Regional Homelessness Updates

We serve Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties

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Community Celebrations

Thank you to all of our community partners for all that you do! Listed are some partners that were recognized by their peers for their efforts.

Thank you to all of our community partners for all that you do! Below are some partners that were recognized by their peers for their efforts:

Community Outreach Service Center

This team is amazing and very present in doing the work in theMetro Denver Region. They served over 1,000 clients last year with basic needs, employment, peer support, and community wealth building. They really do the work instead of sitting behind a desk.

Molly Steffen, Arapahoe County

Molly is working as an on the ground housing navigator in ArapahoeCounty.  I can't tell you how important this role is - getting face to face with those struggling and helping them navigate confusing and challenging systems. I love how she cares for our clients and helps support us!

Jamie Grove & Jamie Cope, Movement 5280

Movement 5280 is one of the very few orgs in the Tri-Cities area that are using HMIS, Vi-SPDAT and One Home to help clients in need register for intake and case management services for housing. We refer all our clients to them for this service as we do not have staffing to implement this ourselves.We are grateful for their dedication, compassion, and dignity in their care for our unhoused neighbors. In January, they were the only "warming site"open during the day from 8a-3:30p providing a safe space to be out of the severe weather elements, having meals and other essentials when they are required to be out of Severe Weather Shelter or other shelters during the day.This was significant in our area. We are grateful for them.

Karen Cowling, Mission Arvada

Karen goes up and beyond because she looks at the homeless community as part of her family.  She is currently volunteering her time around the clock to make sure clients, volunteers and staff are taking care of emotionally and physically. She is a passionate woman who makes a difference and is perfect person for Director of Mission Arvada.  You just have to spend a couple of minutes to see her compassion and understanding to the community.  She motivates me to be better and do better.

Kristen Baluyot, Salvation Army

Kristen heads the Salvation Army's Denver Metro Social Services and has played a monumental role in building and leading our teams that have enabled the City of Denver to house more than 1000 unhoused individuals by the end of 2023. She also has led our staffing up and running of 3 hotels to house people on a very tight time frame, and at the same is ensuring the quality of services to those coming to the hotels from the Denver encampments, and already has overseen the placement of many in more stable housing and employment and training opportunities. She is a leader in this community that is helpingDenver greatly by addressing homelessness and is instrumental in helping to change the lives of thousands for the better.

Heidi Grove, Boulder County

Heidi Grove is the project manager for Homeless Solutions forBoulder County (HSBC). While the collaborative management aspects of this work are challenging enough, she consistently goes above and beyond in her efforts.This includes her work and successes on Built for Zero, her many efforts on behalf of the Boulder County Commissioners, her role on myriad workgroups and committees, and her efforts to create a data-based foundation for HSBC efforts- which she most recently successfully converted into a comprehensive data dashboard. She has been critical to HSBC efforts and deserves broader recognition.

Lauren Lapinski, Veterans Affairs

It’s hard to encapsulate all that she does because her work and influence is so extensive, but I’ll just say that she’s both an incredibly compassionate and an amazingly capable and consistent advocate for veterans who are experiencing homelessness. She has a calming presence and I’m always happy when we cross paths.

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OneHome Program Active in HMIS

OneHome program is now active in HMIS! The revisions and updates have been made in OneHome and all HMIS end users who have completed the new Coordinated Entry (CE) training will now have access to the OneHome program again. Thank you for your patience, as the sunsetting of the VISPDAT was a big lift to revise the system.

OneHome program is now active in HMIS!  The revisions and updates have been made in OneHome and all HMIS end users who have completed the new Coordinated Entry (CE) training will now have access to the OneHome program again. Thank you for your patience, as the sunsetting of the VISPDAT was a big lift to revise the system. 

For any OneHome partners who use HMIS that have not yet taken the new CE training, the CE courses are still available in Talent LMS. Please complete those courses and take the short quiz to regain your access to the OneHome program in HMIS.  If you have not yet been assigned the new training, please send a request to hmishelp@mdhi.org.

If you have any issues with the new assessments or the OneHome program in HMIS, please reach out to HMIS Help at hmishelp@mdhi.org.

 

OneHome Coordinated Entry Office Hours

This is an optional office hour and is a great way to get any questions you may have answered by the OneHome team. Find the meeting link on our calendar.

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Give Your Input: Collective Impact Model

The purpose of this plan is to provide an overview of the priorities of Metro Denver Homeless Initiative as we collaborate regionally to prevent and end homelessness. Specifically, in identifying the Core Pillars and Foundations as we strive to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring. View the model here and give your feedback by February 29, 2024.

The purpose of this plan is to provide an overview of the priorities of Metro Denver Homeless Initiative as we collaborate regionally to prevent and end homelessness. Specifically, in identifying the Core Pillars and Foundations as we strive to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring. View the model here and give your feedback by February 29, 2024.

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Register to Attend the Stakeholder Meeting or Recognize a Colleague

MDHI is proud to host our next Stakeholder Meeting on February 23, 2024. The majority of this meeting will be dedicated to membership business. Registration is required. The meeting will be recorded and posted on MDHI’s YouTube to ensure access.

