Step Denver Lowered Its Age Requirement to 18 as Rising Homelessness and Addiction Place More Young People at Risk
A nonprofit in Denver lowered its age of entry to help more homeless youths access housing and connect with services as rates of homelessness continue to rise.
Step Denver, a residential men’s peer recovery program, announced this month that it will start serving men as young as 18 instead of waiting until they are 21.
The announcement happened at a time when youth homelessness continues to increase in Denver and across the U.S. The latest snapshot data shows there were 373 unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness in Denver, and about one-quarter of whom were unsheltered. That total represents an increase of about 90% since 2019, accounting for about 177 people in all.
Denver’s schools are also seeing an increasing number of homeless students on campus. As of 2024, more than 2,200 students in Denver were identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act. That represents more than a 20-fold increase since the 2020-2021 school year, according to Colorado Department of Education data.
Against that backdrop, Step Denver leaders said the organization felt it could no longer wait until young men turned 21 to offer support.
“The reality is kids are growing up much faster now,” explained Meghan Shay, Step Denver’s chief executive officer. “They are getting introduced to substances at much younger ages, and the substances they’re using are leading to a more rapid progression in addiction and consequences. So, it felt appropriate to help as many young men as we possibly can, starting at 18.”
How Step Denver Addresses Homelessness
Founded in 1983, Step Denver’s Housing First model helps hundreds of men each year by providing services that prioritize sobriety, full-time work, community-building, and accountability. In this context, accountability means an individual takes responsibility for their circumstances and puts in the effort to make them better, Shay explained.
Shay added that most men that Step Denver serves are experiencing homelessness, but there are some who are unstably housed. About 3% of the people Step Denver served last year were on the verge of homelessness, which is up from 1% in 2024, she said.
The nonprofit’s programming is built around the idea that momentum can help sustain a person’s recovery. Men who come to Step Denver for help are immediately given access to housing at one of the organization’s properties, hygiene items, clothing, and other goods at no cost. Then, residents progress through Step Denver’s three mandatory phases—stability, development, and transition—and have the option of living at one of Step Denver’s six sober living facilities in the Denver metro area.
“The majority really are looking for a program that doesn’t put life on pause, that you can start living today,” Shay said. “You can start doing this in real time, and you’re ready right now.”
Step Denver’s operational staff is entirely made up of alumni of the program. That makes them “uniquely qualified” to help men currently progressing through the program, and it helps build a sense of trust and credibility among participants, Shay said.
During the first phase of the program, residents work on securing a full-time job, a phone, and a form of identification. Residents also live in a dorm-style housing unit that includes personal mattresses, nightstands, and closets. Shay said the stability phase is the only time residents live in a congregate setting.
About 79% of men in the stability phase get a full-time job within 45 days, with an average annual salary of over $49,000, Shay added.
The nonprofit will also take a van load of men who completed orientation to one of their six sober living homes to give them a visual representation of where the program can take them, Shay said.
“From the first week we’re saying, ‘Hey, you can get here in just about four to six months, if you just keep showing up for yourself, and keep putting in the effort,’” she added. “That is a big part of it, keeping those motivating factors in the front of their mind, and helping them improve the quality of life over time and hitting milestones that in many cases these men didn’t think were possible.”
The development phase is all about solidifying a personal treatment plan, which takes anywhere between one and two months, Shay explained. After that, the transition phase is where residents create their relapse prevention plan and practice life skills like planning a monthly budget. Some participants work with a career counselor to help them get into a higher-paying job so they can afford market-rate rents once they leave as well.
Step Denver will also follow up with the men they serve after they graduate. Shay said that of the 140 men Step Denver contacted last year, 85% self-reported staying sober, 75% had a full-time job, and 90% were still in stable housing.
Photo Courtesy of Step Denver
Participants at Step Denver work with staff on employment and career planning as part of the nonprofit’s recovery-focused housing program.
Links Between Addiction and Homelessness
Homelessness and addiction have a fraught and complicated relationship.
Some people can become homeless because of their substance use habits, while others develop those habits to cope with the extreme lifestyle of homelessness. Differentiating between the two is exceptionally difficult, which is one reason why addiction is often misconstrued as the leading cause of homelessness.
According to the latest federal data, just 18% of people experiencing homelessness reported having a substance use issue. In Denver, that total is around 23%, with about half of the people who are unsheltered reporting they have a substance use issue.
To Shay, trying to solve the chicken-and-egg problem of whether addiction caused someone’s spell of homelessness or is a byproduct of it is a waste of time. In both instances, there is an individual likely experiencing unsheltered homelessness who needs help breaking the cycle of addiction. That is one of the reasons why Step Denver decided to focus on helping homeless men overcome addiction.
“The risks have never been greater,” Shay said, citing data from Denver’s medical examiner that shows most deaths of unsheltered homeless people are tied to addiction.
One requirement of staying in Step Denver’s programming is that participants are required to enroll in a 12-step recovery program and find a sponsor or mentor who will accompany them on their journey. For people who may not be a good fit for Step Denver’s program, the nonprofit will offer a warm handoff to another service provider that can meet their needs.
“We do this so our men can start building community from day one that can sustain them after they’re out of our program,” Shay said.
Photo Courtesy of Step Denver
Step Denver emphasizes peer support and community as part of its recovery and housing model.
Risks for Youths Experiencing Homelessness
Substance use is not just a problem for homeless adults. Many young people who are homeless also use substances to self-medicate and suppress negative feelings associated with mental health issues and trauma.
The National Network for Youth explained that less than 15% of youth with substance use issues enter a treatment program. Part of the issue is that many recovery programs focus on helping adults instead of teenagers. Some programs also do not include housing options, which forces homeless youths to continue living in the conditions that may have driven them to use substances in the first place.
Youth are also more likely to use dangerous substances like crack cocaine than non-homeless youth, according to the National Network for Youth. One reason why youth turn to these substances is that they help them stay awake and avoid the police or people who would otherwise victimize them.
Using hard drugs like crack cocaine can also lead to other consequences, like criminal activity and unsafe sexual practices, which can lead a homeless youth further away from finding stable housing.
These risks are why groups like the National Network for Youth advocate for providing more subsidized housing targeted to youth and young adults, and community recovery programs for mental health and substance use issues.
Housing and treatment programs can also help prevent homeless youth from becoming chronically homeless. Research shows that up to 50% of people who are chronically homeless first experienced homelessness before they turned 25.
How You Can Help
The pandemic forced us to rethink housing in the U.S. and made one thing clear: targeted aid programs work. When service agencies had enough funding and clear guidance, they kept countless individuals, families, and unaccompanied youths housed during the crisis. This success highlights the urgent need for similar long-term solutions.
You can help break the cycle of youth homelessness by calling on lawmakers to expand and sustain these vital support systems. Urge them to establish dedicated state offices that:
- Directly address youth homelessness
- Provide pathways to education for homeless youths
- Strengthen community ties to support vulnerable young people
These initiatives will ensure that young people don’t just survive but thrive, giving them the resources they need to rebuild their futures.
Contact your representatives today and advocate for policies that prioritize the needs of homeless youths. Ending youth homelessness is the key to a brighter future for millions of young people—and you can be part of the solution.
