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New Pilot Program Aims to Help our Unhoused Residents

District leaders followed the Forum on Homelessness with a planning meeting. We realize this is societal issue that’s impacting all parts of our metro area and beyond. Our discussions led to a series of meetings with Bayaud Enterprises, whose mission is to create hope, opportunity, and choice with work as the means through which people with disabilities and other barriers to employment (including those experiencing homelessness) can more fully participate in the mainstream of life.

We understand these issues are complicated and multifaceted with no quick fixes, but we (together) must do more. The city and county are collaborating on a longer-term solution. In the interim, we want to add our efforts to try to make a difference where we can. In coordination with the city and their CAT team and other local partners, we are working on new pilot work program with Bayaud that could bring direct resources to our unhoused populations to provide services, training, and opportunities for low-barrier-to-entry employment right here in our community. We’ve been raising funds to support a pilot for this day-work program, and we almost have enough funding to start it. This approach will directly impact those experiencing homelessness, providing training, the opportunity for gainful employment, and services, including periodic mobile shower and laundry trucks, as they work with us to clean-up our community.

If the pilot work program is successful with Bayaud Enterprises, the next step is to establish and promote an opt-in service for additional West Colfax business and property owners to subscribe to for regularly scheduled services for sidewalk and parking lot clean-up, graffiti removal, and to gather and return shopping carts. It will take time to formalize this. If you want to receive more information once the program is ready, please email info@westcolfax.org with the subject line CLEAN UP COLFAX—and we’ll back in touch. More information to come! UPDATE: This pilot work program is scheduled to begin Oct. 13th! Many thanks to Lakewood Economic Development, WCCA, and the Lakewood-W. Colfax BID for their supporting contributions!