Please join us on for our semi-annual Stakeholder Meeting on February 23, 2024 from 9-11 AM via Zoom.

MDHI is proud to host our next Stakeholder Meeting on February 23, 2024. The majority of this meeting will be dedicated to membership business including:

  1. Celebrations and Partner Recognition

  2. State of Homelessness Report Overview

  3. Data Dashboard Preview

  4. Built for Zero Updates

  5. A Collective Approach to Solving Homelessness

  6. MDHI Membership and Committees

Registration is required. Please note, while all are welcome, this meeting is intended for CoC members and organizations. The agenda above is provided to help guide agencies on who might be best suited to attend. The meeting will be recorded and posted on MDHI’s YouTube to ensure access.

To register for the meeting and receive the Zoom link to attend, please fill out this form: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrf-2hrjkjHNNXG86HSINGHJkd898dZPxC. If you have any questions, please contact info@mdhi.org.

 

CoC Partner Recognition

We'd like to kick off our February Stakeholder Meeting with a celebration of the great work our partners are doing to solve homelessness in Metro Denver. Please help us recognize colleagues who are doing amazing things.  Please submit your nominations no later than Friday, February 16 through https://forms.office.com/r/Wrq7W4VJxw.

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HUD Announces Annual NOFO Awards, One New Project Funded

On January 29, HUD announced $3.2 billion in FY 2023 Continuum of Care (CoC) Competition Awards to CoC grant recipients in approximately 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs across the U.S. and its territories. The Metro Denver Continuum of Care received $32,836,361.

On January 29, HUD announced $3.2 billion in FY 2023 Continuum of Care (CoC) Competition Awards to CoC grant recipients in approximately 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs across the U.S. and its territories. The Metro Denver Continuum of Care received $32,836,361. These CoC grants provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, states, and local governments to quickly rehouse individuals and families experiencing homelessness and provide support while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness. Our community was awarded the following funding:

  • Brookview - Renewal 2023 - $835,177

  • CCH Families PSH (Formerly Families Transition Grant) - $5,385,223

  • CCH MDCHC PSH Project - $8,690,668

  • Coordinated Entry Metro Denver FY2023 - $555,905

  • Cornerstone 2023 - $139,291

  • DOH Consolidated PSH MDHI FY2022 - $8,081,007

  • FY2023 Back Home RRH - $260,598

  • FY2023 Bedrock - $634,880

  • FY2023 Boulder County CoC Rapid Rehousing Program - $850,270

  • FY2023 Spectrum CoC $929,794

  • HAWCCO0099L8T032209 - $287,223

  • HMIS Expansion FY23 - $125,000 HMIS

  • Metro Denver Renewal FY2023 - $754,810

  • Housing is Healthcare - $955,985

  • Irving Street Women's Residence - $286,693

  • JuanDiegoCO0094L8T032213 - $179,070

  • Marshall Street Landing - $530,528

  • Planning_FY23 - $1,491,902

  • Providence at the Heights - $109,998

  • PSH Consolidated Project FY2023 - $669,013

  • Ruth Goebel House - $104,238

  • Youth Transitions Project CoC $979,088

For more information, go to:

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PRESS RELEASE: Peer Advisors Guide Region’s Annual Point in Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness

The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) is coordinating its seven-county annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count today. The count, conducted in January each year, is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to capture the number of unduplicated individuals experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night.

DENVER, COLORADO – January 22, 2024 – The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) is coordinating its seven-county annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count today. The count, conducted in January each year, is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to capture the number of unduplicated individuals experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night. This year’s Point in Time count takes place across Adams Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties from sundown January 22, 2024, to sundown January 23, 2024.

The PIT is an annual snapshot of homelessness on a single night with numerous variables such as weather, count participation, volunteer engagement, and various other factors. While the region continues to improve our count and was able to locate 9,065 individuals in 2023, the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) used by over 100 participating agencies allows us to see that this number is closer to 30,000 throughout the year.

The Peer Advisor initiative began as a pilot in 2022-2023, bringing in people with lived experience of homelessness to consult within their city and county on the Point in Time Count. Peer Advisors participate in the PIT count's administration, consultation, planning, and implementation. Peer Advisors are paid a stipend for their time and are required to complete an orientation to participate. Sierra Trujillo, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at MDHI, spoke to the importance of this initiative. “With the introduction of the Peer Advisor initiative, our vision aimed at a transformative shift in the PIT, integrating the wisdom and resilience of individuals who have experienced homelessness. This initiative creates a distinctive opportunity for collaboration with service providers, placing the peer advisors at the forefront in the planning and implementation of the PIT.”

Courtney Fischer with Volunteers of America Colorado is the Point in Time Lead for the City and County of Denver. “The Peer Advisor program has allowed for a greater collaboration with the individuals who are most impacted by the Point in Time count. Their insight is key to getting a more accurate count,” said Fischer. She added, “I have seen the role give greater confidence to the Peer Advisors as they interact with the service providers as their peers, too. I think the program, while still small, has the potential to grow into something much larger within Colorado.”

