Posts tagged homelessness
Boulder County: Housing hope for homeless vets
Mar 30th
First-ever investment will also bring VA case management to Boulder County
Boulder County, Colo. – As a result of an interagency collaboration, Boulder County will receive $229,620 to help house homeless veterans. The grant, announced earlier this week, will come to the county in the form of 25 vouchers known as VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) awards.
The federal departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) are working together for the first time to simultaneously meet the immediate need for housing and the ongoing need for human services for chronically homeless veterans and their families. While this collaboration has been underway since 2009, this is the first time Boulder County has received the federal grant focused specifically on housing homeless veterans.
Boulder County’s Department of Housing and Human Services (HHS) will administer the program. HHS Housing Division Director Willa Williford noted that the VASH vouchers come at a crucial time. “Boulder County has the second largest homeless population in the Denver metro area,” Williford said. “In the past five years, we’ve seen homelessness in Boulder County nearly double; the most recent count was almost 1,800 individuals. Many people are surprised to learn that 10 percent of Boulder County’s homeless are veterans, so while these vouchers just scratch the surface, they’re a welcome acknowledgement of the depth of need in our community.”
The Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services, in collaboration with Boulder Housing Partners and the Longmont Housing Authority, are working with the VA on a timeline for implementation of the vouchers and specifics around how the program will work. The VA also plans to place a case worker in Boulder County, and for veterans this will help ease the stress of needing to travel to Denver for services.
The VASH vouchers awarded to Boulder County are largely the result of advocacy at the federal level by Boulder Housing Partners. The grant is also due in part to strong support from Sen. Mark Udall and Reps. Jared Polis and Cory Gardner.
The Boulder County Commissioners have also been supportive of the effort. “This grant will help some of our veterans find a safe and affordable place to live,” Commissioner Deb Gardner said. “Creating that stability for people is a critical piece of the county’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness and we’re thankful for the collaboration that brought this program together. We look forward to working with all willing partners as we work to reduce and end homelessness.”
Boulder citizens, youth give high marks to city in survey
Jan 5th
2011 Community Survey results available
Results of the 2011 Community Survey that was conducted this fall are now available online and will be presented to City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012. Copies of the report are also available in the Main Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave.
In September and October, surveys were mailed to more than 3,000 households and more than 400 University of Colorado students living in on-campus dormitories. Surveys could also be completed online and were available in Spanish. A total of 971 surveys were returned, which resulted in a 33 percent response rate. That is considered a good rate of return.
The survey asked people about their priorities for the city, quality of life, and their overall satisfaction with government services. Survey responses indicated:
- Perceptions of the quality of life, quality of neighborhoods and the sense of community in Boulder remain high;
- Employment and business related ratings were also high, with 77 percent of respondents rating Boulder as “very good’ or “good” as a place to work, and 69 percent rating Boulder as “very good” or “good” as a place to do business; and,
- Respondents’ priorities for City Council included energy, housing and business development.
The survey results also provided information about public participation and how people would like to obtain information about meetings, issues and programs:
- Approximately 25 percent of respondents said that they had attended a public meeting about city matters in the last year, and about 25 percent had watched a City Council meeting on the city’s municipal Channel 8.
- The Camera (72%), direct mailings (65%), and the city’s website (55%) – www.bouldercolorado.gov – were the most common sources of public information from the city.
The 2011 survey included additional outreach to Spanish speakers through community organizations, and 43 completed surveys were received. Priorities and concerns for these respondents included safety, affordable shopping, housing, adult education opportunities and activities for youth.
A slightly revised survey was also distributed to Boulder youth to help the city determine their concerns and needs. A total of 234 returned surveys indicated that youth priorities include homelessness, improving activities for young people, jobs, discrimination, bike safety and facilities, and the environment.
Survey results will be used to inform the budget process, plan for future projects, develop community outreach and various other ways to help make Boulder a better place to live and work. A complete list of results, responses and methodologies is available at www.BoulderColorado.gov > Hot Topics > 2011 Community Survey Results.
The survey was conducted by Boulder-based National Research Center Inc. Results were weighted and the margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points from the information that would have been obtained if all Boulder adults were surveyed.
Boulder County awarded Family Unification Program vouchers HUD program helps stabilize families and move them toward self-sufficiency
Jun 22nd
Boulder County, Colo. – In recognition of its effective, integrated approach to human services delivery, where children and families are offered a full continuum of early and preventative support services that increase their safety and their chances to be self-sufficient, the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services was recently awarded 50 Family Unification Program Housing Choice Vouchers by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Only 150 vouchers were awarded in Colorado and less than 2,000 nationwide.
By providing access to stable housing and supportive services, the Family Unification Program enables Boulder County to reunite children in foster care with their parents or to prevent children from entering the foster care system. Research consistently shows that children who are able to safely stay with their families have much better long-term outcomes than children who are removed from their homes.
FUP vouchers will be available for families whose inadequate housing is the primary factor in the separation or near separation from their children. Families and youths are permitted to rent housing from private landlords and generally pay 30 percent of their monthly income toward rent and utilities. County staff will refer eligible clients to the voucher program.
“We feel strongly that a lack of affordable housing is not a valid reason to separate children from their families,” said Frank Alexander, Director of the county’s Department of Housing and Human Services. “With these vouchers, we can ensure that families have a safe and affordable place to live and thereby remove one obstacle from parents who want to take care of their children but do not have the financial resources to do so. Providing short-term supportive services to at-risk families on the front end can make the difference for kids and families over the long term.”
According to the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, it costs the federal government approximately $56,892 annually per family to place children into foster care. Yet the cost to provide housing and supportive services to one family averages less than $14,000 annually. Through this investment in FUP to reunify families who are separated due to a lack of affordable housing options, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, known as HUD, will reunite nearly 3,500 children with their parents, thus saving $74 million in annual foster care expenditures.
Cost savings are also considerable for young people aging out of foster care. The average annual cost of a FUP voucher for young adults is $5,600 – a 10th of the estimated costs associated with undesirable outcomes such as homelessness, incarceration, and residential treatment.
“Boulder County is proud to be leading the way in providing a highly integrated, locally delivered housing and human services system and appreciates HUD’s recognition of this innovative approach to service delivery,” Alexander said.