He\u2019s working part time at Taco Bell, and another resident has a part time job at McDonald\u2019s. They said looking for affordable housing in Cortez was challenging, and rent payments of $600, or more, plus utilities, were out of reach.<\/p>\n
The apartments are considered transitional for up to two years. They allow residents to get job training and full-time work, become independent and be in a position to obtain more permanent housing. In some cases, people released from jail are granted an apartment to help with their transition back into society.<\/p>\n
The shelter also runs the Day Labor Center, but because of the coronavirus risks, it is temporarily closed, Kuntson said. Sending people out to homes for work could cause exposure to the virus.<\/p>\n
The health emergency had an impact on the local homeless population, Knutson said.<\/p>\n
With the shelter on lockdown and Cortez Recreation Center closed, they could not get a shower, so hygiene became a problem. Many of the usual clients ended up camping around Cortez.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first crisis is stopping the disease, then the fallout is the economy suffering. Society will see more people becoming homeless in the coming months,\u201d Knutson said. \u201cPeople lost their jobs and income, more foreclosures and evictions are a concern.\u201d<\/p>\n