Mandy Walke with the City and County of Broomfield echoed this sentiment. “The advisors have impacted Broomfield County’s 2024 PIT count planning by providing their perspective, obtained through lived experience, on the best ways to engage those experiencing homelessness during the PIT count. Their role is a win-win: they’ve reported how mutually beneficial this has been for them to be able to give back and use their life experiences to help others.”

One Broomfield Peer Advisor agreed. They shared, “At one point in time in your life you will pause and ask yourself, is this what I wanted? Where there is no struggle there is no strength. That's where I found myself needing change. To help pass this message to others is all I could ever dream for.”

For more information on the PIT count, 2023 data, and county-by-county breakdowns, please visit mdhi.org/pit. A more comprehensive look at homelessness can be found in MDHI’s State of Homelessness 2023 Report.


MDHI is the Metro Denver Continuum of Care, the regional system that coordinates services and housing for people experiencing homelessness. This includes prevention/diversion, street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. MDHI works closely with each county in its continuum (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson) to build a homeless crisis response system that gets people back into housing as quickly as possible. Learn more at mdhi.org.

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PRESS RELEASE: New Report Shows Over 30,000 People Accessing Homelessness Services in Denver Region

The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released its 2023 State of Homelessness report today, highlighting new data related to homelessness in the region. The report demonstrates the overall issue of homelessness across multiple sources including the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the 2023 Point in Time (PIT) count, and the Department of Ed.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 18, 2014

Layla Elena Said
Communications Specialist
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
layla.said@mdhi.org | 484-772-0559

Rebecca Mayer
Interim Executive Director
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
rebecca.mayer@mdhi.org

NEW REPORT SHOWS OVER 30,000 PEOPLE ACCESSING HOMELESSNESS SERVICES IN DENVER REGION

DENVER, COLORADO – January 18, 2024 – The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released its 2023 State of Homelessness report today, highlighting new data related to homelessness in the region. The report demonstrates the overall issue of homelessness across multiple sources including the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the 2023 Point in Time (PIT) count, and the Colorado Department of Education’s McKinney Vento Act.

The HMIS showed 30,409 unique individuals accessed services related to homelessness between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. This data, entered by about 100 partner agencies across the region, shows an annual account of homelessness as compared to the region’s one-night PIT count, which counted 9,065 individuals on January 30, 2023. Additionally, the report shared that 7,217 people stayed outdoors at some point during the year, compared to 2,763 on the night of the 2023 PIT.

“The Homeless Management Information System is our state’s most comprehensive database on homelessness and housing instability,” said Rebecca Mayer, Interim Executive Director of MDHI. “When we use data collected throughout the year to measure the scope of this crisis, we can more effectively plan an equitable system response that is geared toward ending homelessness,” she added.

One significant disparity that has remained consistent across data sources over time is the overrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color experiencing homelessness. While Black or African people represent only 6% of the general population, they make up over 22% of the homeless population. This overrepresentation persists for American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6X), multiracial (1.6X), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (5.0X) people experiencing homelessness.

HMIS data also show that the overwhelming majority of people (94%) are not choosing to experience homelessness, nor are they moving to Colorado and becoming homeless (88%). The top factors contributing to homelessness continue to be relationship and family breakups, as well as economic instability due to rising rents, inflation, and low wages. One member of our Young Adult Leadership Committee added, “I hope others read these stories and see that being homeless doesn't make you less of a person. It's a tough reality, but we're stronger for having lived through it.”

Highlighted in this report is the progress our region has made to know every veteran experiencing homelessness by name, month over month. In 2023, our region’s coordinated efforts in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Community Solutions, the Department of Local Affairs, and community partners across the region led to a 16% reduction in veteran homelessness. Our goal is to reach functional zero - a measurable state where homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring.

Sofia Vigil, Regional Coordination Lead, added, "The remarkable reduction in the number of Veterans actively experiencing homelessness across the region stands as a testament to the transformative power of collaboration and coordination. Recognizing that approximately 50% of Veterans currently on the By-Name-List are over the age of 55, it is fundamental to acknowledge and address age-related factors in homelessness as we strive towards achieving and sustaining functional zero."

To access a full copy of the report, please visit mdhi.org/soh-2023.


MDHI is the Metro Denver Continuum of Care, the regional system that coordinates services and housing for people experiencing homelessness. This includes prevention/diversion, street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. MDHI works closely with each county in its continuum (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson) to build a homeless crisis response system that gets people back into housing as quickly as possible. Learn more at mdhi.org.

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Douglas County & Tri-Cities Achieve Quality Data for Veterans

Douglas County and the Tri-Cities of Sheridan, Littleton, and Englewood have reached Quality Data for Veterans! In total, the Denver Metro has 5 out of 9 sub-regions at Quality Data for Veterans, reaching our goal for 2023! This includes Adams County, the City of Aurora, Boulder County, Douglas County, and the Tri-Cities.

In total, the region has 5 out of 9 sub-regions at Quality Data for Veterans, reaching our goal for 2023.

