Westside CARES

10/19/2026

Wow:

Ava lives with Mike and Beth, who have given up their spare room through a charity.

10/18/2026

The teaser for this thoughtful report:
"Colorado has proof that policies and investments can reduce child poverty."

The Colorado Poverty Measure, funded by Gary Community Ventures and developed by Columbia University's Center on Poverty and Social Policy shows that programs like the Family Affordability Tax Credit, housing assistance, and SNAP help lift tens of thousands of children out of poverty each year.

10/17/2026

“Yes, this moment carries a real sense of validation. It reflects more than a decade of effort. And it reflects the leadership, dedication and compassion of countless people in Denver who have been building a responsive, effective homelessness response system long before this article existed,” Cole Chandler, executive director of the Denver Department of Housing Stability, says.

Pieces in The New York Times and The Economist both said Denver knows how to fix homelessness. What say you?

10/16/2026

On this , we are grateful for our partners at The Sanctuary Church, who host community-building activities like Shower to the People, the Ragamuffin Cafe, and - occasionally - emergency sheltering with HOPE COS. Thank you for all you do!

10/15/2026

Investing in public transit helps everyone, but especially people with fixed incomes:

Amid months of rising gas prices, a typical driver now spends $65 more on fuel each month today than they did a year ago.

10/14/2026

"Social Security lifted 28.8 million people out of poverty in 2025, making it the nation’s most effective anti-poverty program. Refundable tax credits—such as the earned income tax credit and the refundable portion of the child tax credit—and SNAP were the next most effective anti-poverty programs, lifting 6.1 million and 3.1 million people out of poverty, respectively."

In 2025, the official poverty rate decreased while the supplemental poverty rate remained statistically unchanged. Yet cuts to the social safety net signal increases in poverty in the years to come.

10/13/2026

Attention voters: The Bell Policy Center, whose mission is to research and advance economic mobility for every Coloradan, has prepared a thorough ballot analysis, available here:

The 2026 Colorado Ballot Guide is here! We've done the research and analysis so you have the facts you need.

10/12/2026

Westside CARES will be closed today in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. We're sorry to miss you and hope to see you tomorrow!

10/11/2026

Yes in God's Backyard:

Faith-owned land creates new affordable housing solutions

10/10/2026

Communities need ALL kinds of different solutions to meet the needs of the unique human beings that live in them:

The Trump administration is shifting federal policy and dollars away from the “Housing First” approach that has been at the heart of federal homelessness policy.