PRESS RELEASE: Douglas County Achieves Functional Zero for Veterans, Ensuring it is Rare and Brief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2024 

Layla Elena Said, Communications Specialist
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
layla.said@mdhi.org

Rebecca Mayer, Interim Executive Director
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
rebecca.mayer@mdhi.org

Wendy Manitta Holmes, APR,
Director, Communication and Public Affairs, Douglas County Government
Mobile: 303.880.7785 | Email: wholmes@douglas.co.us

DOUGLAS COUNTY ACHIEVES FUNCTIONAL ZERO FOR VETERANS,
ENSURING HOMELESSNESS IS RARE AND BRIEF

Douglas County has proven that homelessness is solvable through quality data, coordinated outreach, and regional collaboration. Together, Douglas County and the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) celebrate the County’s achievement of Functional Zero for Veteran homelessness, since joining the Built for Zero (BFZ) movement in April 2021.

“Our approach to homelessness is working in Douglas County,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon. “We appreciate all our municipal, nonprofit, and faith-based partners and Sheriff Darren Weekly for working with us to achieve this outcome for our community’s heroes. Now, we have a pilot for using the Built for Zero framework across all populations.”

Functional Zero for Veterans represents a critical milestone, requiring sustained systems to prevent homelessness and address it promptly. This achievement does not imply that no one experiences homelessness; rather, it means that the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness is maintained within the community’s capacity to provide housing.

“Functional Zero isn’t about achieving a ‘finish line’ but about maintaining ongoing efforts to serve Veterans with dignity and timeliness,” said Sofia Vigil, Regional Coordination Manager with MDHI. “Douglas County has shown us that Veteran homelessness can be made rare and brief.”  

The cornerstone of this success was reaching the Quality By-Name Data standard in October 2023. By building and maintaining a comprehensive, monthly-updated list of every homeless Veteran in the community, Douglas County gained a powerful tool for tracking Veterans entering and exiting homelessness. This systematic approach ensures that everyone is included in the data.   

"This incredible accomplishment by Douglas County is the result of their active engagement and prioritization of this work for over two years," said Missy Mish, Homeless Section Chief for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. "Douglas County used grant funding to build a robust outreach team to identify and track Veterans through community-wide efforts. The VA is grateful for their collaboration and partnership in this life-saving work."  

Meanwhile, Douglas County’s HEART (Homeless Engagement Assistance and Resource Team) program brought personalized, street-level support. HEART navigators, paired with law enforcement, conducted regular outreach, building trust and guiding Veterans toward available resources.

“Today, we celebrate the success of our veterans. In the summer of 2023, a veteran was identified through a referral that HEART received. After a few short months of gathering documentation and meeting with the VA, he was approved for a housing voucher that paired rental assistance with ongoing case management and supportive services,” said Tiffany Marsitto, HEART supervisor. “It’s an honor and privilege to serve those who have served our country.” 

“Our HEART team is dedicated to compassionate policing, especially when it comes to supporting our homeless Veterans,” said Sheriff Darren Weekly. “These men and women served our country with honor, and now it’s our turn to serve them with respect and care. By addressing their unique needs, we’re making a real impact, offering them a path to stability and dignity.”

From January 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, 64% of Veterans experiencing homelessness were housed within 98 days of being identified. MDHI and Douglas County attribute this success to a system-wide commitment to continual improvement. Data review and coordinated service practices have reduced inflow, sped up housing placements, and created a sustainable model for other communities to follow.

“Douglas County’s achievement offers a powerful message to communities everywhere: homelessness is solvable,” said Sofia Vigil. “With aligned resources, committed partners, and a data-driven approach, other communities can follow this path.”

Built for Zero – and the framework to measure progress toward Functional Zero – is an initiative of nonprofit Community Solutions. Community Solutions, an independent, national organization, conducted a comprehensive review of policies and data spanning the past 1.5 years to verify that every Veteran experiencing homelessness in Douglas County has been accounted for and directed toward housing solutions. Douglas County is one of more than 100 communities nationwide committed to ending homelessness by working with Community Solutions Group on Built for Zero. 

Douglas County’s progress highlights MDHI’s vision to address homelessness throughout Metro Denver, proving that lasting change is possible with shared effort and clear goals. Douglas County is one of nine subregions working with MDHI to solve Veteran and eventually all homelessness. For more information, please visit mdhi.org.  

HEART is a partnership among the County, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement and community partners to connect those experiencing homelessness with resources. HEART is a program of the Douglas County Homeless Initiative.

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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.

Douglas County & Tri-Cities Achieve Quality Data for Veterans

In total, the region has 5 out of 9 sub-regions at Quality Data for Veterans, reaching our goal for 2023.

