FRISCO, Colo. — Surrounded by stunning beauty, world-class resorts and luxury homes, Paul Minjares lives out of his Toyota Rav-4.
“When I tell people I'm sleeping in it, they're like, ‘There's no way,’” he told Denver7. “And then I show them, and they see a full mattress in there.
“The housing crisis here in Breckenridge and Summit County just got so bad, I just got fed up with it.”
Minjares uses a generator that's hooked up to an alternator charger connected to his car’s battery, so it recharges as he drives. His passenger seat is home to a microwave, a cooking pot, and running water. He uses a collapsible board that functions as a sink.
His backseat and trunk space now fit his mattress, a 4k TV, a PlayStation 5 and 5G Internet.
“It's just like my bedroom,” Minjares explained. “I just have everything I need to unwind at night and enjoy movies or play video games or read, do whatever I need to do."
Minjares uses local recreation centers to shower, and in the winter, his cooler that functions as a refrigerator is swapped out for a diesel-powered heater that allows him to sleep in shorts even in frigid temperatures. He also rents a storage unit for extra space for off-season clothes and outdoor gear like his mountain bikes and snowboards.
“Since I'm not paying like a $1,300 rent for just one room, I have money to spend on those things,” he said.
This summer, Denver7 | Your Voice has been diving into the issue of affordable housing in Frisco and Summit County. You can find our previous coverage here:
- New middle-income apartment complex coming for workers in Frisco with help from state partnership
- With affordable housing 'like winning the lottery,' Frisco leaders weighing changes: Denver7 | Your Voice
- Housing affordability is a mile-high challenge in Colorado's mountains: Denver7 | Your Voice
Nonprofit’s parking program gives residents refuge
Minjares said rising rents and an explosion of short-term rentals pushed him out of housing in the area several times.
In 2021, he joined the Safe Parking Program run by nonprofit Unsheltered In Summit. For $75 a month, the program offers people a safe overnight parking space, along with a portable bathroom cleaned a couple of times a week and a dumpster for trash.
Jeremy Maas, a member of the program and a host for some of the program’s parking lots, said living out of his Chrysler minivan is “peaceful.”
“Not having to deal with roommates, saving on rent,” he said. “It's just nice having somewhere to park, like, not in a parking lot, like at Walmart. Where I know all these people, and we have a bathroom, a clean bathroom, and trash, you know. So I'm grateful for it. It's awesome.”
Maas said working as a host involves "making sure people park in the lot that should be there," as well as cleaning up trash and shoveling snow in the winter.
Minjares now works for the nonprofit as a parking lot host and the intake manager.
To become a new member, applicants need to go through a background check and an in-person interview.
“We have to make sure they're employed in the county, too,” Minjares said. “We take all these steps to make sure that everyone is safe, everyone's a good person in this program.”
Diane Luellen, director of Unsheltered in Summit’s board, said the idea started through the Summit Colorado Interfaith Council before the nonprofit formed on its own.
“We started in 2019 with about six people, and now we serve probably a total of 65 people,” she said, noting the program’s busiest time is during the winter when ski resorts drive lots of activity and more seasonal workers.
Luellen said the program would serve more people if it had more space to park. For now, the program rotates between different parking lots in the Town of Frisco, including the marina, library, and middle school during summer break.
“Our long-term goal is to find land that we can actually lease from somebody that we will have total control of, so that we can put in minimal infrastructure,” Luellen told Denver7. “We will be able to offer folks 24/7 access. And that we can house at least 50 people.”
Currently, program participants have a place to park overnight but cannot stay parked throughout the day. Minjares and Maas told Denver7 that’s not a problem, since those in the program are generally busy working or recreating outdoors during the day.
Local law enforcement and Frisco town leaders work with the nonprofit and see the program as a solution.
“We want a safe place for people who are in that situation, living out of their vehicle and working in the community, to be able to be able to be here,” Frisco Town Manager Tom Fisher told Denver7 last month. “They're an important part of our workforce.”
Minjares agrees.
“These are hardworking people that belong in the community,” he said. “This helps keep… people employed… Because if people can't find a place to stay, guess what? They move somewhere else.”
This community wants to live and work in the area, and they are willing to sacrifice some space and convenience in order to have that chance.
“We don't have an answer to the housing crisis, and I don't know when we will, but I think this is a good solution,” said Minjares.
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