More people exiting city homeless hotels to permanent housing than returning to street, data shows

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For the first time, more people are exiting Denver’s All-In Mile High hotels and micro-communities to permanent housing than are returning to the streets.

According to the All-In Mile High dashboard, 708 people have gone into permanent housing and 386 either have returned to the street or their whereabouts are unknown. City Council member Amanda Sawyer noted that at the last update given to the Housing, Safety, Education and Homelessness Committee, the numbers were reversed. More were ending up back on the street than exiting the sites into permanent housing. “Congratulations on finally flipping to the outcomes we need to see,” Sawyer told city Deputy Director of Homelessness Resolution Cole Chandler.

Chandler said outcomes have improved because the case management team is better staffed and has more experience than it did when the sites opened. Chandler also said the original strategy was to let each site develop its own methods for wraparound services. Chandler said systemwide strategies now are being put into place. “I’m very pleased to see it headed in another direction,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer against use of police for homeless outreach

But Sawyer pushed back after Chandler noted that the police department’s Homeless Outreach Team, or HOT, was getting families on the street connected to services. While she was pleased to hear families are receiving shelter, she stressed that the City Council has said repeatedly that police should not be used for calls about homelessness. Chandler said the HOT team responds to calls because they are available 24 hours per day, unlike street outreach team workers.

Council member Chris Hinds said he also wants to know why the HOT team is used. Chandler responded it is a way to get families into a hotel 24 hours per day and enforce city code. Homeless advocates have told the City Council the HOT team is conducting sweeps. Although the city’s downtown no longer has large encampments, there are thousands of people still homeless and unsheltered, according to the Point in Time count.

Are mentally ill, addicted getting the help they need?

Council members spoke of mentally ill and addicted people not getting the support they need on the street and in the All-In Mile High sites. Council member Sarah Parady said she was surprised to learn that Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, which is providing substance abuse and mental health treatment at the sites, only is reimbursed through Medicaid. The city is not paying the Coalition outright for its services, she said. Committee Chair Serena Gonzales Guttierez agreed more needs to be done for high needs residents. “We do want to make sure we’re not setting people up for failure.”

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Tristan Sanders of the Department of Public Health and Environment said it is the Coalition's responsibility to enroll clients in Medicaid. He said he suspects a large number of All In residents still are not enrolled. He said the city had very candid conversations with the Coalition about how many clients they would need to serve to break even.

Sawyer asks homeless chief about kids living on street

Sawyer also told Chandler that homeless advocate Amy Beck told the City Council during public comment Monday that claims made by Mayor Mike Johnston at a recent convention that there are no children living on Denver’s streets is not true. Chandler said if there are children on the streets then “a flag needs to be raised, there should not be a single family has to live on the street.” The Point in Time count in January tallied 18 families living on the street in Denver.

These children recently showed up at a Mutual Aid Monday event for a meal, homeless advocate Amy Beck told the Denver City Council.Photo byAmy Beck

Council members also expressed concerns during the committee meeting about other services not being fully implemented at the sites. Chandler noted during his presentation that the ballroom of the former Doubletree hotel at 4040 Quebec is being used for staff meetings, case management, behavioral health care and more.