What the 2025 Point-in-Time Count Reveals and How RMHS Programs are Responding

September 24, 2025

Results from the 2025 Colorado Point-in-Time (PIT) Count suggest that Denver Metro has made some strides in its coordinated approach to addressing homelessness across the seven-county region. However, further south, El Paso County and Colorado Springs saw the highest number of people experiencing homelessness since the PIT count began.  

The PIT Count is more than just numbers– the data reflects the lives of real people impacted by housing instability. Through programs like Homes for All Veterans (HAV) and Mission Supports, staff at Rocky Mountain Human Services (RMHS) interact with the people behind the data and work every day to connect individuals with stable housing options.  

What is the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count?

Each January, communities across the country participate in the federally required PIT Count, which provides a snapshot of homelessness on a single night. Volunteers and outreach teams canvass streets and emergency shelters to record how many people are unhoused and gather basic information about their experiences of housing instability. 

In 2025, Colorado’s PIT Count took place on January 27, a frigid night with a low of 9 degrees. In Denver, the count was coordinated by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) and in Colorado Springs, by Pikes Peak Continuum of Care (PPCoC). Staff from one RMHS program, Homes for All Veterans (HAV), bundled up to support the execution of the PIT Count.  

“I think I’ve been involved in 12 PIT Counts now,” said JT Teisher, a Veteran Support Specialist with HAV’s program in Colorado Springs. “It’s never perfect—it’s underreported every year—but it’s one of the few times we get a system-wide picture of what’s happening.” 

Results from the Denver Metro PIT Count show signs of progress

The 2025 PIT results showed 10,774 people experiencing homelessness in the seven-county Denver Metro region, up slightly from 9,997 in 2024. While it’s an increase, it marks the smallest rate of growth in years. 

Key trends from the PIT Count in Denver Metro include:

• Fewer people are becoming homeless for the first time. 
  In 2024, 3,535 of the people counted were experiencing homelessness for the first time whereas this year’s results demonstrated a decrease, with only 2,992.  
• More people were sheltered rather than living outdoors or in vehicles.
  In 2025, the number of people outside, whether on the streets, in vehicles, or other places unsuitable to human habitation decreased from 2,919 in 2024 to 2,149 this year.  
• Success in coordinated efforts to expand cold weather shelter capacity.
  For the first time, there were no cold-weather exposure deaths in 2025, suggesting that coordinated efforts across the seven-county metro area made a key difference in saving lives on dangerously cold nights.  

The Denver Metro results suggest that system-wide housing and sheltering strategies are making a difference, but high housing prices remain a challenge in ensuring everyone is housed. 

“Homelessness is solvable — we’ve proven what works,” Jason Johnson, executive director of MDHI, said in a statement regarding 2025’s PIT count results. “The 2025 PIT count data reinforces what we already know: when we invest in coordinated, evidence-based solutions and work together across systems, we see measurable results.” 

On-the-ground insights from Mission Supports

As Denver’s system-wide approaches to homelessness show some signs of progress, challenges persist, especially among vulnerable populations. That’s where Mission Supports, a program of RMHS that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) experiencing housing instability in Denver, comes in. Many individuals with I/DD struggle to find stable housing due to fragmented systems. Mission Supports confronts these gaps directly.  

The program saw a significant uptick in the number of people it supports. Between January and July 2025, 152 individuals were enrolled in Mission Supports, the most people the program has served, reflecting both the rising need and the program’s growing capacity to meet it.  

Associate Director of Mission Supports, Arnie Swenson, shared: 

“A lot of people say, ‘Nobody understands my disability. Nobody understands my autism. Nobody’s understanding.’” Reflecting on this, Swenson offered his own perspective, “This misunderstanding and typical lack of knowledge about intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community is so hard on people with I/DD.” 

To address this, Mission Supports provides support to individuals in Denver with I/DD who are experiencing housing instability. Program staff work to identify those who may qualify for disability services and support them through the process of obtaining formal I/DD determination, accessing disability benefits, connecting to case management services, and securing safe housing.  

The process of obtaining an I/DD determination takes time and persistence; however, Mission Supports increased successful exits from its program from 14% in January 2025 to 54% in July 2025. A successful exit means the individual has completed the I/DD determination process and received either an approval or a denial, bringing them one step closer to accessing the services they need. 

Swenson described the work as highly individualized. “There are so many different places where people are in the system… it might be someone who already has documentation and just needs to be connected to Denver disability services. But we also get referrals for people whose special education to adult services failed and we have start from scratch.” 

This personalized, hands-on approach is central to the program. Mission Supports staff often meet people in shelters, hospitals, jails, or directly in the community to help fill urgent needs while also building pathways to long-term stability. As Swenson explains, people with I/DD are especially vulnerable to exploitation and unsafe environments, making stable housing and consistent support even more critical. 

Looking ahead, Mission Supports remains focused on two core goals: 

• Bridging service gaps.
  By helping people access disability determinations, benefits, and case management, Mission Supports ensures participants are not left behind in complex system.  
• Expanding connections. 
  Partnering with community organizations and building peer support opportunities such as a monthly peer support group helps individuals with I/DD find safety, belonging, and stability.  

