Pinon Project Family Resource Center

On Thursday, a coalition of local government agencies and nonprofits is dedicating a park bench to those in the Cortez community who have died in the area while experiencing homelessness. The Montezuma County Homelessness Prevention Coalition is a collaboration between groups like The Piñon Project Family Resource Center and the city of Cortez to help unhoused residents of Montezuma County. Lucia Bueno-Valdez is the homelessness prevention coordinator for The Piñon Project and a key member of the coalition. She says one of the problems the group faces in assisting unhoused people is a lack of available data on how many have lived in Montezuma County, historically. And Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is speaking out against a proposed merger between grocery store giants Kroger and Albertsons.

As the cost of living skyrockets, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep a hold on stable housing … so, how does the only shelter in Montezuma County, Colorado for people experiencing homelessness fit into the complicated housing crisis?

Southwest Colorado is facing a housing crisis just like many other rural communities across the Mountain West. To combat the problem, local organizations in the region are building affordable housing developments. But the housing crisis is a complex issue, and additional housing inventory won’t solve it alone. For KSJD News, Lucas Brady Woods has this report.