Denver, CO
Here's who gets counted as homeless, sheltered and unsheltered during Denver's annual Point In Time Count
At 4 a.m. on Tuesday, 25 two-person teams will scour Denver, counting people living outside.
The teams of city workers, deployed by the Department of Housing Stability, will comb through the city center, and also farther out toward Denver’s edge. They’ll look in obvious encampments but also more remote locations.
They can’t find everybody sleeping outside, but they can do their best. The number they arrive at with will be used by Mayor Mike Johnston to set policy, as he has done with last year’s Point in Time count. He used that data to decide how many people to try to shelter over two years. The number will also give service providers a sense of how many more people are living on the streets than last year.
The workers doing the count will be participating in the nationwide Point in Time Count, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s attempt to figure out roughly — very roughly — how many people are experiencing homelessness on a single night in January.
It’s an imprecise exercise in tallying homelessness. Not all regions handle the count the same way, though all follow the same set of HUD rules.
Even the seven counties under the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, the group overseeing the local count, have different approaches to counting. Some use volunteers. Others, like Denver, use paid staff.
Who gets counted as homeless, sheltered and unsheltered is specific.
Certain situations, considered homeless by the U.S. Department of Education, go uncounted in HUD’s Point in Time data: People staying with family and friends or doubled up and couch surfing.
People living in shelters and hotels and motels paid for by homeless service providers will be counted as people experiencing homelessness while living in “emergency shelter,” explained Kyla Moe, deputy director of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative.
People living in unsanctioned encampments will be counted as “unsheltered.”
“People staying in Safe Outdoor Spaces are considered unsheltered by HUD and will therefore be reported as part of Denver’s unsheltered numbers,” explained Derek Woodbury, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing Stability. “There are currently three Safe Outdoor Spaces in Denver located at 1530 W. 13th Ave., 4635 N. Peoria St., and 3815 Steele St.”
But those living in tiny homes on government or nonprofit-run campuses will likely be considered “sheltered,” though people living independently in tiny homes or sheds without restrooms or kitchens are considered “unsheltered.”
City workers will hand count people living in encampments. The shelters will provide data for how many people spent the night to the Homeless Management Information System, the regional year-round database tracking homelessness services.
In the week after the count, at least 10% of the people identified will be surveyed about their identity and lives.
Last year saw a dramatic rise in homelessness in the metro area.
According to the 2023 Point in Time count, 9,065 experienced homelessness on a single night last January. And that’s just a fraction of the more than 30,000 people who accessed homeless services throughout the year, according to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative’s recently released 2023 State of Homelessness report.
After six months of Mayor Johnston’s administration’s effort to shelter 1,000 people, Denverites will look at the new number and ask: Is Johnston’s House1000 push making a dent in unsheltered homelessness?
Cole Chandler, Johnston’s senior advisor on homelessness, told Denverite he’s optimistic the number of people living outside has dropped. But the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative won’t publish the data in the summer, so he can’t be sure.
Two factors, outside of Johnston’s control, will influence the number of people living outside.
Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in Denver from the Texas-Mexico border, and some of them are living on the streets or in city-run shelters, likely boosting the Point in Time number of both sheltered and unsheltered individuals.
“We do not ask for migrant status in HMIS nor on the PIT survey, so someone who is a migrant who presented at a sheltered location or as unsheltered would be counted in the data,” Moe said.
The outreach teams across the metro are prepared to survey people who don’t speak English.
“Our community has recruited volunteers and staff that speak Spanish and we have the tools translated into Spanish,” Moe said.
The Point in Time number of unsheltered people could be much lower than it might be if the count took place in a few weeks, after the city resumes its policy of kicking migrant families out of shelters once their alloted days end — a decision the Johnston administration announced just days before the Point in Time count.
While city officials say they are trying to find housing for every migrant before they’re forced from shelter to the streets, the policy shift could lead to a massive increase in the number of people sleeping outside — something this year’s Point of Time numbers will not capture.
