[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6570232,"mediaKeyId","3241540-6530b5f9be49ae9f24680ddd3d7399a4","parentId",3241540,"title","HEART reports enrollments and outcomes; Highlands Ranch business owner raises safety concerns","audioSeconds",435,"startMs",4845420,"endMs",5281060,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3241540-6530b5f9be49ae9f24680ddd3d7399a4&start=4845&end=5281","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3241540-6530b5f9be49ae9f24680ddd3d7399a4/thumbnail_4845420.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6570232/Douglas-County/Colorado/HEART-reports-enrollments-and-outcomes-Highlands-Ranch-business-owner-raises-safety-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570232-134aa7d3ceeaa7151dddb51686b465b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770409190&Signature=lm4OsTvpAGxbjSpx8Y6Uz8hhIz6ZfeemVlTOAdED-zska7HKp13aA3ZOw4LFg5ih21Dl4nmGWF2QAjb3f2d3xv4AXnHHgLZbYx-ROxwBD-klCYq7ZkVm4N~hx~Wagvuz1MTUWZ1gD0N~IPXx6K92duiP2m4~CItiP7gMB9YKu7g5hHz9syb1zShZ194BXrhnr8WxRFzDc-mCYy3Up-l~G6ELSFa3OI4AYI1HuZD-8zr5CvNRgNiAXYVYHLLK77lquw-WLRQPOSSTby-~jLKjj5lWyRbwYyijhtU3TNJ6US2YRYorcAgchV2Oa2hi4UGuWQ48Ebs9CQ4IVVx6Tsqtgg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Douglas County","date","2025-05-09T00:58:39Z","article","HEART navigators reported April operational figures May 8 and described recent outreach, shelter placements and business engagements. Meeting participants also heard a public comment from a Highlands Ranch business owner who said her storefront experienced harassment, drug activity and overnight camping linked to a nearby RTD bus stop.

Tiffany Marcito of HEART said the team enrolled 14 new people in April and received 69 referrals. HEART reported 24 people exited the program during the month. HEART also said it had 13 business engagements in April and, since the start of the year, has interacted with 89 businesses and worked with the sheriff’s office to secure 52 trespass letters.

HEART presented service and exit metrics: of 24 exits, 33% left to temporary housing (hotel or shelter), 13% to an emergency shelter of their choosing, 8% to permanent housing, and 29% were logged as no contact. Tiffany noted the team received three panhandling calls in the month; two were judged not to involve homeless individuals and one person refused services. HEART staff reported geographic distribution of referrals with Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree among the higher-volume areas.

Operational-volume context: HEART staff said their 18-month call dataset shows roughly 2,500 calls in that period and fewer than 50 calls between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. over the same timeframe, indicating most activity occurs during daytime hours. The team also reported current navigator coverage runs roughly 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. with hiring under way to expand later coverage.

During public comment, Holly, owner of School of Rock Highlands Ranch, described repeated incidents outside a Safeway-anchored shopping center and asked for more HEART and patrol attention. “We are in the Safeway Shopping Center... I will say that, you know, our, you know, people with mental health issues and or homeless, it has been much more of a problem than I thought it was going to be... We do open we're open late... We've had our children, our students that are coming and going. We've had them harassed by people out there,” she said.

Chief-level and sheriff’s representatives noted that the shopping center sits at the end of an RTD line where passengers are sometimes left; they committed to review patrol coverage and increase engagement with RTD law-enforcement partners as needed. Heart navigators and deputies agreed to follow up with the business owner and include that location in outreach and enforcement briefings.

