As of today, 17 million homes sit vacant in the United States. This statistic is staggering enough, but in the context of homelessness it becomes even more grim. In 2021 it’s estimated that around 600,000 to 1 million people are currently unhoused. Let me repeat that. There are 17 million vacant homes in the US, and 600,000 people who are experiencing homelessness.

Do you see the problem?

On a more local level, we can see the demonization and ridicule of the homeless in places like Boulder. Many in Boulder would like you to believe that they advocate for this struggling population, but this could not be more untrue. On April 27, 2021, Boulder City Council voted to spend $20 million dollars in an effort to expel the unhoused from public areas through a practice called camp sweeps. This is just one of many attempts to outlaw homelessness in Boulder.

Another example of Boulder’s problematic practices is its camping laws. According to the ACLU, “In the past four years, Boulder police have issued over 1600 tickets for violations of the city’s anti-camping ordinance. The law prohibits sleeping outside with ‘shelter,’ which Boulder defines to include any protection from the elements other than clothing. Thus, sleeping outside at night is not ‘camping,’ but sleeping while using a blanket or sleeping bag is a crime.” It’s clear to anyone that these camping laws are designed to oppress the unhoused. When you refuse to afford someone something as basic as shelter, you have a problem.

Another flaw in Boulder’s approach to solving homelessness is that its shelter is deeply inadequate. It can only house up to 160 people, which is much lower than the 682 estimated homeless people living in Boulder today. This equated to only a fourth of the population being able to stay. These invasive and outright cruel laws and policies are what have kept the unhoused in such a bad position for so long. It’s time we realize these laws only remove the problem from public view. These laws provide no real support for homeless individuals.

Through my research, I came across many resources and organizations in Boulder County dedicated to activism and support of the unhoused. One of these organizations is Feet Forward. Feet Forward is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for the homeless like clothing, first-aid supplies, camping equipment, bus passes, and food resources. I was able to speak with its founder, Jennifer Livovich, who gave me a lot of insight on the real life effects of homelessness on people who experience it, and the community as a whole.

Jennifer has first-hand experience of what it’s like to be homeless. Jennifer first became unhoused when she left an abusive marriage, “I had to make a choice of going back and risking my safety or leaving, essentially saving my life but also choosing to have nothing.”

It’s important to realize most people become homeless out of poor circumstances, and that prevention is one of the few solutions she proposes to be effective. Jen spent four years in Boulder being unhoused, and during that time she struggled to survive, but also found a community. She states, “prior to my experience in homelessness, I absolutely had no idea what community was like, what it felt like, what it was. And my experience in homelessness taught me about community, it taught me what that looked like and what it felt like.”

Jen recalls many hardships while living in Boulder. She describes Boulder’s single homeless shelter as being very inaccessible. “One, it was too far away. Two, it was a terrible walk. I don’t know if you’re familiar with where it is, but it’s up the hill [located in north Boulder]. And if you have too much gear, or a shopping cart, it’s really bad. Three, it was loud in there. And we had no privacy and you had to watch your stuff 24/7. And then you have to be out of there by eight o’clock in the morning. Just to me it was not worth it. It was just like, I’ll take my chances outside and be in my little zone.”

She also tells me she had problems with law enforcement and the Boulder municipal court. Over the course of four years, she had received 51 tickets, many of them for trespassing, drinking, or camping violations. Her experiences paint a more personal and real image of what it’s like to be homeless in Boulder.

When asking her about her experience, I also asked what some of the solutions she thought might be effective in solving homelessness. She believes that the Housing-First Model is the most effective way in solving homelessness. This model plans to provide permanent housing for the homeless as a platform for self- improvement and community building. The problem is finding funding and resources for affordable housing, because as of now there is very limited funding for models like these, especially in Boulder.

Jennifer also believes in homelessness prevention through community outreach. Programs like sober supported transitional living communities can be useful in assisting addicts who are at risk of becoming homeless to get the help they need and stay afloat. More job opportunities and accessibility to wealth for those most at risk of becoming homeless have also been effective ways of prevention.

When asked about Boulder City Council’s decision to spend 2.7 million dollars towards policing she states, “We just came out of a global pandemic, we’re in an economic downturn. Despite all of that it’s an overall poor resource allocation for the amount of money that they have to just come up with a plan for increased policing. That is not a best practice. That does not end homelessness. They could have easily housed over 200- 250 people.”

After being unhoused for so long, Jennifer was able to get back on her feet after partaking in a program called Fort Lyon where she began attending Colorado State University and her mission for federal housing and allocating resources for the homeless began. In October of 2018, she started the donation drive Save- A-Toe which focused on giving socks and other seasonal clothing to the unhoused locally. This drive slowly grew, and in August of 2020, Jen started the non-profit organization Feet Forward. Today, Jen organizes weekly sites where resources can be given to the homeless, along with other funds and events that assist the unhoused.

It’s important to ask ourselves now, what can we do to help? I asked Jen this same question and she has a few answers. She says a great way to start is to interact with those who are unhoused. Start conversations, ask them ways you can help. It can go a long way. Financially supporting the homeless is also a great way to help.

Give back to donation drives and organizations who are dedicated to this cause.

If you are interested in supporting the homeless locally, Feet Forward is hosting a first-of-its-kind resource fair. This event is taking place on June 30th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the civic downtown Boulder area. The goal of this event is to gather awareness and resources to the unsupported and is a great way to give back to the community.

Through my extensive research and conversation with Jennifer Livovich, the problematic nature of Boulder’s approach to solving homelessness is clearly flawed.

But, also its time we start addressing not only the homelessness problem, but also it’s solutions. As a community we can work together to “support the unsupported” as Feet Forward states their slogan.

If you are interested in more information about Feet Forward and Jennifer’s story, you can visit www.feetforward.org and take the steps to bettering our community and our world as a whole.