14,439
Total number of Coloradans
experiencing homelessness
according to PIT count
17,957
Students experiencing
homelessness, doubled-up, or
unstably housed in the 2021-
2022 school year
Individuals without stable
housing covered by Medicaid
in 2022
134,197
39%
Increase in overall
homelessness in the last year
according to PIT count
THE COLORADO STATE OF
HOMELESSNESS REPORT 2023
This report documents the state of homelessness in Colorado in 2023. An exact count is difficult to
determine due to many factors including: reliance on self-reporting and volunteers, count methodology,
levels of community participation, and other influences. However, by assessing several metrics including
the Point in Time count, the McKinney-Vento count, data from the Homelessness Management Information
System (HMIS), and more, we can gain an understanding of the statewide levels of homelessness in 2023
and some trends over time.
INTRODUCTION AND BRIEF OVERVIEW OF DATA
Overall, the Coalition estimates that the true number of people experiencing
homelessness falls somewhere between 14,439 (as identified in the Point in Time count)
and 134,197 (the number of individuals without stable housing covered by Medicaid).
30,409
People who accessed
homelessness services in Denver
between July 1, 2022 and
June 30, 2023
150%
Increase in people
experiencing chronic
homelessness over the last ten
years from PIT data
Overall homelessness in CO increased by 39% from 2022-2023. This was the fourth-largest percentage
increase in the country, behind New Hampshire, New Mexico, and New York.
Chronic homelessness increased by 20% in the last year.
Unsheltered homelessness increased by 50% in the last year.
Over the last ten years, chronic homelessness in CO increased by 150% (1,780 to 4,457).
3,641 (25%) individuals experiencing homelessness are in a household with at least one adult and one
child (also defined as a family in PIT reports).
Colorado had a 69% increase in family homelessness, from 2,151 in 2022 to 3,641 in 2023. This was the
most significant statewide increase in the nation.
Most people are in households without children (10,697 or 74%).
1,265 people experiencing homelessness in Colorado report experiencing domestic violence.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2023 POINT IN TIME COUNT
Balance of State
Metro Denver
Northern Colorado
Pikes Peak
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
For the sheltered count, CoCs includes all
individuals and families living in shelters that
provide temporary living arrangements (including
congregate shelters, transitional housing, and
hotels and motels paid for by charitable
organizations or by federal, state, or local
government programs). The unsheltered count
includes those with a primary nighttime residence
that is not designed for human habitation,
including a car, park, bus or train station, camping
ground, or abandoned building. In odd years,
CoCs are required to conduct both unsheltered
and sheltered counts. Even years only require a
sheltered count, but CoCs often choose to do
both. Due to the pandemic, CoCs that conducted
an unsheltered count in 2020 were able to opt out
of the 2021 count, and only the Balance of State
region conducted an unsheltered count in 2021.
The Balance of State region did not do an
unsheltered count in 2022, so HUD carried over
the figure from the previous year.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that states use a Continuum of
Care (CoC) model to support nonprofit and government efforts to actively work towards preventing and
ending homelessness. A CoC is a planning and resource coordination body that supports the provision of
housing and services for families and individuals experiencing homelessness. CoCs collect data, bring
together leaders working on homelessness, provide guidelines for service delivery, and coordinate
resources for direct services like permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, outreach, and shelter.
Each CoC is required to conduct an annual Point in Time (PIT) Count of individuals and families meeting
the HUD definition of homelessness on a single night, along with demographic characteristics. Although
the PIT is a valuable tool that provides a snapshot of homelessness, it is not a perfect tool and is almost
certainly an underestimate of the unhoused population. The 2023 point in time count was conducted on
January 30 during a 24-hour period among Colorado's four CoCs:
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative - Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, City of Aurora, Denver,
Douglas, and Jefferson counties
Northern Colorado - Larimer and Weld counties
Pikes Peak - El Paso county
Balance of State Region - 27 of the 54 non-metro and rural counties (fluctuates year-to-year)
POINT IN TIME COUNT (PIT): BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY
PIT counts are important because they are the only count conducted nationally each year, they provide data to
quantify the scope of homelessness on one night, and they help national, state, and local policymakers track
progress and allocate funding towards the goal of ending homelessness. In addition, the count helps identify
trends and service needs, and allows for volunteers to connect with the homeless community and generate
awareness. It is important to recognize that despite their importance, Point in Time counts also have limitations
and should not be the only metric used to understand the population of people experiencing homelessness.
