Village of Hope in La Plata County for those who cannot access affordable housing

Village of Hope Is in planning stages for Phase One with ten (10) units of 1, 2 & 3 bedrooms, furnished with all utilities. Every small house in the new village is dedicated for people in low-income and in Homelessness or are on the brink. The reason for only a small number of units is to create a prototype community to the Southwest Colorado region in a well-organized, self-governed with CCO oversight and management, and to include social services.

A community building will be constructed after all units are completed. It will have a commercial kitchen, conference and meeting rooms, space for two computers and an office for the site manager.

CCO, Inc., advocates for affordable and available housing to serve those who cannot access affordable housing in La Plata County:

• Persons in homelessness according to the revised HUD definitions
• Households earning less than 80% of area median rent rate
• Persons with barriers that prevent entry to a shelter or is disqualified for Housing Vouchers for criminal records, lost IDs, and paying over 50% of income in rent
• Applications are not available until a location is identified in La Plata County
• CCO does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, religion, race, or political views
• CCO is not an ADA approved provider
• CCO does not qualify as a senior center
• Unaccompanied Youth Ages 18-24

Persons agreeing to rental agreement, rules and regulations should prove length of homelessness.

Small House designed for persons in poverty and homelessness will be available as soon as we identify a location for the first Phase One. . .

Phase One
CCO reached a Milestone in May 2018 with a dignified insulated lockable safe Small House for people in homelessness and poverty. The Humanitarian House International (HHi) NonProfit in Denver, CO, redesigned an experimental HHi House of PVC Tubing -- assessed by the Engineering Design and Practice ENGR 315 during 2018 Spring Semester. Students were under the tutelage of Dr. Don May, Professor of Engineering at Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO.

A Final Report was submitted on April 30th to CCO and HHi as agreed in an agreement to collaborate with Fort Lewis College. The Collaboration shared specific responsibilities according to the November 2017 agreement.

• CCO provided students with criteria and specific goals;
• HHi supplied technical assistance and materials according to the architect's specifications; and,
• FLC performed accountability of materials, assembled the components, conducted tests, and disassembled the unit to determine the structure's weight.

In lieu of ordinary frames used in conventional construction, Big Sky R-Control may provide Structural Insulated Panels in a kit with hardware to Ohlson's specifications.

Sponsor the cost of a small house.....
If you would like to sponsor the cost to build one or more small houses, please contact us.
Contact “Donna Mae” Baukat for further information.

Private or county property to establish the first Village of Hope in the county. . .

Somewhere in La Plata County, within ten miles from the City of Durango, a minimum of one acre is awaiting a village for sustainable living. CCO Board of Directors and volunteers identified an unmet need for small houses with great insulation and heating. CCO’s goals include scattered sites throughout the County of La Plata in which people may be housed separately and according to celebrating recovery, victims of domestic violence, families with children, and adults dealing with substance abuse. Social workers will be able to meet individuals and families in their small home. Volunteers will coordinate job skills training, workshops and seminars according to the capacity of the villages. This vision is ever-growing with each passing day.

Housing, affordable and available to people of low-income, contributes to reduction of panhandling and homelessness by getting them off the street and back into a small community of people who are also experiencing homelessness.

Who can stop the flow of Homelessness in our region? Community Compassion Outreach is starting with small houses in villages of 10, 20, and 40 units with running water, power and sewage. Five acres will help make this possible.