PRESS RELEASE: Metro Denver Homeless Initiative Releases 2025 Point-in-Time Count Data

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2025

Jason Johnson
Executive Director
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
jason.johnson@mdhi.org

Coordinated efforts yield promising results as sheltering and housing strategies show impact

DENVER, CO - The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released the results of the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, an annual survey that captures the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January across the seven-county Metro Denver region. The data reveals that while overall homelessness has increased slightly in the region, there are clear signs that coordinated approaches are working. More people are accessing shelter rather than sleeping outside, and fewer people are experiencing homelessness for the first time. "Homelessness is solvable—we've proven what works," said Jason Johnson, Executive Director of MDHI. "The 2025 PIT count data reinforces what we already know: when we invest in coordinated, evidence-based solutions and work together across systems, we see measurable results. Our success in reducing veteran homelessness by 30% in Metro Denver over the past four years demonstrates this clearly."

Key Findings

●     Flattening rate of increase: While the total number of people experiencing homelessness in the Metro Denver region increased from 9,997 in 2024 to 10,774 in 2025, the rate of increase has slowed significantly compared to previous years.

●     More people in shelter, fewer sleeping outside: The number of people in emergency shelters and transitional housing increased from 7,058 in 2024 to 8,625 in 2025, while the number of people sleeping on streets, in cars, or other places not suitable for living decreased from 2,919 to 2,149. This shift demonstrates the success of expanded shelter capacity and cold weather shelter initiatives.

●     Decrease in newly homeless: The region saw a notable decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time, from 3,535 in 2024 to 2,992 in 2025, suggesting that prevention efforts are making an impact.

Cold Weather Shelter Success

This year marked the first winter season where no individuals died from cold-weather exposure while sleeping outdoors in the Metro Denver region. Expanded cold weather shelter capacity in Denver and Jefferson counties proved vital in providing life-saving resources during dangerous winter conditions. "Access to safe shelter is not just about comfort – it's about survival and creating pathways to permanent housing. We simply cannot help people rebuild their lives if they don't survive the night," said Johnson. "These results clearly show that when we open resources for people experiencing homelessness, they use them." Research consistently shows that coordinated approaches to homelessness are not only effective but also fiscally responsible. Every $1 invested in Housing First coordination saves $2 or more in hospital, emergency, and police costs, while saving over $10,000 per person annually in healthcare costs.

Regional Progress

The City and County of Denver's "All In Mile High" initiative, launched by Mayor Mike Johnston, has contributed to a decrease in the number of people forced to sleep outdoors within Denver, with more people accessing shelter services than in previous years. Across Jefferson County, expanded cold weather shelter options have significantly reduced the number of people sleeping outside during dangerous winter conditions, demonstrating the effectiveness of regional collaboration. Douglas County achieved functional zero for veteran homelessness in November 2024, proving that with the right coordination and resources, communities can effectively end homelessness for targeted populations.

The Path Forward

The data comes as Colorado continues to face significant housing challenges. According to the State of Homelessness Report, over 52,000 people in Colorado needed help with housing in 2024. More than half of people experiencing homelessness have a health condition that makes daily life more difficult, and the housing system isn't working for everyone—to rent a two-bedroom apartment, someone would need to work more than two full-time jobs at minimum wage.

"Now is not the time to reduce investments in proven solutions when over 52,000 Coloradans needed housing help last year," said Johnson. "Every dollar we invest in coordinated housing approaches saves taxpayers more than two dollars in reduced hospital visits, emergency responses, and police interactions. We've proven homelessness is solvable—we need to continue investing in what works to efficiently help more people find stable housing."

MDHI continues to work closely with housing groups, healthcare providers, government agencies, and local communities as part of Colorado's Built for Zero movement, which focuses on making homelessness rare and brief. The Built for Zero approach uses real-time data to guide decisions and track results, ensuring resources are used efficiently and effectively.

To see the complete 2025 Point-in-Time Count report, visit MDHI.org/PIT.

For more comprehensive information about homelessness in Colorado, visit the State of Homelessness Report at COHMIS.org/SOH2024.

Sources

Exchanging Housing Dollars for Health Care Savings: The Impact of Housing First on Health Care Costs, 2024

Cost savings of Housing First in a non-experimental setting, 2020

________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

Supportive Housing Training Series

MDHI is partnering with CSH to deliver a series of virtual training courses and peer learning sessions. The training sessions are formal content delivery from CSH, and the peer learning sessions are focused on supportive housing providers from the community sharing best practices and innovative ideas related to the training topic. All sessions will start at 10 a.m. MST and last 90 minutes. MDHI will send out registration links via e-mail in the weeks leading up to the training. Please register early to ensure your spot!

