DOUGLAS COUNTY HOMELESS INITIATIVE  
THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2025  
MINUTES  
BOCC Hearing Room,  
Conference Rooms A & B  
Thursday, May 8, 2025  
9:00 AM  
In - Person Attendees: Commissioner Abe Laydon, Allison Cutting, Andrea Barnum, Arin DeGruff,  
Brian Griggs, Caroline Frizell, Catherine Millis, Chris Eubanks, Dan Marlow, Donté Young, Erin  
White, Greg Matthews, Jamie Fisher, Jason Gray, Jay Carpenter, Jeff Garcia, Jennifer Eby, Kirsten  
Swanson, Kyle Villamor, Luke Ward, Maria Ciano, Melody D’Haillecourt, Mike Hill, Mike McIntosh,  
Mike Polhemus, Nick Adamson, Rand Clark, Ruby Richards, San Castillo, Sandy Holcomb, Scott  
Nelson, Steven Dodrill, Tiffany Marsitto  
Online Participants: 35 (list is available upon request)  
1.  
2.  
Welcome & Introductions: Commissioner Laydon  
Business Discussion:  
Jennifer Eby, Director, Department of Community Services: The following outcomes are  
presented to the Committee for discussion: increase safety by reducing the number of  
people sleeping in parking lots, increase giving to the Douglas Has HEART fund, reduce  
the number of people panhandling, and increase public awareness of Douglas Has HEART  
campaign.  
Rand Clark, Assistant Director, Department of Community Services: Three concepts to  
focus on are how do we help those sleeping in cars? How do we help business owners and  
property managers? How do we help employees or day to day shoppers to equip them  
with better tools to access HEART?  
Tiffany Marsitto, Supervisor, Department of Community Services: HEART is actively  
working with the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC),  
business operators, owners, the community, and those experiencing homelessness. HEART  
is dedicated to building relationships, educating the community, and providing those  
sleeping in their vehicles with safer options to help resolve their homelessness. Suggestions  
they received during a meeting with Ellie Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of  
DCEFC, was to have HEART attend the local Chambers round table meetings and attend  
their annual breakfast. This may help inform local business operators of the HEART  
program and to explain that HEART is not a punitive call but a resource tool which helps.  
Kirsten Swanson, Executive Director, Douglas County Community Foundation (DCCF):  
DCCF manages the Douglas Has HEART fund and is the philanthropic arm for businesses  
in the community. DCCF is exploring a fundraising opportunity on Valentine’s Day 2026  
for HEART and additional opportunities to fund raise for DCCF funds on Colorado Gives  
Day which avoids direct competition with local nonprofits.  
Ruby Richards, Director, Douglas County Human Services (DCHS): Another fundraising  
option and business engagement opportunity is to request customers to round up their  
purchase to contribute to the HEART fund? Small businesses may be a better target for  
these types of donations.  
Caroline Frizell, Director, Communications and Public Affairs: The business focus of the  
Handouts Don’t Help campaign will be on the impact of Douglas Has HEART. This could  
include added transparency and reporting of how the funds are being utilized and to  
connect the community to testimonies. Will aim to present these website additions in  
mid-June to July.  
3.  
Executive Committee Update:  
Jason Gray, Mayor of Castle Rock: Castle Rock Police Department and HEART have  
secured a trespass letter from the Castle Rock Outlet Mall.  
Kirsten Swanson, Executive Director, Douglas County Community Foundation (DCCF):  
The Douglas Has HEART Fund has accumulated to $2,200.00.  
Maria Ciano, Executive Director, Douglas County Housing Partnership (DCHP): DCHP  
will be launching Housing Navigators to assist our community partners. Unity on Park  
Street has been nominated for an Eagle Award. DCHP is working with the Denver Reginal  
Council of Government (DRCOG) to share the results of the needs assessment,  
highlighting the need of affordable housing, especially for those under at or under $27,000  
average medium income (AMI) or 30% AMI.  
Kirk Wilson, Chief, Lone Tree Police Department (Online): He has received positive  
feedback on the business posters.  