Above all, Mission Supports is committed to ensuring that people with I/DD facing housing instability are seen, understood, and supported in ways that honor their individual needs and experiences. Their goal is clear: ensure no one with I/DD experiencing housing instability falls through the cracks. 

Results from the El Paso County PIT Count and on-the-ground insights from Homes for All Veterans (HAV)

Homelessness in Colorado is not one story but many. As Mission Supports addresses critical needs for individuals in Denver with I/DD, the 2025 PIT Count in El Paso County revealed record-high numbers of people experiencing homelessness including among veterans. That’s where Homes for All Veterans (HAV) steps in. 

In 2025, 1,745 people experiencing homelessness were counted— a 34% increase from 2024. Of those, 522 were unsheltered and 1,223 were in emergency or transitional housing.  

Key trends from the PIT Count in El Paso County include:

• One third of people counted were unsheltered, meaning they were living outside, in abandoned buildings or in a car.
  Given the low temperature of 9 degrees during the PIT Count when many people experiencing homelessness seek shelter, this high proportion indicates a shortage of emergency shelters and transitional housing. It’s estimated that Colorado Springs needs more than 500 additional beds to meet the current demand.  
• One in ten people counted were veterans.
  As a city with a military base and the Air Force Academy, there is a high number of veterans and active service members in El Paso County, which includes the homeless population.  

These figures aren’t just numbers – HAV staff see the impact of this daily in their outreach work to connect Colorado Springs’ veterans to housing and other critical resources. 

Teisher, who works as a Veteran Support Specialist, shared: “On the streets, it feels like there’s been an increase. Unfortunately, every time the number of people experiencing homelessness goes up, it hurts. We want to see the numbers go down and it’s hard when they don’t. But we keep working.” 

HAV works to end veteran homelessness across the state in two primary ways: by supporting those actively experiencing homelessness through outreach, case management, and connections to housing and through offering prevention services like rental assistance for those at risk of experiencing homelessness. 

Teisher describes the process simply: “We meet veterans where they’re at whether that’s in a shelter, camp, or soup kitchen. My job is to get them in the door. From there, our case managers do the hard work: setting budgets, finding landlords, working through barriers. They’re the magicians who make it possible.” 

The outreach-first approach is critical. Veterans may not come to an office on their own, but HAV staff build trust by meeting people in the community, offering help, and leaving the door open until someone is ready. 

“We don’t push but we’re here to help,” Teisher said. “If they’re not ready today, that’s fine. I give them my card and tell them to call when they are.” 

Between October 2024 and July 2025, 1,599 veterans were enrolled in HAV, more than ever before. During that same timeframe, 76% of those veterans were in stable, permanent housing and another 15% were in transitional housing, reflecting the tangible impact of HAV’s work.  

As El Paso County faces record numbers, HAV remains focused on two core strategies: 

• Expanding outreach. 
  Meeting people where they are, whether that’s in shelters, soup kitchens, outside, in vehicles, or in their homes remains a core strategy of HAV and its outreach staff. 
• Preventing homelessness when possible. 
  HAV can sometimes provide emergency rent assistance to keep veterans housed when they fall behind on monthly rent payments. 

As a veteran himself, Teisher brings lived experience that strengthens his work. Many of the veterans he serves struggle with PTSD, and his ability to relate as a peer helps build trust and rapport.

Above all, he emphasizes that housing is the foundation for stability. “Stable housing is probably the most important part of life. If you don’t have that, you’re not going to have a job. Usually if you’re homeless, you’re not going to have access to healthcare. Your health’s not going to be good. You’re going to be in danger from crime.” 

A shortage of affordable housing and increasing rent drives the increase in people experiencing homelessness

Across Colorado, the biggest drivers of homelessness remain the same: high rents, a shortage of affordable housing, and wages that don’t keep pace with housing costs. 

According to a July 2025 press release from the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, full-time workers in Colorado need to earn almost $37 an hour to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment. Minimum wage in Colorado is $14.81, less than half of that amount. Even though Colorado’s minimum wage has nearly doubled in the last decade – it was $8.54 in 2015– it still lags behind rising housing costs in the state.  

Teisher explained that even with rental assistance available through programs like HAV, many veterans struggle to secure housing because landlords can choose higher-income tenants. “Our program has the financial means to help veterans, but if a landlord can rent to someone with a high income at a higher rate, that’s often who they’ll pick.” 

According to the press release from Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, a person earning minimum wage in Colorado in 2025 would need to work 82 hours per week, equivalent to working 2.1 full-time jobs, to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. 

Rising rents paired with stagnant wages make stability increasingly difficult. “Everything is expensive, and a lot of our more vulnerable people don’t have the income to get into housing since folks’ income isn’t going up,” Teisher added. 

Final Thought

The PIT Count offers only a one-night snapshot of homelessness, but behind the numbers are real people—neighbors, families, veterans—facing all-too-real challenges. Programs like Homes for All Veterans and Mission Supports will continue to support people in accessing safe housing as long as people require the support.  

If you or someone you know is a veteran experiencing housing instability in Colorado, contact Homes for All Veterans at HAVreferrals@rmhumanservices.orgorg to get connected or visit their webpage. 

If you or someone you know is an individual with an I/DD or someone you suspect may have an I/DD, contact Mission Supports at missionsupports@rmhumanservices.org or visit their webpage.