Student Housing Security Initiative

Affordable housing for college students is needed in Fort Collins.  

With a shortage of such housing, a number of students are housing insecure or homeless. LuMin is working to respond to this need in our community. Our initiatives for 2024 include:

• Free access to newly installed washers and dryers at LuMin so students can wash their clothing

  • Low-income students can schedule a time to bring over laundry to wash clothes and have access to snacks, showers, and WiFi while they wait.

• Opening up our chapel as free storage for students who find themselves displaced during the semester

  • Short-term housing insecurity often happens during the semester for students who are just getting by on a couch or living out of their car and that option runs out. Since we are lucky enough to have a building with room to spare, we open that space up as storage if a student needs to put their personal property somewhere during a housing transition.

• Subsidizing housing for students in the 2023-2024 school year and beyond

  • This year, we've placed twenty-one financially challenged students in affordable housing and are providing additional assistance with a grant to subsidize the cost of rent. In addition, we provide mentors from the Fort Collins community, establish peer support groups, and help connect students to other assistance through a social work intern.  

• After several years of studying student housing insecurity and offering limited support, we hope to:

  • identify, recognize, and listen to this often invisible population 

  • surround students with peer and community support

  • continue to learn from students what is needed to respond to long-term student housing insecurity

  • continue to partner with Colorado State University and the Fort Collins community in responding to this need