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

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.

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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.

Annual 2023 Homeless Count Released

Data for the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count shows increases in homelessness, specifically those experiencing homelessness for the first time. 

[Denver, CO – July 24, 2023]: The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released the 2023 annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count data today. The count, conducted in January each year, is required by HUD to capture the number of unduplicated individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night.  

“We are still awaiting HUD’s verification of the region’s data, but for planning purposes, it is important to share this data,” said Dr. Jamie Rife, MDHI’s Executive Director.  

The count occurred on Monday, January 30, 2023, and included both those staying in shelter and outdoors. This year, 9,065 people were counted, or a 31.7% increase from 2022. The numbers of families experiencing homelessness showed a significant rise across the region, from 1,277 last year to 2,101 this year. Additionally, those who are new to homelessness rose sharply, from 2,634 to 3,996. Families experiencing homelessness for the first time were 597 in 2022 and 1,316 in 2023. 

“While the world is no longer in a pandemic, we are beginning to feel the full economic fallout of the COVID-19 era,” shared Rife. “With COVID-19 relief funds for the prevention of homelessness coming to an end, as well as many other COVID-era protections, we’ve seen a sharp increase in the number of eviction filings as more households struggle to pay rent. This, paired with inflation and the increased cost of housing, is resulting in many people falling into homelessness and many being unable to obtain housing.”  

The PIT is an annual snapshot of homelessness on a single night with numerous variables such as weather, count participation, volunteer engagement, and a variety of other factors. “While the region continues to improve our count and was able to locate 9,065 individuals on a single night experiencing homelessness, the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) used by our providers allows us to see this number is closer 28,000 throughout the course of the year,” stressed Rife. “We need to keep moving towards understanding who is experiencing homelessness in real-time and by name, so our response is as effective as possible”, she added.  

The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative is the Lead Agency for the region’s Continuum of Care. The organization coordinates the annual count at the regional level with local teams across the seven-county Denver region conducting counts locally. Per HUD requirements, the PIT must be conducted during the last ten days of January. For more information on the PIT count, 2023 data and county-by-county breakdowns, please visit MDHI’s website. A more comprehensive look at homelessness can be found in MDHI’s State of Homelessness Report.  

Full Annual Homelessness Count Released

2022 Data Show Increase in Overall Homelessness; Significant Decrease in Veteran Homelessness

DENVER, COLORADO – October 3, 2022 – The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released the full data for the 2022 annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count data. The count captures homelessness nationally on a single night in January and showed an overall increase of 784 individuals regionally from pre-pandemic levels in 2020, the last time the region completed a comprehensive count. 

The Point-in-Time, commonly referred to as the PIT, is an annual count on one night in January of those experiencing homelessness. The PIT is held across the United States during the last week in January and aims to capture both the overall size and demographics of the homeless population. “While we did see overall increases in homelessness, the region’s emphasis on reducing Veteran homelessness is yielding results,” said Dr. Jamie Rife, MDHI’s Executive Director. "The number of Veterans experiencing homelessness decreased by 31% from 2020 to 2022,” she explained.

Included in PIT is a breakdown by race. “The overrepresentation of people of color, specifically black and Native Americans, among those experiencing homelessness is critical to the response,” stated Rife. “Homelessness is an issue of race and must be approached through this lens,” she added.

The count occurred on Monday, January 24, 2022, and included both those staying in shelters and outdoors. Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, the region did not conduct a count of individuals staying outdoors in 2021. In January 2020, approximately six weeks before the beginning of the pandemic and the last time a comprehensive PIT was conducted, there were 6,104 people counted experiencing homelessness. This year, 6,884 people were counted, or a 12.8% increase. For those staying in shelters, the number remained fairly consistent between 2020 and 2022 with 4,534 and 4,806 respectively. Unsheltered homelessness increased regionally, with pre-pandemic levels in 2020 at 1,561 and this year’s count locating 2,078 individuals staying outdoors.

“The Point-in-Time is a snapshot of homelessness on a single night with numerous variables such as weather, count participation, volunteer engagement, and a variety of other factors,” shared Rife. “While this count can help us understand homelessness on a single night, getting to a place where we have comprehensive, real-time data regionally is the ultimate goal,” she added. 

The region has made significant strides in decreasing its reliance on the one-night count. Instead, providers, municipalities, and others are working together to improve participation with the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to make data accessible each day on those experiencing homelessness. Boulder recently became the first community in the region to reach Quality Data for all singles, joining a select number of communities across the country to reach this milestone.  

“While the region was able to locate and count 6,884 individuals on a single night experiencing homelessness, the HMIS allows us to see this number is closer to 31,000 throughout the course of the year,” said Rife. “This data highlights the dynamic nature of homelessness and the importance of real-time data to allow the region to coordinate effectively and allocate resources efficiently.” MDHI releases annually the State of Homelessness report with these numbers. 

Infographic reports by county and an interactive dashboard are located on the MDHI website.

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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. 

If you would like more information on this topic, please email jamie.rife@mdhi.org.

First Phase of Annual Homelessness Count Released

The preliminary first phase of data for the annual Point-in-Time count shows increase in overall homelessness on a single night from pre-pandemic levels.  

[Denver, CO – July 20, 2022]: The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released the preliminary first phase of the 2022 annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count data. The count captures homelessness nationally on a single night in January and showed an overall increase of 784 individuals regionally from pre-pandemic levels.  

“We are awaiting HUD’s verification of the region’s demographic data before releasing further information, but for planning purposes, it is important to share the overall sheltered and unsheltered count for the region,” said Dr. Jamie Rife, MDHI’s Executive Director. MDHI will release a second phase of data once HUD’s verification process is completed later this summer. 

