City Plans Two New 20,000+ Square-Foot Shelters at Former Monroe Village Site
DENVER, CO — Just weeks after Denver's first tiny home village closed, the City and County of Denver has unveiled plans for what could become the property's next chapter.
Concept plans have been submitted for the Monroe Cold Weather Shelter, a proposal that would replace the former Monroe Village at 4001 and 4121 Monroe Street with two new 20,400-square-foot shelter buildings, totaling more than 40,000 square feet of new shelter space. The project remains in the concept review stage, but the plans provide the first detailed look at how the city intends to redevelop the site.
Photo of the Former Monroe Tiny Village | Sourced from City & County of Denver
The proposal follows the recent closure of Monroe Village, Denver's first and longest-running tiny home village. Operated by Colorado Village Collaborative since 2017, the micro-community closed after the city chose not to renew its operating contract as part of the 2026 budget. The nonprofit has since moved the tiny homes into storage while it searches for a new location where the community can be reestablished.
Rather than rebuilding the former tiny home community, the new proposal calls for two large, single-story congregate shelter buildings designed to operate as cold weather emergency shelters. Each building would include expansive sleeping quarters, intake offices, dining facilities, warming kitchens, classrooms, flexible programming space, laundry facilities, showers, storage rooms, offices, and support spaces intended to serve individuals experiencing homelessness during periods of increased need.
Current floor plans illustrate approximately 96 beds per building, or roughly 192 beds across the two structures, though the project remains in the concept phase and occupancy is still subject to review as the design progresses. The permit application identifies the development as an emergency housing project consisting of one-story tensile structures reaching approximately 36 feet in height.
The redevelopment also represents a notable shift in how the property would function. Monroe Village consisted of individual tiny homes arranged as a micro-community that provided residents with private living spaces and access to supportive services. Under the new concept, the site would instead become a much larger centralized shelter designed to accommodate emergency cold weather operations. While Colorado Village Collaborative continues working to relocate Monroe Village elsewhere, the former site itself appears poised for a significantly different future.
The concept plans are currently under review by the City and County of Denver, meaning the project could continue to evolve before any final approvals are granted.
Development Team
Owner: City and County of Denver
Architect: HDR
Civil Engineer: Martin/Martin
Survey: Topographic
Irrigation: Azure
Cost Estimator: RLB
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All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.
3 minute read • Just weeks after Monroe Village closed, the City and County of Denver has unveiled concept plans for two new 20,400-square-foot cold weather shelters that would transform the former tiny home village into a new emergency shelter complex