To address the rising concern of homelessness, the City of Golden has developed a comprehensive response that is realistic and sustainable, and honors all residents.
Our commitment is to ensure everyone has a stable place to live, can get the help they need, and feels safe and secure in our beautiful city.
Defining Homelessness
“First-time homelessness”
Around 49 percent of the homeless population in Jefferson County are first-time homeless (Point in Time 2023 
). Of that total population of first-time homeless, 20 percent are children under 17 years of age.
“Chronic homelessness”
Someone experiencing chronic homelessness is defined as a person who is homeless for at least 12 months, or on at least 4 separate occasions in the last 3 years.
Often, people who are experiencing chronic homelessness have more complex needs, require more significant support, and in some cases, may have situations that increase barriers to accessing services.
Root Causes of Homelessness
Affordable Housing Shortage
Colorado has 26 affordable and available rental homes per 100 extremely low-income renter households in Colorado according to the GAP Report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Jobs Lacking Livable Wages
Coloradans households must earn $32.13 per hour to afford a 2-bedroom apartment according to the Out of Reach Report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Lack of Resources
Most services for people who are homeless are located outside of Jefferson County. Jefferson County has no 24/7 shelters at this time.
Long Waiting Lists for Services
An analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) determined: “Among the 50 largest housing agencies, only two have average wait times of under a year for families that have made it off of the waiting list; the longest have average wait times of up to eight years.”
Read the full CBPP report on housing vouchers.
Situational Barriers
The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless reports that homelessness is also often caused by situational events such as trauma, medical bills, physical disabilities, substance use disorders, eviction, intimate partner violence, lost job/wages, and mental illness.
