Colorado Springs and El Paso County, along with the State of Colorado and much of the United States is in what is considered to be an Affordable Housing Crisis.
Much research has been conducted on this topic and the solutions are as complicated as the problem. Workforce housing, attainable housing and affordable housing are all terms used to describe the type of housing needed.

Locally, there are several factors that have contributed to the deficit in housing that is affordable for low-income earners and for seniors and others on a fixed income. Following the recession, very little housing was being constructed in our community. The demand for both single-family homes and apartments has exceeded the inventory. With growth being a factor, we also see households at retirement age staying here and staying in their homes. The average wages paid here have not kept up with the rising costs of rentals and homeownership. When a household is paying more than 30% of their monthly income on housing costs, they are considered to be housing cost burdened.

When a household is paying more than 50% of their monthly income on housing costs, they are considered to be severely cost burdened. Research shows that in El Paso County over 50% of low-income earners are cost burdened and 13% are severely cost burdened. With so much of their income going to housing costs, funds are not available for other basic needs and the risk of losing their housing greatly increases.

In the fall of 2018, the Affordable Housing Collaborative was formed to be a community voice and advocate for affordable housing. As a founding member, Partners in Housing’s Executive Director, Mary Stegner has been involved in the initial community presentations and work groups developing priorities and goals which have been presented to City Council and County Commissioners. Partners in Housing sees the need for more inventory and the effects of the lack of options on our Partner clients. We hope you will join us in supporting zoning changes and other initiatives so local efforts to increase availability continue.

To learn more, please visit the Affordable Housing Collaborative website at www.affordablehousingelpasoco.org
Volunteer Spotlight: Steve Brinkman
What do you like most about volunteering at Partners in Housing?

“The thing that I like best is that I’ve spent my whole life working with the sole goal of making money, and I just enjoy having an impact on people’s lives. I’ve admired people like my wife, Cindy who is a Special Ed teacher making a direct impact on one person’s life and I’ve just always thought that that was a good thing to move into rather than just making money.”

Steve Brinkman is a wonderfully talented Partners in Housing volunteer that generously gives his time and skills in a variety of ways! With an MBA in Finance from UCCS and a passion to make a direct impact on a person’s life, he was a natural fit our Money Mentor volunteer position. For the past three years, Steve has been working with families on their personal finances, building upon their knowledge base and collaboratively setting goals on their path to self-sufficiency. Earlier this year, Steve ambitiously completed additional training to become a Certified Credit Counselor (now one of two at Partners in Housing!) becoming even more of an asset to families working on their financial stability!

And yet, the families in our program aren’t the only ones to benefit from Steve’s knack for numbers! Steve joined our agency’s Finance Committee providing financial advice, analysis, and oversight of our organization’s budget.

When Steve isn’t volunteering, you can find him at his business, Signarama, a full-service sign center off the Garden of the Gods exit. For over 20 years, Steve has been leading the charge on delivering high-quality signage, including specialty items like vehicle decals and banners. Our box truck and van have their decal work proudly on display! You also may have had your picture taken in front of a Signarama produced Step-and-Repeat banner at one of our events!

Thank you, Steve for all your many ways of support! The Colorado Springs community is a better place because of your efforts!

To learn more about volunteering at Partners in Housing, please contact Jillian at (719) 325-5830 or jbirchmeier@partnersinhousing.org!
Flat Tire Fund Follow-Up!
Lucy*, was down on her luck with a windshield crack estimated at $339 that deemed her vehicle undrivable. Because she had just started her year with us, Lucy had no savings and was unable to pay for the replacement. This replacement was a large setback, as she had just started attending Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) courses across town and needed to care for her adult son. With support from the Flat Tire Fund, all costs were covered allowing Lucy to continue nursing school and caring for her family. With one month left in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, Lucy is now making $22/hour. This would not have been possible without neighbors like you contributing to our causes!

This monumental support is made available for families through the Flat Tire Fund, one of our three rotating cause buckets. This cause bucket was developed for families in need of emergency or preventative care for their vehicles, along with families who are in need of bus passes, taxi vouchers, or other means of transportation. BIG thank you to St. Michaels’ Episcopal Church and several individual donors for kicking off the Flat Tire Fund to help mothers like Lucy reach self-sufficiency! 

Check out more ways you can support families and children this summer through other rotating Cause Buckets: 

  • Kids Gifts and Experiences - You can make a difference in the life of a child by gifting a positive experience to help them learn to trust others even when life is uncertain or difficult. Your donation will provide funds for classes, tickets to shows, and other enriching experiences that children need to thrive.

  • The Summer FUNd- You can help a child get outdoors this summer! This promotes a healthy lifestyle through physical activity, bonding with peers, and team building.