Abe Laydon, Commissioner, Douglas County: Can we develop a text capability for the  
HEART line?  
Rand Clark, Assistant Director, Department of Community Services: Of the 2,500 calls  
received over the last sixteen months to the HEART hotline, there have been less than 50  
calls received between 6:00p.m. – 6:00a.m.  
Erin White, Executive Director, Manna Resource Center: A success story for a family who  
was identified by HEART and assessed by Manna Resource Center for the GOALS  
program during the weekly case conferencing call. The family was moved into the GOALS  
program the following day and has just obtained a new, higher paying job. They will  
continue to receive supportive services while they address remaining obstacles to  
self-sufficiency.  
4.  
BNL Update:  
Donté Young, HEART Navigator: There are two main criteria to be placed on the  
Douglas County By Name List (BNL). The first criteria are to meet Housing and Urban  
Development's (HUD) definition of literal homelessness. Meaning that the participant  
spent the night in a place not meant for human habitation including outside or in a vehicle,  
living in a shelter or in transitional housing, or stayed in a hotel or motel paid for by a  
nonprofit or government agency. The second criteria are the participant must have been  
in Douglas County and received services from HEART or a local nonprofit agency. The  
BNL is meant to correlate with the Point In Time (PIT) data collected in January.  
In the Winter Point in Time count of 2025, Douglas County showed 25 people  
sleeping in their cars, six people sleeping outside, and 12 people in shelter. The BNL  
becomes a way to have a monthly snapshot of those experiencing homelessness in the  
County. The April 25 BNL shows that 24 people were sleeping in their vehicles, four  
people sleeping outside, and 28 people in shelter. The BNL Family data shows that there  
were seven families in shelter, zero families sleeping outside, and two families sleeping in  
their vehicles.  
Douglas County has reached the verification of Functional Zero for Veterans.  
Douglas County conducts weekly case conferencing for members on the BNL with a focus  
of Veterans, families, and singles. This is a time for collaboration with local nonprofits to  
address issues that our unhoused neighbors experience. The future goals and outcomes for  
the BNL include enhancing current BNL, enhancing collaboration with community  
partners, expanding resource knowledge, use the BNL for real time reporting, and to reach  
Functional Zero for families and singles.  
5.  
HEART:  
Tiffany Marsitto, Community Services Supervisor: April HEART activity summary  
includes 14 new clients enrolled in the HEART program, 169 total referrals, 24 clients  
exited the program with 8% going to permanent housing, and 29 business engagements.  
HEART activities that were completed for the month include a presentation to Highlands  
Behavioral Health, an Animal Welfare Association of Colorado presentation with Castle  
Rock Police Department and attending the Metro Denver Community of Care (COC)  
Convening. In April of 2025, there were 14 new enrollments to the HEART program, in  
March of 2025, there were 22 enrollments and in April of 2024, there were 24 enrollments.  
In April of 2025, there were 48 households that received one or more services in the  
HEART program.  
HEART completed a total of 169 calls for service for the month of April 2025. The services  
provided by location included Highlands Ranch 35%, Castle Rock 23%, Parker 15%,  
Lone Tree 13%, Castle Pines 10%, and Englewood 4%. Exit outcomes for the 24 clients  
included 8% exited to permanent housing, 33% exited to temporary housing, 13% exited  
to shelter, 29% were no contact, and 17% wanted to remain homeless but out of County.  
6.  
7.  
Public Comment:  
Holly, School of Rock (Online), A local business owner who appreciates the work of  
HEART for the issues they have had with those who are experiencing homelessness over  
the last two years.  
Closing Comments: Commissioner Laydon  
**The Next Regular Meeting Will be Held on Thursday, June 12, 2025 @ 9:00 a.m**  
The Douglas County Homeless Initiative provides a collaborative meeting space for a diverse group of  
community partners to discuss issues related to homelessness. These meetings are not a forum for discussion of  
specific land use applications or development projects in individual jurisdictions. Please contact the relevant  
jurisdiction to inquire about how to participate in the public input process for specific projects.