Denver Supportive Housing Experiment Breaks Street-to-Jail Cycle

Unhoused people in Denver who were placed in supportive housing were arrested fewer times than peers who weren’t offered the same type of help, according to new research. The findings suggest that providing shelter with supportive services is a key part of the solution for city leaders seeking to break the cycle of unhoused people moving back-and-forth between the streets and jail.

Denver’s Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond initiative, which offered a permanent housing subsidy and other services to residents, was launched in 2016 with $8.6 million in private investment. It targeted chronically unsheltered people who had been arrested at least eight times over the previous three years. The Urban Institute has been evaluating the program since its inception, trying to understand how supportive housing can impact health and safety outcomes, build long-term economic stability for residents, and save the city money on social services.