Visit here to learn more: partnersinhousing.org/cause-buckets

*Personal details have been changed for privacy
Your Donation Could Go Further AND Reduce Your Taxes!
Taxes and stocks can be complicated topics, but helping families in housing crisis while keeping more money in your pocket doesn’t have to be. When you donate stock to Partners in Housing, it’s not only tax-deductible, but there’s no capital gains tax on any appreciated stock that you’ve held for more than a year. Partners in Housing is a qualified charitable organization, a 501(c)(3), and by taking this tax-smart route, your donation in the fight against family homelessness goes 20% further than if you’d sold the appreciated stock and donated the proceeds.

What’s more, if you’re a Colorado resident and your stock donation to Partners in Housing is valued at $250+, you’re also eligible for a generous 12.5% Enterprise Zone (EZ) tax credit to use against your state income tax. That means less of your income is getting taxed AND your donation goes even farther – sounds like an EZ decision to us!

To donate stock to Partners in Housing, please contact Jillian at (719) 325-5830 or jbirchmeier@partnersinhousing.org!

Always consult with your accountant and/or tax advisor for advice concerning your particular circumstances.
Transportation Transforming Lives
This May, a well-deserving family received a car generously donated to Partners in Housing! Jessica*, the Partner who received this vehicle (her Caseworker pictured below), had recently lost her job due to a lack of transportation. Once her car stopped running, local bus routes did not align with her work hours, and she was unable to make her shifts. She remained resilient and determined while facing this challenge and continued attending the required Family Self-Sufficiency Program classes despite having to walk to her appointments.

After receiving this life-changing gift, Jessica started working with a delivery service, allowing her to study for her CNA license and prioritize her children’s needs and schedules. Jessica just hit her six-month point in the program and having reliable transportation has made it possible for her to continue saving and look toward her family’s future.

This wouldn’t be possible without the generous donor of this vehicle, and support from a volunteer who checked out the car and covered a portion of repairs before the donation. Thank you to all who came together to make this happen!

*Personal details have been changed for privacy
Join the Team!
At Partners in Housing, we observe 14 paid holidays a year, provide a paid day off for birthdays, and new employees accrue 10 hours of paid time off per month (and that grows with tenure!).

We also offer benefits to full-time employees (medical, dental, and vision), offer a 403(b) retirement plan in addition to automatic enrollment in our pension plan, and have other fun activities like having potlucks at some of our staff meetings. We’d love for you to be invited to the next one!

WE HAVE OPENINGS IN THE FOLLOWING FULL-TIME ROLES:

Bilingual Caseworker (English/Spanish)
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or a related behavioral science
  • Two years’ experience in Social Work or related experience

Housing Maintenance Coordinator
  • High school diploma or its equivalent
  • Three years’ experience doing general maintenance work involving a variety of duties, including minor plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and screen repair.

or email jbirchmeier@partnersinhousing.org. We are looking forward to seeing your application!
Support While You Shop!
When you shop at King Soopers and select Partners in Housing as your chosen nonprofit, a percentage of your eligible purchases will support families in the Self Sufficiency Program at no cost to you! Last year, 80 shoppers raised $3,060.82!

Thank you to all of the shoppers who are helping families break the cycle of homelessness!
WANT TO SAVE ON NEXT YEAR'S TAXES?
We’ve made it easier to support Partners in Housing
AND save on your Colorado state taxes!
EL PASO COUNTY ENTERPRISE ZONE –
25% TAX CREDIT
To qualify, donate $250+ in 2022 in a single donation or through multiple donations (minimum of $25/gift). You can give by check or by card. For your donation to qualify, you must include specific information with your donation. For details, please call or email Jillian at (719) 325-5830 or jbirchmeier@partnersinhousing.org or visit partnersinhousing.org/tax-credit-information/.
CHILDCARE TAX CREDIT – 50% TAX CREDIT
(and no, you don’t need to have children to qualify!)
The most advantageous tax credit we offer is the Childcare Tax Credit which gives donors like you a 50% credit on your state tax liability! A popular misconception for this tax credit is that a donor needs to have children to qualify – that isn’t true. This tax credit was created to promote giving to nonprofit organizations that provide quality childcare in Colorado. Partners in Housing’s Child Enrichment Center is a qualified program and allows our donors to have this tax credit opportunity! To qualify, donate $500+ in 2022 in a single donation. You can give by check or by card. Please include “Child Enrichment Center” in the memo line of your check or if giving online, select “Other” for the Designation drop-down box and enter there.
Always consult with your accountant and/or tax advisor for advice concerning your particular circumstances. If you would like additional information regarding either tax credit, please contact Jillian at jbirchmeier@partnersinhousing.org or (719) 325-5830.