The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless issued a call for further legislative action after a report from the federal government documented an uptick in homelessness both nationally and in the state.
The first part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report was recently released, reporting that Colorado saw a nearly 30% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness from 2023 to 2024. The HUD report focused on point-in-time (PIT) estimates which capture the number of people in shelters, temporary housing, and unsheltered situations. Colorado’s PIT count, conducted one night out each year, went from 14,439 in 2023 to 18,715 the following year.
The Coalition stated that it views the PIT count to be an “extreme undercount” of the true number of people experiencing homelessness, as it doesn’t include those who are doubled up or in hospitals or motels on the night of the count. The organization stated that the PIT count was likely a third or less of the actual total.
The increase in people experiencing homelessness in Colorado coincides with other HUD report findings that indicate homelessness has nationally hit a record high, increasing 18% across the United States.
The report saw upticks across a range of demographics in Colorado, including women and youth, chronically homeless people, and sheltered and unsheltered individuals. The Coalition drew particular attention to the stark increase in families experiencing homelessness, which the report defines as households including at least one adult and one child. Among this demographic, there was an alarming 134% rise over the past year in Colorado, one of the highest in the country. The increase puts Colorado as one of the four states in the country where the number of homeless families has more than doubled, the others being Illinois, Wyoming, and Hawaii.
The federal estimate does differ from local reports. According to a seven-county report put out last August, the number of homeless families increased by roughly 50%.
However, that report did not include the roughly 4,000 new migrants, largely from South and Latin America, staying in city-funded shelters when the count occurred.
However, the rate of homelessness amongst veterans saw a reduction of 44% in Colorado compared to 8% nationally, making it the lowest recorded number since 2020. In addition, there was a decrease in the number of Black and African-American people experiencing homelessness. They are typically over-represented in homelessness statistics.
Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman said in a HUD press release, “While this data is nearly a year old, and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, it is critical that we focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness. We know what works and our success in reducing veteran homelessness by 55.2% since 2010 shows that.”
In late 2024, Secretary Todman visited the Renewal Village, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless’ new nine-story property. Since its opening, the facility has housed approximately 60 veterans at any given time and has 215 units of permanent supportive housing.
In its own press release, the Coalition acknowledges the pivotal role that HUD has played, but states that “the change in the Federal administration is likely to impact available funding for Housing First — the most effective data-proven approach to homelessness resolution.”
“A large part of our homelessness funds come from the federal government. Though the state and Denver have made key investments, local funding simply can’t replicate what the federal government contributes,” said Cathy Alderman, the chief communications and public policy officer for the Coalition. “The track record of the last Trump administration tells us that despite the growing crisis, less funding should be expected not more.”
Although there is uncertainty over federal funding, the Coalition says it will continue to offer direct services to about 22,000 clients whom they work with each year. The Coalition will push for what it calls “upstream solutions” to homelessness in the upcoming 2025 Colorado legislative session.
Alderman adds, “We know that homelessness is a housing problem, and we are committed to driving policies that increase access to safe, sanitary, affordable housing and resources that help people meet basic needs.”
The Coalition has previously made the case that the rise of the cost of living and affordability in Colorado are driving factors behind the increase in homelessness.
