Council Proceeds with $4.1 Million Plan for Housing Solutions

At the city council meeting on Sept. 3, a second reading of a housing plan providing affordable housing and alleviating Greeley’s homelessness problem was delivered to the council.

Deb Callies, housing director for the city of Greeley, and Anna Sitton, a senior project manager with Anser Advisory, spoke at the meeting Tuesday about their efforts to construct a plan to improve the city’s most daunting problems.

Callies and Sitton are working with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, to craft a five-year plan to be discussed and tuned until its eventual submission on Nov. 8. Since 2020, Greeley has received $4.1 million in funds to assist with bringing this plan to fruition.

"This plan is more than just a guideline. It’s a framework that will shape how Greeley allocates its federal funding, ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed to benefit the community,” Sitton said.

The biggest problem Callies and Sitton intend to address is homelessness. Steve Teets, a Greeley resident, was vocal about his concerns regarding the problem.

“I’ve never seen things like this in my lifetime, in this country, in this state, and in this county. We need to have a solution so people can be able to live and have a comfortable life,” Teets said.

The proposed plan addressed these concerns and offered several potential solutions. Callies and Sitton intend to push for affordable, future-proof housing developments within the city, designed to withstand the worst possible conditions such as severe weather. Sitton emphasized the importance of mental health services as well, citing that a decline in mental health can be observed in individuals experiencing long-term homelessness.

The plan means to allow for easier access to systems like mental health services in order to promote a better quality of life for at-risk individuals. To accomplish these goals, Sitton addresses the main setbacks that currently exist, including language barriers and a lack of transportation.

The five-year plan extends beyond the homeless population, with Sitton highlighting how other populations experience neglect in regards to essential services including the LGBTQ+ community, domestic violence survivors, disabled individuals and the elderly population. According to Sitton, the aim is for services to be more accessible to those who need them and to improve the services that already exist.

A community forum will be open to the public at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday at the LINC Library located at 501 8th Ave. to further discuss the distribution of funds to best assist at-risk communities.

In other business:

• A Greeley resident discussed his concerns regarding food taxes and the toll they are taking on families.
• Callies proposed the creation of the Housing for All Advisory Board dedicated to advising the city on housing issues affecting Greeley residents. City Council approved the creation of the board in a 7-0 vote.
• Erik Dial, the Deputy Director of Utility Finance, proposed a revision to municipal code title 20 surrounding raw water dedication requirements. City Council approved the revision in a 7-0 vote.

City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at City Center, 1001 11th Ave. Meetings are open to the public.