Douglas County and the Tri-Cities of Sheridan, Littleton, and Englewood have reached Quality Data for Veterans! This Quality By-Name List (BNL) helps us understand the scope of veteran homelessness in each subregion, describes the inflow and outflow on an ongoing basis, gives us accurate information to reduce homelessness, and helps us measure our progress toward ending it.

In total, the Denver Metro has 5 out of 9 sub-regions at Quality Data for Veterans, reaching our goal for 2023! This includes Adams County, the City of Aurora, Boulder County, Douglas County, and the Tri-Cities.

Mike Sandgren, Tri-Cities Homelessness Services Coordinator, serves as the community lead for these efforts. In his experience, Quality By Name Data has key benefits for the veterans we serve and the communities serving them. “Our Tri-Cities region has rallied around the opportunity to serve unhoused veterans in a more streamlined way. The vision of knowing with confidence how many veterans are experiencing homelessness in our community has been a significant motivator for local agencies to begin utilizing HMIS, engaging in outreach, and participating in the Built-for-Zero Homeless Coordination Team.” He added, “Now, we can share stories of specific veterans moving out of homelessness and into stable, dignified living situations.  These success stories – of people known and loved by service providers throughout our region – are having a compounding effect with regards to catalyzing further excitement and engagement with our Built for Zero work.”

Prior to their engagement with Built for Zero (BFZ), Tri-Cities established a strong foundation for homelessness response.  They developed a well-organized service provider network (Change the Trend), which brings together 40 to 50 service providers weekly for networking and collaboration.  Additionally, the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Group emerged and developed a plan of action for homelessness response, known as the Tri-Cities Homelessness Action Plan. 

Sandgren highlighted how this foundation led to their region’s Quality Data success. “First, we established a Built for Zero Homeless Coordination Team. Under the guidance of our Improvement Advisor, this team worked through the process of attaining a perfect scorecard for Single Adults, leaning into HMIS utilization and street outreach to make contact with unsheltered individuals throughout the region." Their subregion also established a Case Conferencing team to work through the needs of veterans on their by-name list on a case-by-case basis.  “Through these steps, Tri-Cities is positioned to efficiently engage our Quality Data By-Name-List and take the next steps toward functional zero for veteran homelessness,” added Sandgren. 

Margay Witzdam, Improvement Advisor at MDHI, shared, “Tri-Cities is a prime example of the impact of collective efforts for positive change. Englewood, Littleton, and Sheridan have a strong collaborative history, specifically addressing homelessness, and quickly incorporated the BFZ methodology into their existing strategic plan without hesitation. Through swift actions, organization, a solid foundation, and a dedicated team, Tri-Cities was able to attain quality data for veterans seamlessly.”

Similarly, Douglas County reached this milestone through increased HMIS utilization, outreach efforts, and case conferencing. Sofia Vigil, Regional Coordination Lead, added, “Douglas County has fully embraced the Built For Zero framework to end Veteran homelessness. From the moment Douglas County established its Homeless Engagement, Assistance, and Resource Team (HEART) in 2022, they hit the ground running to ensure they got to know every person experiencing homelessness in their community by name. The quality data verification for Veterans is truly a testament to the collaborative work in the sub-region.” 

By the end of 2024, we’ll have Quality Data and by-name lists for all veterans experiencing homelessness in Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, and Jefferson Counties.

Denver Region Reduces Veteran Homelessness by 16% in 2023

As of December 31, we have achieved a 16% reduction in veteran homelessness across the seven-county region! This brings us from 468 to 391 veterans actively experiencing homelessness, with a total of 415 veterans housed in 2023. This reduction is a true testament to the collaboration and dedication of the Department of Veterans Affairs and our community partners. We sincerely thank you for your efforts!

Our goal for 2024 is to functionally end veteran homelessness in 4 out of 9 subregions. This means homelessness for veterans becomes rare, brief, and nonrecurring. We’ll be sending monthly updates on our region’s progress.

Learn more at mdhi.org/bfz.

Denver Joins Biden’s All INside Initiative to Address Homelessness

On October 18, Denver joined President Joe Biden's All INside initiative, a historic opportunity to address the crisis of unsheltered homelessness in Denver with support from key federal partners. This partnership includes Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, the Phoenix metro area, Seattle, and the State of California. With this partnership, an embedded, dedicated federal official will help identify and execute systems-level changes as well as expedite and strengthen our current local strategies.

This initiative aims to remove many of the barriers oftentimes faced by those experiencing homelessness as they seek to move from the streets into the safety and security of their own home. While this partnership doesn't immediately provide federal funding to solve homelessness, the Biden administration is aware of the need and plans to request funding for homelessness resolution in the upcoming budget, showing a commitment to address this pressing issue. 

As the region’s Continuum of Care, MDHI is working closely with the City and County of Denver and the White House to execute this strategy. This is an exciting opportunity for us to learn from other large metro areas and work with the federal government to remove barriers to housing for those experiencing homelessness. 

