Community Development Week celebrates the impact of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs allocated through the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The City of Colorado Springs Community Development Division partners with local nonprofits by investing our federal entitlement grant funds to help create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all people in Colorado Springs. These are stories of residents whose lives were changed thanks to those investments.
Drake – The Place
The day he graduated high school, Drake fled his father’s house. Within those walls, Drake was highly controlled, emotionally manipulated, and constantly in fear of retaliation. For him, homelessness was better than staying one more day.
After months of struggle, Drake arrived at The PLACE.
“The thing about the shelter is that they don’t discourage…they encourage. They don’t discriminate. They accept you for who you are,” Drake shared.
Drake worked with shelter staff to gain access to health insurance, enroll in SNAP, and develop a plan for his next steps. Drake is an artist, but he is also motivated to have a career that will support a family in the future.
The shelter team assisted with the application process and arranged transportation for Drake to relocate to a Job Corps site that has housing as part of their job training program. He is studying to get a certificate in welding which he plans to use to build a career and explore more artistic expression.
In 2022 The Place received a $75,000 Emergency Solutions Grant award to provide emergency shelter and case management for youths.
Learn more about The Place.
Drake, photo courtesy of The Place
Tremonty - Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)
After being released from prison in September 2022 Tremonty came to the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) looking for an opportunity to better himself after release.
He received job coaching, readiness assessments, support with resume and interview skills, and job-search help. Tremonty is now employed as an installation technician with a fiber optic company that works closely with CEO Colorado Springs.
Tremonty is looking forward to one day taking on a management role as well as continuing to make up lost time with his children. “CEO was fantastic,” he said. “It helped me find interest in things that I never thought I’d be able to do.”
In 2022 The Center for Employment Opportunity received $25,000 in Community Development Block Grant Public Services funds to provide paid, transitional jobs and tailored vocational services to individuals recently released from incarceration.
Learn more about the Center for Employment Opportunity.
Tremonty, photo courtesy of the Center for Employment Opportunity
Kim, John & Mike - Sunshine Home Share Colorado Springs
Kim was the very first match for Sunshine Home Share in Colorado Springs back in 2020 and she still works with Sunshine Home Share to get matched today, three years later. Kim as a Sunshine Home Share home provider is a little unique because she has a 5-bedroom home and rents 3 of those rooms. She rents the basement to 2 men, John & Mike, and the upstairs room to a female.
Kim's matches are more like family, and they do many things together like cooking and eating dinner together each night. Kim has a service dog, Jude, and loves animals and whoever would move in would have to love dogs as well.
John was a truck driver that got stuck in California homeless when he got very sick with cancer. His sister finally moved him to CO and after surviving cancer for the 1st time started to look for his own space. John also has a little dog, Chewy, and he gets along great with his new brother Jude. He was matched with Kim in 2021 and is still currently living with Kim.
He got another bout of cancer last year and Kim and other housemates helped him through it and got to ring the cancer-free bell again a few months ago. John loves working outside and has transformed Kim’s backyard from a brown desert to a beautiful green oasis for the house and all its critters. He has planted trees, flowers, and a garden filled with all kinds of vegetables and fruits.
Mike is Kim’s most recent match from December. Mike moved here from California as well. He is a retired football player and is very tall. Mike has some issues with his muscles which makes getting around hard for him. Mike was referred to SHS by PACE. He loves animals but was worried that the stairs to get to the basement would be too much for him. Then to his surprise, he found out at the match meeting that Kim has a stair chair lift and he uses it each time. It was perfect for him. Now, Mike is a big guy so they were worried the chair lift might not be strong enough, so PACE is installing a sturdier one for them!
Funding: In 2022 Sunshine Home Share was awarded $31,000 in Community Development Block Grant Public Services funds to help older adults with an empty bedroom rent to individuals needing an affordable place to live and price the rent by hours of additional services or companionship provided.
Learn more about Sunshine Home Share.
Kim, John & Mike - Sunshine Home Share Colorado Springs
Head Start Family - Community Partnership for Child Development CPCD
The Wilson family (not their real name) was homeless when they enrolled their two toddlers in Early Head Start this past year. They had lived in a van, on couches, and even in an abandoned building. While in the program they received help from family advocates at Early Head Start and Family Promise for setting goals, maintaining housing, learning parenting skills, and getting training and job search support. The parents are now in addiction recovery, the family has remained housed, and the mom was promoted to assistant manager in her job.
