DOUGLAS COUNTY HOMELESS INITIATIVE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2025

MINUTES

BOCC Hearing Room,

Conference Rooms A & B

Thursday, August 14, 2025

9:00 AM

Welcome & Introductions: Commissioner Laydon

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative:

Sofia Vigil, Director of Strategy and Impact, Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI):

MDHI’s mission is to lead and advance collaboration to end homelessness in Metro

Denver. Their vision is a region where everyone has a safe and stable place to call home.

MDHI serves as the Lead for the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

database for the entire State of Colorado and coordinates the annual Point in Time count

for the entire Metro Denver area to provide a snapshot of homelessness on a single night.

MDHI published the first Colorado’s Annual State of Homelessness Report for 2024.

Across the State in 2024, 52,806 people accessed services related to homelessness; 8,464

people experienced homelessness for the first time; 15, 927 people were identified as

chronically homeless, 3,417 Veterans were identified as homeless; and 28, 491 people

self-reported a disabling condition. In 2024, across the Metro Denver area, 34,465 people

accessed services with a monthly average of 11,700 people accessed services; and over 6,000

people were housed. Douglas County’s 2024 HMIS data showed that 402 people accessed

homelessness services, 27% were newly homeless, 23% were chronically homeless, 56%

were sheltered, and 44% were unsheltered.

The Metro Denver 2024 Point in Time (PIT) results showed 10,774 people experiencing

homelessness on the night of January 27, 2024. There were 8,625 sheltered, 2,149

unsheltered, 65% were adults 25 and older, 30% families, and 5% youth only ages 18-24.

Data showed that one in three were newly homeless and one in three were chronically

homeless. The Douglas County PIT results showed a total of 58 people experiencing

homelessness, with 30 sheltered and 28 unsheltered.

Summer Point In Time Results:

Rand Clark, Assistant Director of Community Services: The 2025 Summer Point in Time

occurred on the night of July 28, 2025. The count showed a total of 72 people experiencing

homelessness in Douglas County. There were 43 sheltered, 25 people sleeping in vehicles,

and four people sleeping outside. Of those 25 people sleeping in their cars or outside 16

were located in Castle Rock, five in Highlands Ranch, and eight in Parker. Lone Tree had

zero people sleeping in their cars or outside. HEART received 1,181 referrals from

Summer of 2024-Summer 2025. Of those 1,181 referrals, 676 contacts were made, 214

refused services, 54 posed a safety concern, and 331 people were served. Only seven of

those experiencing homelessness in the 2025 Summer PIT count were still experiencing

homelessness in the 2024 Summer PIT count.

Legal Update:

Jeff Garcia, Douglas County Attorney: The new Executive Order that was signed into law

on July 24, 2025, addresses failed homelessness policies and takes a new federal public

safety approach. Six key steps will address public safety issues by redirecting grant

funding to programs that prohibit open drug use, prohibit urban camping and loitering,

prohibit squatting, adopt standards for individuals living on the streets who are a public

safety risk and cannot care for themselves and will enforce the Sex Offender Registry act.

New funding will eliminate the “housing first” requirement, support technical assistance to

treatment programs for committed individuals, fund crisis intervention services, and fund

the expansion of drug and mental health courts. These grant standards will align closely

with Douglas County’s Housing Plus Blueprint model and may open more opportunities

for the County to access Federal funding for homelessness programs.

Executive Committee Member Updates:

Andrea Barnum, Workforce Programs Manager, A/D Works!: September is Workforce

Development Month. A/D Works! will be participating in the Metro Denver Regional in

person and virtual Job Fairs on 9/4 & 9/16. On September 4th A/D Works is hosting a

Veteran and spouse networking event at A/D Works in Castle Rock. The 4th Annual

Workforce Innovation Conference is on 9/24, 11:30a.m.-5:30p.m. at Arapahoe Community

College (ACC) in collaboration with South Metro Denver Chamber and ACC. The Air

and Space Spoolooza had over 1000 attendees in June.

Rand Clark, Community Services, Assistant Director: Link on Demand has launched the

rideshare program in Highlands Ranch. Service areas now include Lone Tree and

Highlands Ranch. For the month of July, Link provided 6,756 rides and is a 37% increase

from June. The average rider rating is at 4.9, with an average ride duration of 10 minutes,

and rides per driver and hour are 3.

Steven Dodrill, Community Services, Community Programs Administrator: Tessa was

selected as Douglas County’s Domestic Violence safehouse operator in March of 2025.

Douglas County residents can now access services for up to 22 emergency shelter beds,

safety planning, legal advocacy, housing navigation, trauma informed case management,

and connections to mental health, healthcare, and community resources. The Grand

Opening will be on 8/27/25 @9:30a.m. on the front lawn of the Wilcox Building at 301

Wilcox Street in Castle Rock. This location is not the actual location of the safehouse but

is provided to maintain privacy and safety of safehouse location.

HEART:

Donté Young, HEART Navigator: July HEART activity summary includes 36 new clients

enrolled in the HEART program, 190 total referrals, 38 clients exited the program with

8% going to permanent housing. HEART received six panhandling calls for the month of

July, one was homeless, non-Douglas County, one was not homeless, one refused to engage,

and three were unable to locate. There were zero encampments for the month of July.

HEART activities that were completed for the month of July included 12 business

engagements with 12 trespass letters obtained. HEART attended the 4th of July Parade

and County Fair and Rodeo Parade, presented to the Crisis Center and the Health

Alliance, and completed the 2025 Summer Point In Time (PIT) count on the evening of

July 28th. The July By Name List (BNL) data showed a total of 66 unhoused. Of those 66

people, 36 are sheltered, 25 were sleeping in their cars, and five single people are sleeping

outside. In July of 2024, there were 11 enrollments to the HEART program; in June of

2024, there were 33 enrollments and in June of 2025, there were 26 enrollments. In July of

2025, there were 55 households that received one or more services in the HEART program.

HEART completed a total of 190 referrals for service for the month of July 2025. The

services provided by location included Highlands Ranch 29%, Castle Rock 20%, Parker

18%, Lone Tree 20%, Castle Pines 7%, and Englewood 6%. Exit outcomes for the 38

clients included 8% exited to permanent housing, 37% exited to temporary housing, 13%

exited to emergency shelter, 29% were no contact, and 13% wanted to remain homeless

but out of County.

July’s success story comes from HEART navigator, Alyssa DeJesus. A family of six was

temporarily sheltered in a motel with support from a nonprofit partner. Although they

owned a vehicle, it had broken down and was left in a parking lot. HEART Navigator,

Alyssa, provided an additional three-night motel stay while she assisted the family in

connecting with a local automotive repair shop. Alyssa discussed longer-term housing

solutions, including the GOALS family shelter program through Family Tree. The family’s

case was brought to the weekly case conferencing meeting, where Alyssa initiated a

referral to the GOALS program. The family attended a GOALS facility tour and was

accepted into the program. They remain housed and are actively working with case

management to regain stability.

Public Comment

Closing Comments: Commissioner Laydon

**The Next Regular Meeting Will be Held on Thursday, September 11, 2025 @ 9:00 a.m**