When the economy takes a turn for the worse, more people than ever reach the brink or tumble into the depths of homelessness. Many things can set off the dreaded chain of events — loss of a job, healthcare emergencies, house and car repairs…

Fortunately, several local organizations spread the safety net to catch people who suddenly find themselves without a place to call home. Others work hard to keep people from becoming homeless in the first place.

Catholic Charities Northern serves people in greater Fort Collins who are homeless or
near homeless, and it’s playing a vital role during the economic downturn.

"[The demand] has definitely increased," says Whitney Reid, case manager. "Our shelter is full all the time."

Catholic Charities Northern has a homeless shelter for short-term use as well as longer term housing for families. It provides emergency food and financial assistance, along with a program to help clients become self-sufficient.

"In emergency assistance, the need has doubled," Reid says. "A lot of people have lost their jobs, lost their housing because they lost their jobs. People can’t find employment, so they’re in their situation for longer times. It’s been tough — really tough."

Another key organization fighting homelessness is the Homelessness Prevention Initiative (HPI), which works with people before they become homeless by providing emergency rent money to those living within the Poudre School District who can’t pay their rent.

"We’re helping them maintain employment, we’re helping their children stay in school, we’re helping the stabilization of the family unit," says Sue Beck-Ferkiss, executive director of HPI.

"Once people are displaced out of their homes, problems begin to mushroom. We know 20 percent of homeless children don’t go to school, and it’s a lot harder to find a job and keep a job when you don’t have a home," Beck-Ferkiss says.

One of the biggest problems for people who become homeless is loss of health. According to HPI, homeless children suffer two times as many ear infections, five times more diarrhea and stomach problems, four times the average rate of delayed development and are two times more likely to go hungry than children living in a
permanent home.

Homeless people’s healthcare needs are served by organizations such as the Health District of Northern Larimer County, Salud Family Health Center and Larimer Center for Mental Health.

Whatever additional help they need, people are finding much of it at the new Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center for Hope. Program supervisor Zachary Penland says the center helped 330 individuals when it opened in March. "I thought it would take six months to get to the number of people we’re serving now," he says.

The innovative center provides space for offices of 12 different organizations serving the homeless and those on the brink of losing their homes. Services include everything from job counseling, to health screenings, to rental assistance. Clients also have a place to take a shower, wash clothes, store a few belongings and search for work online.

Penland says many who visit the Murphy Center haven’t seen a doctor in years and have numerous health issues. The center can send sick clients to local health clinics, and it is arranging for nursing students to do on-site health screenings.

With so many organizations in close proximity at the Murphy Center, clients have easier access to various forms of assistance and spend less time traveling from agency to agency, Penland says.

"Now we can just walk them down the hall…and make sure those things get accomplished."