Regional Shift in Veteran Homelessness, Down 21% YTD

Our region’s approach to ending veteran homelessness is working. Veteran homelessness is down 21% this year, and in the last 6 months, we’ve seen a significant shift despite overall increases in homelessness. According to Community Solutions, “a shift constitutes a measurable, meaningful reduction in homelessness for a community. More specifically, it means that a community has driven the number of people experiencing homelessness below their median for six consecutive months.” Shifts tell us when there has been a fundamental, sustained change in our region’s systemic response to veteran homelessness.

Data above from our by-name list tracks the number of veterans experiencing homelessness across the region in real-time. From March to August 2023, we’ve seen a 15% reduction in veteran homelessness. This means our by-name list went from 433 Veterans in March to 366 in August. Year-to-date, the number of veterans has decreased by 21%, from 468 to 370 veterans actively experiencing homelessness. This puts our region on track to reach our goal of reducing veteran homelessness by 25% this year, from 468 to 351 veterans.

Lauren Lapinski, a licensed clinical social worker with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), celebrated the win. “Our community has made a SHIFT in veteran homelessness, which means we have consistently seen a decrease in our overall number of literally homeless veterans in our Continuum of Care for the past 6 months,” shared Lapinski. “Thank you to all our community homeless providers for their incredible efforts to end veteran homelessness in our area, homelessness is solvable.”

A lot of factors and hard work across the region contributed to these reductions, some of which include:

1. Strong Partnership with the VA

2. Abundance of Veteran Housing Resources

3. Veteran-Specific Case Conferencing

4. Local Case Conferencing for Veterans off of BNL

5. Increased Collaboration across the Region

6. Every Sub-Region Using HMIS

7. Community Building at Metro Denver Learning Sessions

8. Community Solutions Investments in Affordable Housing Stock

9. Coordinated, Person-Centered Outreach

Over the last 2 years, MDHI has collaborated with local governments, homelessness agencies, and Community Solutions to create a sub-regional response to end veteran homelessness using the Built for Zero (BFZ) framework. The goal is to reach function zero, a sustainable system where fewer veterans experience homelessness than can be routinely housed in a month.

We began with veterans because of the abundance of resources for this specific population. Having this proof point is essential, as it will provide a framework and guidance on how to end homelessness for other populations. In setting and piloting this foundation, we can begin to identify gaps in our systems, build out capacity, and apply for targeted investments. More information about how the learning and data infrastructure from solving veteran homelessness will be translated to other populations in the near future.

Adams County & Aurora Achieve Quality Data for Veterans

Adams County and the City of Aurora have achieved Quality Data for veterans, a necessary milestone for reaching a functional end to Veteran homelessness (and eventually all homelessness). Quality Data means we can account for every veteran experiencing homelessness by name, in real time. This Quality By-Name List (BNL) helps us understand the scope of veteran homelessness in each subregion, describes the inflow and outflow on an ongoing basis, gives us accurate information to reduce homelessness, and helps us measure our progress toward ending it. Community Solutions certified the data over a 3-month reporting period, assuring that Adams and Aurora maintained 100% data reliability through the end of last month.

Lindsey Earl, CSWB Administrator for Adams County, shared her thoughts on the key benefits of quality data for veterans. “Quality data gives us a level of certainty that we are providing care for all veterans experiencing homelessness in our community. It helps us connect to veterans who have lost housing to quickly reduce and resolve the trauma they are experiencing.” Earl added, “Under the guidance of MDHI and Community Solutions, we continuously research best practices and review our data sets to know they we are implementing evidence-based interventions for veterans experiencing homelessness.” She also mentioned key steps to achieving quality data included “extending an HMIS data-sharing agreement to our municipalities and nonprofit providers and increasing case conferencing participation.”

Margay Witzdam, Improvement Advisor with MDHI, was critical to their success. She added, “Since the beginning of the Built for Zero (BFZ) Veteran initiative in Metro Denver, Adams County and the City of Aurora have consistently showcased their ability to modify a methodology to their own communities' needs for success. Reaching Quality Data for Veterans in both sub-regions shows the importance of forming dedicated improvement teams and ongoing cross-collaboration.”

Boulder County was the first to achieve Quality Data last August. The addition of Adams and Aurora means 3 out of 9 subregions in metro Denver have achieved this milestone and know all veterans and singles experiencing homelessness by name, in real-time.

Aurora’s Certification of Quality Data from BFZ

Members of Aurora Team with Quality Data Cup

Lindsey Earl from Adams County Government

Members of Adams County Team with Quality Data Cup

Director of USICH to Visit Metro-Denver

MDHI is pleased to share the Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Jeff Olivet, will visit Metro-Denver November 21 and 22.

According to the USICH website, “USICH is the only federal agency with the sole mission of preventing and ending homelessness in America. We coordinate with our 19 federal member agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector to create partnerships, use resources in the most efficient and effective ways, and implement evidence-based best practices.”