Douglas County and the Tri-Cities of Sheridan, Littleton, and Englewood have reached Quality Data for Veterans! This Quality By-Name List (BNL) helps us understand the scope of veteran homelessness in each subregion, describes the inflow and outflow on an ongoing basis, gives us accurate information to reduce homelessness, and helps us measure our progress toward ending it.

In total, the Denver Metro has 5 out of 9 sub-regions at Quality Data for Veterans, reaching our goal for 2023! This includes Adams County, the City of Aurora, Boulder County, Douglas County, and the Tri-Cities.

Mike Sandgren, Tri-Cities Homelessness Services Coordinator, serves as the community lead for these efforts. In his experience, Quality By Name Data has key benefits for the veterans we serve and the communities serving them. “Our Tri-Cities region has rallied around the opportunity to serve unhoused veterans in a more streamlined way. The vision of knowing with confidence how many veterans are experiencing homelessness in our community has been a significant motivator for local agencies to begin utilizing HMIS, engaging in outreach, and participating in the Built-for-Zero Homeless Coordination Team.” He added, “Now, we can share stories of specific veterans moving out of homelessness and into stable, dignified living situations.  These success stories – of people known and loved by service providers throughout our region – are having a compounding effect with regards to catalyzing further excitement and engagement with our Built for Zero work.”

Prior to their engagement with Built for Zero (BFZ), Tri-Cities established a strong foundation for homelessness response.  They developed a well-organized service provider network (Change the Trend), which brings together 40 to 50 service providers weekly for networking and collaboration.  Additionally, the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Group emerged and developed a plan of action for homelessness response, known as the Tri-Cities Homelessness Action Plan

Sandgren highlighted how this foundation led to their region’s Quality Data success. “First, we established a Built for Zero Homeless Coordination Team. Under the guidance of our Improvement Advisor, this team worked through the process of attaining a perfect scorecard for Single Adults, leaning into HMIS utilization and street outreach to make contact with unsheltered individuals throughout the region." Their subregion also established a Case Conferencing team to work through the needs of veterans on their by-name list on a case-by-case basis.  “Through these steps, Tri-Cities is positioned to efficiently engage our Quality Data By-Name-List and take the next steps toward functional zero for veteran homelessness,” added Sandgren. 

Margay Witzdam, Improvement Advisor at MDHI, shared, “Tri-Cities is a prime example of the impact of collective efforts for positive change. Englewood, Littleton, and Sheridan have a strong collaborative history, specifically addressing homelessness, and quickly incorporated the BFZ methodology into their existing strategic plan without hesitation. Through swift actions, organization, a solid foundation, and a dedicated team, Tri-Cities was able to attain quality data for veterans seamlessly.”

Similarly, Douglas County reached this milestone through increased HMIS utilization, outreach efforts, and case conferencing. Sofia Vigil, Regional Coordination Lead, added, “Douglas County has fully embraced the Built For Zero framework to end Veteran homelessness. From the moment Douglas County established its Homeless Engagement, Assistance, and Resource Team (HEART) in 2022, they hit the ground running to ensure they got to know every person experiencing homelessness in their community by name. The quality data verification for Veterans is truly a testament to the collaborative work in the sub-region.” 

By the end of 2024, we’ll have Quality Data and by-name lists for all veterans experiencing homelessness in Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, and Jefferson Counties.

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Denver Region Reduces Veteran Homelessness by 16% in 2023

As of December 31, we have achieved a 16% reduction in veteran homelessness across the seven-county region! This brings us from 468 to 391 veterans actively experiencing homelessness, with a total of 415 veterans housed in 2023.

As of December 31, we have achieved a 16% reduction in veteran homelessness across the seven-county region! This brings us from 468 to 391 veterans actively experiencing homelessness, with a total of 415 veterans housed in 2023. This reduction is a true testament to the collaboration and dedication of the Department of Veterans Affairs and our community partners. We sincerely thank you for your efforts!

Our goal for 2024 is to functionally end veteran homelessness in 4 out of 9 subregions. This means homelessness for veterans becomes rare, brief, and nonrecurring. We’ll be sending monthly updates on our region’s progress.

Learn more at mdhi.org/bfz.

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Executive Director Search Survey

As part of the hiring process for the new MDHI Executive Director, the hiring committee, on behalf of the MDHI Board of Directors, would like to solicit input from key stakeholders. Please complete the survey by 5pm on Friday, January 12, 2024.

Dear Community Partners,

As part of the hiring process for the new MDHI Executive Director, the hiring committee, on behalf of the MDHI Board of Directors, would like to solicit input from key stakeholders. It is important to us that your voice is heard as we make this important decision for the future of the CoC. 

Could you please take a moment to fill out this brief survey? Please complete by 5pm on Friday, January 12, 2024. Feel free to forward to others who may be interested. Thank you!

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Joint Statement on Common Sense Institute’s Flawed Annual Assessment of the Homelessness System in Denver

For the third year in a row, the “Common Sense” Institute has released a “Snapshot of Denver’s Homeless Ecosystem” outlining their flawed interpretation of Denver’s homelessness response system and City budget as well as a continued failure to account for the complexities of homelessness for those forced to experience it. 

