8 Surprising Facts about Homelessness in Fort Collins, CO.
By Annaclaire Crumpton
September 16, 2019 at 2:47
Trends in local Fort Collins news and demographic reports show that homelessness is one of the most prominent issues facing the city today. The City of Fort Collins does allocate resources to people experiencing homelessness but has struggled in the past to always address the issues in accordance with civil liberties.
The city has recently faced two lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). However, regardless of the complex narrative around the city’s government, the city itself busts at the seams with resources for individuals struggling with homelessness. In a tight-knit community like Fort Collins, helping those struggling with homelessness in our community has become easier than ever.
- The why behind homelessness in Fort Collins
Mental health often floats through the debate as one of the top causes for homelessness. However, mental health was actually the last on a list of top five causes for homelessness in the Fort Collins area. In 2018, the top three reasons cited for homelessness in Fort Collins were that they could not pay rent or mortgage, that they lost a job and could not find work, or that they lost their home due to a relationship or family problem.
2. Experts Just a Phone Call Away
Three years ago, if you saw an individual struggling with homelessness and were concerned for their welfare your only choice was likely calling 9–1–1. Around that same time, the Outreach Fort Collins team formed to help address increasing disturbances in the Downtown area with individuals struggling with homelessness. The Outreach team works Monday-Saturday during normal work hours answering calls from community members. They build relationships with individuals experiencing homelessness as well as merchants and community members in the downtown area. A team of experts, the Outreach staff are a phone call away if you believe someone may need help or be a danger to themselves or others. The Outreach team has seen a 40 percent reduction in disruptions related to individuals struggling with homelessness since they began.
3. Jail Expansions on the way
The City of Fort Collins has made concerted efforts to address rising homelessness in recent years. However, problems with how the city government addresses homelessness remain; poor communication between local agencies (police, jails, and judicial systems) are correlated with an increasing flow of homeless individuals in and out of Larimer county jails. A jail expansion is set to take place at the cost of taxpayers next year. The Colorado Division of Justice conducted a study of Larimer county’s jail in June 2018 and found that of 507 inmates surveyed, 60 percent identified as homeless.
4. A Fight for Space: the Mennonite Church vs the City of Fort Collins
The Mennonite Church, catty-corner to Library Park has always provided aid to individuals struggling with homelessness — more recently at the beginning of 2019, the Church released plans to help individuals by starting a locker program in their back parking lot. This will allow individuals to securely store items for 24 hours or more…a large advantage as theft is a common problem in homeless shelters. The City of Fort Collins eventually refused to issue a building permit to the church which resulted in a lawsuit. Shortly thereafter, the church won the lawsuit against the City of Fort Collins with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
5. An ACLU Deja-Vu
The church case was not the first time the ACLU faced off against the city of Fort Collins. In 2015, the ACLU sued the City of Fort Collins after city council made it illegal to panhandle. The ACLU also won this case, helping to re-establish the rights of individuals struggling with homelessness to panhandle downtown.
6. Are You at Risk for Homelessness?
More than 11,000 households in Fort Collins are qualified as “cost-burdened” or “at risk.” In a city where there are approximately 65,000 households, that means that nearly 20% fall into the “cost-burdened” category. As Fort Collins has grown, affordable housing has become more scarce in the city. Various non-profits to support “cost-burdened” households have emerged in Fort Collins including The Murphy Center, Family Housing Network, and Neighbor To Neighbor.
7. How the City Helps
The City of Fort Collins makes a concerted effort to provide resources to individuals struggling with homelessness. The Homeless Resource Guide lists dozens of community resources for those struggling with homelessness and to under served communities.
8. So Who Uses These Resources?
So with all these resources…how many people actually access them? The Murphy Center, located near the North College King Sooper’s is just one of the resources listed on the guide. In the Murphy Center’s first year, 43,731 guests visited the center. Murphy Center staff worked closely on an individual case basis with over 3,170 of those individuals in 2018.
With an abundance of resources, a community mindset, and concerted effort, the city and communities of Fort Collins address multiple facets of homelessness. Hopefully, this list helped you learn something new about homelessness in Fort Collins — helping those struggling with homelessness in your community is easier than ever.