Children (under 18)
Youth (18-24)
Individuals in families
Chronic homeless
Veterans
Mental illness
Substance Use
Unsheltered
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
DEMOGRAPHICS- POINT IN TIME COUNT
1022
771
2291
3641
3879
3142
4457
4745
*The numbers in the above graph represent overlapping groups and do not constitute parts of a whole.
16% of Coloradans experiencing
homelessness are under 18.
Approximately 5% are between 18
and 24 years of age.
27% of people report a mental
health concern.
22% report issues with substance
use or chronic substance abuse.
Colorado had a 69% increase in
family homelessness (2,151 in 2022
to 3,641 in 2023).
This was the most significant
percentage increase in the
nation.
TOTAL HOMELESSNESS IN COLORADO- POINT IN TIME COUNT
Due to the transient nature of the population and the large geographic areas that these surveys cover, it is
extremely difficult to identify and count all individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Comparisons
over time are also challenging due to changes in methodology, definitions, volunteer support, and winter
weather conditions each year. In addition, PIT counts rely on self-reported data. Individuals may be unwilling to
disclose certain information, especially disabling conditions or health factors that carry stigma. The count also
does not include people who are in hospitals, motels, jails, or doubled up on the night of the count, and is
therefore not a comprehensive count of people experiencing housing instability and homelessness. Lastly,
COVID has caused additional challenges for people experiencing homelessness and providers. For these
reasons, CoC leadership recommends caution in interpreting PIT data over time, and note that the counts
should be considered an underrepresentation of homelessness across the state.
People Experiencing Homelessness CO General Population
White
Black /African American
HIspanic/Latino
Asian/Asian American
American Indian/Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Multiple Races
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
66.9%
86.2%
16.8%
4.7%
26.1%
22.5%
.93%
3.8%
5.7%
1.7%
2.8%
.2%
6.8%
3.4%
People of color are disproportionately represented among people experiencing homelessness.
Black/African American/African Coloradans are more than 3x overrepresented in the homeless
population compared to the general population (17% vs 5%).
People who identify as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander are 14x overrepresented compared to the
general population (2.8% vs 0.2%).
Those who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native are also more than 3x overrepresented in the
homeless population.
Hispanic/Latino and multiracial Coloradans are also overrepresented.
RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS OF PIT COUNT
CoC
Children
(<18)
Youth
(18-24)
People in
households
with
children and
adults
Chronic
homeless
Veterans
Mental
illness
Substance
abuse
Sheltered
Total
Metro
Denver
1,726
507
2,701
2,964
653
2,931
2,245
7,291
10,054
Northern
Colorado
122
41
196
227
47
216
150
616
882
Pikes Peak
240
103
403
470
115
346
213
928
1,302
Balance
of State
203
120
341
796
207
386
534
859
2,201
TOTAL
2,291
771
3,641
4,457
1,022
3,879
3,142
9,694
14,439
Metro Denver Northern CO Pikes Peak
Balance of State TOTAL
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
Chronic Sheltered Chronic Unsheltered Total
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
33% of people experiencing
homelessness were
unsheltered.
Unsheltered homelessness
increased by 50% in the last
year.
The Balance of State region
conducts full unsheltered and
sheltered counts in odd years
only. In even years, they only
do the sheltered count.
UNSHELTERED COUNT
CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS - POINT IN TIME COUNT
Chronic homelessness has risen
steadily over the last few years.
Roughly 31% of the unhoused
population is experiencing chronic
homelessness.
Most people (56%) experiencing
chronic homelessness were
unsheltered.
Chronic homelessness describes people who have experienced homelessness for at least a year, or in
repeated instances adding up to a year, while living with a disabling condition such as a physical disability
or mental illness.
HUD considers individuals and families sleeping in a place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular
sleeping accommodation (e.g., abandoned buildings, train stations, or camping grounds) as “unsheltered.”
