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 commit 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 Catholic...

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....