Murphy Center reopens under new management
Larimer County's largest homeless day center opened on Monday under new management and ownership.
Homeless Gear, Catholic Charities, Neighbor to Neighbor and SummitStone Health Partners entered into a collaborative agreement to officially take over from SERVE 6.8 operations at the Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center. Homeless Gear will serve as managing partner. The Bohemian Foundation is kicking in $100,000 for first-year operating expenses as well as the purchase of the building at 242 Conifer St. in north Fort Collins.
"It's been a smooth transition," said David Rout, executive director of Homeless Gear. "We've got a lot of different parties at the table, but everybody has been working together really well."
Having four entities share responsibility for Murphy Center operations presents new challenges in ensuring each organization has a voice in virtually all phases of the decision-making process. However, Rout said the shared governance will be a boon for clients — each will have input and guidance provided by a number of providers.
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Serve 6.8, the embattled organization that owned and managed the Murphy Center since 2013, announced in November that it was relinquishing control. The group's last day of operations at the center was Friday.
The organization came under fire earlier this year after issues in April surfaced 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.
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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's management of the center. Detailing 11 complaints brought to the city by clients, partners and staff, the audit highlighted 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.
Officials in November said the audit was not the reason for the change in management. Rather, SERVE 6.8 said the time was right to pursue a separate but related venture hinging on "preventative strategies" based out of a resource center at 1600 E. Mulberry St. in Fort Collins.
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Most of the changeover in the weeks since the announcement has happened behind the scenes. SERVE 6.8 and new leaders worked for the past month to revise building procedures and policies, all the while outlining areas that can be modified.
Building security, Rout said, will be among the biggest changes in the short term. After a security assessment, center officials are exploring the implementation of security cameras and are in the process of contracting out security personnel in an effort to ensure guests and workers feel safe and secure,
Policy changes regarding mail procedures, showers access, lockers and computer use are also underway.
"I can tell you that we’re looking at the policies related to the procedures and policies related to everything in the building,” Rout said.
Guest surveys were distributed on Monday, and efforts are underway to ensure new intakes are directed to the proper agencies throughout the building. Citing high caseload demands that were crushing a handful of staffers in resource specialist positions, the new Murphy Center has done away with those particular positions. Instead, new clients will be triaged and assessed by a variety of service provides and then referred to different agencies across the building, with the goal to bolster the Murphy Center's status as a "container" for services, Rout said.
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"We really just want to have a constant presence in the building," Rout said of a renewed interest in having volunteers, interns and staff, for which the center is seeking as the center opens its new chapter. About a dozen service providers have a presence at the Murphy Center on a daily basis.
The Bohemian Foundation's purchase of the Murphy Center building and financial contribution toward operations represents a somewhat unusual though not unprecedented avenue of activity for the philanthropic group. The organization has supported nonprofits in the past surrounding homelessness, largely through grant-making programs and efforts including Homeward 2020 and Project Homeless Connect.
"The transition at the Murphy Center presented an opportunity for us to be part of a collaborative response to an important community need," Community Programs Director Sara Maranowicz wrote in an email. "As the issue of homelessness aligns with our Community Program goals, we will continue this work."
Anyone with an interest in getting involved with the Murphy Center, in either a volunteer or potential staff position, is asked to email Rout at David@homelessgear.org.
"Our goal is to make this as collaborative and community-driven a facility as possible,'' Rout said. "It's all hands on deck. We want as many who want to get involved to get involved."
Reporter Jason Pohl covers breaking news for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.