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City Shelter Audit Fails to Acknowledge Progress, Improved Processes

Published on November 21, 2024

In response to the findings of a shelter audit released by the Auditor’s Office today, Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST) leadership testified at the audit committee hearing that most of the recommendations were already well underway and many additional shelter improvements are in process to develop an even stronger and more effective shelter system for people experiencing homelessness. In addition, the audit failed to acknowledge the substantial progress in reducing unsheltered homelessness while simultaneously improving our systems.

Since the launch of the All in Mile High program, the City and County of Denver has successfully helped more than 2,150 Denverites get safely indoors, connected more than 800 people to permanent housing, closed more than 350 city blocks to camping, and completely revamped Denver’s shelter system to serve more people better.

While HOST agreed with many of the audit’s findings, the department’s current workplan, which began implementing improvements in the spring, includes a robust set of strategies to foster continuous improvement beyond the findings of the audit. Key among these improvements are sweeping changes to all shelter services provider contracts, which were introduced earlier this year as HOST began negotiation with providers on 2025 contracts. These changes, which HOST leadership publicly testified to at City Council’s Safety, Housing, Education, and Homelessness Committee before the audit was completed on Oct. 2 and Nov. 13, center on consumer input, outcomes, program standards and security plans, with notable improvements including:

Safety plans – HOST will require all shelter providers to submit safety plans, that include a safety assessment, for approval. This will include written policies and procedures that identify the staff responsible for monitoring, expectations for when security measures should be implemented by, and steps for escalating matters to department leadership if delays occur.
- Earlier this year, the City and County of Denver implemented robust safety procedures in each All in Mile High site, including cameras, on-site security guards, and standardized check in procedures. These measures resulted in no major safety and security events since implementation.
Grievance Procedures – While HOST has been collecting grievance procedures from providers to ensure equity among shelter residents, this requirement is being placed in all contracts for review and approval.
Outcomes – Contracted outcomes have been updated in HOST contracts in the form of a logic model to show the inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes expected. Outputs and outcomes have associated metrics and each program is connected to HOST Strategic Plan goals. This is all an effort to continue moving toward a housing-focused shelter system.
Consumer Input – Earlier this year, HOST piloted a program to put survey kiosks in All in Mile High sites to allow guests to provide feedback on their experience with services received. All shelters will have a survey kiosk in 2025. Reports will be provided to HOST and the shelter provider on a quarterly basis to facilitate continuous improvement.
Training requirements – In addition to the existing sensitivity training staff members take, HOST will require all new shelter staff to have at least 10 hours of training in their first months of work and at least five hours of refresher courses annually.
Shelter Program Standards – To further clarify HOST’s expectations from shelter providers and ensure standardization across programs, the department will produce Shelter Program Standards documents in 2025 that will be reviewed and revised annually.

Contract improvements are complemented by a new Shelter Success Task Force. Convened last spring, the Task Force meets monthly to identify and present recommendations for improvement to the network of city-funded shelters. With representatives from various city departments, contracted shelter services providers, homelessness advocates, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness, the task force has addressed and developed a curriculum of standardized training needs for service provider staff.

HOST leadership expressed confidence that sheltered residents’ safety is the number-one priority following considerable steps to increase levels of security across All in Mile High communities earlier this year. Following tragic events at the DoubleTree sheltering site last spring, HOST and multiple agencies immediately instituted a seven-point action plan to improve management, staffing, physical enhancements, badging system, security, police presence and case management.

Further, the audit fails to accurately characterize how the All in Mile High unsheltered homelessness initiative has made a lasting difference for unhoused residents and our community as a whole. The One-Year Report, which was available at the time of the audit, showed that the initiative moved 1,673 people indoors from unsheltered homelessness while permanently closing over 300 square blocks to tent encampments. Additionally, the All in Mile High program has connected more than 800 participants to permanent, stable housing, improving outcomes for both participants and the city as a whole.

The City and County of Denver’s unsheltered homelessness response has been recognized nationally by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness as a best practice for humanely and effectively responding to encampments. The initiative’s success is further underscored by the 2024 Point in Time study, which was released this past August by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative and showed an 11% reduction in Denver’s unsheltered homelessness—the largest recorded reduction in Denver’s history.