SAFER Homeless Fund

Solutions for Achieving Fast, Effective Response (SAFER) Fund is a community initiative in Arapahoe County. SAFER is a collaboration of organizations that aim to address the needs of our community’s most vulnerable individuals released homeless from institutions. The goal is to raise funds for short-term housing and supportive services to assist in stabilizing our at risk homeless individuals.

More than 10,000 people experience homelessness in Colorado, many of which suffer from severe physical and mental illnesses.

Homelessness is not just a public safety issue, but also a public health issue. Homelessness is intrinsically linked to deterioration of mental and physical health. The costs of chronic homelessness tears away at familial ties and our community’s economic and moral foundation

Housing stability provides a base from which to feel safe, focus on treatment, establish a social network within the community, to live within community norms, and to seek employment.

Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness disproportionately utilize significant public and private government resources in the form of emergency room visits, our first responders’ time and resources from critical calls, and our justice system. This financial burden to our community ranges from $29,000 to $67,000 per person, per year. 

A 2018 study published by Colorado Department of Public Safety on seven county jails, Arapahoe County Detention facility included, showed 80% of respondents reported being homeless in the year prior to their incarceration. 64% of these individuals reported having a mental health disorder.

Due to rising housing costs, increased behavioral health needs, underfunded re-entry programs, and a lack of supportive housing, our vulnerable residents are being released from institutions back to the community not knowing where they will go for a safe place to sleep or eat. 

This is even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, which magnifies this problem. Without assistance and support, vulnerable individuals are unable to stop the cycle of homelessness and institutionalization and can’t follow public health guidelines to help stop the transmission of COVID-19. All contributions go directly to providing temporary housing and supportive services for longer-term solutions.

Working with a community-minded motel in Arapahoe County, SAFER has already provided shelter and assistance to members of our community’s at-risk population.  

Partners include Arapahoe County, South Metro Emergency Services, Community Mental Health providers, National Alliance for Mental Illness advocates and other community stakeholders. SAFERS’ short-term shelter project is the first step to improve our most vulnerable individual’s situation while connecting them to more appropriate and longer-term assistance and solutions.

PLEASE DONATE

For credit card donations, simply click on the donate button to the top right of the page. 

Make checks payable to: Arapahoe County Foundation: SAFER Homeless Fund. And mail to Arapehoe County Foundation, 5334 S Prince St, Littleton, CO 80120

For more information about the SAFER program, please contact
Gina Shimeall at gina.shimeall@shimeall-law.us or Brian Veatch at brian.veatch@southmetro.org