Registration Links

Future training will be posted the month before they start.

• June 18 - Housing First Registration Link

• July 16 - Housing First Peer Learning Exchange Registration Link

• August 20 - Training Session (Topic TBD)

• September 17 - Peer Learning Exchange (Topic TBD)

• October 15 - Training Session (Topic TBD)

• November 19 - Peer Learning Exchange (Topic TBD)

• December 17 - Training Session (Topic TBD)

• January 21 - Peer Learning Exchange (Topic TBD)

• February 18 - Training Session (Topic TBD)

• March 18 - Peer Learning Exchange (Topic TBD)

• April 15 - Training Session (Topic TBD)

• May 20 - Peer Learning Exchange (Topic TBD)

Shape the Future of Homelessness Solutions in Metro Denver!

The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) is a leading nonprofit with over two decades of experience addressing homelessness across the seven-county region. We are currently seeking passionate individuals to join our Board of Directors.

As a key player in MDHI's future, board members will guide our strategic decisions and amplify our impact. We invite all who are interested to apply, but we highly encourage applications from individuals who bring specialized financial knowledge and expertise to help strengthen our strategic planning and resource management.

Interested in making a lasting difference? Please complete our brief application no later than Friday, June 6th, 2025.

PRESS RELEASE: MDHI Releases First-Ever Statewide Homelessness Report

DENVER, CO (April 28, 2025) — The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), on behalf of Colorado's four Continuums of Care (CoC), has released the state's first-ever State of Homelessness Report, providing critical base-line data and insights on housing instability across Colorado's diverse communities and outlining pathways toward lasting solutions.
 
The groundbreaking statewide report, funded by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), expands upon MDHI's previous annual reports that focused only on the Denver Metro area. The report also compiles data for a full calendar year (2024) instead of only one single night or the federal fiscal year as with previous reports. This collaborative effort uses data from Colorado's Homeless Management Information System (COHMIS), Point-in-Time (PIT) counts, and the Colorado Department of Education.
 
"This first statewide report marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to address homelessness throughout Colorado," said Jason Johnson, Executive Director of Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. "By bringing together data from all regions and perspectives, we're strengthening collaboration and maintaining a united approach to homelessness reporting and solutions across our state."
 

Key Facts from the 2024 State of Homelessness Report

The Scale of the Crisis

In 2024, over 52,000 people in Colorado needed help with housing. Each number is a real person with their own story—neighbors, veterans, parents, and young people. Homelessness affects every community in our state. 

The Housing System Isn’t Working for Everyone

Colorado doesn't have enough affordable homes. To rent a two-bedroom apartment, someone would need to work 2.6 full-time jobs at minimum wage. When housing costs this much while wages stay low, many people can't keep a stable home.  

Health and Housing Are Connected

More than half of people experiencing homelessness in Colorado have a disabling condition that makes daily life harder. Without a stable home, it's nearly impossible to stay healthy. Having a home makes it easier to get and stay well.  

Homelessness Is Solvable When We Work Together

Colorado is the first state working with a program called Built for Zero to make homelessness rare and brief. This brings together housing groups, doctors, government, and local communities. They share data and focus on getting people into homes. It’s working— 7% fewer veterans are homeless since last year. When we team up and focus on housing, we can solve homelessness in Colorado.
 
"This report reminds us that behind every statistic are real people in Colorado with unique stories and challenges," said Jason Johnson, Executive Director of Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. "Across our state, dedicated teams are working tirelessly to connect people to housing and support services. The collaborative efforts of all four CoC’s demonstrate that when we center people in our work and share resources and knowledge, we can make meaningful progress toward solving homelessness."
 
The complete report is available at: https://www.cohmis.org. 
 

About Colorado's Continuums of Care

Colorado's homeless response system is coordinated through four Continuums of Care (CoC), each serving different regions of the state. For regional information about homelessness and local initiatives, please contact:
 

Metro Denver CoC

Lead agency: Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI)
Covering Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, & Jefferson counties
Contact: Jason Johnson
jason.johnson@mdhi.org
 

Northern Colorado CoC

Lead agency: Homeward Alliance
Covering Larimer & Weld counties
Contact: Christine Koepnick
ckoepnick@nocococ.org

 Pikes Peak CoC

Lead agency: Pikes Peak Community Health Partnership
Covering El Paso County 
Contact: Amber Carlton
amber.carlton@ppchp.org
 

Balance of State CoC

Lead agency: Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Covering 54 counties in rural, non-metro regions 
Contact: Jeri Erickson
dola_bos_coc@state.co.us

Metro Denver Coordinated Community Plan

MDHI is proud to publish the Metro Denver Coordinated Community Plan, a comprehensive community-developed action plan focused on preventing and ending youth homelessness across the region.