For the third year in a row, the “Common Sense” Institute has released a “Snapshot of Denver’s Homeless Ecosystem” outlining their flawed interpretation of Denver’s homelessness response system and City budget as well as a continued failure to account for the complexities of homelessness for those forced to experience it.  In 2022, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, and Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST) all discredited the 2022 report and offered constructive feedback to CSI for how it more accurately report out on the realities of the system and numbers available, but CSI ignored those calls for accuracy. 

We won’t repeat at length our former criticisms of the report’s flaws – all of which are present in the 2023 assessment – but will highlight a few of the additional errors that misinform the public on the data around homelessness in Denver including:

First, the snapshot continues to interweave Denver-specific data with the homeless data for the entire region or the entire state. In some instances, the document utilizes only data from Denver, while in other places it uses data from the seven-county Metro-Denver region. Once again, CSI’s calculations for the expenditures double and triple counts funding, include statewide funding, and has several other limitations. This leads to inflating the amount spent on homelessness in Denver or the Denver Metro Region.  In several instances in the assessment, CSI cites its own flawed data as the source of spending analyses – analyses that have been refuted by service providers and experts more than once.  They also claim that they provided service providers the opportunity to review the data but no one in the service provider community recalls any outreach to their agencies by CSI staff.

Secondly, on Page 7, CSI claims that “one in every 21 of Denver’s unhoused persons died in 2022.”  This is a gross oversimplification that relies in part on a count of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, the Point in Time (PIT), and the limited death data reported out by Denver’s Office of Medical Examiner (OME).  As we have pointed out repeatedly to CSI, PIT data does not represent the full population of people experiencing homelessness and the number is in fact much larger than the PIT reports.  For more accurate numbers, CSI could look at MDHI’s report on the State of Homelessness.  The OME data is also very limiting and more accurate numbers, though still not complete, could be found in CCH’s Annual Death Review.  While every death of an unhoused individual is a tragedy, misrepresenting that number for shock value alone does nothing to address the systemic and dangerous issues that lead to homelessness and death.  If fact, looking at more accurate numbers would suggest that while people are experiencing homelessness have shorter life spans than their housed counterparts, less than 1% of the population of unhoused individuals in Denver passed away in 2022.  (MDHI reports over 28,000 people experiencing homelessness in the course of a year and CCH reports 263 deaths which is just .009% of population)

Thirdly, on page 13, the report references “participation rates” of housing. Here again, CSI misunderstands this data and part of the system. Participation rate data is required to be reported to HUD each year and is the percent of projects that actually enter data into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). In other words, it reflects what percent of our providers are putting data in a database, not the utilization rates by people experiencing homelessness.  Here are the correct utilization rates, or how many beds were actually full in that resource type, which was the intent of CSI sharing this data. This data is also only a snapshot on a single night in January within the Denver Metro area and is not longitudinal. Here are the rates at which these interventions were occupied on the night of the 2022 Point in Time:, as well as for 2023. It is also to be noted that this data chart still cannot capture the nuance of complex systems. For instance, for the line on Permanent Supportive Housing, some of those are vouchers, so the total is likely misleadingly low due to the fact that many unhoused neighbors are in currently searching for housing that will accept the vouchers which are difficult to find in the incredibly tight housing market in the Denver Metro Area.

MDHI was unable to replicate many of the percentages claimed by CSI based on the official data set submitted to HUD for the 2022 Point in Time via the Housing Inventory Count (HIC).

The danger in misrepresenting “participation rates” in the way that CSI is done undermines and discredits the interventions and housing solutions that in fact, are highly successful in resolving homelessness.  The data is clear, housing is the solution to homelessness and a research entity with any real interest in evidence-based solutions would have no difficulty finding the real data that makes this case.  In fact, the most recent data was collected from the highly successful Denver Social Impact Bond Program right in CSI’s backyard.

Denver SIB supportive housing participants spent significantly more time in housing (560 days), compared with those who received services as usual. After accessing supportive housing, most participants stayed housed over the long term, with 86% of participants remaining in stable housing one year after entering housing, 81% after two years, and 77% after three years.  Other studies have shown similar results:

  • One study published in 2020 found that 86% of participants with long histories of frequent emergency room visits and arrests who have diagnoses of substance use and severe mental illness entered and remained in permanent supportive housing. By providing housing with voluntary services, the vast majority of high-risk individuals were housed successfully. The study analyzed service use from Santa Clara County, CA between 2015 and 2019.

  • Another study from a 2017 24-month randomized control trial demonstrated that Housing First programs significantly improved the percentage of days stably housed among older homeless adults (50+) by 44% and younger homeless adults (18-49) by 40% compared with usual care.

  • A 2020 meta-analysis of permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs found that PSH interventions increased long-term (6 year) housing stability for participants with moderate and high support needs when compared with usual care.

