“I choose to live in a van due to the prices of renting in Estes and the challenges of finding consistent housing.” Eden Bolick
Homelessness in the Estes Valley is real and has many faces even though it is often hidden in plain sight. With the arrival of winter weather, the problem for some people has become acute.
One homeless resident in Estes, Eden Bolick, confesses to having a steady income, however, due to high rental prices and the difficulty of finding stable housing, a steady income simply is not enough.
“The housing market is far above the average Estes pay,” said Bolick who has lived with her cat in a van full-time for three years, renting parking spots during the summer and moving around during winter.
“I choose to live in a van due to the prices of renting in Estes and the challenges of finding consistent housing. When a rental property turns into a vacation rental every summer, it can be hard to find a place to live in the summer,” said Bolick.
Local facts and statistics
According to a 2024 report issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there were more than 653,000 homeless Americans in January 2023, a 12.1% increase from January 2022.
In 2022-2023, Colorado was one of five states in the nation that experienced the largest increases—38.9%—in homelessness.
The Northern Colorado Continuum of Care which provides data to the HUD study, also does a point-in-time tracking of the incidence of homelessness in communities in the region including Estes Park.
The official count estimates the 2024 homelessness population to only be three, but Scott Moulton, executive director of the Estes Park Housing Authority questions that number based on the number of people on the agency’s wait lists, “We do not believe these counts to be accurate and understand the number of homeless in the Estes Valley is greater and varies significantly throughout the year.”
The EPHA’s wait list is prioritized into three groups: families or individuals who live in the Estes Valley, those working in the Estes Valley, and those who do not meet either criterion.
Five points are assigned if someone in the household works in the Estes Valley. Five points are assigned if someone in the household already lives in the Estes Valley. Zero points are assigned if neither of those conditions are met.
The EPHA’s waiting list of 10-point applicants is about 600. The list for those who have five points is about 800. And there are some 1,300 people on the wait list who do not meet either the resident or the employment criteria.
Tackling local homelessness with limited resources
Crossroads Ministry of Estes Park is one of a handful of resources available to address the needs of people who are homeless. Crossroads will assist individuals to complete the necessary paperwork to obtain services or resources with regional and statewide agencies.
“If we discover that an individual is stranded in the Estes Valley and has a support system in another state, we will assist with a bus ticket to be reunited with familiar surroundings and people,” said Brian Schaffer, executive director of the organization.
If an individual does not have support, the ministry will offer options for nearby homeless shelters in Loveland, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Boulder.
Crossroads also provides necessities such as non-perishable food items that can be stored without refrigeration and can be eaten without the use of cooking equipment.
They also can offer vouchers to local partnering organizations that provide clothing, showers, and laundry services. Individuals are also offered help in getting needed medical attention. During extreme winter conditions, temporary lodging can be arranged with local hotels.
Finding hope amid uncertainty
Crossroads continues to think of ways to be proactively engaged in reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness in Estes Park, which means doing things differently and not simply managing the problem through emergency services, said Schaffer.
When people depend on emergency services without access to permanent housing and necessary support, it leads to declining health and well-being, and an uncertain future. The alternative, in Schaffer’s opinion, “is to look at approaches that emphasize prevention or interventions that lead to appropriate housing options with support services. In an effort to resolve issues surrounding homelessness, we are working on the premise that no one should be in an emergency for any longer than a few weeks.”
Since 2020, the organization has organized a task force with involvement from the local government and nonprofits, providing skilled personnel and resources to combat the spread of homelessness.
“We are pursuing a holistic approach to address the root cause of what precipitated a person’s homeless situation,” Schaffer said.
“The plan for many years has been to send individuals experiencing homelessness to
Crossroads for food, fuel, showers, laundry, clothing, or emergency lodging. Our goal is to address the immediate needs and then focus on preventative measures, generally including a team meeting to discuss the barriers keeping people from staying housed,” said Schaffer.
Social service assistance/Dónde encontrar asistencia para la vivienda
- Estes Valley:
- Crossroads Ministry of Estes Park
- 970-577-0610
- 1753 Wildfire Rd.
- https://crossroadsep.org/
- Estes Park Housing Authority
- 970-591-2535
- 363 E Elkhorn Ave. #101
- https://esteshousing.colorado.gov/
- Estes Valley Crisis Advocates
- (970) 577-9781
- https://www.crisisadvocates.org
Resources for Larimer County Residents:
- Catholic Charities Samaritan House
- 970-484-5010
- 460 Linden Center Dr., Fort Collins
- Family Housing Network
- 970-484-3342
- 1606 S. Lemay Ave., #105, Fort Collins
- https://www.familyhousingnetwork.org
- Fort Collins Rescue Mission
- 970-224-4302
- 316 Jefferson St., Fort Collins
- The Murphy Center
- 970-494-9940
- 242 Conifer St.
- The Matthews House
- 970-472-0609
- 415 Mason Ct., #1
- For Veterans:
- Volunteers of America SSVF
- 970-999-5877
- 116 W. Harvard St., #4
- For help with domestic violence:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 1-800-799-7233
- Text: 88788
- Crossroads Safehouse
- 970-482-3502
- 421 Parker St., Fort Collins