In 2023, the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) initiated a community planning process that was a required element of the Metro Denver Continuum of Care’s (CoC) application for funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (YHDP). That process brought together a wide array of partners - government, service providers, funders, stakeholder groups, and most importantly, young people with lived experience of homelessness, who led and shaped every step of this process. As a result of these planning efforts as well as the innovative, existing projects providing housing and supports to homeless youth, the Metro Denver CoC was selected as a federally funded demonstration project to create model programs that prevent and end youth homelessness.

While the genesis of this community plan was in response to the application and eligibility requirements for YHDP funding, the collaborative planning process sparked renewed attention to the needs, voices, and strengths of youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability. This plan represents the vision of young people, service providers, government and community partners working together to advance future efforts grounded in data and evidence-based practices that best serve the diverse needs of youth in our community.

We invite you to read the full plan to learn more about the strategies and commitments to driving this work forward.

Join Us for the First-Ever Metro Denver CoC Convening

We’re excited to invite you to the first-ever Metro Denver CoC Convening, bringing together frontline staff and system leaders dedicated to ending homelessness in our region. 

📅 Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025
⏰Time: 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
📍Location: Boulder Jewish Community Center, 6007 Oreg Ave, Boulder, CO 80303, In-Person + Virtual Option for Select Content

This convening is for case managers, outreach staff, housing navigators, HMIS end users, and others working directly with people experiencing homelessness. Join us for a day of:

✅ Training – Learn best practices and tools to strengthen your impact
✅ Connection – Build relationships with peers and partners across the region
✅Collaboration – Deepen your understanding of Metro Denver’s homeless response system 

Cost: This event is completely FREE to attend! If your organization is able to, MDHI welcomes a voluntary $20 donation per attendee to help cover meal costs, but it is not required.

View the Full Agenda & Register: Registration for in-person attendance will close on Friday, April 18, 2025 - https://metro-denver-coc-convening.eventbrite.com

📩 Questions? Contact Sarah Rutledge at sarah.rutledge@mdhi.org or Sofia Vigil at sofia.vigil@mdhi.org. 

🔹 Spots are limited! Register today to secure your seat.

Happy New Year from MDHI

As we all begin 2025 and I start my first year with the incredible team at MDHI, I wanted to drop you a quick note of gratitude and hope. 

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) was formed in 1994 to better coordinate services and housing assistance available from organizations throughout the metro area. MDHI has successfully brought together homeless service and housing providers, local and state governmental agencies, foundations, mental health centers, neighborhood groups, and people with lived experience of homelessness to develop a Continuum of Care (CoC). 30 years later, MDHI coordinates and supports the Metro Denver Continuum of Care (CoC), a multi-agency collaboration focused on ending homelessness in the seven-county Denver metropolitan area (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties).  

While MDHI serves in the critical role of coordination, facilitation, leadership, data and reporting, and continuous system evaluation, it is our community’s collective efforts that have made a powerful difference to so many.  In 2025, we have a unique opportunity to lean into this well-established partnership and take meaningful steps toward ending homelessness in the Denver area once and for all.

We know that homelessness is not just a statistic; it’s a crisis that affects real people — individuals and families, our neighbors, who are struggling to survive, to feel safe, and to rebuild their lives. But we also know that homelessness is solvable, and it starts with compassion, actionable data, shared resources, and regional collaboration. 

This year, let us commit to working hand in hand — neighbors, advocates, organizations, and policymakers — to create a community where everyone has a place to call home. Together we will amplify the voices of those who need help, provide housing and resources for those experiencing homelessness, and support lasting solutions to prevent future hardship. 

I believe I am joining MDHI and our years-long collective efforts to end homelessness at a time of real potential. Let us make 2025 the year when hope triumphs over despair, where our efforts make a tangible difference in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors. United in our mission, I believe, we can end homelessness.

Wishing you all a year of compassion, progress, and unwavering commitment to our shared cause.

Again, Happy New Year! I look forward to working with you.

