In January, volunteers counted 727 people experiencing homelessness in Boulder County. While this is a decrease from last year’s count of 839, it is still the second-highest figure recorded since the count began in 2017.
The Point-in-Time report, published on Aug. 13, is a count of the number of homeless people on Jan. 22, 2024. Mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and conducted by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, the data provides some of the most reliable indicators of homelessness trends in Boulder County and across the Denver metro area, despite year-to-year variations due to weather, methodology and volunteer turnout.
Of the 727 people counted, at least 193 — over a quarter — were unsheltered, a slight decrease from 243 in 2023. This refers to people whose primary nighttime residence is a place not meant for regular human sleeping, such as a car, park, abandoned building or station. Another quarter were living in transitional housing, while the remaining half slept in emergency shelters.
About 20% of Boulder County’s homeless population are children, according to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. Approximately 21% are Black, a disproportionately high percentage given that about 1% of the county’s population is Black.
Across the broader Denver metro area, homelessness continues to rise, with 9,977 counted in January, up from 9,065 in 2023.
The point-in-time count does not report its Boulder County data by city or town. In the City of Boulder, officials have estimated about 450 homeless people live in the city.
MDHI said in a news release that it is working on real-time data solutions to better track homelessness. “Behind every data point lies the reality of individuals and families facing the hardship of homelessness,” Rebecca Mayer, interim executive director at MDHI, said. “It’s crucial to remember that our unhoused neighbors deserve the stability and security of a safe place to call home.”
A decrease of 40 people is not “slight.”
There are many towns in Boulder County. Is there a report showing a breakdown of the numbers of homeless people by town?
The city estimates the number of homeless people in Boulder city is close to 450. The Point-in-Time report does not break population down by city or town. Here’s the city’s page: https://bouldercolorado.gov/guide/homelessness-boulder#:~:text=How%20many%20people%20experience%20homelessness,accurate%20way%20to%20be%20sure.
I worry for all those who are unhoused. But. Please Boulder. There has to be something we can do to make sure no child ever ever spends the night without a safe home.
It’s not clear that the children counted are in temporary housing or in cars or something other, but they should all be in safe and warm places.
I’m curious about how other first world countries care for their homeless folks and how our numbers compare.
And. What can we learn from them.
To answer your question about where children were staying: Of the 148 children experiencing homelessness during this count, 6 were unsheltered. The rest were in emergency shelters or transitional housing. All but 1 were with their families.