Sheltered PIT Released
ANNUAL COUNT SHOWS INCREASES IN SHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, DOUBLING OF NEWLY HOMELESS
The 2021 annual Point-in-Time count which captured sheltered data only this year due to COVID-19 showed an increase of individuals staying in shelters on a single night and showed a drastic increase in those experiencing homelessness for the first time.
[Denver, CO – August 25, 20201]: The 2021 annual Point-in-Time count which captured sheltered data only this year due to COVID-19 safety concerns showed a 40% increase in the number of individuals staying in emergency shelter on a single night and a doubling of the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time.
The Point-in-Time count is an annual count normally conducted on a single night during the last week in January on the number of people staying in the region’s emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe haven, as well as outdoors or other places not meant for human habitation. Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, the region did not conduct a count of individuals staying outdoors. Instead, those staying in sheltered situations were counted on a single night in February. This included emergency shelters, transitional housing, and safe haven, data which was mostly able to be pulled from the region’s homeless management information system.
“The seven-county metro-Denver region saw an increase of 40% for people staying in emergency shelters on a single night, for a total of 4,072. The overall increase in sheltered homelessness rose 22% year over year,” said Dr. Matt Meyer, Executive Director of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI). “One of the most striking pieces of information is the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time. In 2020 there were 1,273 people in shelter that were experiencing homelessness for the first time. This year, that number doubled to 2,530 demonstrating the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the stability of our neighbors,” added Meyer.
The following are some of the data gleaned from this count of individuals staying in sheltered situations:
Veteran sheltered homelessness decreased by 10%
Family sheltered homelessness increased by 10%
Individual sheltered homelessness increased by 27%
“Unlike other parts of the country where shelter space was decreased during COVID-19, our community worked diligently to meet this challenge and stood up additional shelter spaces to help ensure the safety of those who needed it most,” Meyer shared. “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication of our providers in responding to increased need while crafting creative solutions to meet the demand for those experiencing homelessness.”
Additionally, the region has been piloting the Built for Zero framework to create reductions specifically in Veteran homelessness. “We saw a 10% reduction in sheltered veteran homelessness year-over-year, and we have been able to reduce veteran homelessness overall by 15% since the beginning of the year, even in the midst of a pandemic,” said Dr. Jamie Rife, Director of Communications and Development at MDHI.
Providers, the VA, nonprofits, elected officials, municipal leaders, Community Solutions, the national nonprofit architect of the Built for Zero framework, and others have been working together to create person-specific data as well as a person-specific approach to Veteran homelessness. “We are getting to a point where we know all veterans by name and can work to meet their specific needs, and it’s working,” added Rife.