Douglas County's HEART team helps connect homeless with resources, despite lack of shelters

"Handouts don't help." Signs across Douglas County urge you to call the Homeless Engagement, Assistance and Resource Team (HEART) if you encounter someone experiencing homelessness. The team pairs a navigator with a law enforcement officer to connect that person with resources.

Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Luke Ward and navigator Tiffany Marsitto drive the streets of Douglas County daily.

"Sometimes we have work waiting for us, and other times we go out and just see who we can find," Ward said.

The team connects with the homeless through police calls, calls from community members, and encountering people organically.

Ward drove through a Castle Pines parking lot frequented by the homeless but didn't find anyone. Soon, the police radio crackled.

"At one of the King Soopers, there's a welfare check on the board for someone asking for money," Ward said.

Ward and Marsitto responded. When they find someone who appears to be homeless, Deputy Ward approaches first.

"Morning, how are you? Just saw you out here, thought we'd check on you, see if you're doing alright," Ward said as he approached a man panhandling outside a Highlands Ranch King Soopers.

Then Marsitto stepped in.

"Navigators, we provide that compassionate case management, resource navigation piece," said Marsitto, who is also the community services supervisor for the HEART Team.

"Your sign says you're homeless, is that right?" Marsitto asked the man.

"Yeah, off and on," he responded.

The man's name is John Nagy, and this is not the interaction with law enforcement he was expecting.

"It was kind of surprising, and it was pleasant," Nagy said.

Seventy-year-old Nagy has struggled with homelessness for the past year and a half.

"I just take it day to day, stay positive, wake up and carry on, keep a good attitude," Nagy said. "I don't stay in one place, you know, just move around a bit."

Nagy lost his right foot in a car accident six months ago and often finds himself asking strangers for spare change.

"A few dollars here and there. I'll utilize that tonight to get a bite to eat, a room," Nagy said.

Nagy rarely seeks out homeless shelters.

"Where did you sleep last night?" Marsitto asked.

"Outside," Nagy responded.

He hopes to find work and temporary housing.

"I just want to be steady, and hopefully, if I could find some part-time employment somewhere, I wouldn't have to move too much," Nagy said.

The HEART Team wants to help.

"Are you OK with me adding you into our database? It just provides more opportunities for housing and vouchers and connection to those agencies that work with the VA," Marsitto asked.

Nagy agreed, and the HEART Team enrolled him in veteran's services with the VA and scheduled a follow-up call with the team for the next day. Due to privacy rules, they could not share an update on Nagy or how the call went with CBS News Colorado.

"At the end, I advised him I'm not asking him to move; there's nothing illegal about what he's doing, so he's welcome to stay until the owner of this property tells him to leave," Ward said.

The team considers it a successful interaction, and Nagy agrees.

"They were pleasant and gave me a lot of information and all that, so I'm gonna utilize that," Nagy said.

Point-in-time data from July 29 of this year found zero encampments, zero panhandling, and only six people sleeping outside in Douglas County. That same survey from two years ago, before the HEART Team was formed, found 43 people sleeping outside.

The numbers have led to sweeping statements from county commissioners.

"I'm excited to say that in Douglas County we have eradicated homelessness," said Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon.

But a closer look at the point-in-time count shows that, while only six people were counted sleeping outside, 42 others were sheltered, and 21 were sleeping in cars.

Laydon says the community is close to a "functional zero" homeless population and has less homelessness than its neighbors.

The total homeless population counted in 2024 was 69, a decrease of 27 from two years ago. Laydon attributes the decline to the HEART Team.

"Being able to go out to any area in the community and immediately connect with the unhoused has been really significant," Laydon said. "Immediately, this team will go out and encounter somebody that may be in crisis. They're gonna provide services, resources, and of course, if they are justice-involved or they have a warrant out for their arrest, law enforcement is there as well."

"Are there any homeless shelters here in Douglas County that the HEART team would connect people with?" CBS Colorado's Olivia Young asked.

"We only have about 5% of the state's total homeless population, and we heard very loudly from our citizens that it didn't make sense to spend taxpayer funds on a large structure here when we didn't have that same percentage," Laydon responded.

The closest shelter is in Aurora, a city that had nearly nine times as many homeless people as Douglas County in the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative's January point-in-time count.

"We've recently partnered with the Aurora Navigation Campus to ensure that we have around five beds for unsheltered homeless," Laydon said.

In the past, those experiencing homelessness in the county have told CBS Colorado that the lack of a local shelter can be a barrier. According to the Common Sense Institute's housing affordability report, housing affordability in Douglas County decreased by 118% from 2013 to 2023.

