The new face of homelessness

Homelessness is not just the scruffy man on the street begging for spare change. Nor is it just the stereotypical bag lady digging through Dumpsters.

Today, homelessness is defined by service workers who can't afford first and last month's rent and deposit. It's also the single mother with two young kids scraping by on a minimum-wage salary.

"The majority of our homeless here are living in hotels," said Tom Ziemann, director of Catholic Charities. "And we have a lot of young people couch surfing. They have a roof over their heads, but no permanent home."

The survey says

Ziemann hopes Colorado's first statewide homeless count survey conducted this week shows the new face of a growing issue.

On Tuesday, Catholic Charities, along with about 15 other county service agencies, asked individuals to fill out a short form indicating their housing status. The survey did not require first or last names, but asked questions on age, sex, family background and mental health.

"What we're trying to get is more of the demographics, the characteristics of the homeless," Ziemann said. "The majority of the people we're getting are regular people stuck in hotels. What we're going to know is exactly who the homeless are."

Homelessness in Garfield County can be linked to the area's high cost of living and housing shortage, as well as the oil and gas industry boom, Ziemann said.

"Landlords are raising rent, and expecting people to pay first and last month's rent and deposit, which requires around $3,000 to get into a place," he said. "There's no wiggle room here. There are so many people who are just stuck in a room."

Living on the street

For Suzanne Jennings, a hotel room would be nice.

The 41-year-old recently hitchhiked to Glenwood Springs with the goal of finding a job and breaking away from the homelessness trap.

"It's really tough," said Jennings, who was born in California and raised in Oklahoma. "I've been homeless for a long time, and it's been hard. But I've met some nice people here."

Jennings carries a green sleeping bag under her arm in case she can't crash at a friend's house. She can't work until she can show current identification, which she said she misplaced in her multistate travels.

"I have a guy who promised me a job as a waitress, cook," she said. "I had to have a public defender to do the notary so I could get my ID. I have a current ID in California and Florida."

Although Jennings hasn't joined the county's work force, many employed people are homeless, by definition. They camp out in Glenwood Canyon's caves, sleep in cars, or rely on makeshift housing to live here, Ziemann said.

"We just helped a lady and her kids move out of a shed. It was in someone's backyard, with no running water," he said. "This is the worst I've seen it in the six years I've been here, in terms of the housing market. It's the biggest need we have."

Ziemann said he hopes the survey results - projected to be complete in the next several months - will call attention to a problem throughout the state, not just in metro Denver.

"This whole thing is about driving social policy and potentially driving funding," he said. "I don't know how this place is going to survive if people can't afford to live here."



Contact April E. Clark: 945-8515, ext. 518

aclark@postindependent.com