Arapahoe County takes a community approach to homelessness crisis

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — In a town hall Thursday night, leaders from across Arapahoe County updated the community on how it is addressing the homelessness crisis with community partnerships.

“From each year’s Point in Time event, what are we learning? And how can we act upon it?” asked Arapahoe County Commissioner Jeff Baker.

Scattered across the metro are safe, sanctioned places where people who are sheltering in their cars can legally park.

“What we know about homelessness is right now in Colorado, you have to earn over $35 an hour in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent,” said Terrell Curtis, executive director of Colorado Safe Parking Initiative, one of more than 150 organizations that are working with the county to tackle homelessness. The goal is to provide connections to services, resources, and a clear pathway to housing.

There were 442 unhoused people in Arapahoe County during the 2023 Point in Time Count. It’s a crisis that's more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.

“There is no saving money on coffees and restaurants and buying new shoes that's going to save you money out of that situation. It's going to take a lot of support and services,” explained Curtis.

Curtis acknowledged the county's approach is starkly different than the "tough love” approach seen in the county’s most populous city — Aurora.

The City of Aurora is considering two companion proposals that would ban camping along the I-225 corridor and create a specialized court that would handle low-level offenses by individuals who are experiencing homelessness.

“It really has become a public health issue,” said Aurora Councilman Curtis Gardner.

Gardner is sponsoring the specialized court proposal. He said it would create a diversion program that better helps people experiencing homelessness compared to the traditional court system.

“When you're dealing with a high-risk population, like individuals experiencing homelessness, they need extra help. They need people advocating for them. They need people that understand their unique needs,” said Gardner.

In comparison, Arapahoe County is using a housing-first model, relying on partnerships to address the community challenge.

“It makes my work easier because we don't have to do it alone,” said Curtis.

Arapahoe County takes a community approach to homelessness crisis, relying on over 150 partnerships

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