Council to give input on Boulder's approach to homelessness

Feb. 7—Boulder's City Council members could be headed for a long night on Thursday as they prepare for an in-depth study session on the city's approach to tackling homelessness.

The overarching goal of the city's so-called homelessness strategy, first implemented in 2017, boils down to getting as many people as possible housed while also offering needed supportive services. This "housing first" approach to homelessness is evidence-based and is considered a best practice nationwide, according to a city memo. But the city has implemented that relatively straightforward concept through a complex and ever-evolving array of programs and initiatives.

According to Kurt Firnhaber, director of Boulder Housing and Human Services, part of the aim of Thursday night's discussion is to familiarize council members with the various programs and strategies the city is currently using. City staffers will also point out the gaps in services that they've identified and suggest possible next steps.

Homelessness has become a visible issue in the Boulder area over the past few years, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Jan. 30 of last year, the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative's annual Point in Time Count for 2023 counted 839 unhoused individuals living in Boulder County, the highest count in several years.

Julie Van Domelen, executive director of the Emergency Family Assistance Association, has previously said there's been a "tremendous increase" in the number of people coming to the food bank, asking for financial assistance and losing their housing.

Additionally, for all the people who have entered into homelessness, relatively few are finding their way out. According to the memo, the ratio of people exiting the system to people entering the system was 27% between December 2022 and November 2023.

Boulder employs a multi-pronged approach to try to get more people into housing. Through sheltering, outreach coordination and homeless navigation services, the city attempts to reach people experiencing homelessness and connect them with services.

Many of these strategies are not new. However, the city has added new programming within the last 18 months that's intended to serve the unhoused community, such as the Building Home program, the Tribe Recovery center and a "high utilizers" program.

The high utilizer program is tailored to those unhoused residents who most frequently use health care, emergency and criminal justice services. These individuals are especially vulnerable and can sometimes engage in behaviors that negatively impact other community members.

"We certainly want feedback on the high utilizer program. And that will likely (include) a collaboration around funding from other organizations and entities, as well. It's not likely to be fully funded by the city," Firnhaber said. "So that will be a program that, if supported, will probably evolve over time as we search for funding from other sources for it."

The city also has plans to open a day services center at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless at 4869 Broadway. The shelter's management plan, drafted more than 20 years ago, doesn't allow the shelter to operate during daytime hours, so the shelter has proposed a revised plan that would let the facility stay open 24/7. However, Firnhaber said the shelter is considering some further changes to the plan due to opposition from nearby residents.

Council members have also raised the possibility of creating sanctioned campgrounds in Boulder. The council last discussed the issue on Jan. 18, but they requested more information from city staff about the costs of such a program. Staffers will address those questions at Thursday's meeting.

According to Boulder homelessness policy advisor Megan Newton, one of the biggest gaps staffers have identified is a dearth of needed mental and behavioral health services. In the memo, city staff acknowledged a need for more detox and treatment beds for people using substances.

At the meeting, she also plans to highlight "the need for prevention dollars to support families and to prevent them from becoming homeless," she said. "And then, of course, we always go back to needing more housing units to help folks exit from this system."

There are also ten programs, such as family hoteling assistance, peer support and planned winter weather shelter expansions, that are set to run out of funding within the next one to two years. In total, these programs cost about $2.5 million annually and have been federally funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. But as ARPA funds begin to expire, the city will need to look to new sources of funding if these programs are to continue.

Council members will have a chance on Thursday to discuss and give feedback on the specific programs as well as the homelessness strategy as a whole.