Local leaders seek lasting solution to homelessness

While many in southern Colorado believe more needs to be done to address homelessness, an advocate says more progress has been made than people realize.

Beth Hall Roalstad, executive director of Homeward Pikes Peak and chairwoman of Pikes Peak Continuum of Care, said several organizations, community leaders and citizens meet monthly to consider problems and solutions.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate Colorado Springs a 7 in addressing homeless issues,” she said. “Can we do better? Sure, but I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

Roalstad said the city has recently increased its number of shelter beds and is responding to homelessness among youth and families.

“We’re also in the early stages of planning a regional homeless shelter to serve areas of El Paso County,” she said. “We probably need another 250 to 300 beds.”

Roalstad said the demand for shelter beds has increased partly because the homeless are using them as temporary housing out of necessity.

She agrees with other advocates in that besides the need for more beds, the lack of affordable housing is a major contributor to homelessness.

“We’re about 29,000 units short of what we should have,” she said. “And that was from a city study in 2014. I’m afraid that number is even higher now.”

Roalstad said it has been difficult to convince developers to build affordable housing, and for people to accept it in their neighborhoods.

“We need to change that,” she said.

On Tuesday, the city planning commission — despite considerable opposition from many neighbors — voted to proceed with a planned affordable housing project in the Broadmoor Bluffs area on the city’s southwest border.

The City Council has final approval.

This year, the Springs Rescue Mission will break ground on a similar project at the west end of its campus.

“It took time and effort to get that project going,” said spokesman Travis Williams. “What we really need is for more people to support what we’re doing. Homelessness is a complex issue, with a lot of causes and requiring more than one solution. If we keep talking about it, I think we’ll continue to make progress.”

Local homeless advocates said they don’t support acquiring land to manage a homeless camp that would offer security, bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities and other services.

“It’s been tried in several locations around the country with varying degrees of success,” Roalstad said. “Durango is doing it now, run by the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office. But it’s only on a small scale, with a dozen or so tenants. A camp here would have to be on a much larger scale.”

Terence Borden, a Colorado Springs native, and Russell Torrez, a man who’s been homeless for two years, rate the city a 3 on Roalstad’s scale.

“(Homelessness) seems to be getting worse and I’m just not seeing much improvement,” Borden said as he walked his dog past a homeless camp. “I’d like to help somehow if I can.”

Torrez offered a sobering comment.

“There may not be a solution to it,” he said. “At least not a perfect solution.”

Let’s hope he’s wrong.