The pandemic, now entering year three, has taken its toll in many visible ways. The number of people living without homes or shelter in Colorado is accelerating. 

A recent nationwide study conducted by Security.org shows Colorado has the No. 11 highest rate of homelessness in America and saw a nearly 2% annual increase in its homeless population.

Denver has the No. 38 highest homeless rate among U.S. cities.

While some may see this as an urban challenge, surging poverty brought on by the disruption of COVID-19 has created a mounting crisis of hunger, homelessness, and other emergencies that destabilize families everywhere, including many mountain communities.

A growing concern

Living in extreme poverty and, in some cases, without proper IDs or a permanent address further strangles those with the greatest need from the resources that are in place and available to fight these issues. 

The surge in homeless populations has overwhelmed many shelters, strained the entire network of services set up to help unsheltered populations, and created tension among small communities as temporary encampments sprout up in remote pockets. 

The vicious cycle then puts some of society’s most vulnerable persons at odds with the residents of the communities they inhabit. 

Official response

Fortunately, some Front Range communities are beginning to address this challenge from a multi-departmental approach that includes law enforcement, community service, public health, and housing services. 

For example, Boulder County launched Homeless Solutions for Boulder County (HSBC) in October of 2017. 

This approach is organized around the “Housing First” model, an approach to homelessness that prioritizes getting people housed over sobriety or workforce programs.

A Housing First community in North Boulder, Colorado, called Lee Hill, allows the city to rent all the units to people who have been chronically homeless.

The Housing First approach is gaining momentum on a national scale. It is considered the best model for addressing homelessness in the future.

“I would say that a lot of homelessness has more to do with luck than with choice,” said Lindell Ellingson, a resident coordinator for Boulder Housing Partners. “It turns out that when people aren’t living on the streets, getting exposed to more trauma every day, they can make big shifts in their lives. And as a community, you can save money.”

Community Advocacy Resources

Several community organizations are working on coordinated efforts to address and prioritize the challenges of homelessness in the area. 

​Peak to Peak Housing and Human Services Alliance

A group of human service organizations and agencies that meet once a month to share information and expand services to mountain residents. 303-578-8033

info@nederlandfoodpantry.org

NICHE

The Nederland Inter-agency Council for Homeless Encampments (NICHE) is a partnership guided by the Nederland Community Presbyterian Church and supported by several government offices, law enforcement agencies, human services organizations, and other groups affected by issues regarding homeless camping in the mountains.

Council Leader: Paula Gipp NCPC Mission Elder gipp.paula@gmail.com 303-328-5863

Outreach Advocate Henry Schliff  h.schliff@gmail.com 720-355-9490 

Http://nederlandcpc.org/niche/

Mountain Health Collaborative

The Mountain Health Collaborative is comprised of local health professional members who volunteer during disasters in the Peak to Peak Region to meet immediate health needs, with the overall community goals of increasing resilience and accelerating the post-disaster recovery rate. To join the Mountain Health Collaborative, contact richard@peaktopeakcounseling.com or call 303-258-7454 extension 2.

You can find a more comprehensive list of essential services on the Peak to Peak Housing and Human Services Alliance found here – https://www.p2phhs.org/where-to-get-help-guide-english.

Canyon Cares occasionally provides information such as above in an effort to be a resource beyond the emergency financial support we provide for area residents

Winter in the mountains can produce bitter cold days and nights. As such, heating is the single largest energy expense for most Colorado households.

The primary mission of Canyon Cares is to provide emergency financial relief for area residents struggling to pay their bills. In addition, we help by sharing public and private resources available to those we support. 

One of these resources is a federally funded state program called the Low-income Energy Assistance Program or LEAP. The program is designed to help eligible hard-working Colorado families, seniors, and individuals pay a portion of their winter home heating costs.

Who Can Get LEAP?

To qualify for LEAP benefits, you must:

• Pay home heating costs either directly to a utility company or to a landlord as part of your rent.
• Be a Colorado resident and a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States, or have a member of your household who is a U.S. citizen.
• Have a total household income that’s 60% of the state median income or less. 

How LEAP Works

If you are approved for the program, LEAP looks at your current income and your heating costs for last year and then makes one lump-sum payment directly to your heating provider. The money helps pay some of the costs of heating your home throughout the heating season (applications are accepted November 1 to April 30). However, you can only get one LEAP payment in each heating season.

