Will Colorado’s New Youth Crisis Shelter Pave the Way for More?

The fact that many Coloradans have had to be subjected to living on the streets is unfortunate in itself, but it's even more devastating when a child becomes homeless. The circumstances vary, but the factors that lead to youths living on the street without a roof over their heads usually have to do with someone else's poor decisions, or perhaps even something more heinous.

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However, a new shelter designed for youths experiencing homelessness has just opened up in Colorado and is the first of its kind in the entire country.

Colorado's New Empowerment Center for Adolescents is the First of its Kind

The Empowerment Center for Adolescents was inspired by Thornton, Colorado's District Attorney Brian Mason after an encounter with a youth early in his career. According to Mason, a young woman was forced into human trafficking and after being picked up by police, had nowhere to go.

It's stories like this that inspired the idea of building a place for troubled youths in Colorado to be taken in before they inevitably enter the criminal justice system after resorting to things like joining a gang or stealing to survive.

What is Offered at Colorado's Empowerment Center for Adolescents?

In addition to giving youths in crisis between the ages of 12 and 17 a place to stay for up to 21 days, the new shelter will offer case management in hopes of finding permanent living situations for them.

The Empowerment Center for Adolescents is the first of its kind in the United States and will serve youths in Adams and Broomfield Counties, though hopefully, the new facility will inspire the implementation of more youth crisis shelters to spread to parts of Colorado where they're needed and beyond.

[CBS Colorado]