City of Greeley News

At the June 14 work session, Greeley City Council officials heard a report from the consulting firm Urbanity Advisors providing six recommendations to address homeless and housing alternatives in Greeley.

The report is the result of several community conversations with residents, stakeholder interviews, and survey feedback over the last six months. The recommendations include:

1. Utilize the collective impact framework to coordinate cross-organizational collaboration. Collective impact is a network of community members, organizations, and institutions that work to align and integrate their efforts for a more coordinated approach to problems.
2. Conduct a housing needs assessment.
3. Pursue pre-development research for a service-based campus model approach.
4. Establish a clear understanding of homelessness' risk and protective factors (with collective impact).
5. Establish a user-friendly resource guide for organizations, housed, and un-housed community members (with collective impact).
6. Explore creative temporary solutions such as monitored camping villages and safe parking lot programs that could serve as ways to meet challenges while more permanent solutions are worked on.

Based on the recommendations, city staff suggested that a Housing Advisory Council be created to address the collective impact framework and further collaboration efforts. This would include the necessary staffing and resources to support the city’s efforts.

Additional action would include: 

• Further consideration of a service-based campus model that can offer several homeless services, sheltering and permanent supportive housing all on one site.
• Exploration of temporary solutions to fill gaps in services such as safe parking and safe camping. 

City officials already started work to conduct a housing needs assessment. And officials started work with providers to address homelessness' risk and protective factors. Additionally, city staff are collaborating with United Way and numerous non-profits on a comprehensive and user-friendly resource guide for those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. 

Council members provided feedback on the recommendations and instructed staff to supply further timelines and action steps for implementation at future City Council meetings and in concert with the Strategic Plan update.

"Homelessness and housing in Greeley is a growing and complex issue," said Greeley City Manager Raymond Lee. "We are thankful to our residents who have participated in the conversation and shared their candid and honest feedback. Per the recommendations, a community-wide coordinated approach to delivering services, housing and programs can effectively create lasting homelesss and housing solutions in Greeley."

Residents can view the June 14 work session presentation, final report, and recommendations by visiting the City of Greeley meeting portal or greeleygov.com/homelessandhousingservices.

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