How to Apply

You can apply for Colorado LEAP:

• By calling 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435).
• Jefferson County – https://www.jeffco.us/2637/Energy-Assistance-LEAP
• Gilpin County – https://www.gilpincounty.org/departments_offices/human_services/low_income_energy_assistance_program
• Boulder County – https://www.bouldercounty.org/families/housing/low-income-energy-assistance/

When Your Heating Stops Working: CIP

In addition to assistance with energy bills, people enrolled in Colorado LEAP can receive emergency service if their heating system stops working through The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) 

• Repairing your broken heating system (this does not include routine maintenance)
• Replacing your broken heating system, if needed, and
• Snow removal in rural areas to make it possible to deliver fuel.

Colorado’s Weatherization Assistance Program

The Colorado Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps qualified Coloradans save money, increase comfort, and better their homes and the environment through proven energy conservation solutions.

Some of the no-cost energy and utility bill saving services offered include:

• Energy audits
• Energy conservation education
• Air infiltration sealing
• Insulation in attic, floors, and walls
• Furnace repair or replacement
• LED light bulbs
• High-efficiency appliances
• Solar
• Air source heat pumps

Find out more here – https://energyoffice.colorado.gov/weatherization-assistance-program 

There are many ways to financially assist Canyon Cares, including planned giving.

A planned gift is a donation typically made as part of a donor’s estate planning. Examples of this type of gift include gifts of stock, life insurance benefits, retirement plans, real estate, personal property, or cash.

These gifts can be made during someone’s lifetime or upon their death.

Recently, Canyon Cares received the proceeds of several planned gifts, which helped significantly expand the geographic area we can now serve.

We can now accept donations of stock, personal property, and proceeds from life insurance or retirement plan benefits.

In fact, we are pleased to announce that we have arranged a way to accept stocks, bonds, etc. directly as a tax-advantaged way for those who would like to donate to Canyon Cares with this wonderful, tax-advantaged option! (Hurry if you would like to take this year-end deduction you must make the donation by Dec. 31st.)

While there are many good reasons to consider adding a planned gift to your estate plans, some of the most commonly recognized are below.

You can create an avenue to leave a legacy for yourself and your family.

Many organizations refer to planned giving as legacy giving. It often allows someone to make a gift as a tribute to a family member or to create a legacy for themselves. The donor benefits from the planned gift by making a lasting impact upon a cause they care about.

You can make a significant impact on the mission of an organization.

While many people respond to annual or ongoing fund appeals as a form of support, we often wish we could do so much more when the need is so great. A gift of an asset that has been appreciated over a lifetime might allow an organization to serve those in need for years to come

You can take advantage of tax savings for yourself and your heirs.

Many types of planned gift vehicles such as Charitable Remainder Trusts and Qualified Charitable Distributions offer significant tax advantages as part of the donation. Donating cash or property can also significantly reduce estate taxes paid by heirs.

(I do not attempt to offer tax advice here; simply know that this is a significant benefit that can be discussed with an estate professional.)

You may have more control over how your donation is used.

A planned gift outlined in a will or estate plan is a form of a legal contract made with the non-profit beneficiary. As such, the funds must be spent as stipulated in the contract for the donation to be accepted.

In other words, if there’s an element of an organization’s mission you are passionate about, you get a say.

You can “repay” an organization that may have helped you or a family member as a way to pass it on.

This last one is a bit tricky to explain. I know in my work with service organizations that many of the recipients of aid are incredibly grateful for the support they’ve received, and often cannot financially support an organization in return.

A planned gift is a way to make a future donation for the support received today.

As a registered 501(c)3, Canyon Cares would love to talk with you about ways your planned gifts might allow us to continue to serve residents of our mountain community.

During the first week of December board members of Canyon Cares once again distributed “Holiday bags” to area residents in need thanks to the generous donations of members of the community.

In total, we were able to distribute gift cards valued at over $10,000 to 70 households during our annual Holiday Giving event.

While the Holiday Giving campaign focuses on providing a little something extra for basics like food and gas, Canyon Cares provides emergency financial assistance all year long for things such as rent, utilities, and auto repairs in an effort to help individuals and families make it through rough patches.