The Problems
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Average rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in Denver is $2,300/month. The average mortgage in Denver is $3,844/mo. From 2010-2019 rent increased by 85% and median home prices increased by 104%. While some apply for subsidized housing, they have only a 6% change of having their application pulled in the lottery. In total, there are 168,752 extremely low income renter households in Co. And, there are 26 affordable and available rental homes per 100 extremely low income renter households.
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The average salary in Denver is $77K/yr. This is only a 55% increase since 2010 (while rentals have increased by 85% and mortgages 104%). Families need to be making at least $92k/yr to not be rent burdened in the Denver metro area or $154k/yr to not be mortgage burdened in the Denver metro area.
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A recent study shows that 91% of people experiencing homelessness have experienced at least one traumatic event and 99% have experienced childhood trauma. Neuroscience shows that trauma alters the structure of the brain shrinking the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex. This translates into memory struggles, propensity toward self-destructive behaviors, and substance abuse, all of which contribute to difficulties in functioning that can lead to poverty, difficulty in job performance, social functioning, etc.
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Youth who do not have a high school diploma or a GED are 346% more likely to experience homelessness. Those without a bachelor’s degree are 3 times more likely to experience unemployment than those with a college degree. And, the weekly income of those with a bachelor’s degree is typically more than double that of someone without a college degree. Interruption to academic accomplishment creates massive barriers to both employment and housing stability.
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Many BeyondHome families enter our program when they are on the verge of homelessness. Typically this means they are one crisis away, a bounced check, a needed car repair, a hospital bill, etc. from losing everything. The frantic financial re-assignment of funds distracts from making long term financially sound decisions. You cannot plan for the future if you are unsure if you will be able to feed your children tomorrow.
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Most families experiencing homelessness have a beautifully adaptive set of skills that serves them faithfully while navigating chaos or instability. Their survival instincts keep them alive. However, these same skills that keep them alive in moments of danger, are the very skills that keep them stuck when they have opportunities to live in safety. Energy that is focussed on surviving cannot be shifted to energy focussed on thriving until physiological needs are met.
As a Transitional Housing Program, we know that the cycle of poverty puts future generations at risk and is defining the lives of thousands of families in Jefferson County and the Denver Metro area, daily. The impact is far reaching. . . strain on our healthcare system, increased dependence on government assistance, greater crime rates, and an uptick in alcohol and substance abuse.