Veteran homelessness is pervasive in America; On a single night in January 2024, over 32,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness across the country.
But one major city has reached an exciting milestone.
As of December 19, 2024, Denver, Colorado ended “street homelessness” among veterans, according to Mayor Mike Johnston’s office.
Street homelessness refers to when someone lives on the streets or in other places not intended for human habitation, with no safe or sheltered place to go at night.
Homeless Veterans Stand Down event at the VA Community Resource and Referral Center in Denver, Colorado. Photo courtesy of Community Solutions
The goal is to get to “functional zero,” a number that represents the fact that every veteran in the city has access to a safe, stable, and private place to sleep at night.
This reduction in veteran homelessness came on the heels of Mayor Johnston’s All In Mile High initiative, a program to reduce all homelessness in the city.
On his first day in office, Johnston signed an emergency declaration to help 1,000 unhoused people get indoors by “connecting them to housing and wraparound support services like mental health care, substance misuse treatment, and workforce training.”
That initial goal was met by the end of 2023, which led Johnston to up his goal to moving 2,000 people indoors by the end of 2024. Since the start of the program, more than 2,200 people experiencing homelessness have been brought inside, with 857 having secured permanent housing.
Another priority of this program was ending unsheltered veteran homelessness within 2024.
“We are incredibly proud to announce that Denver has ended the cycle of street homelessness for our veterans,” Mayor Johnston said in a press conference in December.
“That means for the first time ever no veteran has to sleep on the streets in Denver. It is because of our shared commitment with partners across the city that today we can promise every single Denverite who served our country a warm bed and room of their own.”
The way this was executed was through a system that quickly identifies veterans experiencing homelessness, connects them to services, and helps them get housed. Since the summer of 2024, more than 100 veterans have been identified and brought inside.
Of the 18 veterans that were still outdoors in December, 12 had been connected with services and were on the path to housing, and six were situated with a warm place indoors to move to when they were ready.
Sometimes veterans experiencing homelessness are reluctant to accept support, according to Missy Mish, the section chief for the VA of Eastern Colorado’s homeless programs.
“We are seeing more and more veterans who are willing to accept support and come inside because of the quality of the services being offered,” she said. “The All In Mile High initiative has proven to be a game-changer for veterans in the Denver area.”
A major component of this program was coordinating service providers across the city to share information on veterans entering into homelessness, then working with permanent housing partners to help veterans get on the right track to thrive.
“As a result of extensive outreach, expanded transitional housing capacity, and improved facilities, veterans living in Denver are choosing to come off the streets and take advantage of available services,” a press release from the mayor’s office said.
According to the city, prioritizing these services has allowed homelessness among veterans to be resolved within the same day they seek assistance.
Funding for this work was accomplished through a number of offices, including Denver’s Department of Housing Stability, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Denver Housing Authority, Volunteers of America Colorado, Community Solutions, and Metro Denver Homeless Initiative.
“Nobody who fought to protect our country should have to come back home and fight to survive again on the streets of our city,” Johnston said.
While the homelessness crisis as a whole is far from eradicated in Denver, this milestone represents significant progress.
“Denver is proving that homelessness is solvable,” said Melanie Lewis Dickerson, with nonprofit Community Solutions, which aims to transform homeless response systems in cities nationwide.
“We work with nearly 150 communities across the country and the Metro Denver region is a bright spot of what is possible when you have a collaborative, cross-functional homeless response system that is using real-time, person-centered data to drive reductions in veteran homelessness.”
While the city celebrates major strides, individuals, too, are grateful for their own progress.
“For years, I struggled with homelessness. In 2021, I arrived in Denver looking for a fresh start, but quickly found myself living out of my vehicle,” said Brian Asbeck, a local Navy veteran.
“After months of hardship, I turned to the VA for help and was introduced to transformative programs. Thanks to these life-changing resources, I’ve not only escaped homelessness, but rebuilt my life.”
Photo courtesy of Mayor Mike Johnston's office
