Homelessness data now available for each county in Metropolitan Denver

Homelessness looks different in JeffersonCounty

in comparison to other six metro counties

Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), a nonprofit organization that seeks to end homelessness across the metropolitan Denver area, has released homeless data for each of the seven counties and six cities within its Continuum of Care.

Individual county homeless data tables are derived from the annual "Point-in-Time" study conducted by MDHI during winter 2007. Volunteers conducted interviews with homeless individuals and families in emergency shelters and human service organizations across the metropolitan area on January 29 & 30, 2007.

The purpose of the annual Point-in-Time study is to count the number of homeless individuals on one day of the year and to educate citizens about the presence of homelessness within their own communities. This January, 8,482 homeless people were counted across the seven-county region.

"Homelessness does not look the same in JeffersonCounty as it does in Denver County." says Jean Tutolo, Executive Director of Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative. "Each county's homeless population is unique. In some counties, homeless families live "doubled up" with family and friends, while in other counties homeless families pay weekly rents to live in dilapidated motels. Local data tables provide a picture of homelessness in a specific community allowing each community to respond in a meaningful way."

In JeffersonCounty, 1185 homeless people were identified.

"It should disturb leaders in business, community, civic and government to learn that there are 1,185 homeless people in JeffersonCounty. We have folks living on the streets, in their cars, in local motels, doubled up with friends family-all are unstable situations." said Mag Strittmatter, Jeffco Action Center's Executive Director. "The faces of the homeless in Jeffco are that of individuals, couples and families; children and adults who have fallen through the cracks and are struggling to simply survive, especially in a county with perceived affluence."

JeffcoActionCenteris a non profit organization, based in Lakewood, serving JeffersonCounty residents with emergency services such as food, clothing and shelter and is one of several entities in JeffersonCounty looking at how the homelessness issue can be resolved over the long term.

IndividualCounty and city reports can be found at Metro Denver Homeless Initiative's website at www.mdhi.org under "downloads".