Denver Moves 576 People from Homelessness to Housing over 100 Days

Published on December 21, 2021

City and coalition partners smash housing surge goal

Just over 100 days ago, Mayor Michael B. Hancock and the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) launched an effort to get 200 people experiencing homelessness housed in 100 days. The housing surge concluded earlier this month with a total of 340 households, including 576 individuals, placed into housing.

“It’s clear that the housing surge has been a resounding success for the hundreds of people who traded tents and shelters for house keys,” said Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “We will continue to innovate new ways to provide housing and support for every resident in our city, as we improve and expand these efforts in future initiatives.”

The housing surge expedited the city’s work with partners to connect people living in shelters and on the streets with housing utilizing new housing resources. The City worked with housing voucher, rapid resolution, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing providers to reach the housing surge goal.

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.

HOST is evaluating the success of the initiative and anticipates the launch of a secondary housing surge in February 2022.

For more information on other housing resources available to Denver households, visit Denvergov.org/housing.