Homelessness in metro Denver rose, annual count shows
FILE PHOTO: Homeless people gather together with their belongings after being swept from the 8th Avenue and Navajo Street encampment on Tuesday, April 16 in Denver, Colo.
Noah Festenstein/Denver Gazette
The number of homeless people in metro Denver increased this year, despite the significant focus and resources poured into fighting the problem by local governments, notably Denver, as well as various organizations.
The annual count showed a 10% increase in homeless people in Denver and in the counties that make up the metropolis — 912 more this year compared to the last count, from 9,065 to 9,977.
Of that number, 71% were in some kind of a shelter, while 29% were “unsheltered,” a category that refers to people who live and sleep in public spaces, such as parks, cars or under bridges.
That’s a 1-point improvement in the unsheltered population compared to last year.
The efforts by the local governments to curb homelessness in their jurisdictions yielded different results.
Boulder saw a 13% decrease in its homeless population, with 112 fewer homeless people compared to last year.
Denver County made up for whatever decrease Boulder experienced — with an increase of more than 700 homeless people.
Some postulated that Denver’s “housing first” approach might be a reason.
“I know that Douglas and Arapahoe counties are taking more of a ‘tough love’ approach to homelessness, and that’s pushing a lot of people to move into Denver, where more housing options are readily available to them,” said Cathy Alderman of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
In Broomfield County, which has the smallest homeless population among the counties, 100% of the homeless population was “unsheltered.”
This might be because Broomfield doesn’t have a homeless shelter, according to Alderman.
Arapahoe County reported the biggest percentage increase, with 47% more homeless people compared to last year.
Here’s what the annual count showed:
Adams
Sheltered: 607
Unsheltered: 363
Total: 970
2023: 948
Arapahoe
Sheltered: 245
Unsheltered: 405
Total: 650
2023: 442
Boulder
Sheltered: 534
Unsheltered: 193
Total: 727
2023:839
Broomfield
Unsheltered: 86
Total: 86
2023: 92
Denver
Sheltered: 5266
Unsheltered: 1273
Total: 6539
2023: 5818
Douglas
Sheltered: 37
Unsheltered: 43
Total: 80
2023: 72
Jefferson
Sheltered: 369
Unsheltered: 556
Total: 925
2023: 854
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