Jeff Olivet is the current executive director of USICH. Here is information about Director Olivet:

Jeff Olivet is the executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). He has worked to prevent and end homelessness for more than 25 years as a street outreach worker, case manager, coalition builder, researcher, and trainer. He is the founder of JO consulting, co-founder of Racial Equity Partners, and from 2010 to 2018, he served as CEO of C4 Innovations. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively in the areas of homelessness and housing, health and behavioral health, HIV, education, and organizational development. Jeff has been principal investigator on multiple research studies funded by private foundations and the National Institutes of Health. Jeff is deeply committed to social justice, racial equity, gender equality, and inclusion for all. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama and a master's degree from Boston College.

During the visit, the USICH team will meet with several key stakeholder groups, tour various facilities, and share information about the direction of the federal strategy to address homelessness.

Metro Denver Learning Session Brings Together Region’s 9 Homelessness Coordination Teams

The Metro Denver Learning Session was an in-person event from August 24-25 intended to strengthen our region’s collective response to end homelessness. It was a great opportunity to bring our communities together, hear each other’s progress, expand our networks, celebrate milestones, and strategize next steps. MDHI, Community Solutions, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and the State of Colorado convened members from each of the Homeless Coordination Teams (HCT) in Adams, Arapahoe, Aurora, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, and the Tri-Cities. This Learning Session was the first time the nine Homeless Coordination Teams were together in-person. These HCT serve as the liaison between the Built for Zero work and their respective community, aligning their local planning to our region’s homelessness strategy.

We know that homelessness knows no boundaries; it requires a regional approach that centers around local needs and planning. That’s why in March of 2021, MDHI aligned elected officials, community partners, and the broader Metro Denver community around the Built for Zero methodology as the framework for (Sub)Regional Coordination. The objective of the Learning Session was for every sub-region to affirm their local goals and set 6-month Built for Zero milestones for single adults and Veterans, to feel connected to the regional work and their peers across the region, and to identify ways to clear barriers and build support with elected officials and partners.

Regional Progress to Date

MDHI partnered with Built for Zero and the local Veterans Affairs in 2020 to coordinate and design a sub-regional effort to end veteran homelessness. By 2021, we were able to decrease veteran homelessness regionally by 15%.

As of July 2022:

• 9 out of 9 sub-regions completed and set the baseline for the All Singles Scorecard

• 7 out of 9 sub-regions have established a Homeless Coordination Team to lead and implement the BFZ work and change the no’s to yes on the Scorecard

• 4 out of 9 sub-regions have started Case Conferencing off of the By-Name List

• 1 sub-region has achieved quality data for Veterans

MDHI CoC Aims

By December 31, 2027, MDHI and its partners will: 

• have quality all singles data in 9 of 9 subregions 

• have quality data for youth for the region

• have quality data for families for the region

• have reached functional zero in all subregions for Veterans

• have 4 subregions ended homelessness for at least one of the following sub-populations (all singles, chronic singles, families)

Centering Race Equity and Lived Expertise

We acknowledge that there is no roadmap or one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to racial equity work, and that Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and non-BIPOC staff experience the work differently. We understand that community partners and even MDHI staff are at various points of knowing and learning. This work is hard, and it takes time to do it correctly so that we don’t perpetuate more harm.

When it comes to engaging BIPOC and people with lived expertise in our community, we have taken an extremely intentional and empathetic approach. Our Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion began her work by evaluating the current state of the system, both internally and externally, honing in on what we wanted to achieve and making sure we were being inclusive in our decision-making. It is important that our resource allocation matches our priorities and the needs of the community. MDHI is committed to building relationships and trust by meeting people in their community spaces, listening, and following up. We insist on a thoughtful and inclusive approach to our partnerships, engaging people at the beginning of a project rather than asking for feedback at the end. These methods of engagement ensure that BIPOC stakeholders at all levels have system decision-making power to influence the design of the homeless response system.  

Here are some other practices underway to advance racial equity at MDHI and in our community:

• Hired Sierra Trujillo as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in December 2020

• Organizational deep dive into Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work

  • White Supremacy Culture Characteristics - Still Here, BIPOC/white affinity caucus groups, NAEH Racial Equity Learning Series

• Reset and revamped Young Adult Leadership Committee

• The leadership team completed 10 sessions of empathy coaching for a better understanding of how to support staff in DEI work

• Administered an organizational racial equity assessment in Summer 2021, required NOFO grantees to do an organizational racial equity assessment as an unscored piece of their application

• Completed organizational pay equity audit

• DEI training for both Staff and Board of Directors

• Director of DEI is a member of Native American Housing Circle (NAHC) and BFZ Statewide Racial Equity Workgroup

• MDHI hired C4 Innovations, a consulting agency dedicated to building racially equitable systems through process improvement, to look deeply at racial inequities in our coordinated entry system. We also formed the Results Academy, a group of community stakeholders including people of color and individuals with lived expertise, to create an action plan for the redesign of coordinated entry.