  • A 2020 analysis of 26 studies from the US and Canada demonstrated that, compared with Treatment First, Housing First programs decreased homelessness by 88% and improved housing stability by 41%.

  • A 2020 study out of North Carolina found that housing retention was highest among housing first PSH participants at 80% (retention after 12 months plus positive exits).

Finally, CSI makes several unfounded and misunderstood claims about the system and impacts of homelessness that seem off-handed, ill-informed, and intentionally accusatory towards people experiencing homelessness.  The failure of CSI to evaluate or even discuss proven solutions to these issues further demonstrates the lack of seriousness of their report.

  • On Page 8, CSI states that there are “hundreds of unsheltered youths” but provides no context, no real impact analysis, and no discussion of effective interventions or solutions despite all of that information being available.

  • On Page 13, CSI claims there is sufficient shelter capacity in Denver but all information available demonstrates that many shelters are at capacity requiring the opening of new shelter facilities both in response to homelessness and to the influx of migrants into the City of Denver.

  • On Page 14, CSI states without explanation that costs per homelessness person at Denver Health is higher and includes longer lengths of stay without explaining the complex and complicated healthcare conditions that people experiencing homelessness endure, the failure of the system to provide adequate non-emergency places for recovery from healthcare issues, and the innovative and proven solutions being implemented to address these concerns.

For the third time in as many years, the “Common Sense” Institute has demonstrated that when it comes to accurately reporting out on homelessness and system in place to address it in Denver, it is not “common sense” that is driving the report. CSI continues to paint an inaccurate, mis-informed, and misleading picture of homelessness in the region. CCH and MDHI are proud of the work that is being done in Denver to resolve homelessness and if these proven interventions could be brought to the scale necessary to address the crisis at hand, we would see significant impact for our communities and for those that are forced to remain unhoused in Denver.  Detractors like CSI serve no legitimate role in a meaningful and solutions-driven dialogue around homelessness and anyone who relies on their “findings” should take caution and ask themselves why CSI continues to push a false narrative, use misleading data, and make unverifiable claims.

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Denver Joins Biden’s All INside Initiative to Address Homelessness

On October 18, Denver joined President Joe Biden's All INside initiative, a historic opportunity to address the crisis of unsheltered homelessness in Denver with support from key federal partners. With this partnership, an embedded, dedicated federal official will help identify and execute systems-level changes as well as expedite and strengthen our current local strategies.

On October 18, Denver joined President Joe Biden's All INside initiative, a historic opportunity to address the crisis of unsheltered homelessness in Denver with support from key federal partners. This partnership includes Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, the Phoenix metro area, Seattle, and the State of California. With this partnership, an embedded, dedicated federal official will help identify and execute systems-level changes as well as expedite and strengthen our current local strategies.

This initiative aims to remove many of the barriers oftentimes faced by those experiencing homelessness as they seek to move from the streets into the safety and security of their own home. While this partnership doesn't immediately provide federal funding to solve homelessness, the Biden administration is aware of the need and plans to request funding for homelessness resolution in the upcoming budget, showing a commitment to address this pressing issue. 

As the region’s Continuum of Care, MDHI is working closely with the City and County of Denver and the White House to execute this strategy. This is an exciting opportunity for us to learn from other large metro areas and work with the federal government to remove barriers to housing for those experiencing homelessness. 

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Homeless Youth Needs Assessment and Media Toolkit Released

Learn more about youth homelessness with our region’s first Homeless Youth Needs Assessment. Our Youth Media Kit makes it easy to share the facts and support unhoused youth. Explore at mdhi.org/youth.

The Needs of Unhoused Youth through a Lens of Data, Equity, and Lived Expertise

The purpose of the Homeless Youth Needs Assessment is to provide meaningful insight into the nature of homelessness for unaccompanied and parenting youth aged 24 and under. The first of its kind in metro Denver, it examines six data sources to depict the overall issue of youth homelessness as it occurs across systems for a deeper understanding of the problem.

This report includes Community Outreach conducted in the Spring of 2023 with youth and providers across metro Denver to better understand their needs and experiences. While the ‘Causes’ and ‘Disparities’ identified in this report use all of the available data sources, the ‘Needs’ section that follows relies heavily on this outreach data.

We hope that by the end of this report, readers understand homelessness as a matter of systemic failures rather than personal shortcomings, by and large; recognize the disparities that exist for specific populations of youth; and use our findings to help guide decisions about housing resources and improvements to make the homeless system better for youth.

 

Homeless Youth Awareness Media Kit

We wanted to make our youth Needs Assessment as accessible and impactful as possible. That’s why we developed a social media toolkit to help you promote #HomelessYouthAwareness and #YouthHomelessness in the month of November and beyond. Explore the full content suite.

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Regional Shift in Veteran Homelessness, Down 21% YTD

“Our community has made a SHIFT in veteran homelessness, which means we have consistently seen a decrease in our overall number of literally homeless veterans in our Continuum of Care for the past 6 months,” shared Lauren Lapinski from the VA. “Thank you to all our community homeless providers for their incredible efforts to end veteran homelessness in our area, homelessness is solvable.”

