Homeless Outreach Team (HOT)

Purpose

Our Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) is out and about rain, shine, or snow! 

The City of Thornton's Homeless Outreach Team is a group dedicated to building relationships with unhoused populations, providing them with resources and investigating encampments. HOT is committed to providing resources to those experiencing homelessness in the City of Thornton and works to eliminate any barriers that may keep them from achieving housing stability. Our team regularly does outreach to provide hygiene items, referrals to shelter, assistance obtaining vital documents and other needed services. Funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOT team is part of the Community Connections division which is the one-stop resource shop for people living in Thornton. If you are currently experiencing homelessness in the City of Thornton or want information about our team, please call our HOTline at 720-977-5900 or email us at ThorntonHOT@Thorntonco.gov.

Goals 

1) Build relationships with the unhoused, homeless service providers, and the community 

2) Make connections to shelters and services 

3) Work regionally to collect and analyze data to inform recommendations 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are HOT's hours?
Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.

Is there a Homeless Shelter in the City of Thornton?
There currently are no homeless shelters in the City of Thornton. Our Homeless Brochure Booklet has a list of family, youth, adult women and men shelters in other locations around the Denver Metro area. 

What do I do if I want to report an encampment?
Please call the HOTline, 720-977-5900. If HOT is not able to take your call immediately, please leave a detailed voicemail with your name, phone number, and location of the encampment. HOT will respond within 48 business hours.

Does HOT remove people from their encampment? 
The Homeless Outreach Team does not remove people from their encampments. Our role is to connect them to resources and services so they can become self-sufficient. HOT will do everything they can to let individuals know in advance if their encampment is to be removed by Code Compliance.

Are there additional resources to help if I am currently housed? 
If you need other resources such as rental or utility payment assistance, contact Community Connections at 720-977-5800 or Connections@ThorntonCO.gov. 

How can I help someone who is homeless?
Call the Homeless Outreach Team at 720-977-5900. HOT will then contact individuals directly. HOT will be able to provide resources and services to them. 

In case of an emergency, call 911 immediately!

Are there any other additional supports for mental health, substance use or emotional crisis?

Colorado Crisis Line: 1-844-493-TALK (8255) is 24/7/365 support line for anyone affected by a mental health, substance use or emotional crisis. All calls are connected to a mental health professional, who will provide immediate support and connections to further resources. The national suicide crisis lifeline is 988 and is available 24 hours in both English and Spanish.

What is the definition of homelessness?
Homelessness is a period/episode where a person is not living in stable housing or is living in an emergency shelter, in the streets, couch surfing, in an institution for under 70 days, and other temporary living (living in unstable housing that is not permanent). 

What causes someone to become homeless?
Homelessness can be caused by a variety of factors, including poverty, lack of affordable housing, unemployment, under-employment, low wages, fleeing from domestic violence, chronic health conditions, mental and physical disabilities that barriers to employment, systematic inequality, discrimination and much more.

Can I make a contribution to the Homeless Outreach Team?
This is a link to our Amazon Wish List for items we distribute to unsheltered people living in the City of Thornton. 

https://a.co/5sPbEwE

Can I donate other items to the Homeless Outreach Team?
Please contact the Homeless Outreach Team at 720-977-5900 to discuss any other items you may wish to donate because of our very limited storage space. 

What are some resources for someone who lives outside of the City of Thornton?

Adams County 

https://adamscountycovid19.org/homelessness-resources

Aurora 

https://www.auroragov.org/residents/community_development/homelessness_in_aurora/homelessness_resources

Brighton 

https://www.almosthomeonline.org/

Broomfield 

https://www.broomfield.org/2967/Rental-Assistance

Commerce City 

https://www.c3gov.com/living-in/community-well-being-division

Denver 

Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Call 1-844-493-TALK (8255)

https://www.wellpower.org

Northglenn

https://www.northglenn.org/crisis_response_unit/index.php

Westminster

https://www.cityofwestminster.us/Residents/AssistancePrograms/HousingAssistance/HomelessnessResourcesandInformation