'It's hard out here man': Point In Time count shows uptick in homelessness in Colorado
Johnny Adame struggled up the street towing everything he owned on a cart. He is one of many thousands of people homeless and considered unsheltered.
"If I had a chance to be in my own place I would," he explained. It has not been possible for a very long time. He has been homeless, he says, since 2008.
"Rent's really high," he explained. "It's hard out here man, being out on the streets."
A count by the Metro Denver Housing Initiative called the Point in Time count found 6,888 people and included those staying in shelters and outdoors on Jan. 24 of this year. Federal rules on the count call for it to be conducted in January to capture homelessness nationally in the deep of winter in Colorado. It was not taken in 2021 due to COVID, but in 2020, the number was 6,104. That's a 12% increase.
Included is an increase of people staying outdoors from 1,561 to 2,073 between 2020 and 2022.
"We have a lot more people that are newly homeless, experiencing homelessness for the first time. We have a lot more people staying in their vehicles. And then we have a lot more people staying outdoors because they want that autonomy," said Dr. Jamie Rife, MDHI's executive director.
The reality of the count is that in January, the number of homeless people living outdoors is considered lower than it is in warmer months. "Let's look at on night in August and look at the differences," said Rife.
Agencies and organizations that help the homeless are beginning to network more and collect greater data that can help them deliver change to lives. They are using what's called the Homeless Management Information System. The system allows MDHI to estimate the number of different people experiencing homelessness throughout the year in Colorado is closer to 31,000.
"It's important to understand not just one night but also like the whole entire year because that's really what we're looking at when we say we need more housing resources, we need more prevention," said Rife.
There are many stories to homelessness and many reasons, which is part of the varying needs.
"We have some people on one end of the spectrum who just need a little bit of support maybe a couple months of rent," she explained. "We have the other end of the spectrum where people really need what's called permanent supportive housing. That's housing, but also with the wraparound services that help keep them stable. The case management. they help address their challenges. And it may be they need that the rest of their life."
While government money devoted to housing and homelessness has increased during COVID and more housing is becoming available, there is a shortage of permanent supportive housing.
"Our numbers have gone up for both our day shelter and our food bank," said Karen Cowling, director for Mission Arvada at The Rising Church. COVID resulted in job losses and greater need, now the economic crisis is making it a lot harder.
"They're getting worse. It's like adding one monster on top of another," she said. The food pantry is understocked and there are fewer things to hand out to people who need them. Understanding can be short as well.
"They are not lazy drug addicts," said Cowling. "They are people with a story like all of us."