Housing for ALL
November 6 @ 7:45 am - 10:00 am
$38.00 – $48.00Sharing this month’s focus: Juliana Kitten, Assistant City Manager/Housing and Homeless Solutions – City of Greeley and
Cheri Witt Brown, Executive Director – Greeley/Weld Habitat for Humanity
We will be meeting at Family FunPlex, 1501 65th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80634 Conference Rooms A & B starting at 7:45 a.m.
Deadline for Registration is Monday, October 28th! Don’t delay register today. Members pay $38 online and Associate/Future Members’ fee is $48. As Citizens of Greeley and Weld County, home owners, Business Women and Business owners, we need to learn how we can help…especially with winter on its way.
In 2022, a homeless assessment was completed by the City of Greeley. Since then, two new departments were created: the Housing Solutions Department and the Homeless Solutions Department. These departments are focused on helping residents find safe, stable and affordable homes.
The Homeless Solutions Department uses the Housing First Model, which places people in homes first, while providing ongoing support. Both departments work closely with local organizations, partners and city departments to solve housing problems and plan for a future where everyone has a home. Juliana Kitten (JK)
Northern Colorado Women In Business participants will learn the social, financial, and general economic impact Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity (GWHFH) provides for the Weld County Community. You will learn how GWHFH programs, community initiatives, and construction and retail operations benefit the city of Greeley and beyond. This inspirational and informative program will start your day knowing the advancements GWHFH achieves working in partnership with community members, corporate & small businesses, municipal & government, and educational partners to build communities of equity, wealth and future success. Cheri Witt Brown (CWB)
* Community members can become involved at GWHFH in a multitude of ways. Volunteer at our numerous Habitat Builds, including the Women Build, Faith Build, Veteran Builds and with our D6 CTE students.
* Attend and support our community events like the Annual Building Impact Breakfast and Cookie Walk through sponsorships or by simply attending and enjoying inspirational stories of our families’ and individual’s journey to strength, stability and self-reliance.
* Support the GWHFH ReStore by donating and shopping at one of the largest Habitat ReStores in Colorado.
Here is how and where to refer people who need services from Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity. They have applications at their office at the Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The homeownership application process is also available online at greeleyhabitat.org.
What is the process to qualify for a Habitat Home? Housing seekers are recommended to first view our homeownership program and criteria on our website. After reviewing the criteria home seekers are welcome to begin the application process online.
The criteria for GWHFH program is the following:
Program Qualifications
1. Residency
Live or work in Weld County for a minimum of 1 year, are a US citizen, or a legal permanent resident
o Must be in the same occupation for 1 year?
2. Need for Housing
* Current shelter is inadequate – structural defects, lack of heat, maintenance problems, etc.
* Temporary or transitional housing – living with friends or family
* Household is overcrowded (number of persons in each bedroom, number of persons sleeping in rooms other than bedrooms)
* The environment is inadequate – household feels unsafe
* Household currently pays more than 30% of total gross monthly income for housing
* Unable to purchase a home through any other means
3. Ability to Pay
* Able to save $500 toward closing costs
* Must have had any bankruptcy filing discharged 4 years prior to applying for a Habitat home
* Monthly debt plus monthly housing cost is less than 40% of gross monthly income
* No outstanding liens or judgments
* Cannot have owned a home within the last 3 years (with the exception of mobile homes)
* We serve individuals and households earning between 30-80% of HUD’s area median income (Refer to guidelines below, broken down by annual and monthly income)?
4. Be willing to partner with GWHFH
* Agree to complete a minimum of 300 hours of “sweat equity” prior to closing on your home (per adult) Sweat Equity is the hours required to volunteer with Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity
* Agree to maintain your Habitat home in a manner that reflects pride in homeownership
* Agree to complete a series of homeownership workshops which include: consumer money management, landscaping, seasonal home maintenance, homeowner’s insurance, city codes, and covenants
Three key points we will learn and take away from the GWHFH portion of our program …
1. Homeownership is a proven pathway out of poverty. Habitat for Humanity builds in self-respect, dignity, and equality in the process of our family partners building Habitat homes.
2. GWHFH is a significant economic driver in the community. Stabilizing working families while investing millions of dollars into the local economy.
3. GWHFH has developed a national community development model through our innovative communities like Mission and Hope Springs which has been featured throughout the nation as an excellent model to combat the affordable housing crisis.
