On any given night in Jefferson County, many fellow residents are sleeping outside.
Some are in tents along creek paths. Others move between parking lots, bus stops, and storefronts. For many, the challenge isn’t just finding a bed for the night. It’s finding a way out of homelessness entirely.
Now, Lakewood is opening a new resource aimed at doing exactly that.
The Lakewood Navigation Center, located at 8000 W. Colfax Ave., will provide approximately 100 year-round shelter beds along with meals, hygiene facilities, and housing-focused case management. The program will be operated in partnership with Volunteers of America, a national nonprofit with decades of experience running housing and shelter programs across the country.
But the aim is to provide more than emergency shelter. It’s to help people permanently exit homelessness.
“The goal is housing,” says Chris Conner, Manager of Lakewood’s Division of Housing and Thriving Communities. “We want people to exit the Navigation Center into permanent housing so they don’t fall back into homelessness.”
A Community Stepping Forward
Across Colorado, communities are grappling with the growing challenge of homelessness. The 2024 statewide Point-in-Time count identified more than 14,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night, a number that has steadily increased since the pandemic.
Jefferson County has seen similar pressures. Outreach teams regularly work with individuals living outdoors without consistent access to shelter, services, or stable housing. Along corridors like West Colfax, where urban density, transit access, and economic pressures intersect, those challenges are often visible on a daily basis.
For years, Lakewood’s outreach and navigation teams have worked to connect people with housing resources and support services. But until now, the city faced challenges to provide a year-round facility where those efforts could lead — a place where someone could move directly from the street into shelter and begin working toward permanent housing.
“Before this, our navigators didn’t always have somewhere to direct people right away,” says Connor. “Now they can say, ‘You don’t have to stay here. There’s somewhere you can go.’”
More Than Just a Shelter
Unlike traditional overnight shelters, the Navigation Center is designed to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing a stable environment where guests can receive ongoing support while working toward housing.
Guests will be referred through regional outreach teams rather than through walk-ups, allowing the program to prioritize individuals who are currently unsheltered and most in need of services.
Once inside the program, guests are paired with case managers who help them identify goals and navigate resources — whether that means reconnecting with family, addressing health challenges, or finding long-term housing.
Case managers typically work with one staff member for every 20–30 guests, allowing for individualized support.
A Thoughtful Design for Healing and Stability
The renovated building itself was carefully designed to create a supportive and welcoming environment.
Using trauma-informed design principles, the space was built to feel calmer, safer, and more manageable for guests who may be coming from highly stressful circumstances.
Instead of one large sleeping area, the center features smaller dorm-style rooms, private spaces for guests who need additional privacy, and separate areas for men and women. The facility also includes shared dining spaces, offices for case management, and areas where partner organizations can provide services such as health care or counseling.
“The idea is to create an environment where people can stabilize,” Conner explains. “A place where they can take the next step toward rebuilding.”
A Community Effort
The Navigation Center represents years of collaboration between the City of Lakewood, local nonprofits, community leaders, and regional outreach teams.
Mayor Wendi Strom says the project reflects Lakewood’s commitment to addressing homelessness with compassion and practical solutions.
“I am beyond excited for the opening of the renovated Navigation Center. Not only will it provide over 100 year-round shelter beds to unhoused neighbors, but it will also help connect them to much-needed services and support. Our hope is to help residents transition into stable, long-term housing and provide support and tools for them to be successful.”
Community organizations are expected to play an important role in the center’s future as well. Volunteers of America will work with local nonprofits and service providers to bring additional support—such as health care, behavioral health services, and other specialized assistance—directly into the facility.
Looking Ahead
For Lakewood and the West Colfax corridor, the Navigation Center represents an important new step in addressing homelessness locally.
Community members who encounter someone in need are encouraged to connect with local outreach or navigation teams, which can guide individuals through the referral process to the center.
As the program opens its doors, the goal is simple but powerful: provide safety, connection, and the tools people need to move from homelessness toward stability, and ultimately, a home and new life.
