"Reality Has Come to Boulder": Addressing the Growing Homelessness Crisis in Colorado's Iconic City

Boulder, Colorado, long known for its scenic beauty, progressive ideals, and as the home of the University of Colorado, has recently become the center of a growing homelessness crisis. Once described as a "25-square-mile city surrounded by reality," the city is now grappling with a sobering truth: reality has come to Boulder. And that reality is a troubling rise in homelessness, fueled by an influx of people struggling with mental illness, substance abuse, and the spread of dangerous drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine.

As Boulder attempts to balance its commitment to inclusivity with the growing need for public safety and effective solutions, the challenges faced by the city's leadership and residents have reached a tipping point.

A Personal Perspective: Jen Livovich's Fight for Change

One of Boulder’s most vocal and visible advocates for the homeless is Jen Livovich, a former homeless individual who spent five years living on the city's streets. Today, she leads Streetscape, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing homelessness through mental health and substance abuse treatment. Livovich's personal experience gives her a unique perspective on the issues plaguing the city. She’s seen firsthand how the rapid spread of methamphetamine and fentanyl has exacerbated both the violence and the instability within Boulder’s transient community.

The Increasing Threat of Drug Use and Violence

The arrival of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Boulder’s homeless community has led to a surge in aggressive behavior and public disturbances. Police reports and interviews with residents and business owners confirm that public intoxication, fights, overdoses, and unprovoked attacks have become more common. Incidents range from naked men swimming in Boulder Creek to violent altercations, often involving threats of physical harm. A man, for example, was recently threatened with a gun after an argument about indecent exposure on the creek's scenic path, which was so concerning that it led to the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau removing the trail from its list of recommended tourist destinations.

For business owners like Connie Brenton, who runs a store on the Pearl Street Mall, these disturbances have become part of daily life.

And the problems aren’t confined to downtown. The city's shelters, including All Roads Shelter, which offers the only emergency shelter for single adults, are overcrowded and struggling to keep up with demand. As of November 2024, the shelter had to turn away 67 people during a particularly cold spell—a record for a three-day period.

A Crisis That’s Hard to Ignore

Homelessness in Boulder is no longer a distant issue confined to certain neighborhoods or hidden behind closed doors. It's a crisis that has spilled into public spaces and disrupted daily life. Boulder’s police chief, Stephen Redfearn, acknowledges that rising drug abuse and the lack of mental health resources are major contributors to the increase in crime and violence in the city. This has led to a significant uptick in public disturbances, including incidents involving intoxicated individuals, public urination, and even violent assaults. In 2024, the Boulder Police Department reported 102 unprovoked attacks by homeless individuals between May and September, a sharp increase from just eight in the summer of 2021.

At the same time, Boulder is dealing with the reality that many of the homeless are also battling mental illness, often in the absence of adequate treatment options. According to the July 2024 Point in Time survey, nearly half of those interviewed reported struggling with mental health issues, and 40% admitted to abusing substances. As one police officer put it, "There are few places for the mentally ill on the street to go."

The Strain on Local Resources

Boulder's emergency responders, including police officers, firefighters, and medical teams, are under immense pressure. Data analyzed by The Denver Gazette revealed that certain areas of Boulder, especially around All Roads Shelter and the Rosewood and Broadway underpass, see disproportionately high rates of calls for public disturbances, medical emergencies, and intoxicated individuals. While the city’s shelters and programs are doing their best to manage the situation, resources are stretched thin. The Boulder County Jail is overcrowded, and there are few options for long-term treatment or rehabilitation.

In the midst of these challenges, local leaders, including Mayor Aaron Brockett, are grappling with the tough question of how to balance the needs of the homeless with the safety and well-being of the broader community. Brockett has been vocal about his frustrations, stating,

Moving Forward: Finding Solutions for a Complex Issue

As the problem intensifies, solutions are becoming more urgent. Livovich and other advocates argue that simply providing housing is not enough.

Livovich’s nonprofit, Streetscape, is working on expanding access to mental health and substance abuse treatment services, but the city lacks the resources to tackle the issue at the scale it requires. Many advocates, including Livovich, support the creation of an inpatient treatment facility in Boulder—a facility that could help treat those suffering from addiction and mental illness before they find themselves living on the streets. However, such a facility would require state or federal funding, which remains a challenge.

Other efforts, such as the Safe and Managed Public Spaces (SAMPS) program, have aimed to remove unsanctioned encampments and clean up public areas like Boulder Creek. Since its launch in 2021, SAMPS has cleared over 2,500 encampments and hauled away more than 400 tons of debris. While these efforts have made a visible impact, the underlying issues of mental illness, drug addiction, and insufficient treatment options remain unresolved.

The Human Side of the Crisis

While statistics and data can help quantify the problem, they often fail to capture the human side of homelessness in Boulder. Individuals like Wendy Wollrab, a former registered nurse, share their stories of survival on the streets, hoping for a way out. Many of those living in Boulder’s homeless community—whether by choice or circumstance—are just trying to hold on, dealing with the constant fear and hardship of life without a stable home.

Despite the challenges, there are glimmers of hope. Jen Livovich, who knows the streets intimately, continues to work tirelessly to connect individuals with resources and support. “Everyone deserves to be treated like a human being,” she says, as she hands out food in Central Park to those who need it most.

For Boulder, the road ahead remains uncertain. But as the city faces the growing crisis of homelessness, it’s clear that real solutions will require a blend of compassion, resources, and a long-term commitment to addressing the root causes of homelessness—mental illness and addiction—rather than merely its symptoms.

As Boulder grapples with its new reality, it will need to confront these tough issues head-on, balancing the needs of its most vulnerable residents with the safety and well-being of the broader community. The stakes are high—not just for Boulder’s homeless population, but for the future of the city itself.

Read the article that inspired this post here, written by Carol McKinley and Evan Wyloge from the Denver Gazette.