Historic Funding Opportunities

There are several historic funding opportunities at the state and federal level to support transformational changes in the way our communities address homelessness. We encourage regional collaboration and coordination among our nine sub-regions and partners throughout the state so that we may be strategic about who applies for what funding. We hope that our region uses this funding to advance proven solutions through their Built for Zero work, making homelessness rare and brief with no one left behind. We believe that this work will cement Colorado as a national leader in collaboratively addressing homelessness.

Community partnerships are critical to ensure this legislation is passed if it has not done so already. Here are some of the funding opportunities our community hopes to leverage in this work:

• Annual CoC NOFO FY22

• Unsheltered Homelessness NOFO

• HB22-1304: Grants for Investments in Affordable Housing - $138,000,000. Provides grant funding for Local Governments and Community Partners (Non-Profits). Housing development funding for acquisition, rehab & new construction.

• SB22-159: Revolving Loan Fund for Investments in Transformational Affordable Housing - $150,000,000. Loans for Local Governments, For Profit Developers, Community Partners (Non-Profits), or Political Subdivisions made directly by DOH as well as 3rd party lending partners. Eligible for supportive housing investments. 

• HB22-1377 Grant Program Providing Responses to Homelessness - $105,000,000. Grants for for Local Governments and Community Partners (Non-Profits) to support communities to create proven responses to homelessness that are designed to connect people without stable housing to services, care, and housing. 

  • Housing Development

  • Direct Assistance

  • Capacity Building

• SB22-1378: Denver-Metro Regional Navigation Campus Grant - $50,000,000. Grant program to build or acquire, and facilitate a regional navigation campus to respond to and prevent homelessness. Available to Local Governments in Denver-Metro Area or a Community Partner (Non-Profit) in conjunction with local governments

  • Behavioral Health and Recovery-Oriented Services and Treatment

  • Medical and Dental Care

  • Shelter, Transitional Housing, and Supportive Housing

  • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Skills Training and Services

  • Benefits Enrollment

  • Services for Exiting Residential Facilities or At-risk of Homelessness

• SB22-211: Repurpose The Ridge View Campus - $45,000,000. Converting the Ridge View Campus into a recovery-oriented community for individual adults without stable housing who wish to focus on recovery from a substance use disorder will provide low-barrier access to comprehensive care and treatments and will allow people to recover and heal in a safe and stable environment.

  • Transitional Housing

  • Continuum of Behavioral Health Services and Treatment

  • Medical Care

  • Vocational Training and Skill Development

• HB22-1389:Financial Literacy Exchange Program (FLEX) - $60,000. Create the Colorado Financial Literacy and Equity Exchange (FLEX) Program, a voluntary program with the goal of granting financial security through education, employment, investment, housing stability, and social maturity for State Housing Voucher participants.

• HB22-1083 Colorado Homeless Contribution Income Tax Credit. Tax expenditure intended to encourage taxpayers to make contributions to approved nonprofits providing certain qualifying activities to leverage financial contributions from Colorado residents and businesses to support providing appropriate housing and services to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Model for Continuous Improvement

All systems are perfectly designed to get the result they produce. If we are unsatisfied with this product, then we must redesign the system. As part of the Built for Zero methodology, our communities have embraced a model for continuous process improvement known as the PDSA cycle, or Plan Do Study Act. A PDSA mindset to scope and implement improvement projects creates a time-limited test of change to a community’s system; is specific, actionable, and measurable; involves testing one or multiple change ideas; quickly confirms a team’s thinking or leads them to pivot; applies to a system, not a one-time event; keeps teams from getting stuck; and uses scarce resources wisely. We learn more from doing than from planning, but only if we reduce our resistance towards change and growth.

The Model for Improvement states that solving complex problems starts with a measurable end state and works backward. Strategies and activity come last and must shift repeatedly in service of the aim. 

We should always ask first: What are we trying to accomplish? This is our aim. Second, what changes can we make that will result in improvement? Third, how will we know that a change is an improvement?

It’s important that the thinking part happens before the doing part, so we can tailor our strategies and actions to get as close to our aim as possible.

This Model for Improvement:

• Is applicable to all types of organizations.

• Is applicable to all groups and levels in an organization and community.

• Facilitates the use of teamwork to make improvements.

• Provides a framework for the application of statistical tools and improvement methods.

• Encourages planning to be based on theory.

• Emphasizes and encourages the iterative learning process.

• Provides a way to empower people in the organization to take action.

