Title
Update to the Colorado Springs City Council on Efforts to Reduce Homelessness in Our Community
Presenter:
Steve Posey, Chief Housing & Community Vitality Officer
Body
Summary:
The presentation highlights the collaborative approach that city personnel and external stakeholders are taking to reduce homelessness by connecting individuals and families to shelter, services, and housing, while responding to ongoing community and business concerns related to illegal camping and environmental impacts. Key data points are included indicating an overall reduction in the number of homeless individuals in our community based on 5 years of point-in-time counts, an overall increase in available shelter beds, an increase in transitional, and permanent supportive housing units, and success in meeting the city's 2022 House America goals.
Background:
The Pikes Peak Region is the only urban area in Colorado that has seen a reduction in the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness since 2019. According to a report issued by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless in 2023, the state as a whole saw a 39% increase in homelessness from 2022-2023, while the Pikes Peak Region saw an 8% reduction. Since 2019, homelessness in the Pikes Peak Region has declined by 17%.
Multiple City of Colorado Springs Departments, along with the partner agencies that make up the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care (PPCoC), are largely responsible for the community's success. By combining ready access to a nationally recognized shelter system with a robust network of tireless service providers under the umbrella of the PPCoC, the city has become the model that other communities across the state increasingly turn to for insight and guidance.
Over the last five years, the city's 2019 Homelessness Initiative has been the framework guiding the city's efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness. The 2019 Initiative included 5 Goals:
1) Inform the Public on Homelessness Issues
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