2026 Press Release

679 Little Purple Houses Will Appear Across Northern Colorado This Month

 — Each One Represents an Unhoused Neighbor Waiting for Housing

Eleven white houses represent those who died waiting. Campaign runs September 20 through World Homeless Day, October 10.

Fort Collins, CO—September 9, 2026-- Beginning Sunday, September 20, small purple houses will appear in workplaces, faith communities, libraries, and other public spaces across Northern Colorado. Homeward Alliance and the Murphy Center Partner Council will place one house for each one of the 679 adults and children currently experiencing homelessness in our region. The campaign runs through Saturday, October 10, World Homeless Day.

Eleven of the houses are white. Each one represents a person who died in Northern Colorado last year while waiting for housing.

The 679 figure comes from the region's Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS) list — one house for each of the 679 adults and children on our by-name housing list.

"These 679 neighbors are doing everything the system asks of them," said Pam Brewer, Development Director at Homeward Alliance. "What's missing isn't their effort — it's the housing. Our region doesn't have enough supportive or affordable units, and until we build them, people will keep waiting."

The Regional Homelessness Strategy across Larimer County points to a shortfall of nearly 10,000 affordable units for low-income households. JG Research and Evaluation & Omni Institute (2025)

“Homelessness isn't one problem, so it can't have one solution” continued Pam Brewer. “Murphy Center Partner Council agencies provide services across the continuum — outreach, shelter, basic needs, employment, navigation — and they do it in coordination, so people aren't sent from door to door to door. For thousands of people each year, that's the difference between spinning in circles and moving forward. The campaign is part of the Murphy Center Partner Council's work to strengthen and coordinate the regional response to homelessness.

How to take part:

The campaign kicks off at the Hopestead Market on September 20^th from 9 am – 12 pm at the Murphy Center for Hope.  The market is a family-friendly community event featuring live music, free children’s activities, food, produce and a makers’ market..

Anyone who finds a little purple house is invited to visit www.littlepurplehouse.com to map its location, learn more about the campaign and the Murphy Center Partner Council, and find concrete ways to help. Updates will also be shared on social media throughout the campaign.

Media Contacts: David Rout, Executive Director, David@homewardalliance.org  | (970) 682-3193 and Pam Brewer, Development Director, Pam@homewardalliance.org | (970) 829-1162

Interviews with campaign organizers and Murphy Center partners are available on request. High-resolution photography of the houses and installation locations can be also provided. 

What is the Murphy Center for Hope?

The Murphy Center is a day shelter and one-stop shop of resources for people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness in Larimer County. Homeward Alliance operates the facility, which hosts approximately 20 independent nonprofits and serves about 2,500 unique individuals each year (between 100 and 200 people per day). It is the only day shelter that serves all populations of people who are homeless in Larimer County (some locations serve subpopulations).  www.murphycenter.org

What is the Murphy Center Partner Council?

Partner agencies include Catholic Charities, Crossroads Safehouse, Family Housing Network, Fort Collins Rescue Mission, Homeward Alliance, The Matthews House, Outreach Fort Collins and SummitStone Health Partners. 

Together the Murphy Center Partner Council agencies outreach, shelter, support and serve unhoused and unstably housed youth, families, individuals, veterans, seniors and those fleeing domestic violence across Fort Collins and beyond. We are united in our common goal to make homelessness in our community rare, short-lived, and non-recurring.

Additional Information:

As of 8/1/26, 679 adults and children are listed on Northern Colorado’s Continuum of Care’s Coordinated Assessment Housing Placement System (CAHPS). CAHPS is a by-name housing list that offers real-time data on individuals in our community who meet HUD’s definition of literal homelessness and have completed the Intake process. 

However, this figure does not account for the more than 3,000 children in Larimer and Weld counties who are classified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act, meaning they lack a “fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” 

It does not include the hundreds of other unhoused community members who have “fallen through the cracks,” and have not yet completed the Intake process or have lost hope of ever finding stable housing again.   

Nor does it include domestic violence victims/survivors, over 100 households, who are receiving shelter services from one of Northern Colorado’s three Victim Service Providers. 

Additionally, this number excludes the over half of renters in Larimer and over 40% in Weld counties who are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs (and therefore putting them at risk of homelessness).