Department of Police and Parks
Reference: Encampment Policy & Enforcement Actions
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Monce Portillo, Patrol Division Commander
Date Prepared: September 19, 2024
PURPOSE
To inform the Council on the City's homelessness encampment policy and enforcement actions.
BACKGROUND
For the past several years, the Brighton community has seen a rise in individuals experiencing homelessness. According to the Point in Time count (PIT) conducted by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Colorado has seen a 150% increase in people experiencing homelessness over the last ten years. From 2022-2023, Colorado saw the fourth most significant increase in the country with a 39% increase. Getting an accurate count is difficult because of many factors, including self-reporting, levels of community participation, and count methodology, but the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless uses several metrics besides the PIT, including McKinney Vento information from School Districts. In Adams County, specifically, the PIT showed there were just under 1000 individuals experiencing homelessness, with 34% unsheltered. The McKinney Vento data for Adams County showed 2,202 families with unstable housing.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandates that states use a Continuum of Care (CoC) model to help nonprofits and government agencies work towards preventing and ending homelessness. A CoC is a planning and coordination body that supports housing and services for homeless individuals and families. They gather data and work collectively to set service guidelines and manage resources. Adams County is a part of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative CoC. The Metro Denver CoC also includes Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, as well as the cities of Aurora and Denver. The Metro Denver CoC reports having 10,054 people in the community experie...
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