Research shows the first three years of children’s lives are critical to their long-term success in school and in life, and the Wilson children now have a head start on their path toward success in life.
In 2022 The Community Partnership for Child Development was awarded $25,000 in Community Development Block Grant Public Services funds for this program from the Community Development Division. The have served 37 people so far with these funds.
Diane - Springs Rescue Mission
Diane had moved to Colorado Springs many years ago, after going bankrupt and losing a child. She and her former husband remained supportive together for their other children, staying friends for 35 years.
But as Diane approached retirement age, things became difficult again. After losing her condo during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, she lived in her car for 18 grueling months.
“One night it was below zero and … I didn’t know if I’d survive through the night,” she said. “It was really scary because I could barely move my limbs in the morning. Eventually, someone led me to Spring Rescue Mission, and I’ve been slowly moving up.”
Diane became an active member of the Mission’s vocational training program and worked with staff to secure housing. After eight months at Springs Rescue Mission, she was approved for an apartment at Greenway Flats, a Springs Rescue Mission sponsored supportive housing complex.
“I’m looking forward to taking the next step to getting back on my feet,” she said.
In 2022 Springs Rescue Mission received a $25,000 Emergency Solutions Grant award to provide emergency shelter to people experiencing homelessness.
Learn more about Springs Rescue Mission.
Photo courtesy of Springs Rescue Mission
Dan Reedy’s Home Repair - Brothers Redevelopment
As Colorado’s weather turned bone-chilling cold, Dean Reedy’s life at his Colorado Springs trailer took a turn for the worse.
In February, Reedy noticed his water pressure was low and found one of his pipes under his home cracked. Because he’s on a fixed income, he could not afford to get his pipes fixed — and he was left without running water for nearly a week.
Seeking help, Reedy dialed 211 — a hotline that connects residents to resources — and learned of Brothers Redevelopment’s Home Modification and Repair Program. And after getting in touch with Brothers Redevelopment staff, he received the repairs his home desperately needed at no charge to him.
The Community Development Division contracts with Brothers Redevelopment Inc. to provide rehabilitation and modification with essential repairs for low income homeowners, utilizing $700,000 in Community Development Block Grant Housing funds. In the past year they have preserved 70 affordable homes of low and very low income residents.
Read more on Bother's Development Website.
Sharon & Mary - Sunshine Home Share Colorado Springs
Sharon (not their real name) is a new teacher who moved to Colorado after graduating college, but found herself living in her car because she could not find place she could afford that would accept an emotional support dog. Her new school helped her get a hotel room for a few weeks while Sunshine Home Share tried to find her a match with a homeowner looking for a tenant.
Mary* is an older high school teacher who wanted to stay in her home but needed financial help since her son moved out. Sunshine Home Share brought Sharon and Mary together and now Sharon has helped Mary with some painting and organizing and pays only $600 in rent for her room, utilities included. Staying with Mary is helping Sharon save money so she can hopefully find her own place later.
In 2022 Sunshine Home Share was awarded $31,000 in Community Development Block Grant Public Services funds to help older adults with an empty bedroom rent to individuals needing an affordable place to live and price the rent by hours of additional services or companionship provided.
Tracy & Susan - Sunshine Home Share Colorado Springs
Tracy (not their real name) is an 86 y/o senior widow who has been very lonely and was not eating well nor doing a good job of taking her medications. Her daughter and son were getting very worried and starting to think of other options, but Tracy wants to be able to age in her home, so they called Sunshine Home Share.
Susan (not their real name) was a recently divorced woman in her 60s working as a home care provider. She had been staying with friends but they were moving out of town so she needed to find a place to move into she could afford.
Tracy and Susan had a match meeting and within a month they decided that Susan should live in Tracy’s house. Susan rents Tracy’s basement with 2 bedrooms, a living room, an outdoor patio, and a private bathroom, all for $500. Susan prepares lunch and dinner for Tracy five days a week and makes sure Tracy takes her medication.
Tracy is more energetic and has started up some of her former activities. And Susan has her own beautiful private space to retreat to. Faith is important to both, and Susan takes Tracy to church on Sundays and has helped her host a few bible studies and game nights in the home. They go on walks together and get out as much as possible which has been great for Tracy’s well-being. It has been one year since they moved in together and all is going well.
Funding: In 2022 Sunshine Home Share was awarded $31,000 in Community Development Block Grant Public Services funds to help older adults with an empty bedroom rent to individuals needing an affordable place to live and price the rent by hours of additional services or companionship provided.
Learn more about Sunshine Home Share