{"id":2458439,"date":"2020-05-14T10:37:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T16:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=325684"},"modified":"2020-05-14T10:37:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-14T16:37:00","slug":"local-government-throws-a-pandemic-lifeline-to-the-unemployed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/local-government-throws-a-pandemic-lifeline-to-the-unemployed\/","title":{"rendered":"Local government throws a pandemic lifeline to the unemployed"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.8310120705664\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-325684-60\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled gallery-container\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-1024x681.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Ravi Maharjan reads the sign on the door of the APCHA office in Aspen on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Maharjan was hoping to apply for an APCHA rental property. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Ravi Maharjan reads the sign on the door of the APCHA office in Aspen on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Maharjan was hoping to apply for an APCHA rental property. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-1024x681.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Ravi Maharjan reads the sign on the door of the APCHA office in Aspen on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Maharjan was hoping to apply for an APCHA rental property. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Derek Attema, left, holds the funnel as his wife Ryan Hile pours her home-brewed cider into bottles at their home in the Hunter Creek Apartments in Aspen on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Both work in the restaurant industry in Aspen and have been out of work since the pandemic hit the town. Hile\u2019s mother taught her how to brew cider and the two have been trying to cut costs by making things at home. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Derek Attema, left, holds the funnel as his wife Ryan Hile pours her home-brewed cider into bottles at their home in the Hunter Creek Apartments in Aspen on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Both work in the restaurant industry in Aspen and have been out of work since the pandemic hit the town. Hile\u2019s mother taught her how to brew cider and the two have been trying to cut costs by making things at home. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Derek Attema, left, holds the funnel as his wife Ryan Hile pours her home-brewed cider into bottles at their home in the Hunter Creek Apartments in Aspen on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Both work in the restaurant industry in Aspen and have been out of work since the pandemic hit the town. Hile\u2019s mother taught her how to brew cider and the two have been trying to cut costs by making things at home. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-2-746x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Jugoslava Slavkovic poses for a portrait in Aspen on Friday, May 8, 2020. Slavkovic was positive for COVID-19 when she got rent relief. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Jugoslava Slavkovic poses for a portrait in Aspen on Friday, May 8, 2020. Slavkovic was positive for COVID-19 when she got rent relief. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-2-746x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Jugoslava Slavkovic poses for a portrait in Aspen on Friday, May 8, 2020. Slavkovic was positive for COVID-19 when she got rent relief. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-3-1024x676.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Olivia Fagre, 5, plays in a hammock outside of the Truscott Aparments in Aspen on Thursday, April 30, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"swift-gallery-slide h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Olivia Fagre, 5, plays in a hammock outside of the Truscott Aparments in Aspen on Thursday, April 30, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Covidhousing-atw-051420-3-3-1024x676.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Olivia Fagre, 5, plays in a hammock outside of the Truscott Aparments in Aspen on Thursday, April 30, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local-government-throws-a-pandemic-lifeline-to-the-unemployed\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local-government-throws-a-pandemic-lifeline-to-the-unemployed\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The upper Roaring Fork Valley government\u2019s multimillion-dollar response to their citizens who are reeling from the economic crisis resulting from COVID-19 is doing what\u2019s intended, which is to provide a bridge to recovery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cIt buys some time and I have a little peace of mind,\u201d said Jugo Slavkovic, who received money from the <a id=\"N0x15e5490N0x15be050:N0x15e5490N0x1610210\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSdGPb-hMgfJJNoemUHfa1CxTkP6OVP92yhOzEp08ViDgTsONQ\/viewform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pitkin County human services COVID relief fund<\/a> to cover her April rent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Slavkovic, who has been unemployed since the restaurant she works at, L\u2019Hostaria, closed March 14, said without the rent assistance she\u2019d be in real trouble. She is not collecting unemployment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">She lives at Burlingame seasonal housing, and is recovering from COVID-19, which she tested positive for two weeks after she stopped working.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI am 90% recovered,\u201d she said, noting she suffered from a fever, a loss of taste and smell, exhaustion and aches. \u201cIt\u2019s like the flu but more intense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">She is one of almost 3,000 people who have received assistance from the relief fund, which was set up by the county shortly after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases emerged in Aspen, and public health orders shut down the resort community in mid-March.