County’s Summer Point-in-Time Count reveals the success of Douglas County Homeless Initiative’s programs including Homeless Engagement, Assistance and Resource Team (HEART), and the “Handouts Don’t Help” Campaign.
What does it take to reduce homelessness in a community? A lot of HEART in action.
Two years ago, the Douglas County Homeless Initiative launched HEART (the Homeless Engagement, Assistance and Resource Team) and the “Handouts Don’t Help” Campaign. Based on the official July 29th Point-in-Time count, Homelessness has functionally ENDED in Douglas County. HEART is a street outreach co-responder model – a navigator paired with law enforcement – which helps ensure public safety and directs those experiencing homelessness to community services with the goal of self-sufficiency.
The “Handouts Don’t Help” campaign has deployed 70 street signs and the use of other marketing across multiple platforms to discourage citizens from handing money out of car windows in the middle of traffic, which isn’t safe for the giver or the receiver. Citizens have listened and are now donating directly to the Douglas County Community Foundation Homeless Relief Fund where citizens can be assured that 100% of the donations, they make are going directly to trusted nonprofits that provide services and supply basic needs to the unhoused.
Douglas County’s official Summer Point-in-Time (PIT) Count revealed the following:
- The number of people sleeping outside has been reduced from 43 in 2022 to six in 2024
- There was a 50% reduction in those living in vehicles and sleeping outside since summer 2023
Douglas County’s Summer PIT Count – an unduplicated count on a single night of the people in a community who are experiencing homelessness – was conducted on the evening of July 29.
Summer PIT data, released on Friday, Aug. 16, also revealed:
- ZERO panhandlers encountered while conducting the Summer PIT
- ZERO encampments of more than 1 individual found
- Six individuals sleeping outside (down from 43 in 2022)
Watch the news conference from Aug. 16.
Founder and Chairman of the Douglas County Homeless Initiative (DCHI), Commissioner Abe Laydon, as well as Sheriff Darren Weekly, attribute this success to the committed work of DCHI, and its successful programs including HEART and the Handouts Don’t Help Campaign which launched in 2022.
“It’s truly an honor to celebrate the success of the homeless initiative alongside our nearly 400,000 citizens who counted on us to solve a growing problem,” said Commissioner Laydon, “Our commitment to reclaiming our public spaces for citizens through the Four Cs: Compassion, Code Enforcement, Community Services, and Communications, has worked.”
“I’m proud of the great work the HEART does every day,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly. We will continue to be proactive to connect those who need and want services, and we will also be proactive in our enforcement of the law.”
“In Lone Tree, we reaffirm our commitment to working with Douglas County and other neighboring cities to address homelessness in the Denver metro area,” said Lone Tree Mayor Marissa Harmon. “Every person we can help transition from homelessness to stability represents a significant step forward.”
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 Navigators are subject matter experts, often with experience in behavioral and mental health or case management. They proactively and directly interact with those experiencing homelessness in a compassionate way. They gather information on needs, assess vulnerability, provide complete case management, and make referrals to appropriate community services.
Learn more about the Douglas County Homeless Initiative online and sign up for email updates.