Tag: homeless
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GUEST OPINION: What real progress on homelessness looks like
Homelessness is one of the most visible and complex challenges facing Colorado Springs. It affects neighborhoods, businesses, public spaces and, most importantly, people. There are no easy solutions. But there is a better way forward: one grounded in compassion and accountability, focused on measurable results, and powered by strong community partnerships. Recently, our community has…
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AROUND TOWN: Off the Street Breakfast under Colorado Avenue Bridge has a long tradition
Since 2008 special fundraising breakfasts have been annual fundraising gatherings for hundreds of supporters of The Place, an emergency shelter for homeless young people in need. It continued July 23. The nonprofit it benefits had its start in 1998-1999 and was then known as Urban Peak Colorado Springs when area human service nonprofits, Department of…
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New shade arrives at opportune time for homeless people living at Springs Rescue Mission
Without the new courtyard gazebo at Springs Rescue Mission, some people who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for the structure’s debut noticed they would have been baking in the sun. Clients of Colorado Springs’ largest homeless shelter, who found relief from this summer’s intense heat wave in the shadow of nearby buildings during the event,…
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LETTERS: Another foster care agency; vulnerable in our community
Another foster care agency Thanks, Gazette, for having an important article on foster care for children in need. The only thing missing was the organization Hope & Home. I am going to tell you about it because their story needs to be known. Hope & Home is the largest foster care agency in the State…
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Medicaid suspends agency behind ‘The Program,’ citing ‘credible’ fraud allegations
The agency overseeing Colorado’s federal Medicaid program has suspended an Aurora home-health agency that is the focus of an investigation into an enterprise that lured dozens of homeless people with promises of free housing and cash and reaped tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements. Officials said it has stopped paying Medicaid claims filed…
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‘The program’: Caretakers got millions, some homeless were evicted
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Colorado Watch series that looked into how homeless people were offered housing and “donations” from a church in return for becoming clients of a home health care agency that billed Medicaid millions. Read the other stories here. Barely 5-foot tall on her tip toes, Stephanie Swabacker is a pistol of a…
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‘The program’: Using the homeless to reap Medicaid millions is not new
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Colorado Watch series that looked into how homeless people were offered housing and “donations” from a church in return for becoming clients of a home health care agency that billed Medicaid millions. Read the other stories here. Federal rules prohibit anyone from giving any Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary any remuneration —…
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‘The program’: Church’s cash ‘donations’ are an anomaly; requests to attend services were ignored
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Colorado Watch series that looked into how homeless people were offered housing and “donations” from a church in return for becoming clients of a home health care agency that billed Medicaid millions. Read the other stories here. Helping the homeless is at the center of many religious groups’ focus, with outreach…
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LETTERS: Revisit the mayor’s vision; primary election voting is underway
Revisit the mayor’s vision As Colorado Springs continues to grapple with rising homelessness and policies focused on moving people from camps and public spaces, we should revisit Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s stated vision to “take a holistic approach to address the needs of our residents” and create a pathway to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Homelessness…
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Free housing, cash and a catch: Investigation finds Colorado program targeting homeless clients, billing millions to Medicaid
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series. Read about how home health in Colorado is a complex setup and about the group On Going HHC. They call it “the program.” For the past four years, dozens of homeless people in the Denver metro area have been recruited to live rent-free in suburban houses…