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">As of last week, the fund had doled out $2 million to 2,865 people for everything from rent and mortgages to food and gas to gift cards to pay for essentials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">County agencies are helping applicants navigate other potential resources, both locally and through the state, to help with other monthly expenses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Aspen Family Connections is one of those agencies. It has been delivering food weekly to a single mother of three children who lives at the Truscott affordable housing complex and is not on unemployment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI so appreciate our community,\u201d said the woman, who asked not to be identified. \u201cIt\u2019s a very big deal what they are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><a id=\"N0x15e5490N0x15be170:N0x15e5490N0x1610768\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspenfamilyconnections.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aspen Family Connections<\/a> also is helping her with utilities, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The relief fund covered her May rent, which is $1,029 for her two-bedroom apartment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">She also received a $200 gift card from the fund, which she is using for diapers, baby wipes and other essentials for her children who are 8, 4 and 2 years old.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">She\u2019s not been able to work because she needs to care for her kids, who are no longer in school or day care due to public health orders designed to restrict people\u2019s movements to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The woman said she doesn\u2019t feel comfortable going to the grocery store with her young children, who don\u2019t understand what the virus is, but call it \u201cgreen bugs outside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI\u2019m scared,\u201d she said of her family\u2019s health and safety. \u201cWhat if I get sick? Who takes care of them?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">But she said she does not feel alone, and is relying on her community members to help in these difficult and unprecedented times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThank you everybody,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">In total, the relief fund had $3 million funneled into it by the city of Aspen, the county, Snowmass Village and private donors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The city\u2019s <a id=\"N0x15e5490N0x15be2f0:N0x15e5490N0x1610d50\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspens-next-1m-for-rent-relief-being-rolled-out-for-residents\/\">latest contribution is $1.5 million<\/a> specifically for rent and mortgage relief for people who live in deed-restricted units in the Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority inventory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">That represents a little more than 3,000 units, but not all will receive assistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Nan Sundeen, director of human services for the county, said the criteria to determine need for those seeking assistance in May is based on the proportion of an individual\u2019s revenue to expenses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cSome people are now getting (Payroll Protection Program money), or unemployment benefits and stimulus checks, and (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) benefits,\u201d she said. \u201cAll those things are helping to move people into a more secure and sometimes self-sufficient position for now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Those who live in APCHA units can reapply for shelter assistance, with the county using the city\u2019s dedicated housing fund to draw from.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Rosalyn Pergande, who owns a deed-restricted unit at Aspen Highlands, where she also owns an art gallery, received assistance in April to help pay her HOA dues, which are almost as much as the mortgage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI\u2019m very appreciative to have that HOA help because everything helps when you are trying to put food on the table,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Pergande said she plans to reapply in June, since her gallery is still closed and she, along with the local artists she represents, has lost a lot of revenue since the shutdown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cMarch is the biggest grossing month of the winter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Derek Attema and his wife, Ryan Hittle, who work as servers at Kenichi and Steak House No. 316, respectively, lost thousands of dollars in income when the restaurants were forced to close.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cIt would have helped to have those two weeks in March,\u201d Attema said. \u201cWe are trimming bills and keeping every penny we have right now because we are worried about how it\u2019s going to play out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The couple, who own an APCHA unit at Hunter Creek, applied for relief through the county fund but were denied, based on the fact they have money in savings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">They are both on unemployment, but they don\u2019t want to have to rely on that, Attema said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">When they do get to go back to work, Attema and Hittle said because of social-distancing protocols and public health orders, they expect their shifts to be reduced, along with their wages and tips.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">To weather the storm and keep expenses minimal, the couple is making their own home brew for personal consumption, which costs an average of 35 cents a beer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe are trying to pull our costs down and making booze is one of them,\u201d Hittle said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">She, like many others in the restaurant industry, were enjoying good times with the peak of spring break and the resort economy hitting numbers well over last year\u2019s season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe were breaking records every night,\u201d Hittle said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Sundeen said the fund is helping mostly individuals who were on the front lines in the hospitality industry and critical to supporting the resort economy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThey are gig workers who rely on cash and the big cashola weeks were cut short,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Sundeen said she strongly encourages people to apply for unemployment and SNAP, and to defer mortgages if they can.