Jason Johnson
Executive Director
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

PRESS RELEASE: Douglas County Achieves Functional Zero for Veterans, Ensuring it is Rare and Brief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2024 

Layla Elena Said, Communications Specialist
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
layla.said@mdhi.org

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

Wendy Manitta Holmes, APR,
Director, Communication and Public Affairs, Douglas County Government
Mobile: 303.880.7785 | Email: wholmes@douglas.co.us

DOUGLAS COUNTY ACHIEVES FUNCTIONAL ZERO FOR VETERANS,
ENSURING HOMELESSNESS IS RARE AND BRIEF

Douglas County has proven that homelessness is solvable through quality data, coordinated outreach, and regional collaboration. Together, Douglas County and the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) celebrate the County’s achievement of Functional Zero for Veteran homelessness, since joining the Built for Zero (BFZ) movement in April 2021.

“Our approach to homelessness is working in Douglas County,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon. “We appreciate all our municipal, nonprofit, and faith-based partners and Sheriff Darren Weekly for working with us to achieve this outcome for our community’s heroes. Now, we have a pilot for using the Built for Zero framework across all populations.”

Functional Zero for Veterans represents a critical milestone, requiring sustained systems to prevent homelessness and address it promptly. This achievement does not imply that no one experiences homelessness; rather, it means that the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness is maintained within the community’s capacity to provide housing.

“Functional Zero isn’t about achieving a ‘finish line’ but about maintaining ongoing efforts to serve Veterans with dignity and timeliness,” said Sofia Vigil, Regional Coordination Manager with MDHI. “Douglas County has shown us that Veteran homelessness can be made rare and brief.”  

The cornerstone of this success was reaching the Quality By-Name Data standard in October 2023. By building and maintaining a comprehensive, monthly-updated list of every homeless Veteran in the community, Douglas County gained a powerful tool for tracking Veterans entering and exiting homelessness. This systematic approach ensures that everyone is included in the data.   

"This incredible accomplishment by Douglas County is the result of their active engagement and prioritization of this work for over two years," said Missy Mish, Homeless Section Chief for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. "Douglas County used grant funding to build a robust outreach team to identify and track Veterans through community-wide efforts. The VA is grateful for their collaboration and partnership in this life-saving work."  

Meanwhile, Douglas County’s HEART (Homeless Engagement Assistance and Resource Team) program brought personalized, street-level support. HEART navigators, paired with law enforcement, conducted regular outreach, building trust and guiding Veterans toward available resources.

“Today, we celebrate the success of our veterans. In the summer of 2023, a veteran was identified through a referral that HEART received. After a few short months of gathering documentation and meeting with the VA, he was approved for a housing voucher that paired rental assistance with ongoing case management and supportive services,” said Tiffany Marsitto, HEART supervisor. “It’s an honor and privilege to serve those who have served our country.” 

“Our HEART team is dedicated to compassionate policing, especially when it comes to supporting our homeless Veterans,” said Sheriff Darren Weekly. “These men and women served our country with honor, and now it’s our turn to serve them with respect and care. By addressing their unique needs, we’re making a real impact, offering them a path to stability and dignity.”

From January 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, 64% of Veterans experiencing homelessness were housed within 98 days of being identified. MDHI and Douglas County attribute this success to a system-wide commitment to continual improvement. Data review and coordinated service practices have reduced inflow, sped up housing placements, and created a sustainable model for other communities to follow.

“Douglas County’s achievement offers a powerful message to communities everywhere: homelessness is solvable,” said Sofia Vigil. “With aligned resources, committed partners, and a data-driven approach, other communities can follow this path.”

Built for Zero – and the framework to measure progress toward Functional Zero – is an initiative of nonprofit Community Solutions. Community Solutions, an independent, national organization, conducted a comprehensive review of policies and data spanning the past 1.5 years to verify that every Veteran experiencing homelessness in Douglas County has been accounted for and directed toward housing solutions. Douglas County is one of more than 100 communities nationwide committed to ending homelessness by working with Community Solutions Group on Built for Zero. 

Douglas County’s progress highlights MDHI’s vision to address homelessness throughout Metro Denver, proving that lasting change is possible with shared effort and clear goals. Douglas County is one of nine subregions working with MDHI to solve Veteran and eventually all homelessness. For more information, please visit mdhi.org.  

HEART is a partnership among the County, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement and community partners to connect those experiencing homelessness with resources. HEART is a program of the Douglas County Homeless Initiative.

---

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.