Our region’s approach to ending veteran homelessness is working. Veteran homelessness is down 21% this year, and in the last 6 months, we’ve seen a significant shift despite overall increases in homelessness. According to Community Solutions, “a shift constitutes a measurable, meaningful reduction in homelessness for a community. More specifically, it means that a community has driven the number of people experiencing homelessness below their median for six consecutive months.” Shifts tell us when there has been a fundamental, sustained change in our region’s systemic response to veteran homelessness.

Data above from our by-name list tracks the number of veterans experiencing homelessness across the region in real-time. From March to August 2023, we’ve seen a 15% reduction in veteran homelessness. This means our by-name list went from 433 Veterans in March to 366 in August. Year-to-date, the number of veterans has decreased by 21%, from 468 to 370 veterans actively experiencing homelessness. This puts our region on track to reach our goal of reducing veteran homelessness by 25% this year, from 468 to 351 veterans.

Lauren Lapinski, a licensed clinical social worker with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), celebrated the win. “Our community has made a SHIFT in veteran homelessness, which means we have consistently seen a decrease in our overall number of literally homeless veterans in our Continuum of Care for the past 6 months,” shared Lapinski. “Thank you to all our community homeless providers for their incredible efforts to end veteran homelessness in our area, homelessness is solvable.”

A lot of factors and hard work across the region contributed to these reductions, some of which include:

  1. Strong Partnership with the VA

  2. Abundance of Veteran Housing Resources

  3. Veteran-Specific Case Conferencing

  4. Local Case Conferencing for Veterans off of BNL

  5. Increased Collaboration across the Region

  6. Every Sub-Region Using HMIS

  7. Community Building at Metro Denver Learning Sessions

  8. Community Solutions Investments in Affordable Housing Stock

  9. Coordinated, Person-Centered Outreach

Over the last 2 years, MDHI has collaborated with local governments, homelessness agencies, and Community Solutions to create a sub-regional response to end veteran homelessness using the Built for Zero (BFZ) framework. The goal is to reach function zero, a sustainable system where fewer veterans experience homelessness than can be routinely housed in a month.

We began with veterans because of the abundance of resources for this specific population. Having this proof point is essential, as it will provide a framework and guidance on how to end homelessness for other populations. In setting and piloting this foundation, we can begin to identify gaps in our systems, build out capacity, and apply for targeted investments. More information about how the learning and data infrastructure from solving veteran homelessness will be translated to other populations in the near future.

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Adams County & Aurora Achieve Quality Data for Veterans

Adams County and the City of Aurora have achieved Quality Data for veterans, a necessary milestone for reaching a functional end to Veteran homelessness (and eventually all homelessness). Quality Data means we can account for every veteran experiencing homelessness by name, in real time.

Adams County and the City of Aurora have achieved Quality Data for veterans, a necessary milestone for reaching a functional end to Veteran homelessness (and eventually all homelessness). Quality Data means we can account for every veteran experiencing homelessness by name, in real time. This Quality By-Name List (BNL) helps us understand the scope of veteran homelessness in each subregion, describes the inflow and outflow on an ongoing basis, gives us accurate information to reduce homelessness, and helps us measure our progress toward ending it. Community Solutions certified the data over a 3-month reporting period, assuring that Adams and Aurora maintained 100% data reliability through the end of last month.

Lindsey Earl, CSWB Administrator for Adams County, shared her thoughts on the key benefits of quality data for veterans. “Quality data gives us a level of certainty that we are providing care for all veterans experiencing homelessness in our community. It helps us connect to veterans who have lost housing to quickly reduce and resolve the trauma they are experiencing.” Earl added, “Under the guidance of MDHI and Community Solutions, we continuously research best practices and review our data sets to know they we are implementing evidence-based interventions for veterans experiencing homelessness.” She also mentioned key steps to achieving quality data included “extending an HMIS data-sharing agreement to our municipalities and nonprofit providers and increasing case conferencing participation.”

Margay Witzdam, Improvement Advisor with MDHI, was critical to their success. She added, “Since the beginning of the Built for Zero (BFZ) Veteran initiative in Metro Denver, Adams County and the City of Aurora have consistently showcased their ability to modify a methodology to their own communities' needs for success. Reaching Quality Data for Veterans in both sub-regions shows the importance of forming dedicated improvement teams and ongoing cross-collaboration.”

Boulder County was the first to achieve Quality Data last August. The addition of Adams and Aurora means 3 out of 9 subregions in metro Denver have achieved this milestone and know all veterans and singles experiencing homelessness by name, in real-time.

 

Aurora’s Certification of Quality Data from BFZ

Members of Aurora Team with Quality Data Cup

Lindsey Earl from Adams County Government

Members of Adams County Team with Quality Data Cup

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Final CoC NOFO Application Posted, Feedback Due 9/27

As part of this important community process, MDHI is posting the final version of the Collaborative Application as well as the Project Priority Listing. Please send final input to NOFA@mdhi.org by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 27.

