{"id":47175,"date":"2021-04-23T20:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-24T02:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/some-durangoans-still-havent-received-a-stimulus-payment\/"},"modified":"2021-04-24T02:19:00","modified_gmt":"2021-04-24T02:19:00","slug":"some-durangoans-still-havent-received-a-stimulus-payment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/some-durangoans-still-havent-received-a-stimulus-payment\/","title":{"rendered":"Some Durangoans still haven\u2019t received a stimulus payment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Aquila
Aquila Cota, who lives at Purple Cliffs in Durango, rearranges canned goods Friday in one of the camp\u2019s two kitchens. Cota has yet to receive his first stimulus payment, but with the help of a friend filing for it, he hopes to receive it soon.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

For many people, receiving a COVID-19 stimulus check was as easy as checking their bank account and finding hundreds of government dollars inside.<\/p>\n

But for some people, like many living homeless at the Purple Cliffs camp, getting the financial boost has been far from simple.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not an eligibility issue. It\u2019s about barriers: not having a bank account, identification, the right tax forms.<\/p>\n

Three times during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has disbursed stimulus checks to help Americans \u2013 including those without permanent addresses \u2013 recover financially.<\/p>\n

Aquila Cota, who lives at Purple Cliffs in Durango, has yet to receive his first stimulus payment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s on its way,\u201d Cota said Tuesday. \u201cI had a friend do it for us from his computer since he used to be an accountant.\u201d<\/p>\n

A year ago, millions of people around the country began receiving the first payment of $1,200. In December, the eagerly awaited second payment, $600, started to arrive.<\/p>\n

The main issue for people at Purple Cliffs comes down to taxes. The Internal Revenue Service uses past tax filings to send out stimulus payments. But that method can bypass people without taxable income, for example, single adults younger than 65 who make less than $12,400.<\/p>\n

\"Aquila
Aquila Cota walks up to his tent at Purple Cliffs on Friday south of Durango. Like Cota, many Purple Cliffs residents had to navigate barriers, such as a lack of computer access or necessary tax filing, to receive stimulus checks.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

During the 2008 stimulus rollout, about 17% of those who were eligible (many of whom also had very low incomes) never received the money because they didn\u2019t file taxes, according to a 2019 report<\/a> published by The Hamilton Project, a policy group.<\/p>\n

Some of the 50 or so residents at the La Posta Road (County Road 213) campsite have bank accounts, disability assistance or Social Security benefits and automatically received the payments, said Jim Micikas, who volunteers at Purple Cliffs through the Neighbors in Need Alliance.<\/p>\n

Others want to receive the payments, but they don\u2019t have a fixed address. Or they can receive a check, but don\u2019t have a bank account and can\u2019t cash it. If they don\u2019t have a form of identification, that makes starting a bank account more difficult.<\/p>\n

A few distrust government systems, and two people weren\u2019t aware of the stimulus payments, Micikas said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen there\u2019s a security issue after you get the money \u2026 because they don\u2019t have a bank account to draw upon,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Durango residents and community groups have stepped up to offer support.<\/p>\n

Manna, a Durango soup kitchen, allows people to use its address for receiving mail and guides them through the process for identification document replacement. Friends might cash checks or accept mail for the campers, Micikas said.<\/p>\n

Durango Vineyard Church brought a computer and Wi-Fi hot spot to Purple Cliffs to help people complete a short non-filer tax form. They helped about 40 people, and of those, about 75% hadn\u2019t filed taxes recently, said Jeff Sutherland, mission coordinator for the church and a board member at Manna.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy overall experience would be things involving more than one or two steps, it becomes overwhelming,\u201d Sutherland said. \u201cBut with somebody else there \u2026 they\u2019re able to do what they need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Aquila
Aquila Cota, who is currently experiencing homelessness, plans to spend his COVID-19 stimulus money on bills. For others, the money is a way to fix cars, upgrade tents or purchase equipment to increase income opportunities.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The non-filer form isn\u2019t an option for the third stimulus, approved in March, Sutherland said. The full $1,400 goes to any individual who earns less than $75,000 of adjusted gross income, heads of households who earn less than $112,500 and married couples who earn less than $150,000.<\/p>\n

People have to complete a full 2020 tax filing to receive this payment, he said. The tax deadline is May 17.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s thrown a wrinkle in there. I don\u2019t, and our organization doesn\u2019t, necessarily know all the required tax things to be able to help them fill out their actual tax return,\u201d Sutherland said.<\/p>\n

A former accountant is helping a few people at Purple Cliffs with their filings, Micikas said. The IRS website also lists free options for filing, including a free tax help search tool that lists two locations in Durango. Or, if people have identification, Sutherland refers them to Liberty Tax Office in Walmart or the Durango Public Library.<\/p>\n

While the library can\u2019t provide tax assistance, it can direct people to tax forms in English and Spanish and refer to the IRS filing site, said Sandy Irwin, library director.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe help the people at Purple Cliffs because we know that\u2019s the one place we can consistently be,\u201d Sutherland said. \u201cThere\u2019s still unknown numbers of unhoused throughout the area that we haven\u2019t worked with.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those who have received the payments, the extra money served as a stop-gap measure during the pandemic when support services were closed or less available, Sutherland said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout 85% of them were using the funds \u2026 to fill in the gaps for a lack of income,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tim Sargent, a camp leader, was already registered with Social Security and automatically received his payments.<\/p>\n

He upgraded his tent and bought Redwood boots, a chainsaw and safety equipment. Cutting wood would help people heat their tents or be a source of income. He also put some aside in savings toward purchasing property in the future, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to put some money together so we can get private property for us retirees \u2026 a small farming thing, with chickens, rabbits, that kind of thing,\u201d Sargent said.<\/p>\n

One person at Purple Cliffs sent a care package to his girlfriend. Another, who plans to fix his truck to help secure a job, filed 2020 taxes but the second and third payments were still processing.<\/p>\n

Cota, who has also taken a leadership role in managing the camp, plans to use his stimulus to pay off bills.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels great. No more burden, no more pressure,\u201d he said. \u201cWhatever money I have left, I don\u2019t know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

smullane@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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