Manna Resource Navigator Hunter Klein held a stack of papers in his hands last month while one of his unhoused clients talked about her struggles to find a place to live. It was another rental application for low-income housing in Cortez.
Her concern was about transportation from Cortez to Durango for job opportunities and to see loved ones. A lack of reliable transportation is a common concern among those living homeless.
The Manna Resource Center has been inundated with clients seeking assistance since the closing of Purple Cliffs in September.
For those working behind the scenes at the resource center, the housing crisis is an all-hands-on-deck effort. It has been 10 months since the closing of Purple Cliffs, and the unhoused still line up outside the soup kitchen everyday in search of food, housing resources and help with employment.
A survey conducted by Neighbors in Need Alliance in 2022 tallied about 400 people experiencing homelessness in La Plata County.
Resource Center Manager Danielle McDonald said Tuesdays are always the busiest day of the week, but the number of people who show up seeking assistance also depends on the weather.
Among the services offered by Manna is the organization’s rapid housing program that seeks to find people a place to live. But finding housing for those who have been living on the streets is a multifaceted problem.
Klein works with people from varying backgrounds and employment situations. Some may have a place to live but they are struggling to make rent. Others have been homeless for quite some time, possibly because of a criminal record, and are looking to put a roof over their head.
No matter the situation, the effort to find low-income housing is often exacerbated by prolonged wait times through Housing Solutions for the Southwest.
Klein said those selected for housing is based on a needs assessment, which tends to favor single parents with children or older people with disabilities. Housing solutions will choose five to six people each month for housing.
But there are hundreds of people eager for an opportunity.
“Sometimes their needs just don’t go up high enough to bump them up the wells, and it can be like a year to two years,” Klein said.
Klein tried to help another client who had a criminal background, which can disqualify a person for low-income housing. Klein recommended applying for housing in Cortez, but the woman was concerned about having to commute from Cortez to Durango to see family and find employment, which would add to living expenses.
He told her there was free transportation from Cortez, and that Manna would cover the cost of the application fee. There was also some discussion about Manna covering the cost of the first month of rent until she could find employment.
Klein said this is a common path resource navigators use to find unhoused community members housing faster. They will often look for places in neighboring communities like Cortez or Ignacio. In some cases, Klein has had better luck finding housing situations in Denver.
“Often, people are able to get into low-income housing in the Denver area and then we’ll buy them a bus ticket up there and give them resources for other food shelters,” Klein said.
Program Services Manager Marissa Hunt said it is difficult to apply for housing, regardless of whether a person is homeless. But barriers like addiction, criminal histories and unemployment make it even more difficult.
The Manna Resource Center also helps with those barriers.
If someone is seeking employment, Manna attempts to conduct outreach to potential employers to place that person in a job.
Klein said the program has helped people find day labor or odd jobs that involve cleanup or manual labor. In some instances, Manna has connected people with jobs at Walmart or hotels.
Not everyone succeeds at maintaining gainful employment. Those who don’t may fall back into addiction, struggle with transportation or have hygiene issues.
“There’s been a few people who come in distraught because they’ve been fired from their jobs because they didn’t have the right hygiene,” Klein said.
When transit is free in the summer, it makes it easier for the unhoused to commute to work. But when transit isn’t free, Manna has only 30 bus vouchers to give away.
Last month, Manna was attempting to help Wesley Boyett find housing. Boyett had been struggling with a disability that limited the type of jobs he can apply to as well as impacted his tolerance for heat.
Boyett said he served in the U.S. Army for two years before being medically discharged.
Manna helped Boyett fill out paperwork and allowed him to use computers to apply for jobs, SNAP benefits and find medical care. Boyett has been guerrilla camping in Southwest Colorado for a couple of years. He said moving from place to place has taken its toll and he wanted to escape inclement weather with his health conditions.
“I feel like there’s something that I can do to give back, as well,” he said. “If I had a place to live and cook, I can give back.”
Boyett generally travels alone with his dog, Zero. He said he wants to stay in Durango.
“I like Durango,” he said. “This is where I want to be, and it’s hard for low-income people here, so I want to stay and be the change that I want to see.”
tbrown@durangoherald.com