Chandler says the timing of removing migrants from shelters has been a topic of debate and weather has been a main factor in conversations — not so much the Point in Time count.
He also acknowledged that the administration did not conceive of how the increase in migration and homelessness would converge.
“This issue has so rapidly evolved over the course of six months, it’s kind of frightening,” Chandler said. “And it’s going to have to be something we continue to grapple with in a really serious way. And we’re really hoping to get some federal support and some coordination at the federal level.”
Denver, CO
Even without extension talks, Nikola Jokic has reiterated his desire to stay long-term in Denver
Despite the possibility of Nikola Jokic holding off on extension talks for now, per The Stein Line, Jokic has reiterated a desire to stay long-term in Denver in recent talks, league sources told HoopsHype. If Jokic waits until next summer, he’s eligible for an additional year on an extension, which should be noted.
HoopsHype
Broncos QB Bo Nix is one of an projected four quarterbacks the Cardinals have never faced previously.
The Arizona Cardinals will take on the Denver Broncos in Week 7, facing them at State Farm Stadium. The Broncos’ starting quarterback is Bo Nix.
It will be the first time that the Cardinals face Nix in a regular-season game.
Bo Nix through 2 NFL seasons
Nix enters this third NFL season. He has led the Broncos to the playoffs twice.
He is 24-10 as a starter and 1-1 in the playoffs.
Through two seasons, he has completed 64.8% of his passes for 7,706 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He has rushed for nine touchdowns in two seasons.
Nix is one of four projected starting quarterbacks the Cardinals will face for the first time ever this season. The others are:
- Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
- Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
- Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
If you were a single Slavic pagan in ancient times, the path to finding true love was fairly straightforward and considerably more exciting than going on a blind date. All you had to do was weave a garland of wildflowers, grab your intended by the hand, hurl yourselves over the roaring flames of a bonfire, and plunge nude into the nearest body of water.
In other words, ancient midsummer festivals of romance were fairly high stakes.
While you likely won’t find anyone risking third-degree burns or stripping nude in Boulder this weekend, chef Bo Porytko is reviving similar energy for a sprawling 10-course fine-dining experience where feast-goers can party like it’s 900 A.D.
The Midsummer Farm Dinner takes place on Sunday at Esoterra Culinary Garden, 8985 Valmont Road, Boulder. The event will bring together a collective of 10 chefs from some of Denver’s buzziest restaurants — including Molotov, Somebody People, Hearth, Odell’s Bagel, Petit Chelou, Margot, Bear Leek, La Diabla and Rougarou — for a collaborative, long-table meal built around Esoterra’s summer produce. The outdoor feast will begin with arrivals at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $260.
Porytko, the chef behind Denver’s Molotov restaurant, said the dinner series was inspired by his heritage.
“In Ukrainian culture, we have something called Ivana Kupala, which dates back to ancient times,” Porytko said. “Basically, it’s their midsummer festivities that also act as a mating holiday.”
Don’t worry, coupling up is not required for this event.
“Midsummer is just kind of a fun time,” Porytko said. “It was a good way to harness these weird, culty vibes that kind of suit the farm setting.”
The ancient East Slavic festival of Kupala was celebrated on the evening of June 23-24.
For guests wondering how that ancient atmosphere translates to a modern dinner on a 100-acre Boulder property, the evening starts on a hospitable note. Guests arrive for James Beard-recognized cocktails mixed by the team from Denver’s Yacht Club. From there, diners have time to explore the farm.
“The way the actual event begins is people come to the farm and get about an hour with welcome cocktails,” Porytko said. “Then you’re supposed to wander, check out the space, take in the farm, and there’s a little bit of education too.”
Attendees are asked to arrive dressed entirely in white. An LED flower wreath will be placed at each setting around a massive table built for 100 people. A maypole will be erected nearby, and a live DJ will guide the evening’s soundtrack. The music will begin to vibe with standard dinner fare before veering into unexpected territory.
