After months of searching and two failed attempts, Denver has chosen two churches in Capitol Hill as the first locations for its managed homeless campsite project.

The Safe Outdoor Spaces will shelter unhoused people in Denver during the pandemic and provide tents, cots, sleeping bags, storage, hygiene products and access to services including housing assistance, employment navigation and mental health resources.

The sites will be at First Baptist Church at 1373 Grant St. and Denver Community Church at 1595 Pearl St.

“Our community of faith has a storied presence in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and we believe that the Safe Outdoor Space is a practical way to care for our neighbors in need,” Brain Henderson, minister at First Baptist Church said.

The First Baptist Church site is set to open within the first week of December. It will house up to 40 women and LGBTQ individuals within 30 tents.

The second site at Denver Community Church is scheduled to open within weeks of the first site. It will hold up to 50 people, accepting men, women and couples.

Two different sites were previously proposed for the project but both were shot down as a result of outrage from the surrounding business and residential communities.

“We’re encouraging everyone in the surrounding community to learn more about the Safe Outdoor Space initiative,” Henderson said. “A great amount of thought and care has gone into ensuring these sites will be safe, well managed and orderly while providing a real path for people to find permanent housing.”

Both Safe Outdoor Spaces will feature 24/7 onsite staff, in addition to rules and guidelines regarding cleanliness standards and COVID-19 screenings.

The city hopes to add one to three more sites in early 2021.

Since the pandemic began, homeless shelter services have reduced by 56%, according to Dr. Kathleen Van Voorhis, director of housing justice with The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado.

“We’ve watched our unhoused population increase at an alarming rate in Denver,” Van Voorhis said. “As coronavirus case numbers increase daily and we face below freezing temperatures, caring for our neighbors sheltering outdoors is now literally a matter of life and death.”

Community meetings will be held before the sites open to gather community input, however, unlike the sites previously proposed, the new sites are on private property and do not require approval from elected officials.

Virtual feedback meetings will be held on Nov. 19 and Nov. 21. Meeting times and information on how to join is available at sos.konveio.com.