Ending: HEART will continue hires to expand coverage, track outcomes and coordinate with dispatch and law enforcement on after-hours coverage. Staff will explore adding a text option to the HEART hotline so community members can report concerns by text as well as by phone; dispatch logistics and routing were flagged as implementation details to resolve.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DCHI Executive Committee Meeting - May 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","HEART reported April operational metrics (14 new enrollments, 69 referrals, 24 exits) and described outreach volume and geographic distribution. A Highlands Ranch business owner told the meeting of harassment and drug-use activity at a Safeway shopping-center bus-stop area, prompting a pledge of increased patrol and follow-up.","taxTitle","Douglas County, Colorado","taxId",4194,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6570236,"By-name list shows small declines in outdoor homelessness; county aims for monthly snapshots",254,3773370,4027520,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3241540-6530b5f9be49ae9f24680ddd3d7399a4&start=3773&end=4027","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3241540-6530b5f9be49ae9f24680ddd3d7399a4/thumbnail_3773370.jpg","/articles/6570236/Douglas-County/Colorado/By-name-list-shows-small-declines-in-outdoor-homelessness-county-aims-for-monthly-snapshots","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570236-53387695ff886a4022eadd0fb42851c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770409190&Signature=j2gu4hmpYti1veZnh~6MuorPUo73U24YNH-hlei1v5zwjx-IyKgE1Xq5ynSsOkYDgXIkeioNj7~pKti8RgJ8qPcyNHaDoIBMmuWrmoGHRGONWI1i7SU2w5zaLu1BFL2auWIG2y1U~~OCnFfu2KpN2N8~muo4R3rlxHtdRxZcr~E6uqR~ZBcXgCk8EN49esp9aKCxSoYw7p0RBeX-8CUAWRmBcOcQdIqQt1-fzbkWHeDhit9u9pksSCfm8Bd9sOZlSJ1AsNyZgPFHEDQnlsK7qIJc4UoQFhZC9RAW-75lUsjPlXZUEj-h5Gn0rMdgTQflvAZo5-qvuCauoQ~E6pTHLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dante Young, a HEART navigator, presented a by-name list update May 8 showing small declines in the county’s measured outdoor homelessness and outlining how the list is maintained and used.

Nut graf: The by-name list is intended as a monthly, near–real-time snapshot that mirrors point-in-time (PIT) measures and coordinates weekly case conferencing to match people with housing and services. Young said the list helps partners identify individuals and households who meet a shared definition of literal homelessness and have had contact in a reporting month.

Young said the by-name list uses two primary inclusion criteria: people must meet the definition of literal homelessness (places not meant for habitation, emergency shelter, transitional housing or hotel vouchers paid by a service agency) and they must have been contacted or received a service in Douglas County during the reporting month. Using that approach, Young presented comparative data: in the January 2025 PIT the team recorded 25 people sleeping in vehicles, six sleeping outside and 32 sheltered; an April snapshot showed the number sleeping outside fell from six to four.

The presentation included family-level detail: in April the county recorded seven households with children in sheltered placements, zero sleeping outside and two households sleeping in vehicles. Young said the county has met “functional zero” qualifications for veterans and that weekly case-conferencing meetings are used to coordinate housing placement, mental-health referrals and employment or benefits services.

Young outlined next steps for the list: improve data accuracy, expand resource knowledge among navigators, work toward real-time reporting and continue the goal of functional zero for both families and single adults. County staff also noted the list does not currently include some people the system is tracking earlier in prevention work (for example, those at imminent risk of eviction) because the by-name list intentionally mirrors PIT definitions for reporting.

Questions from the meeting clarified how institutional stays are counted: people incarcerated or in hospitals are counted as homeless for the day before they enter and the day they exit unless they remain in an institution for 90 days or more, in which case they are not counted as unsheltered while institutionalized.

Ending: Presenters emphasized the list’s role in coordinating rapid re-housing and shelter placements and said staff will continue to refine reporting and coordination with hospitals and detention facilities to improve exit planning and reduce returns to homelessness.","HEART navigator Dante Young presented April by-name list criteria and data showing slight reductions in outdoor sleeping; the group plans to refine real-time reporting and sustain weekly case conferences to target housing and services.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6570241,"Douglas County pushes countywide fundraising, expands business outreach to help unhoused residents",2272,184241,2456720,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3241540-6530b5f9be49ae9f24680ddd3d7399a4&start=184&end=2456","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3241540-6530b5f9be49ae9f24680ddd3d7399a4/thumbnail_184241.jpg","/articles/6570241/Douglas-County/Colorado/Douglas-County-pushes-countywide-fundraising-expands-business-outreach-to-help-unhoused-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570241-f4156f90c55cfafca1ebf7dd92383f7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770409190&Signature=lstopI2o7bJfGo9xVNyYXttN0YhsJRJygOLFM6vNQpNpUmve3coimezlp361~ft-f-iwy9F18tvM~wAmdzOJVGnCo-N-Ohxq-twjaRfiY4q01n9p9dvyqMpaGUmaUv6EN1RC-yH9WpHi~Bahxws5iBOJQwkDXTzJx85nX44EymsQBdRaoana6dbxXBrnahIN14tg1DqB6LS8wymdnRKfgnTyq~uqHeX5onXyn1diAMuImsAN6WKupNRvLxuDo0Ck3Hd~q427rBcScXCy5DQsdBdn~hYKlwwAPI1GRqJIJQjZNMzkw1YE6Fb3HhZef4qr4YMl67kIIR5JgbI4xyqiYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Douglas County officials and community partners said May 8 they will pursue a coordinated, countywide fundraising and business-outreach effort aimed at driving donations to the Douglas Has Heart fund and giving businesses tools to respond to people sleeping in vehicles and panhandling.

