DENVER, Colo (KDVR) –A make-shift homeless shelter at the National Western Complex neared capacity again Friday night, with 709 men checking in to the 768 bed facility.

The complex was opened earlier this month, to allow those experiencing homelessness a chance to socially distance.

“Each guest is getting a six by ten foot space for their bed,” says Nicole Tschetter. “At our downtown shelter, we weren’t able to socially distance people 6 feet apart.”

Tschetter works for the Denver Rescue Mission, which is helping staff the facility.

Everyone is screened before entering and potential COVID-19 patients are moved to another facility. So far, 61 people have tested positive.

The shelter is for men only, but help is on the way for women experiencing homelessness.

The Denver Coliseum is expected to open Monday as a women’s shelter, giving 250 women a chance to shelter while maintaining social distancing.

“Frankly this a huge gap that Denver has, and the state of Colorado has,” says Cathy Alderman, with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “There’s not enough shelter for woman. There’s not enough shelter for families.”

The coalition has helped place roughly 800 at-risk people into hotels and motels, but she says the need is much greater.

Currently, she says only the Western Complex is conducting screening at the door. That means thousands of people experiencing homelessness are not being tested at shelters across Colorado.

“I think we really need to prioritize testing, screening and triaging for all of our shelters,” she says. “If we can test at the door of all of our shelters, we can prevent this spread, which we know is happening.”