EXACT SAME COVERAGE UP TO HALF THE COST.

e second- and third-largest decreases in concern were political division, down 6 percentage points, and jobs and the economy, down 5. In the past year, Colorado’s job openings and unemployment reached something near equilibrium, so it tracks that anxiety over jobs has fallen since the 2020 polling, when uncertainty was rampant.

Homelessness had the largest increase as a top concern since last year, up 3 percentage points, while crime had the largest increase as a top concern over the past four years, up 8 percentage points. Both issues were a major focus for Denver’s mayoral election this year.

While most concerns associated with costs — such as rising costs of living, cost of housing and jobs — tended to decline in importance as income levels rose, the percentage of respondents most concerned by homelessness was consistent across income levels. e di erence between the lowest and highest income earners concerned with homelessness was only 3 percentage points.

Having a home is one major concern; staying in it is another. At the time of polling, renters were signicantly more worried about not being able to make rent payments than homeowners were worried about their mortgages — at a rate of 49% compared with 19% of respondents. However, that number may ip as property owners come to terms with their new, exponentially high valuations, which were issued after the Pulse poll was conducted.

Respondents who identi ed as Native American/Indigenous showed the most concern over losing their homes, with 49% answering that they were worried in this year’s poll, while the Black/African American respondents had the largest increase in those worried, up 16 percentage points, to 47% from 31% last year.

Almost every household with an income below $150,000 was worried about their children being able to a ord a home in Colorado. Montoya wants the information gleaned from these polls to help inform policymakers’ priorities. He said the foundation’s primary audience is local lawmakers and legislators. e biggest divisions around e ective policy solutions were between Republicans and Democrats in the state, with Independents falling squarely between the parties for every proposed solution. e largest di erences between what the parties viewed as e ective solutions were requiring developers to build low-income housing — 86% of Democrats thought this would be an e ective solution, while only 49% of Republicans agreed — and increasing government investments in programs that prevent people from becoming homeless — 87% of Democrats believed in its e ectiveness, while 46% of Republicans agreed. e takeaway from this year’s data, Montoya said, was that it hasn’t changed much since last year. Montoya believes that Coloradans’ major concerns “skyrocketed” around COVID, and have continued to stay high ever since.

When presented with a number of policy solutions, respondents thought that the most e ective ways to mitigate housing cost challenges are to reduce property taxes for homeowners with low or xed incomes, and to ensure that landlords cannot raise rents on tenants too quickly.

“ e majority of these worries have increased since 2020, but there hasn’t been much of a decline in any of them. ere is really just a plateau,” he said. “And a majority of folks are feeling concerned.” is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Volunteers wash canines to benefit EAPL

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e water was ying as freshly washed canines stepped from kiddie pools at the Super Sudsy Dog Wash.

e pampered pooches received a thorough washing and drying on July 22, plus a bandana thanks to volunteers from TallGrass Aveda Day Spa. e dog wash, in its 12th year, is a fundraiser for the Evergreen Animal Protective League, and Ambary Gardens in Kittredge hosted the event.

e volunteer dog washers are serious about putting the pups at ease while getting to work to make them immaculate.

Gail Sharp, the owner of TallGrass, said the spa had three reasons for organizing the event: rst, they love animals, especially dogs; second, they have fun; and third, they raise money for EAPL.

For EAPL, the event makes more people more aware of the organization and helps some animals nd forever homes.

“It is generous of Gail (Sharp) and her team to wash dogs and of Ambary Gardens for hosting us,” said Cathleen Timmons, an EAPL volunteer. “It is wonderful to see the dogs getting so much attention.”

EAPL was started 42 years ago by area residents who wanted to help pets that did