Meet Cheri Witt-Brown
With her unwavering dedication to affordable housing, Cheri Witt-Brown joined Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity in 2015 and has been its CEO since May 2016. She brought to GWHFH an impressive 28 years of experience in land development, general contracting, banking, non-profit, and leadership.
Cheri’s ability to form successful collaborations is evident in her leadership of Greeley-Weld Habitat’s team to co-develop with Commonwealth Companies, –nation’s seventh largest private sector LIHTC multi-family affordable housing developer. This is a 12-acre, 95-unit affordable housing community, 27 Habitat homes, and 68 Commonwealth townhomes and cottages.
Mission Springs, a model affordable community with amenities adjacent to a city park and zero net energy ready homes, is a testament to her partnership skills. This partner project replaced half of the affordable housing units lost in Evans in the devastating 2013 floods.
In 2016 Cheri established one of the first Habitat youth workforce training programs. District 6 students build Habitat homes onsite while incorporating their core curriculum requirements for graduation and earning dual college credit in the Construction Pathway program. It has become a Youth Workforce Training model many other affiliates have adopted.
In 2020, Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity, under Cheri’s leadership, began work on what is now one of the largest Habitat for Humanity communities in the Western United States. Hope Springs will deliver 491 affordable and market rate housing units, 174 Habitat for Humanity homes, onsite childcare, and recreation areas rich with community enhancements upon completion. Hope Springs is a national affordable community development model that has attracted multiple stakeholders, raising
$13 million in grants and charitable gifts, including a $2,557,000 Congressional District Spending investment from U.S. Senator Hickenlooper in 2023. Civil construction at Hope Springs is close to completion. Home construction began in the summer of 2024, including building the first 3D-printed Habitat home in Colorado in partnership with Alquist 3D.
Cheri’s leadership extends beyond her role at Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity. She has been a valuable member of the City of Greeley committees, including:
* the City of Greeley Housing Task Force committee, where she provided crucial input for the Strategic Housing Plan.
Her service on the City of Greeley’s:
* Development Task Force
* Code Update Advisory committees,
* a board member for North Range Behavioral Health
* Water & Sewer board
All further demonstrates her commitment to community development and creating equitable systems that provide community members with barriers access to upward mobility opportunities.
In 2019, Cheri was the BizWest Women of Distinction awardee for Real Estate, Construction, and Development.
In October of 2021, Cheri also received an Outstanding Women of Weld County “Community Builder” Award from Friends of A Woman’s Place and was honored at the Celebrating Women Gala.
Cheri’s life is not just about her professional commitments. She finds joy in hiking the beautiful Colorado mountains, exploring new destinations, and spending time with her family, friends, and her beloved dog, Walter.
You can contact Cheri and learn more about her at:
Cheri Witt-Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity
Web Site: https://greeleyhabitat.org/
https://powerupgirlsforlife.org/
Phone 970-351-6766
linkedin.com/GreeleyWeldHabitatforHumanity
Physical address: 2080 Greeley Mall Street Greeley, CO 80631
Meet Juliana Kitten
Juliana Kitten has 20 years of experience including leadership in local, state, and federal government in the areas of mental health, homelessness, community development, and medical center operations. Her accomplishments include reducing homelessness in multiple settings and sites in Oklahoma and Texas.
Before serving as Assistant City Manager with the City of Greeley, she served as the National Director of Training and Consultation for the Pathways to Housing and then Director of Community Development for the City of Amarillo where she led a pilot program that decreased chronic homelessness by 7% in 18 months.
During her tenure as National Director of Training and Consultation for Pathways to Housing, Juliana trained several of the largest VA homeless teams as they transformed their system to implement the Housing First model. In this position she also provided training and consultation across five different cities over three years in Canada as they conducted the largest research demonstration project to date on the housing first model.
Juliana earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Albany and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Social Service Administration.
She is married to Scott Kitten, they most recently lived outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on 32 acres, with three cows, two dogs, chickens, and cats.
You can contact Juliana and learn more about her at:
Juliana Kitten, Assistant City Manager -Housing & Homeless City of Greeley
Web Site: https://greeleyhabitat.org/
Phone (970) 346-4081 (m) 806-678-8407
Facebook.com/CityofGreeleyGovernment/
Instagram: Greeley, Colorado (@cityofgreeley) • Instagram photos and videos
other social media links: Speak Up Greeley and City of Greeley Government – YouTube
Physical address: 1000 10th St., Greeley, CO 80631
During her tenure as National Director of Training and Consultation for Pathways to Housing, Juliana trained several of the largest VA homeless teams as they transformed their system to implement the Housing First model. In this position she also provided training and consultation across five different cities over three years in Canada as they conducted the largest research demonstration project to date on the housing first model.