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThis is about supporting the community for as long as we can because this is going to go on for a while,\u201d she said of the crisis. \u201cWe don\u2019t know if (the relief money) is going to last through June.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Sundeen said to stretch the dollars more, the amount doled out will be reduced to a maximum of $1,350 for a household of as many as two people, and $1,800 for households of three or more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">She said given the sheer number of people applying and learning about situations with their landlords, or subletting under the radar, \u201cit speaks to me about the housing crisis we have here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">APCHA Executive Director Mike Kosdrosky said last week that 13 individuals who live in one of 230 units owned by the city in either Truscott or Aspen Country Inn have not paid rent since the crisis began, or have not provided an update on assistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The city allowed April rent to be deferred and paid within six months. Kosdrosky said fewer than a dozen people have requested a deferral.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">May is a different story, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe have not deferred May rent because of the relief fund,\u201d he said, noting that APCHA and the city want to work with people. \u201cWe are not being punitive, \u2026 there are no late fees and there\u2019s an opportunity to make a payment plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">For those who need to understand the housing landscape, APCHA has issued COVID-19 guidelines for homeowners and renters, which is on the <a id=\"N0x15e5490N0x15be4d0:N0x15e5490N0x15eb360\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apcha.org\/365\/COVID-19-Guidance-Resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">agency\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Andrew Held, president and chief operating officer of Birge &amp; Held, a national private equity, real estate investment, construction and management <a id=\"N0x15e5490N0x15be530:N0x15e5490N0x15eb480\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/one-of-the-largest-affordable-apartments-in-aspen-sells-to-national-firm\/\">firm that recently acquired the 148-unit Centennial rental complex<\/a>, said between 25% and 30% of tenants needed accommodations in order to make April rent payments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cWe are working with each resident, and will continue to do so as long as necessary and to assist them through the current crisis,\u201d he said, adding that Birge &amp; Held is waiving $50 late fees and providing $50 credits for those who can pay in full and on time. \u201cWe want to make sure that people have a safe home and we\u2019ll work through it. \u2026 We\u2019ll be good landlords\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">He said a lot of the tenants at Centennial work in the service industry and were preparing for the season to wind down and had their rent money stashed away for the offseason.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Held acknowledged, however, that it\u2019s likely going to be a long haul.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cIt may be months before the city gets back on its feet as far as the economy goes,\u201d he said. \u201cThe way that Pitkin County and the city of Aspen have stepped up is amazing and it\u2019s really unique. \u2026 It\u2019s a huge resource.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Mitzi Ledingham, a retired county human services employee who is working temporarily for the relief fund, said the majority of the people she\u2019s interviewed work in the tourism industry and live in either Centennial or Burlingame Ranch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThis fund helps them get one foot in front of the other,\u201d she said from her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. \u201cIt\u2019s really been a lifeline for these families.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Pergande, the homeowner at Highlands, serves on her HOA board, which has notified all of the residents about the relief fund.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cMost of the people in our building are unemployed,\u201d she said. \u201cThe city of Aspen has really stepped up to the plate, and we are very fortunate to be in this town and this small community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">The other recipients echoed that sentiment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI want to thank Pitkin County and all the people who are helping us and realizing we need help,\u201d Slavkovic said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Sundeen said the <a id=\"N0x15e5490N0x15be6b0:N0x15e5490N0x15ebb88\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-electeds-make-historic-vote-for-5m-covid-19-emergency-relief-stimulus-package\/\">local governments\u2019 response<\/a> is emblematic of the type of community the Roaring Fork Valley is.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cIt\u2019s a privilege to help,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are so grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><span><em><a href=\"mailto:csackariason@aspentimes.com\">csackariason@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local-government-throws-a-pandemic-lifeline-to-the-unemployed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ravi Maharjan reads the sign on the door of the APCHA office in Aspen on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Maharjan was hoping to apply for an APCHA rental property. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times Derek Attema, left, holds the funnel as his wife Ryan Hile pours her home-brewed cider into bottles at their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2458439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-17 16:36:22","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2458439"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458439\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2458439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2458439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2458439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}