As pastor of United Methodist Church in Lakewood, I have the honor and privilege of working deeply within the community I call home. Our church has become a community hub and hosted things ranging from a COVID-19 vaccine clinic to an emergency cold-weather homelessness shelter. In my time here I have begun to notice something striking: in our church’s work serving our neighborhood, I run into a lot of people who do case management and provide services to people experiencing homelessness. And the vast majority of them seem to be eligible for many of the same services they are seeking to provide others.

Though it’s easy to “other” folks who need a little extra support, Colorado’s continued high cost of living means more and more of us need a helping hand. In fact, despite making a decent wage as the pastor of a church, when my wife and I proudly welcomed our daughter into the world 18 months ago, we learned we were eligible for Medicaid. This life-saving support helped us provide the early pediatric care our daughter needed. Choosing between my daughter’s health care and putting food in front of her would be an impossible choice. But the fact is, these are exactly the choices some families have to make today. According to the latest Colorado Pulse Report, the rising cost of living and inflation are the most serious concerns among Coloradans across all income levels, and 38% of Coloradans say they’ve postponed medical or dental care in the last 12 months to reserve funds for other basic needs.

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These are not choices families should be forced to make, especially when the health of our economy allows us to tap into state resources designed specifically to support our residents. That’s exactly what HB-1311, known as the “Family Affordability Tax Credit” does. HB-1311 utilizes excess state revenue and directs it to families who can use it to pay for the things they need most. Research shows us families who receive tax credits like the Family Affordability Tax Credit use it on housing, health care, child care and food. This results in a win-win effect of families making ends meet and strengthening Colorado’s economy. Evidence from the federal child tax credit shows for every $1 provided to families, $8 to $10 are invested back into our economy. This means the Family Affordability Tax Credit could add $5 billion to $6 billion to Colorado’s economy.

I not only support the Family Affordability Tax Credit, I’m also a proud constituent of the bill’s author, Rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy. This bill can put more money into the pockets of nearly 45% of working families, cut child poverty by half, and invest TABOR funds far more strategically and progressively than to put it back into the hands of those least likely to invest it in the communities where they live. The design of this policy puts families first. Families making up to $95,000 are eligible for some portion of the tax credit, leading to a gradual step down that ensures families don’t see a huge loss of funding due to a modest pay increase. Policies like this incentivize and support working families.

It should not be common to have a full-time job and still not earn enough to make ends meet — but that is an all too common story in our state. Colorado can be the greatest place for everyone to raise a family, but not when a quarter of families struggle to meet their basic needs. We’ve been blessed in Colorado to have access to an abundance of resources projected to grow in time. Therefore, it is our responsibility to invest those dollars in opportunities to allow our most precious resource — working families — a chance to thrive now and for generations to come. We must pass HB-1311, the Family Affordability Tax Credit now.

Rev. Ben A. David Hensley is the pastor of Lakewood United Methodist Church in Lakewood, Colorado and sits on the Board of Directors for the Community Investment Alliance.