The Denver City Council has approved an agreement to keep one of its hotel-based homeless shelters open through early next year.

The agreement amends an existing contract with Quebec Hospitality, LLC, which owns the former Comfort Inn at 4685 N. Quebec St. It is one of four locations run by the city in Denver’s District 8 dedicated to helping the homeless transition from the street to more stable housing.

Under the new agreement, the city will pay an additional $6.5 million to the hotel owner, bringing the total contract value to just over $12.3 million and extending the city’s access to the hotel for use as a homeless shelter through Feb. 28, 2025.

The move buys the city and the hotel residents additional time while the council and other agencies iron out details for any possible long-term deals.

Had the council not taken action to close the contract gap, city officials speculated that approximately 133 individuals could have been forced to vacate the shelter.

Council members postponed the original contract extension on Dec. 9 after questions arose about why the vendor continued to operate under an expired contract and had not been paid in close to a year.

“The owner agreed to let the city continue using the facility while the city developed a long-term, sustainable, and outcomes-driven plan for the site,” Derek Woodbury, director of communications for the Department of Housing Stability, told The Denver Gazette. “After the city determined this location would be a key part of the All In Mile High strategy throughout 2025, the city brought forward the formal contract, which was agreed to by both the city and the owner.”

District 8 Councilmember Shontel Lewis previously expressed frustration with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and his administration, citing the lack of available resources for shelter occupants, concerns over “concentrating poverty” in her district and no clear plan to map out HOST site contract performance and associated metrics.

On Monday night, Lewis thanked councilmembers for “putting a pause” on the long-term lease for the Quebec shelter, allowing the city to at least pay the owner while it determines longer-range goals for the property.

City Council President Amanda Sandoval said she expects representatives from the Johnston administration to attend an upcoming Safety Committee meeting and return with “more specificity in early July.”