*Only the Balance of State region held an unsheltered count in 2021
Point in Time Count
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
1. Relationship problems or family breakup
1. Lost employment or could not find work
2. Unable to pay rent/mortage
2. Unable to pay rent/mortgage
3. Lost employment or could not find work
3. Asked to leave or evicted
4. Asked to leave or evicted
4. Alcohol or substance abuse problems
5. Abuse or violence at home
5. Relationship problems or family breakup
UNDERSTANDING POINT IN TIME COUNT DATA
TOP REPORTED CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS
3,996 (44%) people identified as newly homeless.
This is an increase from 2,455 (36%) individuals in
2022.
The CoC had the 5th largest number of people
experiencing homelessness behind New York City,
Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Diego.
The CoC also had the second largest increase in
homelessness since last year, behind Chicago.
The region had the largest increase in families
with children experiencing homelessness (117%).
DENVER 7-COUNTY METRO AREA
60% of people experiencing homelessness in the
region were unsheltered.
11% of people experiencing homelessness in the
region were fleeing domestic violence.
65% of adults reported at least one disabling
condition.
36% of adults met the definition of chronically
homeless.
BALANCE OF STATE NORTHERN COLORADO
The CoC improved their outreach to more
rural areas in the region.
People of color are overrepresented in
the homeless population even when
accounting for poverty rates.
There was a 6% reduction in unsheltered
homelessness, despite improved
surveying.
PIKES PEAK
The PPCoC reported the fewest people
experiencing homelessness since 2016
(excluding 2021 when the CoC did not
conduct an Unsheltered count).
There were 104 fewer people
experiencing homelessness than in
2022 (1,406). This is a 7.98% reduction.
The number of people experiencing
unsheltered homelessness increased
from 267 in 2022 to 374 in 2023.
The 2023 Point in Time Count demonstrates that the overall number of people experiencing homelessness
has increased significantly in the last year. The 2023 Point in Time count reported 14,439 people
experiencing homelessness, compared to last year’s 10,397. Representatives from Colorado CoCs attribute
part of this increase to increases in shelter capacity, improved methodology, enhanced training for street
outreach volunteers and volunteers with lived experience, and more volunteers overall. In addition, one
Continuum of Care reported an influx of around 1,500 migrants leading up to the Point in Time Count.
While this population faces unique challenges, they also often arrive without stable housing and may have
been included in the count of people experiencing homelessness. Since December of 2022, approximately
38,000 migrants have arrived by buses from the Texas border, most of them coming to Denver.
2
1
CoC
PIT COUNT
MCKINNEY-
VENTO
MDHI
10,054
9,820
Northern
CO
882
3,262
Pikes Peak
1,302
1,174
Balance of
State
2,201
3,423
MCKINNEY-VENTO DATA
In addition to statistics on homelessness, the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative included self-reported
causes of homelessness in this year’s annual report. An overwhelming 91% of Point in Time Count
respondents and 94% of HMIS respondents indicate that they did not choose to be homeless. In addition,
they refute the idea that people come to Colorado from other states, either to seek services or to access
marijuana, demonstrating that 9,085 out of 10,276 people’s last permanent address was within Colorado.
These data points demonstrate that common myths and misperceptions that describe homelessness as a
choice or a personal failure are flawed. Instead, systemic failures have created an environment where
housing is unaffordable, and people do not have enough support to fall back on when they face difficult
times and lose their housing. Traumatic life events or sudden financial shocks often create instability, and
without adequate support, far too many Coloradans fall into the cycle of homelessness.
However, the reported increase in the unhoused population likely represents an actual increase in
homelessness. As housing becomes increasingly unaffordable, more people are pushed towards housing
instability and homelessness. A 2020 study showed that every $100 monthly increase in median rent was
associated with a 9% increase in homelessness in the area. To afford a 2-bedroom unit at Fair Market
Rent in Colorado, a household must earn $32.13 per hour or $66,830 annually. For a minimum wage worker
who earns $13.65 per hour (2023 minimum wage), they must work 94 hours per week to afford that same
unit. Furthermore, there is a shortage of affordable housing across the state. The National Low Income
Housing Coalition estimates a deficit of 124,989 units for extremely low income households, who earn 30%
of the area median income, and 164,529 for those at or below 50% of the area median income here in
Colorado.
3
4
5
6
In addition to the PIT count, other estimates and
observations help inform our understanding of the
population of people experiencing homelessness.
The McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless
Children and Youth (EHCY) Program collects
information on students experiencing homelessness
through the Department of Education. The most
recent data is from the 2021-2022 school year,
where 17,957 students met their definition of
homelessness. This is 3,240 more than the overall
Point in Time count figure, which highlights the
degree to which the PIT is an undercount.
Although this number has decreased in recent years,
we also know that school enrollment is down. In fact,
statewide enrollment in K-12 public schools has
fallen to the lowest level in a decade, and three of
the last four years have seen a decline.
7
Another metric that the State uses to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness is the
number of Medicaid members who report homelessness and housing instability. While there are no
updated figures for 2023, data from 2022 show that 134,197 people enrolled in Medicaid are experiencing
homelessness. This includes those whose living arrangement is listed as emergency housing, homeless
shelter, hotel, or lack of a stable residence. This is a large jump from the 2019 figure that showed that just
over 53,000 individuals without stable housing were covered by Colorado Medicaid.
8
Safe Haven
Transitional Housing
Other Permanent Housing
Permanent Supportive Housing
Homelessness Prevention
Rapid Re-Housing
Street Outreach
Coordinated Entry
Supportive Services Only
Day Shelter
Emergency Shelter
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
Individuals who accessed
HMIS services statewide
75,038
People who reported a
disabling condition
35,996
Veterans
6,076
SOLUTIONS
To address the ongoing homelessness crisis, it is crucial that the local, state, and federal governments focus
on implementing long-term solutions that strategically invest in affordable housing and supportive services.
Solving homelessness begins with the availability of quality affordable and supportive housing through a
housing first model. But, housing first does not mean housing only and the critical success of the model
depends on crisis intervention, rapid access to housing, follow-up case management, and support services to
prevent the recurrence of homelessness. For those experiencing homelessness with physical and/or
behavioral health needs, addressing these challenges is exceedingly difficult when also trying to meet
immediate shelter, food, and sleep needs on the street. When people have a stable place to call home, it
becomes much easier to seek other services and focus on stability holistically.
STATEWIDE HMIS SERVICES BY PROJECT TYPE
124
2,369
3,413
5,304
6,943 7,165
12,152
18,53017,978
21,137
26,983
In advancement of our mission to provide lasting solutions to homelessness, CCH operates over 2,400 units of
affordable, transitional, and/or supportive housing through 23 properties throughout the state, and on any
given night, is responsible for housing over 4,400 households. The Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond
Initiative (SIB) implemented in Denver in 2016 provided targeted interventions to people experiencing who
were frequent users of emergency systems such as emergency rooms, emergency shelter, jails and prisons,
detox centers, and hospital emergency rooms. The findings showed that getting people into housing without
mandating that participants meet conditions or requirements was an effective strategy to keep people
housed over the long term while also reducing expensive interactions with emergency systems. The program
reduced police contacts by 34%, decreased arrests by 40%, and reduced time in shelters by 40%.
9
Another source is Homelessness Management Information Systems (HMIS), information technology systems
used by Continuums of Care to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to
people experiencing homelessness. While the PIT count provides a snapshot of people experiencing
homelessness on a single night, HMIS shows a picture of homelessness over the course of the year. Between
July 1st, 2022 and June 30th, 2023, 30,409 people accessed services or housing related to homelessness in
Denver. Across the state, over 75,000 individuals in over 60,000 households accessed services.
The healthcare outcomes for the Social Impact Bond
participants with housing were overwhelmingly positive.
Compared to the control group, the intervention group had
an average of eight more office-based visits with a
psychiatric diagnosis, ten more office-based visits with a
psychiatric diagnosis, and six fewer emergency visits. The
housed individuals also received three more unique
prescription medications over the course of two years.
Preventing and ending the homelessness crisis will require
substantial investments in affordable housing, particularly
for low and fixed income households and those trying to
exit the cycle of homelessness who have the greatest
housing needs. While the lack of affordable housing affects
households across the state, those living with low or fixed
incomes are impacted the most.
For households living at 80-100% of area median income, there are 102 units available for every 100
households. Compare that to extremely low income earners at or below 30% of area median income, for
whom there are only 26 available units for every 100 needed leaving almost 75% of these households with
extremely limited affordable housing options. Furthermore, 87% of extremely low-income households are
cost-burdened, meaning that they spent 30% or more of their income towards rent, and 78% are severely
cost-burdened, spending over half of their income on rent. When households are cost-burdened, they
must reduce spending on other life necessities like healthcare, education, transportation, and food.
