Title
Colorado Springs Homelessness Initiative Annual Report
Presenter:
Andy Phelps, Homelessness Prevention and Response Coordinator, Planning and Community Development
Body
Summary:
In, 2019, the City sought community input in how to best respond to issues surrounding homelessness in our community. The City used that community input to develop the 2019 Colorado Springs Homelessness Initiative. This Initiative is a set of 5 short term and attainable goals for our community in order to improve issues surrounding homelessness in our community. The City has met all 5 of the goals.
Background:
As the population continues to grow in Colorado Springs, the number of people experiencing homelessness has also increased. In January 2019, the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care recruited volunteers to facilitate the Point-in-Time count. The 2019 Point-in-Time count showed that there were at least 1,562 people experiencing homelessness in El Paso County on the night of January 28th, 2018. This number includes people in shelters, transitional housing, and those unsheltered. The total unsheltered count was 444, a 13% decrease from 2018. The Point-in-Time count, although considered a conservative estimate, is the best objective data we have available to help us understand long term trends of homelessness in our community.
Homelessness related issues are among the most frequent complaints that the City receives. Our community is concerned about the health and safety of those surviving outside as well as the substantial impact illegal camping has on the environment. Although not a service provider, the City of Colorado Springs remains committed to championing strategies that prevent and reduce homelessness in our community by assessing gaps across landscapes, planning, building awareness, convening stakeholder groups, identifying public-private partnerships, and leveraging resources. It is clear that the costs of homelessness are significant in human suffering, actual...
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