Supportive Housing Training Series

MDHI is partnering with CSH to deliver a series of eight virtual training courses. Each training course will be followed by an applied learning session which will facilitate practical discussion and real-world applications. All sessions will start at 10 a.m. MST. The Training Sessions will be 90 minutes, and the Applied Learning Sessions will be 60 minutes. The training sessions are capped at 300 participants and the applied learning sessions are capped at 100 participants. MDHI will send out registration links via e-mail in the weeks leading up to the training. Please register early to ensure your spot!

Registration Links

Future training will be posted the month before they start.

• September 11 - Housing First (Closed)

• September 18 - Housing First Applied Learning (Closed)

• October 09 - Harm Reduction Scenario-Based Training (Closed)

• October 16 - Harm Reduction Applied Learning (Closed)

• November 13 - The First Year of Tenancy - Supporting Tenants Training Registration Link

• November 20 - The First Year of Tenancy Applied Learning Registration Link

• December 11 - Housing Retention & Eviction Prevention Training Registration Link

• December 18 - Housing Retention & Eviction Prevention Applied Learning Registration Link

Feedback Needed by 10/28 for HUD’s Collaborative Funding Application

Thank you to everyone who 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 and the Project Priority Listing. Please send final input to nofo@mdhi.org by the end of October 28, 2024. 

PRESS RELEASE: Metro Denver Homeless Initiative Announces New Executive Director

Jason Johnson to Serve as Next Executive Director

DENVER, COLORADO – October 21, 2024 – The board of directors of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) announced today that Jason Johnson has been selected to serve as the organization’s next Executive Director. Jason currently serves as the Executive Director of Vashon Household in King County, Washington.

The interview and selection process spanned several months and included input from community stakeholders, partners, and MDHI staff. “We are extremely grateful for the collaboration, support, and patience from our community partners and the MDHI team as we worked through this important process,” said Brendan Clark, board president. “Jason embodies the values, experience and passion that we were searching for in the next leader of MDHI, and we are so thrilled to welcome him back to Colorado to lead and advance the amazing work being done at MDHI and across the region to end homelessness.” 

Jason has served as the Executive Director of Vashon Household since May 2022. Previously, Jason spent a decade in the nonprofit sector managing regional housing programs for seniors, families and people living with terminal illness or permanent disabilities. Jason also brings 16+ years of leadership in the public sector as the former Director of the City of Seattle’s Human Services Department and a Planner with the City of Kent Housing and Human Services Division. Jason is a licensed social worker originally from Boulder, Colorado where he grew up in publicly funded affordable housing and whose family relied on many of the social safety net services he has spent his career advancing. Jason has lived in Seattle since 1997 and aside from his work, Jason enjoys travel, live music, recreational sports, and time outdoors with his dog Disco and husband Rob.

“We are incredibly excited for Jason to lead MDHI as we embark upon this next chapter for the organization. His experience leading in both the nonprofit and public sectors, history of fostering collaboration, commitment to equity, and lifelong dedication to serving our unhoused neighbors are just some of the many reasons we believe Jason is the right choice to lead MDHI.” Jason will begin this new position on December 16, 2024.

“On behalf of the board of MDHI, I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Rebecca Mayer for serving as Interim Executive Director over this past year,” added Brendan. “Rebecca provided stability and leadership during a time of transition and ensured that MDHI continued to advance its mission as we searched for a new Executive Director. She went above and beyond what the board asked of her and will always be a valued member of the MDHI family. We wish her the best in her future endeavors and thank her for continuing her commitment to ending homelessness in our region.”

Recording Available: Stakeholder Meeting (August 2024)

Thank you for your interest in the August 2024 Stakeholder meeting. Topics include:

• “Housing Firsty” Celebrations​

• CoC Membership – What does it mean?​ How to join.

• Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (YHDP): Coordinated Community Plan (CCP)

• Coordinated Entry Update

• Built for Zero

• MDHI Updates

Who Should Watch:
This meeting is open to all, specifically those who are members of the Metro Denver CoC.

NOFO Survey for Continuum of Care Providers

HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) grant funding supports a broad array of interventions designed to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness, particularly those living in places not meant for human habitation, located in sheltering programs, or at imminent risk of experiencing homelessness.  

The CoC Program’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is a community process that requires year-round planning and coordination. MDHI is responsible for submitting the collaborative application to HUD on behalf of seven-county Metro Denver, which brings in nearly $30 million in funding to address homelessness each year.

It's that time of year to prepare our collaborative application for the NOFO. CoC Partners, we'd love to hear of the great work you're doing to assist us in completing the collaborative application. This purpose of this form is to gather information which will be leveraged in the NOFO Collaborative Application. Questions are optional and can be left blank, though we ask that you please answer any that pertain to your program(s). Please complete this form by 9/13/24. Thank you for your assistance!

