Denver Will Receive $2.5 Million for Unhoused Youth Services

On September 20, Colorado Representative Diana DeGette and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced that Denver will receive over $2.5 million to assist the city’s unhoused youth population (individuals ages 24 or under). The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) and can be used for a range of housing services including rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing.

This year’s grant follows the $3 million in federal funding that Degette secured in 2022 as the representative continues to push for resources devoted to unhoused youth. Last year’s funding is being used to construct Urban Peak’s new campus—the Mothership—which will replace the organization’s current youth shelter. The Mothership will provide shelter beds for more than 130 teens and young adults, as well as integrated mental health and medical services. Groundbreaking for the new shelter took place in January of this year.

Despite city efforts, the rate of unhoused Denverites has steadily increased for the last decade, according to data gathered from Continuums of Care agencies and the Point In Time Count (PIT). The PIT, which takes place on a single night in January, is an annual nationwide count meant to represent the number of unhoused individuals “on any given night,” especially during the winter months. 5,530 Coloradans were unhoused during the PIT in January 2021, although only individuals in shelters were counted due to COVID-19. In 2022 ,the PIT rose to 6,884 individuals, with 11.6% being youth ages 0 to 17.

“We have a moral obligation to make sure all Denverites have access to housing,” Mayor Mike Johnston says. “Our children are Denver’s most precious resource, and it’s critical we set them up for lifetime success despite their current resources. We are grateful for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Rep. DeGette for congressional support of our quest to provide housing for all Denverites.”

The grant money will be presented to the region by HUD administrator Dominique Jackson on September 27 at 10:15 a.m. at Urban Peak’s facility, 1630 South Acoma St.