County homeless numbers drop in annual count

Data skewed due to cold

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County saw a drop in the number of people experiencing homelessness who were counted as part of the Denver metro area’s annual snapshot of the unhoused this year compared to last, according to early data.

And while it’s di cult to pinpoint what causes unhoused people to be located in or outside of Douglas County on one night per year, county o cials attribute the decrease to the work of a new team that helps connect the unhoused in Douglas with services.

“Having a (resource) navigator paired with law enforcement seems to be the secret sauce,” county Commissioner Abe Laydon said during a Feb. 9 news conference announcing the preliminary numbers.