Redtail Ponds

A Place to Call Home

By Leah Etling on Nov 17, 2016 in People

The first thing you notice when you visit the Redtail Ponds housing community in Fort Collins is how many residents have dogs. There are big ones and small ones, bulldogs and collies, mutts and mixes. Residents of the community proudly walk their pets in and out of the building’s front door, into a brisk fall Colorado day.

Not long ago, the majority of the 60 residents of Redtail Ponds were spending all of their time outside – or in vehicles, temporary shelters, or on the streets of Fort Collins. Some were homeless for years, other for decades. Now, they have homes.

“For 46 years of my life I struggled, and in the past two years I feel like I have probably come farther in my life than I ever have. And I owe that to Redtail Ponds,” said Tom Campbell, a resident of the community.

We were visiting Redtail Ponds to make a video about the community’s life-changing impact on the local homeless community. You can view that video here:

There’s much more to the Redtail Ponds story, and it starts with the story of Housing Catalyst, the non-profit affordable housing developer that constructed Redtail Ponds and is working on more permanent supportive housing for Northern Colorado.

Zachary Penland, Program Manager at Redtail Ponds and a dedicated advocate for the homeless in Fort Collins, explained:

“People sign a lease, and they can stay as long as they want, as long as they are abiding by that lease. What makes it different is supportive services. It is specifically tailored for individuals who have experienced homelessness and have a long term disability.

We recognize that with those additional barriers, simply handing them a set of keys, saying good luck and walking away isn’t going to be enough. They need that ongoing support to be successful in their housing. We provide that onsite support so that they can ultimately be successful in their new homes.”

On site supportive services include mental health counseling, job assistance, veterans services, AA meetings, benefit consultations, a women’s support group, art and gardening activities and more. Redtail Ponds is conveniently located a block away from MAX, Fort Collins’ central transit hub, so those without cars can easily get to jobs and offsite appointments. A bike storage area on site is packed full.

Housing Catalyst

Yardi client Housing Catalyst was formerly called the Fort Collins Housing Authority. The organization changed its name in 2016 because it wanted to more broadly reflect its efforts to make change in residents’ lives.

“There were several reasons why we chose the new name. First, we purposely left out the words ‘housing authority’ because they can unfairly bring to mind large, outdated apartment buildings and perhaps misconceptions of unsafe living conditions,” said Carol McGrath, Senior Accountant for Housing Catalyst.

“Second, we felt that Housing Catalyst better reflects how we challenge the status quo. We exist because everyone deserves a place they are proud to call home. We take care of our residents and our properties by providing quality homes that defy negative stereotypes. The name Housing Catalyst helps us to portray those core values of our agency.”

Housing Catalyst owns and manages 357 affordable housing units funded with Low Income Housing Tax Credits, 196 Public Housing units, and 1,216 Housing Choice Vouchers.

““While we aren’t the biggest PHA out there, we are the largest, most active affordable housing developer in Northern Colorado,” said Carol. Two more supportive housing developments are planned.

Transforming Lives

Carol, Zachary and Property Manager David James spent time telling us the story of the development of Redtail Ponds and sharing some of the differences that the community has made in residents’ lives.

“We’ve seen some really amazing transformations since people have moved into Redtail Ponds. We have seen people gain employment, in some cases enough employment that they have been able to afford to get their own place. We’ve seen individuals reconnect with their families, and start getting visitation with their children again. The main thing is just seeing people stabilize,” Zachary Penland said.

It turns out that dogs, cats and other pets can be a vital part of that stabilization process.

“Everybody needs someone in their live that cares for them and provides them with unconditional love. For a lot of our residents who maybe have lost contact with their families, companion animals are their emotional support. That’s what gets them through the day and gives them a reason to wake up in the morning,” he added.

A local vet clinic visits on site twice a year to provide checkups and health care, and twice a month there’s a distribution of pet food to help residents keep costs down.

“It brings a person life,” said James. “They go out every day and they start training their animals.  They have a purpose, they’re caring for an animal and that animal is giving back to them. We have about 15-20 dogs and about 15 cats in a 60 unit building. But everybody gets along well, including the animals.”

Tom Campbell’s Story

Tom Campbell has lived at Redtail Ponds since the community opened its doors in spring of 2015. He had been homeless, struggling with mental illness and caring for his aging mother, who had cancer and was living in Section 8 housing. When she passed away, he knew he would need somewhere to go.

Tom was recommended for Redtail Ponds by SummitStone Health Partners, a Fort Collins mental health clinic that is one of Housing Catalyst’s community partners. In his one bedroom apartment on the first floor of Redtail Ponds, Tom says he feels secure for the first time in his life.

“I like everything about my apartment. For me, this has been the first time I have been stable and feel comfortable in my dwelling. It is beautiful, there are high ceilings on my floor, the air conditioning, the heat works great. Everything was brand new. It is furnished with a bed, furniture, microwave, coffee pot. I just couldn’t ask for anything better,” Campbell said.

Once Tom had acclimated to his new space, he decided it was time to go out and find work. But he didn’t seek out a minimum wage job. He decided to try his hand at entrepreneurship.

“I spent $70, set forth to Home Depot and bought a window kit, and I got on the MAX, because I didn’t have transportation. I went down to Old Town (Fort Collins’ historic district) and started asking people if they’d like their windows cleaned. Two years later I am the owner of Cleanview Window Cleaning LLC here in Fort Collins Colorado.”

He holds up his business’ t-shirt, beaming. The next day we meet him at one of the many accounts he has in the area. Tom says he has been able to employ other Redtail Ponds residents at his business and is healthier thanks to the exercise he gets while working. He’s stabilized and is off medications he used to depend on.

It is a heartwarming story, one of transformation. You can see in Tom’s face how proud he is of his efforts. And it all started with having a stable place to call home.