Major Murphy Center shakeup underway

SERVE 6.8, the organization that owns and manages Larimer County's largest homeless day center, is stepping aside after months of criticism and an audit that detailed concerns about communication shortcomings and staffers' destruction of homeless clients' property, officials announced Friday.

Homeless Gear will step in as managing partner for the Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center for Hope in Fort Collins. Catholic Charities, Neighbor to Neighbor and SummitStone Health Partners will also collaborate on daily demands. The United Way of Larimer County is assisting in the organizational transition, which should be completed on Dec. 7.

Additionally, the Bohemian Foundation will kick in $100,000 during the first year for operational expenses at the Murphy Center. The foundation is in the process of purchasing the building at 242 Conifer St. in north Fort Collins, and it will also fund all of the facilities-related expenses, historically to the tune of $75,000 per year, officials told the Coloradoan in a round-table interview Friday afternoon.

Guest services will not be interrupted during the transitions, officials said.

"We think it's a very sustainable model because there are so many players at the table," said David Rout, executive director of Homeless Gear. He and leaders from nonprofits across Larimer County envision the center as a "container" that better coordinates service providers from across Northern Colorado. Leadership will also work closely with Homeward 2020.

"Not one entity bears the responsibility for everything," Rout said of sharing oversight among multiple organizations.

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The Murphy Center provides counseling and community resources for homeless individuals and people on the brink of homelessness. The day center also works with individuals to help them obtain and maintain stable housing and implement long-term change to get their lives on track.

SERVE 6.8 has come under fire in recent months internally and from clients. Reported issues began in April when staff mistakenly emptied a storage pod on the property. Staff believed it was filled with abandoned belongings, and the property was destroyed at the Larimer County Landfill. Staff apologized after learning the property from at least two homeless clients was in the pod.

Another blow came in September when a city audit — initiated after the April property dump — highlighted multiple areas of concern about the Fort Collins nonprofit. Detailing 11 complaints brought to the city by clients, partners and staff, the audit highlights a number of areas surrounding the organization's treatment of guests. Additional concerns hinged on its religious association and alleged shortcomings in communication between staff and clients, noting that the organization was out of compliance with a federal policy about the center's policies and disciplinary procedures.

SERVE 6.8 was given 90 days to correct the issues highlighted in the Aug. 3 report.

"...It has become increasingly evident that the Murphy Center and the SERVE 6.8 model of care sit directly in the middle of philosophical differences in our community. On one side, there are those committed to serving the homeless with a specific emphasis on chronic homelessness, and on the other side are those committed to serving the homeless in ways that move them toward self-sufficiency through preventive efforts. There is a need for both in our community," Executive Director Mike Walker wrote in a Friday message to staff.

SERVE 6.8 officials said the recent criticism was not the driver behind the ownership and management changes. Rather, the organization said now was the right time to pursue different opportunities to better serve the community and people who don't consider themselves homeless.

The organization will now focus efforts on "preventative strategies" and manage its new resource center at 1600 E. Mulberry St. in Fort Collins.

The nonprofit took ownership of the Murphy Center in July 2013. Since then, it has facilitated nearly 80,000 visits.

The Murphy Center is subject to an annual city audit as a recipient of city funding and allocations of federal grants, including the Community Development Block Grant. In 2014, SERVE 6.8 received $18,533 in Keep Fort Collins Great tax funds for Murphy Center operations.

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"The City of Fort Collins has been a long-time collaborator on homelessness issues, and based on this experience, we are confident that this coalition of nonprofits has the right experience, team and commitment to serve people who are homeless or near homeless at the Murphy Center," Deputy City Manager Jeff Mihelich said in a statement. “We thank the staff and board of directors of SERVE 6.8 for their leadership and dedication over the past two years and are pleased that they will continue to serve the needs of our community in other important ways.”

Reporter Jason Pohl covers breaking news for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.