Galvanized by shortcoming in their approach to homelessness, Denver officials agreed to purchase a new, permanent building to provide emergency housing for the city’s homeless and called for a more focused, comprehensive approach to the city’s needy.

The City Council OK’ed the purchase of a $4.45 million, 48,000-square foot warehouse at 4330 East 48th Avenue in northwest Denver, to serve as the city’s future overflow emergency shelter.

The city’s current shelter, the Peoria Emergency Overflow Shelter near Aurora, has served as a temporary facility. There’s no concrete timeline or cost estimate for renovations or opening of the new shelter.

Once the facility opens, it will be operated year round with at least 200 beds, said Bennie Milliner, director of Denver’s Road Home project, during a Finance Committee meeting Jan. 3, adding he hopes to be able to supply 300 beds.

The city is still in the midst of a lawsuit with the owner of a Sun Valley warehouse after officials say he pulled out of a deal to sell his building, according to The Denver Post. The warehouse was to serve as a permanent replacement for the Peoria shelter.

Coupled with opening a permanent emergency shelter, city officials say they want a focused, more comprehensive approach for serving the homeless.

The city has fielded some criticism for the quality of service afforded the homeless including a shortage of beds and for its ban on urban camping, often enforced by local law enforcement.

“I don’t know if we’ve had a more galvanizing time around homelessness and housing, than we do today,” Council President Albus Brooks said.

Council member Robin Kniech said if the city is purchasing the building, it should also improve the service provided to the city’s homeless population.

Referring to Denver Rescue Mission, Kniech said, “It’s been a great, important provider for the city, but with a very basic service, which does not meet what I would consider best of class. There isn’t referral services and case management. It is simply getting bodies in, saving lives and getting them out.”

Kniech argued the city should be planning now so the new shelter opens with volunteers and workers providing help like referrals or the means to do a job search online.

“There are some very minimal things we could be doing to make better use of the space and time that people have,” she said. “I really hope you don’t wait until 2018 to do that.”

“The sooner we change the paradigm of how we do shelter, the better,” Kniech said.

Milliner said the city is speaking with providers about new ideas and concepts for addressing homelessness, but his project and the providers haven’t fully explored changes to the way Denver helps the homeless.

“Now that we are going to have a permanent site, I think we can make that happen,” Milliner said.

Council member Deborah Ortega said she’s hasn’t seen the big picture from officials on how the city will ultimately aid the homeless through shelter and services.

“It’s a little frustrating to be doing these piecemeal and not have a comprehensive understanding of where we are going,” Ortega said.

Milliner responded saying, “So many times we talk about a lack of services and what we are doing for the people. There are more than 3,000 every night that are in some level of temporary, transitional or other programs where they are incorporated into services and moving forward.”

The city also approved a one-year, $559,000 contract with the Denver Rescue Mission for services at the Peoria shelter.

“I think what you’re hearing from the council is an interest in more focus and deadlines, so we can see a written plan and dollar amounts, that are moving toward a goal,” Kniech said.