On any given winter night, there are about 200 homeless people in Pueblo shelters for families, individuals and even a few spaces for single women and youth -- even though there are probably 1,000 more who are not indoors.

"The rest are sleeping in cars, in camps (along Fountain Creek) or somewhere else," Ada Clark, director of the city's housing services, explained to City Council Monday night

Council wanted an update on the city's homeless situation and Clark, along with Anne Stattelman, director of Posada emergency services, gave the report.

Stattelman explained that because her agency gets federal housing funds, Posada and the local Continuum of Care organization conduct a homeless count every year. That's where the 1,200 figure came from during a count earlier this year.

District 4 Councilman Ray Aguilera said those statistics underline the importance of the Colorado Springs Rescue Mission's interest in opening a newer and bigger homeless mission on the 2400 block of Lake Avenue in the old Minnequa Community Corrections building.

While the Springs Mission intends to offer day programs as well as overnight shelter to the homeless, those plans did trigger opposition from some neighbors. They told the city's Zoning Board of Appeals they didn't want up to 100 homeless people brought into the neighborhood.

The zoning board will vote on whether to allow the Springs Mission to move into the Lake Avenue site on Mary 23.

Aguilera said the new shelter was needed and should be welcomed.

"Who would you rather have in your neighborhood, convicts or homeless people? Personally, I'd take the homeless people," he told council.

Council's focus on the homeless problem sharpened last winter when the Salvation Army announced it didn't want to keep operating its West 13th Street building, which is used as warming shelter on winter nights, housing up to 50 men on the floor.

The Army is expanding its programs at a new location, the former Jefferson School on Prairie Avenue, and is not offering any shelter services there.

Clark noted that Posada has been trying to prioritize its funds and housing space for Pueblo families first, although the agency -- like other human service agencies -- has been inundated with requests from low-income people moving here from out-of-state.

"Do you want us to impose some kind of residency requirement (on providing assistance)?" Clark quizzed council, but didn't get much direction.

"We trust your judgment on this," District 2 Councilman Larry Atencio answered, which was echoed by other council members.

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