The Crawford House – A Shelter for Homeless Veterans
By Jay Magee, LTC, USA (Ret)
5 March 2010

Ten years ago In March of 2000, the Colorado Veterans Resource Coalition formed.  And again in March, two years later, the Crawford House opened.  Named after William J. Crawford, a local Medal of Honor recipient, the Crawford House is primarily managed by veterans entirely for veterans.  The House provides a service that is not provided anywhere else in Southern Colorado.  Homeless veterans can receive both shelter and counseling in a VA sanctioned program designed to help them reintegrate into mainstream America.  The Crawford House is a non-profit  501(c)3 corporation whose primary purpose is to provide mental health treatment as well as alcohol/substance abuse treatment in a home environment for veterans who both need and want assistance.  As a requirement for residency, our veterans must adhere to remaining ‘clean and sober’ while receiving treatment in order to remain in the program.  In return, residents receive medical and mental health services, extensive counseling, and job search assistance.  Random urinalysis and breathalyzer testing is both expected and performed.

Veterans can expect to receive extensive community collaboration with resourceful agencies such as the VA, SSI, Social Security, A.N.D, El Paso County Department of Military Affairs, The Vet Center, and HUD Housing coupled with therapy with licensed practitioner counselors.  And with two transitional houses, adjacent to and also managed by the Colorado Veterans Resource Coalition (CVRC), longer term living arrangements, up to 24 months with follow-on mandatory aftercare treatment programs, are available.  The CVRC is serious about rehabilitating and restoring the dignity and productivity of our veterans.

But the Crawford house and its adjoining houses are currently at full capacity and maintain a wait list for qualified veterans awaiting treatment.  The demand is far superior to the capacity available to meet that demand.  Therefore the Board of Directors of CVRC recently completed a five year strategic planning process to identify first of all, our core competencies, and then our strengths and weaknesses, in order to map out a plan to address structured growth, and a corporate vision for how the CVRC will meet the growing veteran needs in the Southern Colorado area.

In the past, funding has been received from a number of sources, to include the VA Homeless and VA PHP Contracts, as well as individual and corporate contributions, coupled with a number of annual fund raisers, to include the Pikes Peak Road Runners and Cheers liquor.  With additional fund contributions coming in from the Fort Carson Thrift Store and others, the CVRC has been able to manage their operating costs, and their long-term mortgage debt.  But now the long range strategy requires growth, and in turn, renewal or retirement of current debt before additional debt related to facility expansion may be incurred.  The CVRC is actively seeking renegotiation of the former before the latter may be fulfilled. Additional space has been found that is both large enough and within proximity to current operations to make it manageable. 

In their recent CVRC strategic planning session, the board of directors identified additional areas of community service, to include the growing population of homeless veteran families and women veterans in our community.  Average veteran population growth is approximately 5-7% per year; however the veteran growth in Colorado Springs ranges much higher than the national average due to the five active military installations here.  But if growth is to be managed, it must be anticipated.  Then it must be planned for, including the financial planning necessary to rise to the next level, and the next.  That is where the CVRC Board is now.  And they are seeking the assistance of the Colorado Springs community in these endeavors. 

Colorado Springs is blessed with their veteran population and robust military infrastructure, not to mention one of the strongest defense industry structures in the Nation.  The community has demonstrated over and over their support for out military.  Now our homeless veterans need assistance.   One of the areas you may help is as a volunteer for our fund raisers.  There is also an open Board position for an individual with experience in writing grants.   Finally, we ask you to please pray for our veterans.  Questions or inquiries regarding the Crawford House or the CVRC may be directed to myself, our Crawford House Program Director, Vicky Pettis, or our CVRC Board President, Jim Tackett.  Our website is www.CVRC-CrawfordHouse.org.
GBA!!