With the increasing costs of basic necessities, the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute has determined that a single adult with one infant and one preschooler needs to make over $20 an hour to afford basic family needs in our community. A two parent family with one preschooler and one school age child would need to earn almost $11 per adult per hour. This budget calculates for basic needs only and assumes that a family with two children would live in a two bedroom apartment; it does not allow for recreation, entertainment or savings.
Unfortunately, many families do not earn such high wages and struggle, forced to make hard choices about where to spend limited dollars. Should they prioritize food, health care, rent, child care or other basic needs? Which should they sacrifice? Growing Home’s Homeless Prevention Program is comprised of a set of services designed to help families make ends meet each month and weather crises that would otherwise lead to homelessness.
Services Include
Rental / Mortgage Assistance
Offers hard working Adams County families one time financial help for rent, mortgage (or other housing expenses) coupled with budget counseling and three months follow up case management. Over 90% of families served remain stable in their housing, avoiding a close call with homelessness! Growing Home stabilizes approximately 60 families each year.
Emergency Services
Supplies food, diapers, baby items and personal care provisions to relieve families as they work to make it though a particularly hard month or time.
Over 100 families per month come for assistance with these basic needs when their dollars just can’t stretch far enough. This is Growing Home’s fastest growing service.
Resource Linkage
Provides hotline callers and walk-ins case management, crisis intervention, resource referrals and information on needs such as childcare, health/medical, dental, housing, utilities and rent and the use of a phone when needed. Growing Home values each individual by taking the extra time to assess his or her needs and provide personalized advice. Growing Home is the only north metro human service organization serving families 7 days a week, and staff and volunteers serve about 150 households per month.
