Coordinated effort provides data on building comprehensive strategies to help end homelessnessARAPAHOE COUNTY—Jan. 18, 2024—Arapahoe County will participate in the annual Point in Time Count of those experiencing homelessness on Jan. 23, 2024. Arapahoe County employees, volunteers and community partners conduct the count throughout the County. Similar action is taken by municipalities and local governments across the Front Range.The effort raises public awareness, promotes collaboration across the region, and provides updated data. The goal is to inform local government and community partner response efforts to help neighbors experiencing homelessness.The count is conducted in coordination with seven metro area counties through the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) and is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).“It is imperative to understand the extent of the unhoused in our community,” said Arapahoe County Commissioner Bill Holen. “The Point in Time count only provides us with a snapshot of the unhoused population on a given night, but the County uses this information to designate resources in the appropriate areas to have the greatest impact.”Arapahoe County counts those experiencing homelessness across all jurisdictions, except within the City of Aurora, which stands alone as an individual HUD entitlement entity. Homelessness knows no boundaries and the data collected across the metro region informs coordinated efforts to support our most vulnerable community members. Including Aurora figures, just under 1000 individuals were counted in 2023. This was a small reduction from the 2022 count, but still demonstrates a large increase since our pre-pandemic counts.The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners established the Homeless Coordinating Committee (HCC) to address the crisis of homelessness within Arapahoe County. The HCC was established through the coordinated efforts of a diverse group of local partners. The primary goal of the HCC is to develop a plan to address homelessness and affordable housing in partnership with over 100 local organizations and governmental agencies. The County is expected to adopt the HCC strategic plan for implementation in 2024.The 2024 Point in Time Count numbers will be released later this year. Data from 2023 is available from the MDHI website.
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