Homeownership can change lives.
That belief is at the core of what we do at Pikes Peak Habitat, and it encompasses both our homebuying and home repair programs.
We build decent homes in partnership with local families who invest sweat equity and pay an affordable mortgage. And we’re always looking at ways to keep those homes affordable — through using weather-resistant materials, making homes as energy-efficient as possible, and providing water-wise landscaping options.
Our home repair program also recognizes the value of homeownership. We provide critical repairs focused on health, safety, and accessibility to seniors, veterans, and other cost-burdened homeowners. Grab bars, ramps, railings, and similar upgrades enable people to remain in their homes — and give them more independence. We also ask partner families to “pay it forward,” and we’ve seen beautiful examples of homeowners engaging with their neighbors in meaningful ways and building relationships as a result of their involvement with the repair program!
But as hard as we work — and we do work hard! — we can’t meet all the needs for affordable homeownership opportunities and critical repairs in El Paso County. And the same is true across the state and across the country — especially as housing costs continue to rise while wages stagnate.
That’s why Pikes Peak Habitat, along with Habitat for Humanity International and other Habitat affiliates, engages in advocacy work. Kris Lewis, our executive director/CEO, refers to affordable housing as “a nonpartisan issue that requires bipartisan solutions.” So we work at the city, state, and national levels to advocate for policies and laws that support affordable homeownership.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to partner with the future homeowners, especially as so many of them have been without a voice for such a long time,” says Karla Probert, Lewis’ administrative assistant and advocacy ambassador for our affiliate. “To help them lift their voices is incredibly rewarding and meaningful to me.”
Here are some of the actions we’ve taken over the past year:
Local: Colorado Springs Mayoral Candidate Forum
In February, we partnered with KRDO NewsRadio and KRDO NewsChannel 13 to host a forum focused on affordable homeownership. All 12 Colorado Springs mayoral candidates participated and answered questions, including some submitted by audience members. Their views differed as to the causes of the crisis, potential solutions, and the role of local government in addressing the issue, leading to lively exchanges and cross-pollination of ideas.
Between in-person attendance, audio streams, and podcast downloads, the forum reached nearly 3,000 audience members.
As a result of the forum, Lewis was invited to speak on the “COS ’23 Mayor’s Race” podcast and also met with several community leaders. Then-candidate and now-mayor Yemi Mobolade pledged to include her on a housing committee, and she has been invited to participate on the Mayor’s Solution Team on Housing.
“That was one of the most exciting and fulfilling projects I’ve ever worked on — to get so many people involved pushing to move an event that had never occurred and to deliver something so meaningful to so many constituents,” Probert says. “It gave candidates opportunities, it gave the public an opportunity to learn, and it pushed Pikes Peak Habitat into the forefront of the discussion on affordable homeownership. It made people aware of the need, and most importantly it helped people make decisions about this very important topic because they knew what the candidates thought about it.”
Local: Mill Street
Pikes Peak Habitat is working as an ally with the Mill Street Neighborhood Association, which is seeking a Community Benefits Agreement regarding the redevelopment of the Martin Drake Power Plant. Residents of the area, which is adjacent to the power plant and near Weidner Field, hope to preserve the neighborhood’s historic working-class character and ensure that housing remains affordable for longtime residents. Some have already been forced to leave due to rising costs and a decrease in inventory, with many homes being converted to full-time vacation rentals.
Pikes Peak Habitat’s engagement with this neighborhood goes back two decades. The almost 20 homes we built here received an Award of Excellence for Sympathetic New Construction: The Mill Street Endeavor, the Corner of Mills Street and Conejos Street from The Historic Preservation Alliance of Colorado Springs in 2004.
“I’ll never forget the first time we did a tour of Mill Street,” says Probert. “It was so uplifting to walk through the neighborhood with residents and to learn about all the different houses, to see how Habitat fit in. It really brought to the forefront for me how important it is that we protect the neighborhood, the working-class history, but it also put a face to people with the potential to be displaced.”
Most recently, we facilitated and participated in a meeting between the Mill Street Neighborhood Association and PUSH Buffalo (“At PUSH we mobilize residents to create strong neighborhoods with quality, affordable housing, expand local hiring opportunities, and advance economic justice in Buffalo”).
“This isn’t just some abstract idea,” Probert says. “These are real people, real lives, real homes–and they should be protected.”
State: Proposition 123
Within our state, Pikes Peak Habitat and other Colorado Habitat affiliates worked closely with Gary Ventures and other organizations to support Proposition 123, a ballot measure that voters approved in November 2022. Under Proposition 123, one-tenth of 1% of state tax revenue will fund housing programs, including grants to nonprofit organizations focused on providing affordable housing.
Pikes Peak Habitat’s support included evaluating the proposed legislation, social media posts and other communications, media interviews, text-banking (we sent more than 5,000 text messages!), and placement of 50 yard signs in Colorado Springs.
“Doing the text-banking was so fun!” says Probert. “To get into a brief conversation and to engage people and to share my passion for homeownership was really uplifting, and it made me want to get out there and be a voice!”
Not only did Proposition 123 pass, but Colorado Springs has opted in to receive those funds–the first major city in Colorado to do so!
National: Habitat on the Hill
Also in February (it was a busy month!), Probert attended Habitat on the Hill in Washington, D.C. The event launched with advocacy training from Habitat for Humanity International.
“It was a blast! It’s very, very intense,” she says. “One of the most interesting things to me was a Habitat homeowner talking about why she pushes on the advocacy front. She brings her story to the nation to make a difference, to talk to politicians directly about things that can seem very abstract.”
After the training, Probert met with Dale Anderson, Chief of Staff to Congressman Doug Lamborn, and Megan Wenrich, Senior Legislative assistant.
“I really appreciate the opportunity that Representative Lamborn does every year to allow Habitat to come make our pitch!” she says. She shared the collective Habitat asks:
- Support the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act
- Support vital housing and community development programs in the FY24 fiscal budget, specifically increasing funding for SHOP, HOME, and USDA Section 502 Direct Loan (although Pikes Peak Habitat doesn’t directly use the latter)
The FY ’24 federal budget hasn’t yet been approved, but our efforts to advocate at the national level will continue!
Get Involved!
Join us in working for affordable homeownership through our advocacy efforts! Contact your elected officials to express your support for measures that support affordable housing and homeownership opportunities.
And if you want to take a more direct role, join our Advocacy Committee! “This ad hoc committee shall provide guidance on strategy and actions to advocate for just and fair housing policy, to eliminate the constraints that contribute to poverty housing, and to put shelter on hearts and minds in such powerful ways that poverty housing becomes socially, politically, and religiously unacceptable. Advocating for sustainable and inclusive policies and systems that promote access to decent housing is critical to achieving Pikes Peak Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” Contact Karla@pikespeakhabitat.org for more information.
