Affordability is a crisis, particularly in high-cost cities like Denver. That crisis plays out in many ways, such as the exacerbation of housing insecurity and growing homelessness.
We have seen a difference in visible homelessness in Denver. However, child homelessness has reached a 10-year high, indicating an increase that doesn’t get talked about enough. The 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) count identified 1,380 children under 18 experiencing homelessness in Denver, up from 259 children in 2017, a fivefold increase.
Those involved in the homelessness discussion know that the Point-in-Time count severely undercounts these statistics. The PIT looks at any one given night to count the number of people on the street-which doesn’t account for people living in their cars, those couch surfing or those staying with families and friends; this severely undercounts the homelessness population…