"A lot of the individuals that we come across down here in Douglas County, they're not wanting to go back to a shelter in Denver or Aurora, so we have to be creative," Marsitto said.

Instead, the HEART Team has a limited number of hotel vouchers they provide in "dire situations." They also help people sign up for benefits, get rides, and connect with food banks and local churches.

"Do you need anything right now? You're OK on water and food and all that?" Ward asked Nagy.

The team works with the county's mental health crisis response team and helps people apply for housing and substance abuse treatment programs like "Step Up Denver" and "Ready to Work."

Through a Colorado Open Records Act request, CBS Colorado obtained HEART Team data, which shows the team provided a homeless person with a service more than 1,100 times in the last six months.

Contact and case management were the most frequently provided types of service, followed by hotel vouchers or additional bed nights, given 20% of the time. Eleven percent of services were some kind of referral, 10% were meeting food or other basic needs, and 9% were providing transportation help.

Someone was referred to a shelter only 10 times in the six-month period, and service was refused 63 times.

"We continue to engage with individuals that don't want assistance because they may be ready to better their situation or be willing to talk to us in the future days," Marsitto said.

Even when someone doesn't want the HEART Team's help, they hope the introduction can plant a seed.

"If I can be that support, if Luke can be that support, I think we've done the right thing, and we're in the right direction because if they see our face and they recognize us out in the community and they need something, they'll flag us down because they know we care," Marsitto said.

HEART works with local police departments every day. In 2022, Castle Rock police hired a homeless outreach navigator of their own, a regular patrol officer working exclusively on homelessness. Community partnership officers work alongside them.

In December of that year, a homeless Castle Rock man with cerebral palsy claimed that two Castle Rock Police Department officers, who were familiar with him and his condition and were assigned to patrol the homeless population, tased him. That man, Hayden Graham, has sued the officers, as well as a third traffic officer, alleging excessive force.

"It was pretty horrible. Definitely hurt. My mind was like they're trying to kill me because I've never been tased before," Graham told CBS Colorado in May. "My seizures have increased. My mobility has gone down. It's definitely been a life-changing experience."

Castle Rock police said one of those officers, Paul Longuevan, was their homeless outreach navigator. He has since been promoted, and another person has taken over the position.

It's the kind of interaction the HEART Team wants to avoid.

"What precautions are you taking to make sure a situation doesn't escalate to that?" CBS News Colorado's Olivia Young asked Deputy Ward.

"It's always helpful to know the history of someone if we've had contact with them in the past," Ward said. "When we're on scene, we will see what their state is, see whether they're open to help, see if they're going to be resistant or aggressive with us at all. If that's the case, we will treat it as a law enforcement situation and not even bring in navigators until the scene is safe."

The HEART deputy is responsible for enforcing the law, but Ward uses discretion for lesser offenses.

"When it's kind of a 50/50 choice between enforcement and compassion, our deputies are usually encouraged to choose compassion," Ward said.

Douglas County could not provide data on how often a HEART Team response has led to an arrest.

"We might encounter an unhoused person, and they might be in violation, or they might just be someone that we think is in need," said Highlands Ranch park ranger Sandy Holcomb, who calls the HEART Team about three times a month.

"We're responsible for 26 parks, 70 miles of trails, and 2,600 acres of open space," Holcomb said.

Previously, she was forced to call law enforcement.

"That was the only recourse that we had, so it felt a little without compassion. So it's nice to now have those resources," Holcomb said.

HEART Team navigators must have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and one year of work experience in homelessness, criminal justice, or human services. They must complete six weeks of field training.

The HEART deputy works exclusively on the HEART Team and goes through two to three weeks of field training, hands-on training with navigators, a mental health class, and 40 hours of crisis intervention training.

The HEART Team was initially funded by $1.09 million of county American Rescue Plan funds. They have since expanded from three to five cars, thanks to a $1.6 million state grant. This week, the county received notice of a $963,000 DOJ grant. The $3.65 million total is expected to fund the team through 2026.

There is a HEART Team in the field every day, and right now, the county is looking to hire two more navigators.

The goal is fewer people sleeping on the streets and more interactions like this one:

"Appreciate you talking to us. We'll see you tomorrow. Have a good day, John!" Ward and Marsitto said, giving a cheery goodbye to Nagy.

"You too. Thank you," Nagy responded.

To reach the HEART Team, call 303-660-7301 or complete the online referral form by clicking here.