Marisa Westbrook, a Health and Behavioral Sciences Doctoral Candidate, observed that during a two-year study (in which she’s followed 35 people from the Westwood neighborhood), “For the majority of my participants, any form of cash assistance is going towards rent and utilities. And a lot of people are talking about how, beyond cash assistance, they’re really using food banks,” Westbrook said. “This is going to be a continued issue without consistent support, consistent financial support.”

Cash aid reduced poverty in Colorado during the pandemic. But don’t count on that to continue.
The Denver Post, October 17