This event was sponsored by:

Boulder County First in Metro Region to Achieve Quality Data for All Singles

Members of Boulder County Homeless Solutions for Boulder County celebrate the win with the State’s Quality Data Cup

Boulder County is the first of Metro Denver’s nine sub-regions to achieve Quality Data for all singles, a necessary milestone for reaching a functional end to Veteran homelessness (and eventually all homelessness). Quality Data means we can account for every single adult experiencing homelessness by name, in real-time. This Quality By-Name List (BNL) helps us understand the scope of homelessness in Boulder County, describes the inflow and outflow on an ongoing basis, gives us accurate information to reduce homelessness, and helps us measure our progress towards ending it. Boulder achieved the perfect Scorecard needed to reach Quality Data for all singles at the end of June 2022 and was officially certified the following July. Community Solutions certified the data over a 3-month reporting period, assuring that Boulder has maintained 100% data reliability through July 2022.

“This is an incredible milestone for our region and proof that quality data is possible.”

— Dr. Jamie Rife, Executive Director

When a community has the data to make informed decisions, homelessness becomes a solvable problem. With quality data, Boulder can now track changes in the composition and dynamics of those experiencing homelessness needed to identify gaps, test changes, and prioritize resources. It means Boulder can start working towards Functional Zero for Veterans before moving on to all single adults. Functional Zero is a measurable end to homelessness where it becomes rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Veteran Case Conferencing, which began in July, is an important part of this process. Case Conferencing offers a routine, centralized meeting space to support resource coordination and problem-solving among the various community partners serving people experiencing homelessness. Boulder is also excited for the Veteran’s Community Project to complete its tiny home project, which will act as a shelter for unhoused Veterans in the community. They hope to achieve functional zero for Veterans in their sub-region by January 31,2023 before moving onto other subpopulations (youth, families, chronically homeless).

“Reaching this milestone means that we know who is experiencing homelessness in our community and can leverage our partnerships, resources, and regional expertise to ensure that homelessness is rare and brief. We look forward to reaching the next milestone: Functional Zero.”

— Heidi Grove, Homeless Solutions for Boulder County, Sub-Regional Lead

Built for Zero was developed by Community Solutions, which supports over 100 communities across the country working to measurably and equitably end homelessness using a data-driven approach. The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative officially launched the Built for Zero framework for Regional Coordination across the nine sub-regions in March 2021. Local ownership has been at the core of our regional approach. When we align around a common aim - functional zero for Veterans - it becomes more about supporting each community’s needs rather than telling them what to do. We have been very supportive of securely sharing data between systems and collaborating across Continuums of Care, Veterans Affairs agencies, and county lines.

“A major factor in the success of Boulder has been the collaboration within the sub-region. As I started working within Boulder County last year, I quickly realized there was a lot of great work already happening. My goal as Improvement Advisor was to figure out how to embed the Built for Zero Framework into what was already happening, so it didn’t feel like a separate initiative.”

— Sofia Vigil, Improvement Advisor

We want to sincerely thank everyone in Boulder who worked so hard to make this possible, including but not limited to: Heidi Grove (Homeless Solutions for Boulder County, Boulder Sub-Regional Lead), Boulder County Outreach Collaborative, Homeless service providers in Boulder County, members of the Boulder Homeless Coordination Team, Veterans Affairs, Veterans Community Project, Sofia Vigil (Improvement Advisor), Homeless Solutions for Boulder County Executive Board, the direct service staff, and our elected partners.

Boulder Completes Quality Scorecard, on Track for Quality Data

Boulder County is the first of the nine sub-regions to complete a Quality Scorecard for all single adults experiencing homelessness. The Scorecard is a list of questions that provide guidance on how to develop a By-Name List for all homeless, single adults in each sub-region and helps us assess whether the data is of sufficient quality to measure progress toward ending homelessness. This tool was developed by Community Solutions as part of their Built for Zero (BFZ) methodology to end homelessness, which was officially adopted as Metro Denver’s approach to Regional Coordination on homelessness in March 2021.

Each Scorecard consists of 13 questions that ensure each community’s infrastructure has a racially equitable lens and is able to capture everyone experiencing homelessness, beginning with Veterans and single adults. The Boulder team will use this Scorecard to verify ‘Quality Data’ for Veterans using four months of historical data. Boulder continues to stand up its Veteran case conferencing while working on achieving Quality Data for all single adults.

This represents a key step toward achieving a Quality By-Name List for Veterans, enabling teams to account for every person experiencing homelessness in real-time. While Boulder’s work began with Veterans, their Scorecard has expanded to capture all single adults beginning October 2022. These efforts are led by Homeless Solutions for Boulder County (HSBC), the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), and Community Solutions (CS).

Key Takeaways from the 2nd Regional Convening on Homelessness

On April 5, 2022, leaders from across the state gathered to support the ‘Built for Zero’ framework for ending homelessness. This year’s convening focused on the regional and local progress made towards ending veteran homelessness, as well as opportunities for collaboration and lasting change. This event was sponsored by MDHI, Community Solutions, the Metro Mayor’s Caucus, Veterans Affairs, Metro Area County Commissioners, and the CO Division of Housing.