HMIS Annual Refresher Training

We are pleased to announce the release of this year's Annual Refresher Training for all active end users of the Colorado Homeless Management Information System (COHMIS). This training is designed to reinforce the foundational concepts of COHMIS and address areas where HMIS Leads have observed data quality challenges over the past year.

In preparation for Annual Refresher Training, users will not be able to register for HMIS training until after the Annual Refresher Training completion date (Thursday, October 31). This will ensure that there are enough licenses in TalentLMS for each active HMIS user to complete the Annual Refresher Training.

All active end users are required to complete this training by the end of October. Please set aside time to ensure you fulfill this requirement within the designated time frame.

Thank you for your continued dedication to serving our community and for your commitment to maintaining the integrity of our data systems. If you have any questions or need assistance, please submit a ticket to your HMIS Lead agency.

Important Dates

Last day to register new staff for HMIS training: Friday, September 20
Last day to complete HMIS training: Wednesday, September 25

*Progress will be paused for any users who do not complete the HMIS training by this date. Users will be able to resume HMIS training after Thursday, October 31.

Annual Refresher Training Release Date: Tuesday, October 1
Annual Refresher Training Completion Deadline: Thursday, October 31

*HMIS active status will be at risk if the Annual Refresher Training is not completed by the deadline.

FAQs

1. How do I enroll in the Annual Refresher Training course?

   • Active HMIS end users will automatically be enrolled in the Annual Refresher Training once the course becomes available.

2. Do I need to complete the AnnualRefresher Training course if I just completed the HMIS Training course?

   • Yes, all active HMIS end users will be required to complete the course regardless of when you completed the HMIS training course.

3. Will the Annual Refresher Training deadlines impact my Coordinated Entry course?

   • No, there will be no changes to any progress with the Coordinated Entry course.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please email the Help Desk at hmishelp@mdhi.org.

PRESS RELEASE: Annual Point-in-Time Count Shows An Increase of People Experiencing Homelessness in Denver Metro Area

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 14, 2024

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

DENVER, COLORADO – AUGUST 14, 2024 – The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released its data for the 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 PIT count took 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 other factors which may impact the count from year to year. While this count can help us understand homelessness on a single night, MDHI and our partners are actively working on comprehensive, real-time data. The region was able to identify 9,977 individuals in the 2024 count, while the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) used by over 100 nonprofit and government agencies allows us to see that this number is closer to 30,000 throughout the year. A more comprehensive look at homelessness can be found in MDHI’s State of Homelessness 2023 Report.

Homelessness increased by 10% this year, driven primarily by a 12% rise in shelter usage. While fewer people are experiencing homelessness for the first time, the number of chronically homeless individuals rose by 16%. The number of homeless families has also grown significantly, from 2,101 to 3,136. While Point in Time data can fluctuate year to year due to methodological changes and varying conditions, it remains a valuable tool when considered alongside other data sources. Rebecca Mayer, Interim Executive Director at MDHI, noted, “Behind every data point lies the reality of individuals and families facing the hardship of homelessness. It's crucial to remember that our unhoused neighbors deserve the stability and security of a safe place to call home.”

The City of Denver stood up temporary shelters for newcomers beginning in December 2022. “Newcomers” refer to migrants using more inclusive language. On the day of the count, more than 4,300 newcomers were staying in the City of Denver shelters. Nearly 43,000 newcomers have been supported by Denver since 2022, with more than 12,000 people arriving in just the three months leading up to the 2024 PIT Count. To ensure access to the most accurate information of those experiencing homelessness on a single night, the newcomer population that stayed at the temporary migrant-only shelters are not included in the Metro Denver PIT report. 

The Point in Time would not be possible without our many partners and volunteers across the region who support this annual count and survey. Heidi M Grove, MA, serves as the Division Director of the Boulder County Department of Housing and leads their Point in Time efforts. She shared, “Point in Time is a snapshot into homelessness across the country. We are so grateful for the hard work that all our partners, providers, and volunteers put in to ensure we have the most accurate count possible as we know funding relies on these numbers.” Kate Skarbek, Senior Management Analyst with the City of Westminster, added, “We really appreciate the time and effort volunteers put into the Point in Time Count. The PIT helps us understand what it’s like to experience homelessness and how close it is to all of us.” 

