AURORA | As one-time federal resources for Arapahoe County residents needing homeless and affordable housing services dwindle, county officials are surveying residents about options, including whether to raise county taxes.
Money from the American Rescue Plan Act, aimed at preventing homelessness and boosting affordable housing, has essentially all been used and won’t be repeated..
“ARPA funding has presented us with a unique opportunity to invest in the well-being and prosperity of our community,” Commissioner Carrie Warren-Gully said in a press statement released earlier this month. “We have been able to make positive impacts by helping our most vulnerable residents with critical needs like housing and food security, but as ARPA wraps-up, we need to be realistic and strategic about next steps.”
Only $1 million of the $126.5 million received from the American Rescue Plan Act remain unallocated. The remaining money will need to be allocated by the end of 2024.
The money from the American Rescue Plan Act funded the following programs in the county, according to a press statement:
- Created 665 affordable housing units
- Assisted nearly 700 families avoid eviction
- Five community navigator positions, temporary employees who work with individuals and families to connect them to county and federal services that prevent homelessness
- Ensuring children and families have access to healthy and nutritious food.
As the county “faces a potential budget shortfall,” they are now asking residents for feedback on how to fund housing programs, among others.
Arapahoe County residents have until Feb. 23 to complete an online survey, which is available in English and Spanish.
One question asks whether residents are willing to raise sales and, or, property taxes to continue or expand homelessness and affordable housing programs.
Tax increase programs could include repairing and maintaining county roads, upgrading and repairing county buildings, reducing the backlog of county improvement projects, and supporting public safety services.
“It is important to understand that Arapahoe County has not decided whether to put a ballot measure before voters this November to create additional funding sources for county services, projects, and programs,” the survey states. “In fact, your participation in this survey and sharing your honest opinions will help the county make that decision.”
Growth in the county’s budget has been flat for 25 years, despite increasing costs, record population growth and demands for programs like the ones funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. Without an increase in revenue, county leadership will be forced to make more significant cuts in services, affecting businesses and residents. Programs and services across all areas and departments are likely to be affected, according to a county press statement.
“This is our fiscal reality, and we must act quickly and decisively to ensure we can continue offering these kinds of programs that have a positive impact on our residents and on the entire state,” Warren-Gully said in the press statement.
What positive impact is in creating and maintaining perpetual dependence on the residents, as if their home ownership is an infinite source of prosperity for them? You have no ideas and ways to improve the economy with the taxes you already receive to make residents self-sufficient in your paradise.
Quite ironic, since inability to pay property taxes are a cause of hundreds of new cases of homelessness in Arapahoe County alone!
The entire thought process behind this survey, ballot item and even a whiff of increasing taxes at point in the time is… absolutely nuts! Then there is the bias of the entire survey (if neither ballot measure is passed services across the board cut 10%). Scare tactics based absolute balderdash. It is pretty simple… if property taxes are based on assessments, and homes like mine were assessed 54% more than two years ago, it stands to reason with no change in mils that revenue from property taxes (including whatever percentage the county gets) was more than 50% more than last year (collected 2023 for 2022). There is no way costs to the county rose 50% to match this extra revenue based entirely on the smoke and mirrors that property assessing is based on.