As I recover from a nasty head cold, I am conscious of doing things that will help me heal while working towards preventing a reoccurrence. Getting eight hours of sound sleep, eating fruits and vegetables, exercising – all tasks within my control to keep my body and mind healthy.

The same can be true of focusing on homeless prevention as to healing homelessness. Obtaining and keeping employment, developing a budget and living within it, saving for emergencies. It is not always pleasant task but necessary to be self-sufficient. Budget should not be seen as burden or “dirty word”. It prioritizes the important parts of our lives and allows us to plan for fun.

As an agency who supports both homeless families and families near homelessness, we see a major need for families to...

Homelessness is a way of life. For many of our families they have always lived this way - having housing for a time, being on the street, living in their car, sharing a house with a family or friend. A constant shifting and adjusting as a normal part of life. They seek financial help from non-profits, county, city, and churches when their minimum wage jobs do not match their bills. When they do have money, they do not know how to save some of it, instead splurging on the items they normally cannot buy.

The idea of staying in one home forever is a dream. The idea of paying for it on their own can be a nightmare. The number of families who are not able to maintain employment to sustain their housing is greater than ever and the resources to assist them are few. It is a sad reality...

Have you ever given a presentation and then two days later remember things you wished you had said? I recently spoke at the Greeley Family House signature fundraiser, Summerfest, and with a limited time, I tried to stay on point, while keeping it short. And then driving home, I remembered some points I really want people to hear.

The Greeley Family House is unique in Weld County as our focus is on families – with children – experiencing homelessness. These are families who have income or are actively seeking employment for income. A lot of the families we work with are in the 3rd generation of poverty; these families view homelessness as a norm and just the way life is meant to be. The idea that they can achieve housing AND pay for it is a foreign concept. Sometimes the entire...

“I want to change the world” is a phrase we frequently use and hear. Everyone wants to feel that what they do has meaning. How do we balance wanting to change the world with knowing what the world needs changed?

Well meaning donors frequently assume that they know what the homeless need. They are discouraged when we explain that some of the items they want to donate are not what our clients need. When wanting to donate to any charity, it really helps to reach out to the charity and find out where there are gaps and what donations they need.

The same is true when we assist someone with housing. We work diligently to understand what the family needs, while keeping in mind their budget and what they can afford for housing. Many times, the budget determines the size, style and...

Homelessness can happen to anyone. A recent study from PYMNTS shows that 62% of all U.S. citizens report they are living paycheck to paycheck. And a bigger paycheck does not make you immune from this issue. 48% of those earning $100,000 report they, too, are living paycheck to paycheck. Add to this that the average household has a credit card debt of $7,951 and it is not surprising that families are struggling.

The general guideline is for a family to pay no more than 30 percent of their monthly income on rent. With the average rent in Greeley being $1,268, that means a family must earn $4,226 per month or $50,712 per year to stay within that guideline. The families served by Greeley Family House earn an average of $19,657 which is less than 30% of median income.. This makes...

In late 1984, The Greeley Interfaith Association began discussing the need for emergency housing for FAMILIES in the community. After many discussions, the talk progressed to having a formal program that would address homeless families.

Around the same time, the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) offered funds to help Weld County with emergency needs. The $9500 grant needed to be spent quickly and the funds were awarded to a new “Transitional Housing Project”. To ensure compliance and focus, a steering committee was established with representatives from the Salvation Army, United Way of Weld County, Greeley Interfaith Association, A Woman’s Place, Weld County Department of Social Services, Weld Information and Referral Services, Colorado Rural Legal Service and...

Housing needs are a big discussion right now. Affordable, Fair Market Housing, Low-income, permanent supportive housing, Section 8 Vouches, these terms are being used regularly and can be confusing.

Affordable Housing, as defined by HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development), is a house for which the occupant(s) is/are paying no more than 30 percent of his or her income for gross housing costs, including utilities.

Market Housing, as the name implies, is driven by what the market of a given area will bear. In Greeley, the market has seen a significant increase. The City of Greeley project that 2024 rents will increase 3.1% over 2023. Currently, the average 2 bedroom apartment in Greeley is $1617/mo. This means a family must...

Homelessness seems to be everywhere right now. Nightly news, daily papers, emails and on the streets. Photos of people on the streets, in tent camps and in food kitchens. It would appear that this is a sudden, unexpected social issue. It is not. Homelessness has been a part of our society for generations, originally identified in the 1870s.

In the 1950s & 1960s, homelessness declined so significantly that researchers were predicting it would disappear by 1970. Instead, during the 1980s the economic recession, dramatic federal housing program cutbacks and deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill skyrocketed the numbers. The top causes of homelessness among families were: (1) lack of affordable housing, (2) unemployment, (3) poverty, and (4) low wages, in that order....