Dear Partners,

Thanks to everyone who already provided input on our region's Collaborative Application for federal homelessness funding! We appreciate your support in strengthening this year’s application to HUD. As part of this important community process, MDHI is posting the final version of the Collaborative Application as well as the Project Priority Listing. 

Please send final input to NOFA@mdhi.org by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 27.

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Metro Denver Receives $2.58 Million from Federal Government to End Youth Homelessness

On September 20, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $2,580,526 to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) to prevent and end youth homelessness. The funding was awarded through HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP).

DENVER, COLORADO – On September 20, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $2,580,526 to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) to prevent and end youth homelessness. The funding was awarded through HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP). The grant allows key stakeholders in Denver’s homelessness services community, including those with lived experience, to create and implement a coordinated community plan to end homelessness for youth aged 24 and under.

Metro Denver was one of 16 communities selected by HUD to receive a YHDP grant this year, totaling $60 million in funding. These funds will be sub-granted to support a range of housing programs for youth, such as rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and transitional housing. “YHDP was developed using vital input from the very communities it serves,” said Rocky Mountain Regional Administrator Dominique Jackson. “With a strong focus on targeted outreach and supportive services, the funding available through this program will enable organizations like the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative to reach more youth and change the trajectory of their lives.”

Layla Said, Communications Specialist at MDHI, led this year’s grant writing, Homeless Youth Needs Assessment, and stakeholder engagement. She shared, “This is a pivotal moment for our community, one that gives us a real opportunity to address a critically unmet need for housing resources and end youth homelessness as a region in collaboration with those we serve.”

Metro Denver’s Homeless Management Information System showed 1,787 youth accessing services related to homelessness in metro Denver between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. During the same period, 632 unaccompanied youth were served by Runaway and Homeless Youth Projects. School districts also identified and reported 8,240 students experiencing homelessness during the 2020-2021 school year, and the annual Point in Time count identified 469 youth experiencing literal homelessness on the night of January 30, 2023. "Youth homelessness is a growing challenge in our community,” said Dr. Jamie Rife, Executive Director of MDHI. “This funding will greatly strengthen the region’s ability to meet the needs of young people navigating this crisis,” she added.  

Dominique Jackson, Rocky Mountain Regional Administrator of HUD, will be presenting the region with a check on September 27th at 10:15 am at Urban Peak's facility located at 1630 S. Acoma St. in Denver. The public and press are invited to attend.

The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) is a federal initiative designed to reduce the number of youth experiencing homelessness. Its goal is to support selected communities, including rural, suburban, and urban areas across the United States, in the development and implementation of a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness.

MDHI is the Metro Denver Continuum of Care, the regional system that coordinates services and housing for people experiencing homelessness. This includes prevention/diversion, street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. MDHI works closely with each county in its continuum (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson) to build a homeless crisis response system that gets people back into housing as quickly as possible.

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For more information, please email info@mdhi.org.

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Annual CoC Competitive Application Open for Comments

The Consolidated Application is a part of the Annual CoC NOFO process and strengthens our region’s application to secure federal homelessness funding. As part of this important process, MDHI is posting the draft version of the CoC Collaborative Application for public review and feedback. Please add your comments by 12pm on September 21.

Dear Partners,

The Consolidated Application is a part of the Annual CoC NOFO process and strengthens our region’s application to secure federal homelessness funding. As part of this important process, MDHI is posting the draft version of the CoC Collaborative Application for public review and feedback. Please review the plan and provide any comments using the “Add Comments” tool.  

We'd love to have your feedback by 12pm on September 21. We'll incorporate it into our final plan and post it for review. Please contact nofa@mdhi.org if you have any questions.

You can also access the application with this link: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:fc56622d-2456-3d0a-9abb-77f9ccba5568.

Thank you for the time to help strengthen our community application!
The MDHI Team

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Community Job Board

These postings were submitted by our partners throughout the region. Please contact the hiring agency directly for more information. Email info@mdhi.org if you have a local job posting in homelessness or related services.

These postings were submitted by our partners and are important in supporting our region’s homeless crisis response system. Please contact the agency hiring for more information.

Email info@mdhi.org if you have a local job posting in homelessness or related services. Ranked newest to oldest:

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Equal Access Training

MDHI hosted an Equal Access Rule Training in accordance with HUD’s Gender Identity Rule. The Equal Access Rule (EAR) ensures that all individuals - regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity - have equal access to HUD's programs. This includes shelters, benefits, services and accommodations. Review the slides or watch the webinar.

MDHI hosted an Equal Access Rule Training in accordance with HUD’s Gender Identity Rule. The Equal Access Rule (EAR) ensures that all individuals - regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity - have equal access to HUD's programs. This includes shelters, benefits, services and accommodations. As such, it prohibits certain forms of discrimination against persons identifying within the LGBTQIA2S+ umbrella.

The training session offers a deeper dive into the following:

  • CoC Policy and HUD's Equal Access Rules

  • Laws prohibiting discrimination

  • Strategies to provide all individuals who interact with CoC-funded programs a safe, healthy, inclusive, affirming, and discrimination-free environment

Every agency that receives CoC funding should engage with these materials.

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