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