28: Trust Opens Doors for People and Housing

28: Trust Opens Doors for People and Housing

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol and unstable housing and turn it into real recovery and a front door of their own? This conversation from *a Place for everyone* follows street outreach workers Steve Wayant and Haley Crist as they talk about what it actually takes to reach people living outside in the Pikes Peak region. You’ll hear how they approach encampments with humility and respect, reminding themselves, “we’re entering somebody else’s home.

This is their safe space,” and why snacks, green shirts and patience can be more powerful than clipboards and lectures. They explain how trust builds slowly – someone might ignore them for weeks, then one day share a name, and months later be ready to talk about sober living or housing.

Host Beth Roalstad keeps the chat grounded in real-life examples: riding along with police without breaking trust, what happens when a camp gets “posted” and people lose everything, and why many unhoused neighbours camp near creeks despite the legal risks. The team breaks down jargon like the VI-SPDAT survey and by-name list into plain language, showing how vulnerable people are matched with scarce housing resources.

There’s also a frank look at barriers: evictions, criminal records, new bans on sleeping in cars, and the heavy impact of complex trauma on memory, planning and follow-through. Steve and Haley don’t sugarcoat the toll this work takes, sharing their own self-care routines, office humour, and therapy. The standout story is a 74-year-old man who went from sleeping in a wheelchair in a city park with severe infection to using a walker, cooking in his own flat and paying rent.

It’s slow, messy progress, but it shows what steady trust and coordination can do. If you care about recovery, housing and what genuine trauma-informed outreach looks like on the ground, this one might leave you asking how you, too, could help open a door for someone.