BRIGHTON, Colo. — Changes to funding at the federal level have affected nonprofit organizations across the country, including here in Colorado. One nonprofit in Brighton was already forced to shut down one of its programs because of cuts to funding.
Denver7 received this email from a viewer, sharing their concern about the organization’s ability to serve the community. The viewer worries other services may be at risk.
Jessica Fiedler, the executive director of Almost Home shared those same concerns.
“It's heart wrenching when you think about the people who want to access our resources, and that we might not be able to provide those resources," Fiedler said.
Amanda Lowery and her family, who moved to Colorado two years ago, are among those people.
“We initially arrived; we were sleeping in a tent. We did that in three feet of snow,” remembered Lowery.
Her family has been experiencing homelessness for four years.
But she said things finally started looking up when she and her family were connected with the nonprofit Almost Home.
“I'm proud to say that we're getting there, and we're going to get that stability again, thanks to Almost Home,” Lowery said. “This is a true blessing. It's what families need, that extra help,” she exclaimed.
She said if it weren’t for the organization, she and her family would be in a very different position.
“We would be sleeping on the streets” she said.
But the resources that Lowery and her family received to get back on their feet could soon dry up for others.
Fiedler said the organization is no longer receiving certain types of funding that drastically impacted their budget.
“When funding is reduced, we're not able to help as many families,” she said. “We have been receiving for several years TANF funding, which is Temporary Assistance for Needy Families."
Fiedler says for fiscal year 2025, the organization received $1 million for the organization to address housing instability in various realms. But for fiscal year 2026, she was told there would either be no TANF funding, or a significant decrease.
“We have been notified that we will receive a total of $290,000 from July 1 to December 31 of 2025, and then after that, TANF funding will no longer be allocated to almost home and to other nonprofits as well," she said.
The cuts are now forcing the organization to make adjustments.
“We did away with our family services program, and not entirely all the services, but that program, the leadership that went with that program," she said.
That program provided resources for students in school and their families, those who are experiencing housing instability or homelessness,” she added.
And there are concerns for similar programs as well.
“We're looking at the future of our emergency shelter here in Brighton that does serve all of Adams County, and I think that is would be catastrophic, given the fact that they we are the only shelter family shelter in all of Adams County,” Fiedler said. “In terms of our family shelter, we have, we, on average, serve 42 families in a year. And keep in mind, we have over 200 families that apply every month to be in our shelter."
The funding cuts will also affect other areas of the organization.
“It also provided staffing costs, nearly $18,000 a month in staffing costs. So that's a huge hit to our staffing budget as well," said Fiedler. "And as a result, you know, we've downsized. We have cut six positions. We've had three staff members go part time, and then we've had some pay cuts at the administrative level.”
But despite the uncertain time, one thing is for sure, “there have to be other resources out there, and we'll find them,” she added.
Those other resources the organization is looking into include sponsorships or recurring monthly donors in the community.
Denver7 did reach out to Adams County about the situation Almost Home is facing.
A spokesperson for the county said "those {TANF} reserves are nearly depleted and new state requirements have increased how much we must dedicate to core, statutory TANF benefits like Basic Cash Assistance."
The county added, “we extended our discretionary TANF contracts — including Almost Home — through December 31, 2025 while we evaluate what’s financially sustainable long-term and ensure we remain compliant with federal and state rules.”
Their full statement is below:
Adams County has historically invested above and beyond in community supports using a combination of TANF reserves and federal relief funds. Today, those reserves are nearly depleted and new state requirements have increased how much we must dedicate to core, statutory TANF benefits like Basic Cash Assistance. Because of that, we extended our discretionary TANF contracts — including Almost Home — through December 31, 2025 while we evaluate what’s financially sustainable long-term and ensure we remain compliant with federal and state rules. Human Services will brief the Board on options, including possible transitions or limited extensions, with a focus on minimizing service gaps for families.
We greatly value Almost Home and the critical role they play in preventing housing instability. As we work through this, we’re coordinating closely with partners, looking at potential bridge strategies within our legal and budget constraints, and ensuring families can still access direct cash assistance and other available resources.
“Adams County is committed to protecting the core benefits that help families keep a roof over their heads and food on the table,” said Board Chair Lynn Baca. “We are deeply grateful to Almost Home and our nonprofit partners for the impact they’ve had, especially in recent years. While difficult choices are ahead because federal TANF funding has been flat since 1996 and costs have risen, our priority is a responsible, sustainable path that maintains essential support for our most vulnerable residents.”
The county spokesperson said they value Almost Home and the role they play in preventing housing instability and are working closely with partners to ensure families can still access direct cash assistance and other resources.
