Centennial Citizen 021722

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Week of February 17, 2022

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An edition of the Littleton Independent A publication of

VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 13

Resources for the homeless in Arapahoe County In Englewood-Littleton area and beyond, services help homeless, people in poverty BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When most people are sleeping, dry and warm in their homes, others around the Denver metro area are fighting the freezing winter temperatures outdoors, trying to survive night after night on the streets. In general, there is a lack of overnight shelter in Arapahoe County, a problem that persists as the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative’s yearly statistics continue to paint a picture of increasing homelessness in the area. Last year, leaders in Englewood, Littleton and Sheridan approved the Tri-Cities Homeless Action Plan, designed to be carried out over the next three years. Among the recommendations in the plan is to create “a central navigation center” — a dedicated space to help people experiencing homelessness learn about services and apply for programs, such as available housing services, the plan says. It could take years before the cities build the proposed center. In the meantime, people without homes in the south metro area will continue to rely on a patchwork of resources. Here is a list of many of the resources in the Englewood, Littleton and Centennial areas for people experiencing homelessness and for others who are living on low incomes. The list includes some services in nearby areas outside Arapahoe County. Some information in this list comes from a brochure by the

Pandemic relief spending to go toward homeless, mental health County officials decide how to use federal dollars BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Boo Crosby, then the restaurant manager at Cafe 180, right, stands in 2018 with a man who said he had been in and out of homelessness for years as of that point. The restaurant in Englewood provides meals to those who cannot pay in exchange FILE PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD for volunteer service.

Cities of Englewood, Littleton and Sheridan. Contact the organizations below for current hours. To connect with further resources • AllHealth Network: Support for mental health and substanceabuse (addiction) challenges, along with case managers who can assist with finding housing and other resources. The program offers 24/7 walk-in crisis services. No one will be denied access to services due to an inability to pay, according to AllHealth’s website. The center is located at 6509 S. Santa Fe Drive in Littleton. For more information, call 303-7308858 or visit the website at allhealthnetwork.org.

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22

• Bayaud Enterprises: Provides employment assistance, including for people with disabilities and people struggling with homelessness. The program is open between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Friday hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The center is located at 333 W. Bayaud Ave. in Denver. For more information, call 303-830-6885, or visit the websites at elsa.erickson@ bayaudenterprises.org or bayaudenterprises.org. • Colorado PEAK: A program to apply for or manage medical, food, cash or other State of ColoSEE RESOURCE, P9

Homelessness, housing, mental health and business support are among the main targets of dozens of millions in spending planned so far by Arapahoe County after receiving funds under the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The American Rescue Plan Act is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill signed into law in March 2021 with a goal to support the economic and public health recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the county said in a news release. The county has begun distributing the one-time bucket of federal funds it received in 2021, the Feb. 11 news release announced. “Arapahoe County will be the responsible steward for these funds by allocating them where they’re needed most across the community,” said Nancy Jackson, the chair of Arapahoe County’s elected leaders, the board of county commissioners. “We’ve already begun creating or expanding numerous programs and initiatives to address issues that fall outside of our normal budgetary limits and were exacerbated by COVID-related factors,” Jackson continued. Where dollars will go The county will distribute its $127.5 million allotment over the next several SEE PLAN, P20

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