As the City of Boulder embarks on refining its strategy for addressing homelessness, a new report underscores how much work remains.
An evaluation conducted by Public Policy Associates, a policy research firm headquartered in Michigan, echoes familiar challenges: The supply of affordable housing is not keeping pace with rising homelessness and emergency shelter space is insufficient, particularly during severe weather.
But the report, published in January 2025, goes further, identifying areas of improvement that will likely shape the city and county’s homelessness strategy. The evaluation was commissioned by Homeless Solutions for Boulder County (HSBC), a regional group of local officials formed in 2017 to coordinate the response to homelessness.
The consultants emphasized the region’s gap in permanent supportive housing (PSH), a model that pairs subsidized housing with support services for people experiencing chronic homelessness, disabilities and mental health or substance use disorders. PSH is often intended for those who struggle to stay housed without long-term support — people who cycle in and out of shelters, hospitals, jail and the streets because because they lack the stability or services needed to remain housed.
Despite the need, PSH projects remain difficult to fund long-term, according to service providers. The consultants recommended HSBC find sustainable funding.
“Without adequate funding, PSH programs face negative consequences such as increased rent arrears, move-outs and a higher risk of residents returning to homelessness,” the report states.
The City of Boulder has two major permanent supportive housing developments: Lee Hill in North Boulder and Bluebird on 30th Street. Since opening last year, Bluebird has faced challenges related to fentanyl use, frequent police calls and a growing reputation for safety concerns, Boulder Reporting Lab recently reported, underscoring the difficulties and need for more services. Adding to the challenge, Boulder County decided that revenue from its new affordable housing tax cannot be used by the City of Boulder for services associated with PSH projects, creating another financial obstacle for the city in funding these projects.
Another key issue identified in the report is Boulder’s fragmented homelessness data system. HSBC’s system is not integrated with the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). The lack of integrated data means providers in Boulder can’t access a homeless person’s history in other cities, like Denver. This makes it harder to track their needs, understand their past engagement with services, and coordinate services across jurisdictions, according to the report.
“A comprehensive data system that connects these crucial data points will enable HSBC to more effectively target interventions, evaluate program effectiveness and nimbly allocate resources where they are most impactful,” the report states.
Beyond housing, the report also points out gaps in basic services, including public restrooms, showers, laundry facilities and secure storage for personal belongings. It notes that street outreach efforts to connect people with services are insufficient, with too few case managers helping people track down documents, enroll in benefits and get on the waitlist for affordable housing. The City of Boulder contracts with All Roads for a street outreach program, but city officials said in a recent memo that the program has faced staffing challenges.
Other recommendations to improve the region’s homelessness response include increasing the involvement of people with lived experience in decision-making, reassessing the criteria used to prioritize housing placements, and reviewing HSBC’s governance structure to clarify roles and accountability.
While community discussions about homelessness in Boulder have become heated over the need for better mental health and substance use treatment, the report devotes little attention to this issue. It does, however, highlight a well-known challenge: There are not enough behavioral health professionals or treatment options to meet demand, both in shelters and in permanent supportive housing.
The City of Boulder contributed $75,000 to fund the evaluation, which is based on an analysis of two years of homelessness data and interviews with government officials, service providers and people experiencing homelessness, according to the report. The city has also contracted with Clutch Consulting Group, a Texas-based firm, to review its homelessness strategy and make recommendations in the coming months.
On Feb. 13, the Boulder City Council held a study session on the city’s homelessness strategy. Some councilmembers indicated they were disappointed with the recent evaluation, suggesting it offered few new insights.
“My question is, what do we now know that we didn’t know yesterday?” Councilmember Tara Winer said.
“I struggle with it because it lacks quantitative depth,” Councilmember Matt Benjamin said. “I’m craving so much more depth and a deep understanding in order to feel like, as a policymaker, I’ve got something to act on.”
Agree with both Matt and Tara. HSBC wanted an evaluation that didn’t interfere with their policy goals and that’s what they got for the most part. But it is of little use for city council members in evaluating policy effectiveness and understanding what the city can feasibly do to improve outcomes for the unhoused. The Clutch evaluation sounds more promising, but that’s at least another six months lost before council can get the actionable data they want and need to figure out what the City of Boulder can be doing more comprehensively both now and in the future to improve the system with the resources available to them.
Erie does not have a homeless problem. Occasionally, I will see a panhandler on Hwy 287, but never in Erie. The main reason for this is Erie’s moratorium on marijuana dispensaries. The pot shops in Boulder sell dangerous high potency THC products that have been linked to schizophrenia and psychosis in susceptible young people. These products are also highly addictive. A long term study of millions of users in Denmark found that about 30% suffered from schizophrenia. It is not possible to solve the homeless problem if these products are available in Boulder. Boulder needs to ban high potency dabs and vapes, and do more to prevent young people from accessing them. The story about the 19 year old girl who was sold to a homeless man for drugs then murdered, should be a wake up call. It’s shocking how hardened Boulder has become, that nobody cares enough to change the laws. She was a child!
So we are back to “reefer madness”? Please show me any link that marijuana is a gateway drug to meth or fentanyl? There isn’t one because marijuana isn’t the problem, it’s cheap and the 1g joints they’re buying aren’t dabs and are lot safer than fentanyl. The problem is marijuana won’t help you fall asleep when it’s freezing out but meth laced with who knows what will knock you out. Marijuana has been in Boulder the 46 years I’ve lived here (even back when poor people and hippies were allowed to live here) and it’s never been a problem even when it was illegal. The problem is mass gentrification and developers that have already ruined Boulder. But if it makes you happy you can pretend the homeless are buying $30g and an expensive dab rig. The 19 homeless girl you are referencing was sold for sex, so the trafficker could buy meth not marijuana.
You think marijuana is the cause of increased homelessness? It’s amazing to me that anyone could come to such a conclusion in this day and age when research is abundant on the many issues leading to homelessness. Marijuana is not even on the list.
At one point in the meeting Councilmember Speer asked the Clutch Consulting member if all this discussion could be undermined considering the change in the Federal administration, especially since the majority of funding of several programs depends of Federal dollars. I found the consultant’s reply to be a complete non answer. The Trump administration is already illegally stopping the funds already allocated to programs. I don’t know why anyone thinks that this pattern will suddenly reverse itself.
Could someone from the City Council please suggest putting some of the $3.7M budget – for 2025 alone – that is for sweeping the unhoused, towards something of long-term value in solutioning this problem – such as connecting Boulder’s fragmented homelessness data system with Denver’s & others’ systems?