Scope of homelessness in Westminster
Jefferson County Comprehensive Count August 2019 This report includes an appendix including all of Westminster, including the Adams County side.
Homelessness Update to City Council Spring 2019
Homelessness Report to City Council Autumn 2018
2017 Those Without Homes Report
National and regional counts
The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative conducts an annual census as part of a national Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirement.
The census, known as the Point in Time, is of those who are living outdoors, in shelters, in cars, or in areas not intended for human habitation for the entire seven-county Denver metro region on a single night every January. It's impossible to connect with everyone living in such scattered conditions, therefore the count is based on those in shelters.
Point in Time Counts of Homelessness by County:
| Year |
Adams County |
Jefferson County |
Total |
| 2017 |
157 |
394 |
551 |
| 2018 |
466 |
577 |
1,043 |
| 2019 |
483 |
434 |
917 |
Based on the population percentage of the City of Westminster in each county, on any given night, Westminster likely has close to 100 individuals meeting the HUD definition of homelessness.
By School District:
During the 2017-18 school year – the most recent available -- the three school districts serving Westminster identified the following number of students meeting the Department of Education’s definition of homelessness.
| School District |
Number of Homeless Students |
Total Number of Students |
Percentage of Homeless Students |
| Adams Twelve Five-Star |
1,885 |
38,870 |
4.8% |
| Jefferson County |
3,058 |
86,347 |
3.5% |
| Westminster Public Schools |
912 |
9,441 |
9.7% |
This is a total of 5,855 pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade students meeting the Department of Education’s homeless definition in the three school districts serving Westminster. The city’s portion, based on manual counts from the districts, is a little over 1,000 homeless public school students. However, for the most part, there is at least one guardian and often a younger than school-age child or older sibling who has been pulled out of school. This demonstrates another known likely undercount.