State employees have been making sure our communities continue to operate through unexpected crises, like the COVID pandemic, and make sure Colorado families get what they need -- including a safe and warm place to sleep at night.

But the truth is, our response to the pandemic was complicated by the fact that years of budget cuts thinned staff and hampered planning. So members like Stephanie Maney are forced to do the best they can with what they have when an emergency happens.

Critical federal relief means we should be able to take care of the immediate crises like housing and unemployment claims, but the reality in Colorado is different due to decades of underfunding and understaffing.  We must change the way we invest in public services for the long-run, so that when the next emergency happens, we are prepared for it.

Read more about what’s going on at Stephanie’s department here:

https://coloradosun.com/2021/06/10/colorado-horne-contractor-housing-rent-assistance/