The Douglas County Homeless Initiative meeting focused on three linked goals: reduce the number of people sleeping in parking lots, increase giving to Douglas Has Heart and raise public awareness about nonpunitive responses that connect people to services. Participants agreed staff and partner organizations should explore point-of-sale “round up” options, place QR-code posters in businesses and promote donor-facing impact reporting on the Community Foundation website.

Why it matters: county staff and nonprofit partners said businesses are often front-line witnesses to unsheltered activity but lack uniform guidance on what to do. A combined approach — outreach by the HEART team plus clear donation options and messaging for customers — is meant to reduce unsafe camping while directing charitable activity to service providers.

Participants outlined specific next steps. Caroline Frizzell of Douglas County Communications and Public Affairs submitted a vendor inquiry for a roundup service (Rounded Up America) during the meeting and will follow up; the Douglas County Community Foundation and Economic Development Corporation will continue joint outreach to retailers and chambers. The foundation’s Kirsten Swanson said the foundation plans to amplify fundraising around established giving days such as Douglas County Gives Day and explore a targeted February campaign tied to Douglas Has Heart.

Hart (the HEART outreach team) staff reported recent practical gains: since the start of the year HEART has interacted with 89 businesses and, working with the sheriff’s office, obtained 52 trespass letters for private properties. Those letters were described at the meeting as enabling outreach — not solely a punitive tool — because they allow managers or property owners to authorize contact and faster engagement by navigators and deputies.

Business and law enforcement partners offered ideas for what to place in stores and at counters: short posters with a QR code linking to donation and resource pages; an in-store “roundup day” where receipts are collected and donated funds remitted by the business; or a limited-duration point-of-sale roundup promotion timed to a campaign window rather than a year-round ask. Small-business owners at the table suggested limited, recurring campaigns (for example, a month-long campaign in February) were easier to manage than permanent daily requests.

Quotes from the meeting included business owner Mike Palemas: “I think how do we reduce the number of people in their cars,” and Commissioner K. Abe Laden’s emphasis on approach: “we lead with compassion.” Mayor Jason Gray said the county is getting “a really good response” from businesses and law enforcement on trespass-letter coordination.

The group also discussed communications mechanics: draft posters circulated during the meeting included a QR code and brief impact language about how donated dollars are used. Tiffany Marcito of HEART recommended adding donor-facing transparency — for example, monthly tallies of how many meals, vouchers or beds donations support — on the Community Foundation site. Caroline Frizzell agreed to return with a web presentation in June or July.

Ending: Staff were directed to continue outreach to chambers and retailers, pursue the roundup vendor inquiry and return to the homeless-initiative committee with a website proposal and campaign plan. No formal vote was taken; the meeting recorded these items as staff directions and partnership commitments.","At the May 8 Douglas County Homeless Initiative meeting, officials and partners agreed to pursue a countywide fundraising campaign, expand business outreach tools (QR codes, point-of-sale roundups, posters) and continue trespass-letter outreach to connect people sleeping in vehicles to services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

HEART reports enrollments and outcomes; Highlands Ranch business owner raises safety concerns

By-name list shows small declines in outdoor homelessness; county aims for monthly snapshots

Douglas County pushes countywide fundraising, expands business outreach to help unhoused residents