For more information on the PIT count, 2024 data, and county-by-county breakdowns, please visit mdhi.org/pit. 

________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

Register for the August 23 Stakeholder Meeting

Please join us for the Stakeholder meeting from 9-11 AM on August 23 via Zoom. Please register ahead of the meeting. Agenda:

• “Housing Firsty” Celebrations​ (nominate here)

• CoC Membership – What does it mean?​ How to join.

• Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (YHDP): Coordinated Community Plan (CCP)

• Coordinated Entry Update

• Built for Zero

• MDHI Updates

 Who Should Attend:
There are no voting matters on the agenda for this meeting, so whether you are a member or just interested in learning more, please feel free to attend. This meeting is open to all. If you cannot attend, the meeting will be recorded and posted at mdhi.org.

Housing Firsty Nominations

We'd like to kick off our August 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, August 16.

Annual CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and FY 2025 Released

The Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has officially posted the Annual CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and FY 2025 on Grants.gov. The submission deadline for the CoC Application and CoC Priority List is October 30th, 2024 at 8:00pm EST.

Timeline

• August 30 - Letters of Intent (New Applicants only)

• September 20 - Applications are due in e-snaps

• October 28 - Final Collaborative Application submit to HUD

Project Applicants

• The NOFO Grantee Webinar hosted on August 21 is available via slides or recording (Passcode: 3Ps!c0+=). 

• Returning project applicants may choose to import FY 2023 renewal project application responses; however, this must be requested during your registration of the Renewal Funding Opportunity in e-snaps and is only available if you submitted a project application in the FY 2023 CoC Program Competition. Imported responses must be carefully reviewed to ensure accuracy.

• Projects renewing for the first time, that were previously awarded prior to the FY 2023 CoC Program Competition must complete the entire renewal project application.

• New project applications must be completed in full and in accordance with the new project application components permitted in this year’s Competition.

Additional Guidance

The following additional guidance will be posted on the CoC Program Competition page of HUD’s website by the end of this month: 

• FY 2024 CoC Estimated ARD Reports

• Detailed Instructions

• CoC Application

• CoC Priority Listing

• Project Applications – all types

• Navigational Guides

• Accessing the Project Application

• New Project Application

• Renewal Project Application

• UFA Costs Project Application

• Planning Costs Project Application

• CoC Priority Listing

NOFO Application

Thank you to everyone who 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 and the Project Priority Listing. Please send final input to nofo@mdhi.org by the end of October 28, 2024. 

Questions 

Questions regarding the FY 2024 CoC Program Competition process must be submitted to CoCNOFO@hud.gov.  

Questions related to e-snaps functionality (e.g., password lockout, access to user’s application account, updating Applicant Profile) must be submitted to e-snaps@hud.gov. You can also contact MDHI at nofa@mdhi.org.

New Continuum of Care (CoCBuilds) Notice of Funding Opportunity

The Office of Special Needs Assistance (SNAPS) has announced the opening of the CoCBuilds application process.

The Continuum of Care (CoC) Builds (CoCBuilds) NOFO will add new permanent supportive housing (PSH) units for individuals and families experiencing homelessness through new construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation. The CoCBuilds NOFO outlines additional CoC Program-eligible activities and costs that may be included in your application. Additionally, CoCs are encouraged to leverage funds provided for the construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation of new PSH units with other funding sources to maximize the amount of housing that can be directed to meeting the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

A total of $175,000,000 is available under this NOFO. Of this amount, $65,000,000 is available only for CoCs that are located in states with populations of fewer than 2.5 million people. 

HUD Application Process

Project Applicants

• NOFO Grantee Webinar (recording available: Passcode: 3Ps!c0+=)

• Letter of Intent (due September 9)

• Request for Proposal (due October 23)

• CoCBuilds NOFO Scoring Tool

HUD Application

The application for the CoCBuilds NOFO is available through the CoCBuilds NOFO funding opportunity located at grants.gov. This is not an e-snaps-based application.

• Applications are to be completed by the organization that will administer the funds and must be sent to the CoC’s Collaborative Applicant for review and submission.

  • The application may include one or more subrecipients and we encourage collaborative efforts.

• The CoC’s Collaborative Applicant must submit the project application(s) through grants.gov.

• Number of applications permitted by CoC:

  • 1 application if there are no Tribes or Tribally Designated Housing Entities.

  • 2 applications if the CoC includes Tribes or TDHEs where one application must be specifically for new PSH units on Tribal reservation or trust land and one application from a non-Tribe or TDHE.