“The DJ will play normal music, but then take, for example, a Kelly Clarkson song and turn down the beats per minute so she sounds like she’s speaking in Viking tones,” Porytko said, adding that the DJ will also mix in random Gregorian chants to fit the scene.
As the wine flows, the initial formality of the long table quickly disappears. Porytko said guests naturally start getting up, making friends and moving around the property after a few courses.
“After 10 courses and eight glasses of wine, people just kind of take it in whatever direction they want,” Porytko said.
To translate those festive vibes into an actual 10-course meal, the participating chefs rely on a highly democratic planning process. Justin Freeman, the executive chef of Somebody People in Denver, will help coordinate the logistics, beginning with a digital inventory of whatever Esoterra is currently pulling from the soil.
“There’s a Google Doc that we all use,” Freeman said. “We just ask the owner of Esoterra — Mark DeRespinis — what he’s growing, and then everyone signs up for what ingredients they want to cook with. We really just try to showcase what Mark has.”
Chefs look over the active list, claim the specific vegetables they want to work with and design a dish around them. Freeman then steps in to help arrange the final layout of the courses. He said the event has become an ongoing annual collaboration to give a little praise to the people who are doing all the hard work — the farmers.
The resulting menu leans heavily into hyper-seasonal creativity, starting with Porytko’s own intricate contribution.
“The idea is to highlight items from the farm,” Porytko said. “For me, I’m highlighting their beets, their Badger Flame beets.”
Porytko is preparing a guinea hen roulade cured in the juice of the Badger Flame beets and stuffed with a chocolate mint mousseline. The dish will be served with a beet mole, a gummied Badger Flame beet and traditional roasted beets.
The rest of the collective will showcase the farm’s harvest through a variety of distinct culinary styles. Freeman is serving grilled fennel with a creamy pistachio sauce, pickled celtuce and seasoned breadcrumbs. Andrew Van Stee of Hearth is contributing Moroccan pistachio carrot rolls, while Miles Odell of Odell’s Bagel is pairing dry-aged ocean trout with a coconut pea puree. Justin Fulton of Margot is preparing charred cucumbers with agretti, coconut broth and yuzu kosho, and Rema Maaliki and Harrison Porter of Bear Leek are bringing braised leeks with leek soubise, albufera and crispy leeks. The lineup also features plates from James Beard chef finalist José Avila of La Diabla, JohnDavid Wright of Rougarou and pastry work by Ali Spahr of Hearth .
The actual preparation happens entirely outdoors. The chefs arrive early in the morning to set up tables, tents and their own Japanese konro grills packed with binchotan charcoal.
“It all happens out in the field, in the middle of Mark’s gardens,” Freeman said. “We set up that morning. We’ll set up the tables, the tents, everything. Then we do all the cooking in front of everyone.”
Diners can stand right by the workspace and watch the dishes come together. For the chefs, the open-air format offers a rare chance to step away from their respective restaurant kitchens and collaborate directly with their fellows.
“For us, as chefs, we just don’t get to see each other very often, so it’s really fun and special when we do,” Porytko said. “We definitely have our own little hangout in the kitchen area with all the chefs, you know — all the weirdos in the corner.”
Freeman echoed the sentiment, noting the benefit of the format for the guests as well.
“With this one, you’re getting 10 different chefs with 10 different views all coming together under one roof,” Freeman said.
Cooking in an open field does, however, mean operating at the whim of Colorado’s summer elements. Freeman recalled a previous year when a sudden onset of mountain weather forced the culinary crew to quickly shift from grilling to structural defense.
“The first year we had a little bit of rain at the start of it,” Freeman said. “Then the wind was crazy, where we all had to come and grab the tent so it didn’t blow away.”
Hopefully, on Sunday, the weather will remain tame, but guests should prepare for whatever Mother Nature has to throw at them, just in case.
The event takes place on Sunday, with arrival at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. The location is Esoterra Culinary Garden, 8985 Valmont Road, Boulder. Tickets start at $260 and are available through Tock.
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