A common allegation in the comment stream of articles about homeless migrants is that they receive more services than veterans.
In Denver, this simply is not true. In fact, the number of homeless veterans in the Denver region dipped by 16% in 2023 due to a multi-pronged approach to end veteran homelessness, according to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, or MDHI. As of Dec. 31, there were 391 veterans in the Denver metropolitan area, down from 468, according to MDHI. A total of 415 veterans received housing in 2023, MDHI reported.
According to a news release, MDHI’s goal for 2024 is to functionally end veteran homelessness in four of nine subregions. “This means homelessness for veterans becomes rare, brief, and nonrecurring,” the news release states.
MDHI hopes to end veteran homelessness by 2027 using the Built for Zero philosophy. The Built for Zero philosophy uses quality data about homeless veterans to inform solutions. So far, five subregions have achieved quality data including Adams County, City of Aurora, Boulder County, Douglas County, and the tri-cities, according to MDHI. This includes a list of all homeless veterans by name.