Poverty a looming issue for Fort Collins

from The Coloradoan

Elected officials encouraged to join discussion about solutions

Many Fort Collins residents have heard about some of the statistics, but have they seen the face of poverty?

This week, some women bravely shared their story in support of a local nonprofit's five-year fund-raising campaign, but also to demonstrate to the community that poverty is a growing issue, particularly for divorced women and children.

Tara Eckhardt was a 27-year-old single mother struggling to pay her bills when she contacted Project Self-Sufficiency for some help. The organization provides support, funding and education and job referrals to help lift residents from poverty and into a sustainable lifestyle. Nearly three years later, she is attending Front Range Community College in pursuit of a nursing degree that will help her provide for her family.

Currently, Project Self-Sufficiency assists about 125 families a year, but, like so many other social service and nonprofit agencies in the community, it is seeing more people in need such as Eckhardt.

The young woman's story should serve as a cautionary tale. The U.S. Census Bureau in 2005 reported a 63 percent increase in the number of single-mother households in Fort Collins and a 48 percent hike in Larimer County. The cause of the increase is not known, but the effect is becoming quite clear. Between 2000 and 2005, Fort Collins saw a startling 94 percent increase in children living in poverty, and a 73 percent increase in Larimer County.

United Way of Larimer County is currently studying how it can adjust to serve the growing poverty problem. But this burden will not be carried by nonprofits alone. Poudre School District also is researching how to deal with the socio-economic shifts. And governmental policy decisions, including those made at the school board, Fort Collins City Council and Larimer County commission level will impact those in need as well as taxpayers. Project Self-Sufficiency and other organizations are applauded for educating the public about poverty in our community. Their stories are powerful; the solutions will have to be even stronger. In the meantime, we strongly urge our elected officials to become part of this dialogue. Fort Collins' looming poverty problems are not often included on agendas and public forums. It's time to do so.