Background Statement
CARE Communities was established in 1992 by community organizer, Sister Mary Alice Murphy, and many other selfless community members. These individuals came together from the private, public, and faith-based sectors to generously provide their time and resources to address the shortage of quality, affordable housing in Fort Collins.
In 1993, in a true grassroots effort, the first CARE community was developed in northeast Fort Collins. CARE's Greenbriar community offered 40 affordable 2 & 3 bedroom apartments to families earning between 50%-60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Today, CARE owns and operates 7 affordable communities consisting of 368 apartments. Over 900 community members with low incomes call CARE home. CARE residents include 450 children, 87 seniors and 220 single parent households. The average CARE household size is 2.7 and the average income is $30,365.39.
The vision of Sister Mary Alice and CARE's founding Board of Directors was to provide more than just four walls and a roof but to also offer supportive services for CARE residents to create an environment where families can grow and thrive. CARE's Resident Services program offers support in the form of emergency assistance by way of the Eviction Prevention Program (EPP), and a rent assistance fund- the Sister Mary Alice Murphy Legacy Fund. The EPP was established in 2018 and the voluntary program offers residents the opportunity to enroll in a long term payment plan paired with action planning, budgeting, and resource referral support from CARE's social work staff. Additionally, CARE's Resident Services include youth programming, community building and engagement activities, and establishing connections to community partner organizations to enhance education, employment, and other housing opportunities for CARE residents.