Meaningfully addressing homelessness will require that public funds be targeted to those who have
historically suffered the most significant barriers to housing access. According to the Colorado Futures
Center, nearly half of Colorado households (650,000 statewide) have annual incomes below $75,000,
comprising 86% of cost-burdened households. These households’ excess spending on housing costs
represents an estimated $5.6 billion in foregone spending in Colorado’s economy.
In addition to long term measures, we must act urgently to provide immediate shelter and relief for those
living on the streets. This year’s Homeless Death Review revealed 311 deaths in Denver among those
experiencing homelessness, the highest number recorded since the report was launched. These deaths
are preventable. We can save lives by expanding access to shelter and transitional housing, improving
winter homelessness practices, and increasing access to lifesaving overdose treatment and medication.
Providing temporary transitional spaces to those experiencing homelessness such as hotels, motels, and
pallet shelters is showing early signs of promise in getting people off the streets and into safe, secure
spaces in Denver.
In 2023, Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration implemented an initiative to move 1,000 people indoors in
less than six months. The administration met this goal, and continues to track success on their dashboard,
a huge step forward for preventing the deaths of unsheltered individuals and providing the stability
necessary to resolve homelessness for these individuals. However, the true measure of the success and
health of this new system will be the rate at which people move out of these transitional locations into
long-term housing options.
We must focus on making these options more available while also investing resources for lasting solutions
at the local, state, and federal levels, and pursuing policy change to systems that perpetuate
homelessness, as outlined on the following page.
10
Ensure there are meaningful affordability provisions in bills to address transit-oriented development,
accessory dwelling units, and in any state, regional, or local housing needs planning and goals. Limited
funds should be targeted to those with the greatest need. Supply without affordability does not
create more AFFORDABLE housing.
Ensure that allowances for new or more dense housing development does not displace current residents
and businesses and that sufficient displacement mitigation measures are in place prior to development.
Support efforts to preserve and protect existing affordable housing and stabilize households.
Support broader coverage for supportive services in housing to help keep people stably housed and save
money on emergency healthcare and other services.
Reduce barriers for low-income households and people experiencing homelessness in accessing critical
resources like necessary documents / IDs which are required for housing, employment, healthcare access,
educational opportunities, etc.
Establish statewide strategies and funding sources for homelessness resolution to prevent the cliff effect
from expiring American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Stabilize households with eviction prevention and rental assistance. Hold landlords and property owners,
those who are getting the benefit while still increasing rents, accountable to sustained stabilization.
Consider impacts of policies on CAPITAL A Affordable Housing—housing that is rent or income-restricted
or publicly funded or subsidized.
As recommended by the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force in 2022, create a Statewide
Housing Needs Assessment and Plan that includes standardized information from local and regional
communities. This must include consistent, measurable, identified data points to get to demonstrated
community housing needs. All communities in Colorado must be required to participate and the state
should have a role in setting goals and plans. There must be transparency and strong accountability
measures in tracking progress towards goals.
For more suggestions, read the 2023 report, Colorado's Affordable Housing Crisis: It's Time for Strategic
Investments.
@COCOALITION
REFERENCES
2111 Champa Street
Denver, CO, 80205
www.coloradocoalition.org
303-312-9642
Sign up for E-newsletters and Advocacy Alerts:
www.coloradocoalition.org/advocate
The information in this report comes from Point in Time data from the four Continuums of Care, HUD reports, and the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Education program. Additional References:
1 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2023-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
2 https://coloradonewsline.com/2024/01/18/denver-mayor-colorado-federal-support-migrants/
3 https://www.mdhi.org/s/MDHI-State-of-Homelessness-Report-2023.pdf
4 https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-20-433
5 https://nlihc.org/oor/state/co
6 https://nlihc.org/gap/state/co
7 https://www.denverpost.com/2024/01/17/colorado-public-school-enrollment-2023/
8 https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/doh_ahttf_presentation_9-21-21.pdf
9 https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/104501/breaking-the-homelessness-jail-cycle-with-housing-first_1.pdf
10 https://www.coloradofuturescsu.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CFC_Colorado_Housing_Affordability_Update_Summer2023.pdf
RECOMMENDED POLICY CHANGES: