[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: RESPONSE TO CITY COUNCIL REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING SHELTER BEDS AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE UNHOUSED

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Kilsdonk, Betty

RESPONSE TO CITY COUNCIL REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING SHELTER BEDS AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE UNHOUSED

The following is information responding to the request posted on HOTLINE on February 14, 2016 which included the questions:

How many total shelter beds are available in Boulder?  What is the seasonal variation of that number? How many unhoused are living in Boulder at any given time?  What is the seasonal variation of that number?

Seasonal Shelter Beds and Homeless Population
The graph below compares emergency beds and transitional shelter beds/housing during winter and summer with Point In Time Survey (PIT) count numbers and other estimates of the size of Boulder's homeless population. Using these sources, shelter beds available in Boulder total an estimated 519 in the winter season and an estimated 279 at other times of year.  Further explanation of these estimates is included below this graph and in the narrative.

Chart 1
[cid:image001.png at 01D18136.E1CC8870]


Emergency Shelter Beds and Seasonal Variation
At the height of the winter season (Nov. 15 - March 15), there are an estimated 358 emergency warming center spaces/overnight shelter beds available in Boulder. During the rest of the year, that number is reduced, with about 98 spaces/beds available between May-October period when both Boulder Shelter for the Homeless (BSH) and Boulder Outreach for Homeless Overflow (BOHO) have closed their nightly winter sheltering programs.

Chart 2: Emergency Overnight Shelter
Provider

Winter

Other

Units/Beds

Population Served/Comments

Attention Homes

16

16

Beds

Youth/Young adults

Boulder Shelter for the Homeless (BSH)

100

0

Beds

Single adults; winter shelter open Oct 15-Apr 30

Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN)

27

27

Beds

Violence survivors and their children

Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA)

15

15

Appr. 15 Beds in 5 Units

Families

Boulder Outreach for Homeless Overflow (BOHO)

200

40

Warming Center spaces

Single adults; winter warming centers open every night Nov 15-Mar 15, Weather dependent during remainder of year; 40 year-round beds are in Residents Shelter which requires interview and is not "walk up" shelter

Total

358

98







Transitional Housing
In addition, there are 123-143 beds and 38 units available for transitional housing, most of which is available year-round. Note that transitional housing is not "walk up" emergency shelter. Clients must meet more requirements for placement than in emergency shelter and can stay for periods of time ranging from a few months to 2 years.

Chart 3: Transitional Housing/Shelter
Provider

Winter

Other

Units/Beds

Population Served

Addiction Recovery Center

4

4

Beds

Single adults

BSH

60

80

Beds

Single adults (First Steps, Transitions Program and Summer Beds located at BSH)

BSH Transitional Housing

12

12

Units

Single adults and families; 12 Units - Variable number of beds

Bridge House Ready to Work

48

48

Beds

Single adults

Boulder County AIDS Project

4

4

Beds

 Single adults

EFAA

18

18

Units

Families; variable beds in 18 units

Mother House

7

7

Beds

Pre- and post-partum women

SPAN

8

8

Units

Family violence survivors; Variable beds in 8 units

Total

161

181






These totals do not include transitional rental assistance or permanent housing units and vouchers in the community. According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), people in transitional housing are considered homeless but those placed in permanent housing are no longer considered homeless.

Number of Unhoused Living in Boulder
2013-2015 PIT Average - Between 2013-2015, an average of 493 people were counted each year during PIT homeless surveys in the City of Boulder. This is shown in Chart 1 as a dotted line. We often use multi-year averages when reporting PIT to smooth out annual fluctuations.

PIT is a national survey conducted each January by volunteers at homeless service locations and on the street. It is required by HUD for regions to receive federal funding for homelessness projects. People experiencing homelessness are a difficult population to accurately count, and PIT has challenges as a data source due to annual fluctuations in a variety of factors.

2015 PIT - In the 2015 PIT, 291 people were counted as homeless in the City of Boulder. This is represented by the dashed line In Chart 1. The large difference between the 3-year average and the 2015 PIT count (493 vs. 291) is partially the result of a significant methodological change in 2014 and technical problems in 2015. It is unclear how much of the reduction in PIT numbers in recent years is due to a reduction in homelessness and how much is due to methodological issues. The PIT survey is nationally recognized as undercounting the population.

Adult Demand - To estimate the demand for emergency shelter by adults, represented in Chart 1 by the solid line, we included:

*         BSH emergency shelter beds - 100

*         Average BSH turned away nightly during sheltering season - 6

*         Average BOHO Warming Center Nightly Clients, Nov. 2015-Feb. 2016 - 119

Seasonal Changes in Homeless Population - We do not currently have a reliable way to report seasonal variation in homelessness in the city. In 2015 staff worked with OMNI Research on a feasibility assessment for a summer study focused on the "traveler" population. Key informant focus groups revealed multiple problems with proceeding with the study. A summer PIT would likely be resource intensive without the ability to leverage regional coordination, and may lack support from community agencies and stakeholders due to the effort involved and challenges with data accuracy.

One other data point previously reviewed for this question was Bridge House data on meals served monthly for its Community Table dinner program. Community Table Meals during January-October for 2014 and 2015 are included in Chart 4. Fewer meals were served in the spring and summer months of 2015 than the same period in 2014.


Chart 4: Community Table Meals - Average per Day


[cid:image002.png at 01D18136.E1CC8870]
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 14395 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://list.ci.boulder.co.us/pipermail/bouldercouncilhotline/attachments/20160321/4149e0dc/attachment.obj 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 7884 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://list.ci.boulder.co.us/pipermail/bouldercouncilhotline/attachments/20160321/4149e0dc/attachment-0001.obj