“I called HUD VASH again and they told me to go to the Beacon house. So I went to the Beacon house and I asked them if they could let me stay there for a couple weeks until my apartment was ready. They said ‘yes, that’s what we do.’ It’s kind of a cliché. You know, you guys always say ‘that’s what we do.’ And I believe that now. You guys do an excellent job.”

— Jeffrey, Veteran with Lived Experience

Built for Zero – The Framework

When we approach homelessness as a solvable issue, we shift from attempting to manage the problem to creating a system that ensures homelessness is a rare, brief, and one-time occurrence. Built for Zero is an operating system that aligns quality, real-time data, local planning, and regional coordination around a shared, measurable aim: ending homelessness. This end is measured by ‘functional zero,’ which happens when a community is housing more people than the number of actively homeless per month.

Metro Denver’s Subregional Approach

“In order for us to be successful we have to absolutely acknowledge that this is a regional issue that no city or county can resolve the enormous challenge of homelessness that is the most complex public policy issue any of us will ever face alone. So I am grateful that we have been able to come together and make the progress under this framework together. Let me simply say thank you to all of our regional partners for leaning in. I’m excited about the opportunities that are in front of us because of our regional collaboration… I’m grateful and I’m absolutely energized by our collaboration and by the progress that’s being made under the Built for Zero framework. ”

— Mayor Hancock, Denver

MDHI is coordinating the Built for Zero work as the region’s Continuum of Care. However, our regional strategy relies heavily on local planning in order to meet the diverse needs of each community. These subregions include the seven counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson), the Tri-Cities (Englewood, Sheridan, Littleton), and Aurora.

Local Structure

Each subregion is working on the following steps to achieve functional zero:

1. Complete the BFZ Scorecard

2. Create a Local Structure (with Veteran Case Conferencing)

3. Finalize the Veteran By-Name List

4. Assure Quality Data

5. House More Vets than on the By-Name List = Functional Zero

6. Move onto Another Subpopulation

This approach is working! In fact, while all other types of homelessness have increased due to the economic impact of COVID-19, Veteran homelessness has decreased by over 15% since the beginning of 2021. This is encouraging news. Our region is at a point where we know Veterans experiencing homelessness by name and are working to meet their individual housing and stability needs. Some communities, sparked by this momentum, have already begun applying this framework to other subpopulations, such as chronically homeless individuals, families, and youth.

Proposed Homelessness Initiatives

Metro Denver’s strategy requires a robust continuum of response to meet the diverse needs of people experiencing homelessness. The State of Colorado is focused on supporting communities in creating this continuum of proven solutions designed to connect people without stable housing to supportive services, behavioral health, medical care, and housing. The Governor’s budget submission requests $200M from the $700M Economic Development and Relief Funds for community investments in homelessness response. These proposals include:

• Competitive Grant Program: Safety Net Campuses, Transitional and Permanent Supportive Housing (Requesting $100 Million)

  • Support investments in community-based continuum of services and supports for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness with complex needs (including behavioral health needs), including: Emergency shelters, Transitional housing, Recovery care and related residential programs, Permanent housing with wrap-around services

  • Grants will be issued for innovative programs that meet the needs of individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Collaborative partnerships with matching funds from local governments, philanthropy, and private partners are expected.

• Denver Regional Campus with Transitional Housing (Requesting $50 Million)

  • Similar to the Fort Lyon and proposed Ridge View supportive community models, a Denver-area supportive residential regional campus that leverages additional resources and integrates a continuum of services and supports to address physical and behavioral health while provided safe space for recovery

• Ridge View Recovery Campus with Transitional Housing (Requesting $45 Million)

  • Ridge View Youth Services Center is a high quality state owned asset

  • Provides opportunity to expand upon lessons learned at Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community in Bent County

  • Goal is to Invest in a supportive community model that integrates a continuum of recovery oriented services and care (e.g. detox/withdrawal supports), transitional housing, vocational rehabilitation, and oral, physical, and behavioral health services

• Data Collection and Outreach for Homelessness Response (Requesting $5 Million)

  Why:

  1. Data to understand the need and whether we are reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness.

  2. Understanding who is experiencing homelessness and what their needs and barriers are is critical to informing strategies and creating an efficient coordination of resources.

  Aim:

  1. Increase capacity across the state to locate, identify, and engage anyone living unsheltered

  2. Increase capacity to improve the data collection of that effort as well as data from homeless programs

  Together, these efforts will enhance our collective and accurate knowledge of who is experiencing homelessness and be that bridge to connecting the services and housing.

  How:

  1. Fund community-based organizations to hire outreach staff who coordinate with existing efforts that engage people living unsheltered. They will ensure an accurate list is created and engage individuals to assess needs to connect to care and housing.

