News Briefs: Grand Junction Receives Stimulus Money to Help Homeless Students

Published September 2009 Vol. 13 Issue 8

Grand Junction’s school district, District 51, will receive an $80,000 grant to help homeless students. The district’s REACH program (Resources, Education and Advocacy for Children who are Homeless) will use the money to send certified teachers to six district schools to tutor homeless students.

The district, which served 478 homeless students last year, selected schools with the highest concentrations of homeless students. Recently, District 51 has seen a major increase in homeless students. There were twice as many students classified as homeless in the district for the 2008/2009 school year than there were for the previous year. Because the district will actually be receiving more money than it requested, Cathy Haller, District 51 prevention services coordinator, is waiting for approval from the state to send certified teachers to two more high schools.

—Sarah Harvey

News Briefs: City Council Approves Additional Homeless Funds

Published September 2009 Vol. 13 Issue 8

Two Denver City Council members expressed concern over city contractors who begin work before the contracts in question are properly executed and signed by the city. Councilman Charlie Brown raised the issue last month during a vote to approve a $525,000 contract for homeless services by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Despite the vote being in August, the contract had a start date of April 1st, and the CCH, after receiving the go-ahead from the Denver Department of Human Services, had already begun to spend the money.

According to the city’s website, this is a common practice. Seventy five percent of expenditure contracts this year have had a start date before the contract is scheduled to reach the office of the mayor and the auditor. Councilman Charlie Brown asked the city council to vote down the CCH contract in order to set an example for other contractors.

Ultimately, the majority of the Council members decided a contract concerning money to help Colorado’s homeless was not the best contract to make an example of by voting down. “This is not the issue I want to hold up as an example,” said Councilwoman Marcia Johnson. The contract was approved 10-2, with Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz siding with Brown and Councilman Paul Lopez absent. BJ Iacino of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless says the organization is grateful the city did not take steps to compromise their ability to deliver services.

-- Sarah Harvey

News Briefs: Bar Codes and Piggy Banks in Colorado Springs

Published September 2009 Vol. 13 Issue 8

Two proposed programs aimed at improving homeless services in Colorado Springs may be underway again after experiencing delays over the past year. One program is a rapid-entry card system. Homeless clients of various Colorado Springs agencies will be provided with a card that has the cardholder’s photo and a bar code. The card will expedite services for people who need them by replacing the old process of filling out a new form for each new agency. The card will also help formulate long-term plans to get people into housing. The program ran into a setback this January when the contracted vendor went out of business. The program is now back on track, and a test run of the card system is expected to take place soon.

The second program is a network of repurposed parking meters that will be placed in Colorado Springs businesses to collect change for local agencies offering services for the homeless. Colorado Springs Councilman Jerry Heimlicher initially proposed the plan two years ago as part of an effort to decrease panhandling in the area. The program experienced difficulties early on in finding the machines—it took a year and a half to acquire all 135 used meters. Another setback occurred when organizers realized they did not have enough money to pay the artists they originally had commissioned to customize each meter. Local businesses will now be donating the money to buy materials that volunteers will use to decorate the meters. Heimlicher is hoping to launch the meters by October.

-- Sarah Harvey

News Briefs: Federal government extends $30 million to staunch Section 8 bleeding

Published September 2009 Vol. 13 Issue 8

by Joanne Zuhl
additional reporting by Tim Covi

After housing authorities across the country reported massive shortfalls in funding, the federal government announced in August that it would provide an additional $30 million to people on Section 8 housing assistance.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, funds the Section 8 program through local housing authorities, like the Denver Housing Authority. People eligible for Section 8 housing enter into a lottery for vouchers. If selected, they then find an apartment with a participating landlord.

According to news reports and testimony before Congress, authorities across the country were saying they could no longer afford to provide housing assistance to tenants as the economic downturn overburdened their resources.

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News Briefs: Major overnight homeless shelter closes

Published September 2009 Vol. 13 Issue 8

Crossroads Men's Shelter of the Denver Salvation Army, photos by Adrian DiUbaldo

The Denver Salvation Army closed its Crossroads Men’s Shelter last month. The Salvation Army will redirect resources from the emergency shelter to support services such as counseling and transitional housing programs. The Salvation Army is hoping to better align itself with Denver’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness.The closure is also due in part to the economic downturn. “In our ongoing mission to do the most good for people in need we are making this change,” says Capt. Ron McKinney, Salvation Army city coordinator. “Recognizing the limitations of funds that are available requires our agency to be as effective as possible in the use of monies.” Last December, The Salvation Army saw their donations drop by 30 percent.

The Crossroads Men’s Shelter first opened in 1983. It had 136 beds, 99 regular mats and up to 330 emergency mats. The shelter housed an average of 230 men per night during warm weather and 300 men per night during winter weather. Crossroads also served over 900 meals per day.

The city has not been able to respond with a plan yet to supplement the shelter needs before this winter. 

—Sarah Harvey