• Carefully review the CoCBuilds NOFO application and submission requirements.

Timeline

• August 21 - Grantee Meeting (recording available: Passcode: 3Ps!c0+=)

• August 27 - RFP Released 

• September 9 - Non-binding Letter of Intent Due

• October 23 - RFP Submissions Due 

  • Follow-up questions/Budget and program adjustments (if applicable)

    • MDHI may request additional information from grantees to make a funding decision. 

    • MDHI may ask applicants to make program or budget adjustments before a final funding decision.  

• November 13 - Notification to Applicants of Final Finding Recommendation 

• November 18 - Final Submission to HUD via Grants.gov (MDHI and Selected Agency)

• November 21 - HUD Submission Deadline for CoCBuilds

Questions

Submit questions to CoCBuilds@hud.gov. Responses will be provided during normal business hours Monday through Friday. Questions submitted on weekends and Federal holidays may take longer to receive responses.

You may also contact MDHI at nofa@mdhi.org.

Gender & Sexuality Learning Series

SESSION 1

HUD’s Equal Access and Gender Identity Rule Training with Abby Miller. 

This session covers HUD’s Equal Access Rule, as described in the Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity (Final Rule). It ensures that all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, have equal access to HUD's programs, which include shelters, benefits, services, and accommodations, and prohibits discrimination against individuals within the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Agencies that receive CoC funding are encouraged to attend. Key topics include:

• Overview of CoC Policy and HUD's Equal Access Rules

• Legal frameworks prohibiting discrimination

• Effective strategies to create a safe, inclusive, and discrimination-free environment for all individuals interacting with CoC-funded programs.

Here is a link to Session 1. You will need the following passcode: +eBBcXV7.

SESSION 2

Gender & Sexuality Workshop with Syah B Consulting.

Engage in an in-depth exploration of gender and sexuality. Understand the distinction between biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. In reviewing these topics, we will encourage audience members to reflect upon their relationship to gender expectations and begin to expand their self-awareness. This self-awareness of our implicit biases will allow us to begin to explore basic empathy skills (that demonstrate allyship and support for expansive LGBTQ+ people), as well as give a better understanding of heterosexist and cissexist cultural norms that create unsustainable and hostile environments for LGBTQ+ people.

Here is a link to Session 2. You will need the following passcode: ^Qch7MDp.

SESSION 3

July 18 from 9-11 AM: Gender & Sexuality Workshop with Syah B Consulting.

Key topics of the two-part workshop include: 

• Understanding the distinction between biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.  

• Encouraging audience members to reflect upon their relationship to gender expectations and begin to expand self-awareness. This self-awareness of implicit biases will allow us to begin to explore basic empathy skills (that demonstrate allyship and support for expansive LGBTQ+ people) 

• Increasing understanding to heterosexist and cissexist cultural norms that create unsustainable and hostile environments for LGBTQ+ people 

Here is a link to Session 3. You will need the following passcode: B#EU#8e9.

Coordinated Entry Impact Report 2023

We are proud to release the latest Coordinated Entry Impact Report, highlighting the impressive housing outcomes of our region’s OneHome Coordinated Entry System (CES). The data in this report is from 7/1/22-6/30/23 and includes breakdowns for the total people housed, total households housed, and new households assessed for housing.

Our region was able to house at least 1,788 people and 1,443 households through Coordinated Entry while completing 1,559 new assessments. Due to incomplete household information for the Emergency Housing Voucher program, the number of people housed is likely an undercount.

OneHome is grateful to have strong partnerships with community agencies across Metro Denver that work hard to support and house people experiencing homelessness. Some of our partners serve as Access Points for people experiencing homelessness to connect with OneHome. Here, they are Assessed and can be supported by Case Management. Other agencies are Housing Providers, who submit vacancies and available resources to HMIS. Once a household is matched to housing, Housing Providers work with the household and other service providers in the community to engage and support these households. Thank you to all the providers who interact with our system as we work to ensure everyone has a safe, stable place to call home.

We also want to acknowledge Wells Fargo for donating $75,000 to support housing access and resources through Coordinated Entry for people experiencing homelessness in metro Denver. We sincerely thank you for this investment in our community.

OneHome is the Coordinated Entry System for the Metro Denver region. Coordinated Entry is a client-centered process that partners with service providers and community members to assess and identify the housing needs of people experiencing homelessness. Coordinated Entry matches individuals, youth, and families to the appropriate housing resources available while elevating client choice. Metro Denver’s Coordinated Entry System serves all people experiencing homelessness.