  2. Fund the Continuum of Care entities to increase Homeless Management Information System utilization.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) also created an additional $1.3 billion of funding for Colorado to improve access to affordable housing and supportive services for people that were disproportionately impacted by COVID.

• Revolving Loan Fund: New and Existing Capacity ($150M-$222M)

  • Gap financing (5-7.5%)

  • Maintain existing affordable housing (4.5-6.5%)

  • Governor’s priority: Green Energy for AH

• Nonprofit and Local government Grants ($150M-$222M)

  • Gap financing (5-7.5%)

  • Maintain existing affordable housing (4.5-6.5%)

  • Sustainable rental assistance (4-6%)

  • Governor’s priority: Strong Communities

  • Governor’s priority: Green Energy for AH

• Resident Owned Communities, Mobile Home Parks, and Land-Banking ($35M-$51M)

• Property Conversion for Transitional or Long-Term housing

• Permanent Supportive Housing and Supportive Services Fund

  • Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force and Task Force on Economic Recovery Relief Cash Fund may provide $254M

• Modular Housing ($40M-$48M)

  • In combination with Governor’s priority: Innovative Housing Incentive Program

• CHFA Missing Middle Access Program ($35M-$51M)

Policy Recommendations

Creating a well-funded, data-driven homeless response system is simply not enough. Our region needs comprehensive legislation to address the lack of accessible affordable housing so we can treat this problem at the source.

The following Bills are being considered by the House and Senate in this legislative session to address homelessness and affordable housing:

• HB1304 - State Grants Investments Local Affordable Housing

• SB159 - Revolving Loan Fund Invest Affordable Housing

• SB146 - Middle Income Access Program Expansion

• HB1282 - Innovative Housing Incentive Program

• HB1051 - Modify Affordable Housing Tax Credit

• SB160 - Loan Program Resident Owned Communities

• HB1083 –Colorado Homeless Contribution Tax Credit

The 2022 Pledge for Elected Officials

“Knowing that issues facing our region do not recognize county lines or city lines, it’s important that our work is collaborative to help address housing, transportation, poverty, and economic development. This year the Metro Area County Commissioners have decided to focus our efforts on identifying regional strategies to support our neighbors that are experiencing homelessness.”

— Commissioner Warren-Gully, arapahoe county

We ask our state and local elected officials to sign this pledge and maximize our region’s progress toward ending homelessness.

In metro Denver, we have a shared goal of making homelessness, rare, brief, and non-recurring. We understand that there are many paths to homelessness including high housing prices, stagnant wages, domestic violence, disability, chronic conditions, and mental and behavioral health challenges. We are committed to addressing these core issues in an equitable manner to ensure that homelessness is not a destination, but rather a low point on the path toward a better future. To this end, we pledge to work together and exercise leadership to:

• Build on our success from year one of Built for Zero which reduced veteran homelessness by 15% despite rising rates of homelessness nationwide;

• Use the shared Homeless Management Information System or “HMIS” database that enables us to better serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness regardless of their location in the region;

• Tailor our interventions and methods to reflect peer-reviewed best practices;

• Collaborate regionally to maximize our investments in housing, treatment, and other critical resources.

Progress on Regional Coordination

In March of 2021, MDHI in collaboration with Community Solutions, the VA, Department of Local Affairs, DRCOG, and the Metro Mayors Caucus convened hundreds of elected officials to discuss the issue of homelessness at the Regional Convening on Homelessness, suggesting the need for regional collaboration on the issue. Hundreds of others tuned in via Facebook Live to watch the event.

The day rolled out Built for Zero as a way to coordinate regionally on the issue of homelessness. Since then, the nine subregions have been working diligently to establish the Built for Zero framework in their local communities, starting with Veteran homelessness.

We are excited to share that this approach is working! Communities collaborating together has brought reductions in Veteran homelessness. In fact, while all other types of homelessness are increasing due to the economic impact of COVID-19, Veteran homelessness has decreased by over 12% since the beginning of 2021. This is encouraging news. Some communities, sparked by this momentum, have already begun applying this framework to other subpopulations such as those that are chronically homeless, families, youth, etc. Our region is at a point where we know Veterans experiencing homelessness by name and are working to meet their individual housing and stability needs.

As we finish out this 2021 calendar year, we anticipate these reductions will continue and have set a goal to be the first major metro region in the nation to reach Functional Zero, making homelessness rare and brief for those that have served our country.

For more on how Built for Zero is helping communities reach this milestone through coordination, collaboration, and strategic investments, watch this short video below.

MDHI would like to extend its sincere thanks to the providers, staff, partners, elected leaders, and stakeholders that are doing this work each day to collaborate on real solutions to the homelessness and housing instability crisis facing our community. Only by working together, can we make homelessness history in our region!