Nearly half of Denver’s homeless people have a chronic disease, mental illness or other condition that puts them at higher risk of dying prematurely, according to a survey by Denver’s Road Home.
The survey, by the organization dedicated to ending homelessness in the city, also found that 55 respondents, or 20 percent, were veterans. Of those veterans, about 44 percent were considered vulnerable.
A team of homeless-outreach workers and volunteers surveyed 276 homeless people on Denver streets and in overflow shelters last week.
They found 121 had factors that Boston Healthcare for the Homeless president Jim O’Connell has suggested could make them more vulnerable to premature death, according to Denver’s Road Home.
For instance, 62 had a combination of mental illness, substance abuse and chronic disease, and 48 had been hospitalized or taken to the emergency room three times in the past year.
Others reported they were older than 60, had HIV, AIDS, liver disease, cirrhosis, end-stage renal disease or an injury from cold and wet weather.
The survey also offered a glimpse of part of Denver’s homeless population.
Twenty-five percent of the respondents said their primary source of income was panhandling, and 15 percent said it was food stamps or Aid to the Needy and Disabled. About half said they go to public-health clinics or hospitals for care. Thirty-seven percent reported being the victim of a violent attack.
Jamie Van Leeuwen, executive director of Denver’s Road Home, said the organization hopes to house and provide services to 280 homeless individuals and families with 500 units of housing over the next two years.
