Join us for our September Luncheon to gain insights into the City's housing and homelessness challenges with three confirmed speakers.

Discover how the Colorado Springs HOT team is making a real difference by helping the homeless transition off the streets. With a significant homeless population in Colorado Springs, understanding the impact of recent efforts is crucial. In January 2019, the Quality of Life Team cleaned up 1 million pounds of trash from homeless camps and around 1,500 people in the city were experiencing homelessness. Learn what that number is today. 

Speaker Bios:

Crystal Karr: Since 2022, Crystal Karr has been serving as the City's Homelessness Prevention and Response Coordinator. In this role, Karr supports the City’s efforts in preventing homelessness and addressing the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. She also acts as a liaison between the City and various community organizations, including the Continuum of Care, the Colorado Springs Housing Authority, the El Paso County Housing Authority, and other service providers, to enhance the identification, engagement, and transition of those experiencing homelessness to suitable services and permanent housing.

Sgt. Olav Chane: With over 33 years of dedicated service in law enforcement, Sergeant Chaney boasts a distinguished career that reflects a deep commitment to public safety and excellence. He is a proud 4-year Army veteran and Airborne Paratrooper.  He transitioned into a long, impactful career with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). Over 33 ½ years with CSPD, Sargent Chaney has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication, mainly through an impressive 32 years with the Honor Guard. In this role, He has spent two decades as the Honor Guard Coordinator, overseeing the ceremonial duties, and ensuring that fallen officers are honored with the respect they deserve. Notably, Sargent Chaney led the CSPD Honor Guard Drill Team to a remarkable 2nd place finish at the National Police Drill Team Competition in Washington, D.C. 2018. In addition to Honor Guard duties, Sergeant Chaney has accumulated extensive experience in various divisions and roles within CSPD. This includes 14 years in patrol across several divisions—Gold Hill, Sand Creek, and Stetson Hills—where he honed skills in diverse and challenging environments. He also spent eight years in Vice and Narcotics, tackling complex issues related to drug enforcement and criminal investigations. Throughout the career, Sargent Chaney has served in multiple specialized units, including Bomb Para-tech, Cadet Advisor, Training Cadre, and as a 40mm Less Lethal Instructor.  Sargent Chaney has held the rank of Sergeant for 12 years, supervising a range of teams, such as the Gold Hill Impact Team, Downtown Area Response Team (Power Shift), Sand Creek Enforcement Team, and currently the Protest Response and Homeless Outreach Teams. Sargent Chaney's extensive service record and leadership in various capacities underscore a career marked by dedication, expertise, and a steadfast commitment to enhancing community safety and supporting fellow officers.

Amanda Smith, LPC/LAC: An Army Veteran and the Community Medical Supervisor for the Colorado Springs Fire Department’s Community and Public Health Division. She has spent the last decade supporting the city’s healthcare systems through her previous work in community mental health and addictions supporting programs targeted to address the unhoused, substance use disorders and severe mental illness. She is currently the supervisor over the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Homeless Outreach Program (HOP). Amanda has six years of grant management experience including writing, managing and reporting federal and state grants to improve and expand programming to address addiction and mental health within our community.

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