problem, not making it grow.” 

He went on to cite concerns about the mounting cost of St. Benedict in terms of city staff maintaining the property, the cost to build a fence surrounding the camp, replacement of city property that’s been damaged and frequent police presence in a nearby park, which he attributed to the people living at St. Benedict. 

“Stop importing people and help people who are here,” he said, referring to the belief held by some that La Puente is bringing people to the Valley for services. 

It should be noted that that criticism has never been confirmed. 

Lance Cheslock, executive director of La Puente, also addressed city council, starting off by expressing his gratitude to the city for their partnership, commitment and support in addressing the crisis of homelessness in Alamosa. He also sought to clarify that La Puente’s decision to make the soup kitchen contingent upon the shelter being open year-round was not a manipulation of any kind but, instead, the result of realizing the logistical problems. 

“I’m not going to throw this [project] away, I’m just going to put it on the shelf for now,” he said.