Three key points we will learn and take away from Juliana’s City portion of our program …
1. Learn what the city has done over the past two years
2. Goals for next three years
3. Debunking of common myths and misconceptions about the homeless population
Please Thank our member Volunteers for helping make this Workshop a powerful experience for YOU –
WORKSHOP Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Program Title: Housing For ALL: Build it & They Will Come – Housing and Homeless Solutions
Speaker: Cheri Witt Brown, Executive Director – Greeley/Weld Habitat for Humanity & Juliana Kitten, Assistant City Manager/Housing and Homeless Solutions – City of Greeley
Location: Family FunPlex, 1501 65th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80634 Conf. Rooms A & B
Catering: Corleone’s-Nick & Ashley St. George
Set-up DIVAS (4-5pm) Tuesday, Oct. 5th: Jennifer Peterson, June’s Team; Gena Wickes, Tails Animal Clinic; Kate Howell, Mongan’s Own Natural Lotions / Reflexology; Le’Andra Augustine, Sistas In Act Cleaning Service
Check-in Hostesses: Terri Aden, OsteoStrong; Aiesha Englick, Sistas In Act Cleaning Service
Greeter: Barb Wasung, Community Grief Center/CPA
Speaker’s Gift (X’s 2): Vicki Conley, Laptop Lyfe
3:00 minute-7th Inning Stretch: Kate Howell, Mongan’s Own Natural Lotions / Reflexology / Pet Massage
Clean-up DIVAS (4): Marie Warren, Marie Warren Homes – Coldwell Banker Realty NOCO / CASA / 60+ Ride; Kristen Campbell, Weld Community Credit Union; Rachealle Gamache, Esthebella Skin & Nursing; Dayna Hazlewood, Edward Jones / Women’s Fund
Sister-to-Sister Pay-it-Forward: Will benefit the Greeley/Weld Habitat for Humanity and be coordinated by Rachealle Gamache, Esthebella Skin & Nursing. Your Kind donations will go directly to supporting local families’ achieving stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership in quality-built homes and communities. Having a strong, stable home helps build strong, safe, and stable communities. With a little help, we can assist families in our communities in achieving the strength to stand on their own and thrive. Donations over $100 can be eligible for a Colorado Enterprise Zone tax credit
What can NorCoWIB offer YOU?
Kristi Helzer is the President/Facilitator, who gave birth to Northern Colorado Women In Business in January of 2009 a TRIBE of local business women who support each other in achieving our goals! We just completed our 15th year and we continue to thrive and attract new women monthly.
We promote learning from each other and experts in their field so we can gain knowledge, skills, inspiration, courage, and confidence to perfect our business practices to become the best at what we do.
We believe in doing business locally to support a healthy economy and a healthy community.
Giving Back – Monthly Philanthropy
We endorse giving back to worthy efforts that impact community members through our Sister-to-Sister/Pay it Forward monthly campaign.
Membership Options:
We implemented an annual Membership fee that started in July of 2023. We have three levels:
- Ultimate is for the average (full-time for profit) business woman, $200
- NonProfit/Education Membership is $75
- Basic is $100 ~ this is ideal for those working their own part-time gig while also working a full-time job and for those easing into retirement who want to stay involved and participate in what makes Northern Colorado such a special place.
We host monthly Workshops on the first Wednesday of each month (unless it is a holiday) exploring topics and featuring speakers requested by our active members who are surveyed each summer to keep this supportive organization as meaningful as possible to its members. Your participation is valued. By showing up you build relationships and turn contacts into powerful connections that provide potential to grow your business. Thank you for your participation and contributing to our thriving SUCCESS!
Please feel free to invite a girlfriend who can benefit from our Workshop topics and social interactions. Our Ladies enjoy getting to know new women, our presenters and each other, it encourages their trust and can result in new clients for YOU to build your business around! Thank you!
Monthly Workshops are $38 for members and $48 for Associate/Future Members, your participation is valued. Registration closes at 5 p.m. 10 days previous to the monthly Workshop (10/28/24), so register early before seating is maxed-out. Invest in your success – “show up” and get to know these outstanding women who are accomplishing amazing things.
Also watch for invitations to our intimate small group gatherings: “Enlightening Conversations” NorCoWB’s version of masterminding with a group of 12 members, NewBEE Groups for some great networking and Q & A + CELEBATING OUR WINS! with 10 members.