Annual ‘State of Homelessness’ Report Released
MDHI Releases Second State of Homelessness Report
DENVER, COLORADO – January 20, 2022 – The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) released its second annual State of Homelessness report today, highlighting new data in the region related to homelessness.
The report, for the second year in a row, demonstrates the overall issue of homelessness across multiple sources including the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the 2021 Point in Time (PIT) count for those staying in shelter, as well as school district data on students experiencing homelessness.
The HMIS showed 32,233 individuals accessed services related to homelessness between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. Additionally, there is data from the HMIS on those staying outdoors or other places not meant for human habitation, commonly referred to as unsheltered.
Consistent in this year’s report as compared to last year is the overrepresentation of BIPOC individuals in the population of those experiencing homelessness. “While there are differences in counts and definitions across the data sources, one thing remains glaringly consistent – racial inequity,” stated Jamie Rife, Director of Communications and Development at MDHI who will be filling the organization’s Executive Director role on February 1.
Also included in this year’s report is further information on the region’s unsheltered population. Over the course of a year, 10,870 adults, 1,031 members of families, and 954 youth engaged in services while staying in an unsheltered location. “For the first time, our region is beginning to get more real-time data, including on those staying outdoors,” said Rife. “While the last full Point in Time count in 2020 showed 1,561 individuals staying in an unsheltered location, what we see now is that over the course of a year, this number is 12,855.”
In 2020, the last time a full Point in Time (PIT) count was conducted due to safety concerns related to COVID, it identified 6,104 people experiencing homelessness on a single night. The 2022 PIT is scheduled for Monday, January 24 and will include a full count of both those staying in shelter and those staying in unsheltered locations.
Also included in the report are implications as well as information on successes in the region. “While homelessness continues to climb for many, the region has seen a 15% decrease in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness, in part due to the regional coordination and the incredible work done by providers in our region, as well as the enhanced resources available,” added Rife. “This is proof of the strides we can make when we work together and have more housing and services available for those experiencing homelessness.”