The count occurred on Monday, January 24, 2022, and included both those staying in shelter and outdoors. Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, the region did not conduct a count of individuals staying outdoors in 2021. In January 2020, approximately six weeks before the beginning of the pandemic and the last time a comprehensive PIT was conducted, there were 6,104 people counted experiencing homelessness. This year, 6,888 people were counted, or a 12.8% increase. For those staying in shelter, the number remained fairly consistent between 2020 and 2022 with 4,534 and 4,815 respectively. Unsheltered homelessness increased regionally, with pre-pandemic levels in 2020 at 1,561 and this year’s count locating 2,073 individuals staying outdoors. 

“The Point-in-Time is a snapshot of homelessness on a single night with numerous variables such as weather, count participation, volunteer engagement, and a variety of other factors,” shared Rife. “While this count can help us understand homelessness on a single night, getting to a place where we have comprehensive, real-time data regionally is the ultimate goal,” she added.  

The region has made significant strides in decreasing its reliance on the one-night count. Instead, providers, municipalities, and others are working together to improve participation with the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to make data accessible each day on those experiencing homelessness. Outreach teams across the seven-county metro-Denver region increased HMIS usage in 2022 to help create a more real-time understanding on those staying outdoors as well as assist in connecting clients to services and housing.  

“While the region was able to locate and count 6,888 individuals on a single night experiencing homelessness, the HMIS allows us to see this number is closer 31,000 throughout the course of the year,” said Rife. “This data highlights the dynamic nature of homelessness and the importance of real-time data to allow the region to coordinate effectively and allocate resources efficiently.” MDHI releases annually the State of Homelessness report with these numbers.  

2022 Point in Time Information

The 2022 Point in Time Count will take place the evening of January 24 (into the morning of January 25). The following is how the region will successfully complete this year’s count.

Volunteer Opportunities

Due to different portions of the region being under different and unique COVID-19 protocols, the local planning teams in each of the regions (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson Counties and the City of Aurora) will determine the volunteer recruitment and signup process. As these are determined, information, by community, will be posted below.

All volunteers will be required to attend a virtual training to participate in the Point in Time. At the end of the training, each volunteer will certify they have taken the training as required by HUD. Each county plus Aurora will have additional information, including local COVID protocols, to provide for volunteers to safely and effectively conduct the count

Link to Maps:

Maps for Count - Census Tracts

Here is the current information available by community on how YOU can get involved:

Adams:

Adams County Community Safety & Well-Being is seeking volunteers to help with the 2022 PIT Count, held on January 24th, 2022. During this one day census count, volunteers will interview persons experiencing homelessness using a standardized app-based survey that's designed for easy access on your smart phone. The PIT is critically important to understanding the needs and characteristics of unhoused residents in Adams County and the larger metro region. We can't collect this important data without the help of community volunteers! Please complete this form if you would like to volunteer. Contact Heather McClure hmcclure@adcogov.org (720) 523-6942 if you have any questions. Thank you! Please visit here to learn more and sign up.

Arapahoe:

Boulder:

Broomfield:

Denver:

As many of you know, the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count will take place through the week of Jan. 24, with emphasis on an observational count across the city at the beginning of the week (4 - 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25). The observational portion of the count requires the strongest support from staff, partners, and volunteers.

Register HERE for Denver’s Count!

Douglas:

Jefferson:

WHEN: The 2022 PIT Count begins on Mon., January 24th and continues for 24 hours, through Tues., January 25th.  We have four different shift options.

​WHERE: Volunteers will be deployed throughout Jeffco based on the geographic preference selected on the registration form.  

Contact kbarker@jeffco.us with questions!

Register HERE for Jeffco’s Count!

City of Aurora:

Background on the Point In Time (PIT)

In 2021, the Metro Denver Continuum of Care applied for and received a waiver from HUD. This allowed the region, due to safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, to not count those staying in unsheltered (outdoors, other places not meant for human habitation) situations. A full sheltered (safe haven, transitional housing, and emergency shelter) count was conducted in 2021.

For 2022, the following protocols will be followed:

Sheltered Count

Similarly to 2021, the region will count the number of people staying in safe haven, transitional housing, and emergency shelter on the overnight of January 24th. This data is collected either via the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), for those that use HMIS, or via a mobile survey from staff at those agencies that do not currently use HMIS. For those using HMIS, this data will be pulled from the system on January 25th for those staying in shelter the night before (the overnight of January 24th).

Unsheltered Count

Given the historic conditions under which this count is being conducted, each of the seven counties in the region plus the City of Aurora will be choosing one of the two following approaches to conduct the count that best fits the needs and current conditions of their community:

1. Full Census Day of Count: In this approach, the community will seek to count and complete a full demographic survey (census) of everyone experiencing unsheltered homelessness in approximately a 24-hour period beginning the evening of the 24th into the 25th to determine where people were sleeping on the night of the 24th. This approach is suggested for communities with small to medium populations of those experiencing homelessness.

2. Full Observation and Sampling: In this approach, the community will seek to count visually all those experiencing unsheltered homelessness in a 4-8 hour window sometime between sundown on the 24th and morning of the 25th. In the week or so following the 25th, the community will collect a representative sample using the same survey as the Full Census of those experiencing homelessness to determine demographic information. Results from this representative sample will then be imputed and extrapolated to determine the full demographics of those experiencing homelessness in the community. This approach is suggested for those communities with medium to large populations of those experiencing homelessness.

MDHI received this update from HUD on January 10, 2022.

Thank you for your tireless work to protect people experiencing homelessness from COVID and working to prevent and end homelessness. Some CoCs have asked us about the status of the 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and Housing Inventory Count (HIC). We do not plan to cancel or postpone the 2022 HIC and PIT count. We recognize that in some communities, COVID is causing severe challenges with implementing an unsheltered PIT count. Please review the safety guidance posted on HUD.gov.