ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Arapahoe County's latest point-in-time count shows a 35% drop in unsheltered homelessness compared to last year — and for the first time as far as county leaders can remember, no families were found sleeping outside on the night of the count in January.
“I love the work that we do, and I think sometimes it's hard to use quantitative data to always show the impact, but I know that it makes a difference,” said Julie Hall, program director at HAAT Force, an Englewood nonprofit dedicated to getting unhoused individuals into motel rooms when severe weather strikes.
Last year's count found 14 families sleeping outside, all in Aurora. County leaders flagged the number as a major concern. This year, that number fell to zero.
Unsheltered veterans dropped 46% — from 28 to 15. The number of youth found sleeping unsheltered dropped from 21 to 7 — a two-thirds reduction.
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Arapahoe County spokesperson Jill McGranahan credited the results to a combination of new resources and regional cooperation.
"I think that what we're seeing is what happens when we collaborate," McGranahan said.
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McGranahan said the county’s two new regional navigation centers, expanded outreach efforts, and a push to build more affordable housing all contributed to the decline.
Last September, Arapahoe County commissioners approved new affordable housing incentives for developers in an effort to bring some relief to the affordable housing crisis.
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"We know that that is a huge concern for our constituents, and we also know that it's a huge concern for the county, so we will continue to invest, and hopefully we'll continue to see results like this," McGranahan said.
Organizations like HAAT Force in Englewood are among those working on the ground to drive those results.
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Hall, program director for HAAT Force said prevention is a critical piece of keeping families housed.
"I think a big aspect of supporting families is really prevention and making sure people know before they end up losing that housing what kind of rent assistance is out there, getting them that sort of assistance during a crisis," Hall said.
She said the goal remains straightforward.
"At the end of the day, we just want to see each person able to move towards something that's more wholesome for them," Hall said.
County leaders say continued collaboration between cities and organizations will be key to keeping unsheltered homelessness numbers moving in the right direction.
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