Together, Douglas County with its partners announced Functional Zero for Veteran homelessness during a ceremony honoring Veterans on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. From left: US Rep. Lauren Boebert, Castle Rock Councilmember Tim Dietz, Commissioner Abe Laydon, Parker Councilwoman Laura Hefta, Commissioner George Teal, Commissioner Lora Thomas, Sheriff Darren Weekly and Douglas County Veterans Service Office Supervisor Chris Maes.
Douglas County has proven that homelessness is solvable through quality data, coordinated outreach, and regional collaboration. Together, Douglas County and the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) celebrate the County’s achievement of Functional Zero for Veteran homelessness, since joining the Built for Zero (BFZ) movement in April 2021.
“Our approach to homelessness is working in Douglas County,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon. “We appreciate all our municipal, nonprofit, and faith-based partners and Sheriff Darren Weekly for working with us to achieve this outcome for our community’s heroes. Now, we have a pilot for using the Built for Zero framework across all populations.”
Functional Zero for Veterans represents a critical milestone, requiring sustained systems to prevent homelessness and address it promptly. This achievement does not imply that no one experiences homelessness; rather, it means that the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness is maintained within the community’s capacity to provide housing.
“Functional Zero isn’t about achieving a ‘finish line’ but about maintaining ongoing efforts to serve Veterans with dignity and timeliness,” said Sofia Vigil, Regional Coordination Manager with MDHI. “Douglas County has shown us that Veteran homelessness can be made rare and brief.”
The cornerstone of this success was reaching the Quality By-Name Data standard in October 2023. By building and maintaining a comprehensive, monthly-updated list of every homeless Veteran in the community, Douglas County gained a powerful tool for tracking Veterans entering and exiting homelessness. This systematic approach ensures that everyone is included in the data.
“This incredible accomplishment by Douglas County is the result of their active engagement and prioritization of this work for over two years,” said Missy Mish, Homeless Section Chief for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. “Douglas County used grant funding to build a robust outreach team to identify and track Veterans through community-wide efforts. The VA is grateful for their collaboration and partnership in this life-saving work.”
Meanwhile, Douglas County’s HEART (Homeless Engagement Assistance and Resource Team) program brought personalized, street-level support. HEART navigators, paired with law enforcement, conducted regular outreach, building trust and guiding Veterans toward available resources.
“Today, we celebrate the success of our Veterans. In the summer of 2023, a Veteran was identified through a referral that HEART received. After a few short months of gathering documentation and meeting with the VA, he was approved for a housing voucher that paired rental assistance with ongoing case management and supportive services,” said Tiffany Marsitto, HEART supervisor. “It’s an honor and privilege to serve those who have served our country.”
“Our HEART team is dedicated to compassionate policing, especially when it comes to supporting our homeless Veterans,” said Sheriff Darren Weekly. “These men and women served our country with honor, and now it’s our turn to serve them with respect and care. By addressing their unique needs, we’re making a real impact, offering them a path to stability and dignity.”
From Jan. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024, 64% of Veterans experiencing homelessness were housed within 98 days of being identified. MDHI and Douglas County attribute this success to a system-wide commitment to continual improvement. Data review and coordinated service practices have reduced inflow, sped up housing placements, and created a sustainable model for other communities to follow.
“Douglas County’s achievement offers a powerful message to communities everywhere: homelessness is solvable,” said Sofia Vigil. “With aligned resources, committed partners, and a data-driven approach, other communities can follow this path.”
Douglas County’s progress highlights MDHI’s vision to address homelessness throughout Metro Denver, proving that lasting change is possible with shared effort and clear goals. Douglas County is one of nine subregions working with MDHI to solve Veteran and eventually all homelessness. For more information, please visit the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative webpage.
HEART is a partnership among the County, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement and community partners to connect those experiencing homelessness with resources. HEART is a program of the Douglas County Homeless Initiative.