Due to collaboration between the City and County of Denver and other government agencies and non-profits, Denver has just 52 unsheltered homeless veterans, Mayor Mike Johnston boasted at a news conference.
During the news conference, Johnston vowed to get the city to a “functional zero” mark for veterans by the end of this year. That means more veterans would be exiting than entering homelessness.
City officials could not be reached for comment Monday, Veteran’s Day, to see if the goal has been reached. This article will be updated.
More than 500 fewer veterans on Denver streets
The city has worked toward ending veteran homelessness since at least 2010. Back then, Denver and the nation had a goal to end veteran homelessness by 2015. That didn’t happen, but significant reductions were made.
Denver demonstrated success in reducing homelessness among veterans even during the COVID-19 epidemic. From 2020 to 2021, the number of people overall experiencing homelessness for the first time in Denver doubled. But more than 200 fewer veterans experienced homelessness in 2021, with a count of 418 according to the Point in Time survey. More than 600 veterans experienced homelessness in 2020. In just four years, that number has been reduced by 548.