You can help ease the housing crisis in Weld County

Have you ever worried about paying your next month’s rent or mortgage? If so, you have a lot of company. The 2016 Weld County Community Health Survey reported that 36% of Weld County residents worried about paying their rent or mortgage at least some months of the year, if not every month. That means many of our neighbors are an illness, job loss, or car repair away from homelessness. Add the people who are living with friends or family for financial reasons or who are already experiencing homelessness and you can see the magnitude of the homelessness crisis in our county.

Those affected are not just the individuals you see on the street; many are families with children. According to the Colorado Department of Housing, during the 2016-2017 school year, 495 students in Greeley-Evans School District 6 were living in shelters or motels, doubled-up with another family due to finances, or living unsheltered. Living in such an insecure situation affects a child’s learning and can cause psychological harm. Children need to and deserve to grow up in a safe and stable environment so they can reach their full potential and become productive citizens.

The primary reason homelessness is such a critical problem in Weld County is the lack of affordable housing. For the last two years, a national study has ranked Weld County among the top 10 most unaffordable counties for housing in our nation. Home prices have risen 84 percent since 2011, while average wages have increased only 13 percent. The average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Weld County is $937. To afford this rent, a single mother working at minimum wage must work 72 hours a week, which means working two or even three jobs. Our tight housing market with escalating home prices and rising rents is pushing vulnerable individuals and families into homelessness. They simply can’t keep up with the cost of living.

Many organizations in our county are working toward ending and preventing homelessness. Weld County has excellent emergency shelters, such as the Guadalupe Shelter, Greeley Transitional House, A Woman’s Place, and Hope @ Miracle House. In 2017, Catholic Charities opened the Guadalupe Apartments in Greeley with 47 units of supportive housing. Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity has built 137 homes since 1987 to provide low-income families affordable home ownership. United Way’s Weld’s Way Home has brought together over 50 community and faith organizations to join in the fight against homelessness. During the wintry months, they run a Cold Weather Shelter in cooperation with Catholic Charities. Last year they provided 6,273 nights of shelter to 363 individual guests and served 9,062 meals. Soon they will be opening a Housing Navigation Center to help people find needed resources as well as housing and employment. Since February of 2016, 254 of 369 assessed homeless veterans in Larimer and Weld counties have been housed.

Despite these efforts, there is still much to do. You can be part of the solution. Here are some ways you can make a difference:

• Involve your faith community
• Gather a group and watch the HBO documentary American Winter
• Donate to local shelters, Weld’s Way Home, and Habitat for Humanity
• Collect socks, underwear, and gloves for United Way
• Serve a meal at the Cold Weather Shelter or Guadalupe Shelter
• Advise people to call 2-1-1 to connect with needed resources
• Help someone find a job or keep a job
• Advocate for housing affordability

Homelessness is a community problem that can only be solved with community effort.

Rick Hartman, Carla Ikenouye, Eric Aakko,

Jodi Hartmann, Michael Mathews, Gabe Gonzales, Julie Cozad

Housing Stability Committee

Weld Faith Partnership Council