Denver Supportive Housing Models for Healthy Youth

The City and County of Denver Department of Public Health and Environment and the Denver
Public Safety Youth Programs Office propose to implement the Denver Supportive Housing
Models for Healthy Youth planning process for building local continuums of care that seek to
prevent crime, reduce recidivism, and improve youth health, educational, and occupational
outcomes. In partnership with the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver,
project activities include conducting research, convening, planning and ultimately proposing
several models of supportive, neighborhood-based youth and family housing. Expected
outcomes include further development of a youth housing continuum of care model that serves
children and youth in their communities, provides culturally and trauma responsive care, and
adheres to the willingness of youth to seek housing and care in ways they suggest will best
serve their needs in hyperlocal environments. The planning process and convenings will follow
an iterative, trauma responsive, asset-based methodology in line with evidence-based practices
supported in research and practice. The primary goal of the planning process is to identify
housing for youth and their families in neighborhood-based locations with resources and
essential services. Housing, especially affordable, accessible, and safe places, near to a youth’s
current location are simply not available currently or unknown to municipal and nonprofit
agencies. More specifically, one key deliverable of this planning grant will be an interactive 
Youth Housing: Safety Perceptions and Resources tool that will geolocate resources, services,
and agencies within census tracks / neighborhoods to model actual distances youth would need
to travel to safe and supportive housing. The aim of introducing this map is to develop
sheltering capacity within neighborhoods and school catchments that allow youth to remain in
environments where they have protective factors, caring adults, or other assets to increase
their likelihood of success and reduce the likelihood that they will be arrested, abused,
trafficked, or homeless. Secondary goals of this planning process include identifying models for
effectively managing, maintaining, and creating appropriate oversight of various forms of
micro-housing solutions; convening partners to build buy-in and momentum in addressing
youth homelessness; and, engaging youth and families to inform all goals in this process.