Colorado
‘It’s just this endless, vicious, expensive, frustrating cycle’: Colorado Springs residents weigh in on updated homelessness plan
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Colorado Springs residents got their first look at what the city’s updated Homeless Response Plan might look like Thursday afternoon.
Residents, advocates, leaders, and unhoused citizens all packed into a room at the city administration building for a preview of a plan that’s been in the works for more than a year.
“I was really excited to see all these different residents that showed up today,” Housing and Community Vitality Department Acting Chief Housing Officer Katie Sunderlind said. “What was presented today was our base, and we’re going to make sure that’s updated based on what we’ve heard today.”
The presentation laid out concrete steps the city can take to make sure residents across the continuum of homelessness are taken care of with six focus areas that include homelessness prevention, enforcement and clean up, street outreach and shelter, employment opportunities, affordable housing and supportive services, and regional and collaborative communication.
Actions include ensuring housing for seniors and those experiencing mental health issues, increasing the number of officers on the CSPD Homeless Outreach Team, finding partners to operate a non-congregate shelter, expanding the WorkCOS program, and increasing the number of low-income affordable housing.
Unhoused Colorado Springs resident Louis Acker said he felt the meeting went well.
“This is the first meeting they allowed the homeless to actually be in,” he said. “I think they should have a couple people from the streets to let them know how it works because there’s a couple things I want to change.”
Housing advocate Max Kronstadt said he was pleased to hear about some parts of the city’s plan.
“I was very happy to see the city talking about using federal funding to create expanded shelter options because that’s something that we sorely need in town,” he said. “We also advocated for increased public bathrooms so opening up the bathrooms that exist and expanding bathrooms so I was happy to see that included in the plan as well.”
However, he said there are also things he’d like to see change.
“Disappointed to see the expansion of the HOT team when there’s no evidence to suggest that’s working, it’s actually actively setting people back in their ability to get out of homelessness,”Kronstadt said.
Old Colorado City homeowner David Vaillencourt said while he believes there’s a lot to like about the plan, he also sees room for improvement.
“We need more than just a 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. HOT crew, we need a lot more staff there and it can’t be just about enforcement because that’s expensive, it doesn’t make sense to just keep ticketing and bringing people to court, we need something more sustainable,” he said.
Vaillencourt said he wants the city to address the root causes of homelessness.
“Otherwise we just keep putting a Band-Aid on it and it’s just like we’re taking on water in the boat and continuing to bail it out and it’s just this endless, vicious, expensive, frustrating cycle,” he said.
Sunderlind said they plan to release a full draft in early September, ahead of the mayor’s State of the City speech.
Copyright 2024 KKTV. All rights reserved.
UPDATE: SUNDAY 4/19/2026 7:12 p.m.
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Northbound Powers Boulevards is back open at Palmer Park Boulevard, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). However, the center and right northbound lanes as well as the right turn lane remain closed south of Constitution Avenue. Law enforcement asked the community to avoid the area if possible, and drive carefully.
ORIGINAL STORY: CSPD: Major crash closes northbound Powers
The northbound lanes of Powers Boulevard are closed at Palmer Park Boulevard for a major crash at Powers and Constitution as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). Drivers are asked to avoid the area.
According to FOX21 News crew who spoke to an officer at the scene, the crash involved at least two cars and two motorcycles, and multiple people have been taken to the hospital.
Multiple agencies are responding, according to the FOX21 News crew, and the Major Crash Unit may be called in. Reports indicate that no one has died as of 5:30 p.m.
Former Colorado Buffaloes stars Sebastian Rancik and Bangot Dak announced their transfer portal decisions on Sunday with Rancik committing to Florida State and Dak committing to Vanderbilt, per On3’s Joe Tipton. They join former Buffs guard Isaiah Johnson (now at Texas) as the third former Colorado player to leave the Big 12 conference as Rancik opts for the ACC and Dak heads to the SEC.
The trio of Johnson, Rancik, and Dak make up three of Colorado’s four most productive players with rising senior guard Barrington Hargress, and the Buffs are now tasked with replacing such production with Hargress as the only returner.
Rancik’s season ended prematurely with an injury, but he averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Buffs. Dak was Colorado’s leading rebounder with 6.5 boards per game, scoring 11.5 points per contest as well.
While each player has his respective reasons for transferring, the most expected ones are for seeking better NIL deals or more development on a better team in a better league. The Buffs finished 12th in the Big 12, and the allure of the SEC was too strong for the program to hold onto key talent like Johnson and Dak.
Still, Colorado coach Tad Boyle proved his ability to recruit and build up a solid core, one that saw its headliners of Johnson, Dak, and Rancik all depart in the portal. Can he do it again?
Colorado Buffaloes Roster Outlook
Boyle and the Buffaloes did retain Hargress as well as three freshmen guards: Jalin Holland, Ian Inman, and Josiah Sanders.
As a freshman, Holland averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as one of Colorado’s key pieces coming off of the bench. Meanwhile, Sanders appeared in 33 games as a constant presence in the Buffs backcourt, averaging 4.4 points and 1.7 assists per game.
Inman played the fewest minutes of the returning trio, but he flashed with a couple of double-digit scoring performances as a true freshman.
“When I think of those three together, I think of toughness. I think of the improvement they made over the course of the season and the togetherness they have. They’re great friends and have formed a bond during their freshman year. Their toughness, energy and work ethic, when you have those attributes to go along with talent, which they all have, you get a chance to have three really good sophomores next year that will take the next step,” Boyle said in a release announcing the return of the three freshmen.
With eight outgoing transfers to replace, the Buffaloes will certainly have a new look to them for the 2026-27 season.
Colorado has landed one transfer portal prospect so far in former North Dakota State foward Noah Feddersen. On the recruiting trail, Boyle and company are bringing in four-star forward Rider Portela as well as two prospects from the NBL in Australia: forward Goc Malual and guard Alex Dickeson.
The transfer portal for men’s college basketball closes on Tuesday, April 21, meaning players have to enter their names by then. Transfer athletes do not have to commit before the portal closes, though, so Colorado is expected to continue hosting prospects on visits while building out the roster.
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