DENVER – Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 – With more than a month left to reach its goal to move 200 people from homelessness to housing in 100 days, the City and County of Denver far exceeded its goal by housing 256 people (128% of the goal) in just 68 days.
Mayor Michael B. Hancock and the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) launched an effort Sept. 2 to get 200 people experiencing homelessness housed in 100 days. The housing surge expedites the city’s work with partners to connect people living in shelters and on the streets with housing utilizing new housing resources.
“This housing surge shows that when our community partners come together toward a common goal, we can quickly lift people out of homelessness and connect them with housing,” Mayor Hancock said. “The overwhelming success of this effort is phenomenal, and opens up new opportunities we can apply toward future efforts to rapidly resolve homelessness for our residents experiencing it.”
The City worked with housing voucher, rapid resolution, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing providers to reach the housing surge goal.
“By working together to quickly deploy resources, we were able to house more people in October than any other month this year,” said HOST Executive Director Britta Fisher. “Denver is demonstrating our commitment to resolving episodes of homelessness, and we are grateful to our many partners who help make that happen every day.”
A broad coalition of nonprofit and homeless service partners worked to achieve the housing surge goals, with the support and coordination of Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, Community Solutions, and Homebase. The City also leveraged the voter-approved Homelessness Resolution Fund to expand an existing contract with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to provide housing units from their own portfolio and to help identify private landlords willing to participate. The housing surge is part of Mayor Hancock’s economic recovery package, initially announced in a press conference June 1.
For more information on other housing resources available to Denver households, visit Denvergov.org/housing.
[Shared on behalf of our friends at HOST]
