Denver, CO. An Email Re Housing Process in the ‘Homeless System’

The following email was sent to a woman who is hosting a houseless man who has major health problems and who lost his big toe and got a bone infection after getting frostbite while living outside in Douglas county. This woman reached out asking for help getting him housing and this is the reply she got from Douglas county staff.
This is exemplative of the problems with the “homeless system” we live under right now.

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Good Morning,

Thank you all for reaching out to us regarding this issue. The urgency of this situation is clear, and I understand that we all want to help as quickly as possible. However, Douglas County doesn’t currently have an emergency shelter or a housing voucher program.

I have reached out to MDHI to see what options may be available and to see if he may qualify for the OneHome program. Unfortunately, the OneHome entry system must follow HUD’s definition of “literally homeless” and it does not include staying with friends or family. Access to the OneHome program isn’t an option for him, currently.

Below is a list of shelter’s that would be available to him from Douglas County’s access point. We recommend that if he becomes homeless again, that a VI-SPDAT be conducted by one of these agencies to aid in the process of resource qualification and to get on housing wait lists.

Well Power (formally MHCD) – Appointment Only: Access Center phone number 303-504-7900
St. Francis Center – Drop in: 7 am – 5 pm M-F, 7:30 am – 4:30 pm Sat-Sun 303-297-1576
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless – Drop In: 8am – 4pm, Appointment: 303-293-2217

Thank you for your patience as I explored all options to help in this case. Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions or concerns.
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In summary, their answer was to tell this man to leave the woman’s house who is hosting him on her couch, go back to living on the outside, fill out a VI-SPDAT (national housing prioritization app), get on housing waitlists, and wait.