youth who were formerly in foster care and aged out of the system
LGBTQ+ youth who stated family rejection as their reason for seeking shelter
youth who reported family breakup as their reason for seeking shelter
youth who had a prior experience of human trafficking/exploitation
Attention: Caring for each individual’s needs, perspectives, and experiences
Homes: A community where all are welcome, safe, and invited to contribute
Resourceful: Thoughtfully responsive to ever-changing needs and circumstances
Authentic: Meeting people where they are with integrity and transparency
Hopeful: Live knowing that people can achieve regardless of barriers
Inspired: Facilitating growth, transformation, and leadership
Attention Homes has always been responsive to the evolving needs of youth facing homelessness in our community. In the 1960s, youth who couldn’t live at home because of domestic violence or family breakups were sent to detention centers for housing. Established in 1966 with the mandate to provide ‘attention, not detention’ to displaced youth, Attention Homes has served over 12,000 young individuals as they become healthy, productive members of our community.
Attention Homes serves all genders ages 12-18 at the Qualified Residential Treatment Program; All genders ages 12-20 at the overnight emergency shelter; All genders ages 12-24 services at the daytime Drop-In Center; and all genders ages 18-24 at the Attention Homes Apartments
We can care for up to 16 youth in our emergency shelter (ages 12-20), up to 50 individuals at the daytime drop-in center (ages 12-24), up to 10 individuals at our residential program (ages 12-17), and up to 40 individuals at the Attention Homes Apartments (opening Fall 2019).
Attention Homes provides services without regard for ability to pay. All runaway and homeless youth services are provided free of charge.
Attention Homes serves individuals who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness for a variety of reasons. The most common contributing factors are a combination of abuse, neglect, family breakup, LGBTQ+ rejection, family poverty and homelessness, foster care history, health barriers (physical or mental), and substance use dependencies.
Each program has different rules and expectations for the young people accessing services. Youth in the residential program are required to attend school on a regular basis. Young people staying in the emergency shelter work with Case Managers to maintain employment, enroll in school, or start attending our GED program. Residents of the Attention Homes Apartments are required to abide the terms of their lease. All Attention Homes programs are substance and violence free.
30 of the 40 residents will originate from Metro Denver Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System, OneHome. The remaining 10 residents will originate from a partnership with Boulder County for youth living within Boulder County who have exited the foster care system into homelessness. All tenants will complete an application to be reviewed by Ross Property Management. If they meet eligibility, they are placed on an initial wait list. When an apartment is available, the next applicant on the wait list is contacted to meet with the Attention Homes Case Manager and apartment property manager for screening and background check through Ross Property Management. Once approved, the new resident will start their move-in process.
In addition to providing a safe place for young people to get their basic needs met, Attention Homes provides supportive services and connections to the community-based supports people need on a path to independence and self-sufficiency. We offer employment assistance, education programs, long-term housing navigation, support and inclusivity groups, family coaching services, life-skills development, mental wellness support, and an array of individual and group activities.
Markus was asked to leave his home in Salt Lake City at age 17 when his family discovered he was gay through a social media post. Because of being “outed” on social media, he experienced bullying and discrimination at school and in his usual social environments. None of his friends’ families would take him in,…
Attention Homes’ street outreach staff and volunteers met Melanie and her family on the street. Although her mom had a job their family didn’t have enough money to afford their own place, they were homeless. Melanie’s mom brought her to Attention Homes so that she would be safe and attend high school regularly. Melanie has…
In late 2010, when Attention Homes’ youth shelter opened, David was one of our first residents. He came to our shelter on New Years Eve, after running away to avoid being put into foster care. He stayed with us for two months until he turned 18. During his time with us we successfully enrolled him…
Much like any family with school-age kids, as soon as August arrives, our focus turns to Back to School. This is an exciting time for students as they head back to class, eager to share fun summer stories and see friends they haven’t seen in a while. Many youth also experience anxiety at the thought…
When Marianna came to The Source we already knew about her home situation since her older brother had utilized our services before. Raised in Boulder County, Marianna was living at home at 18 but failed to graduate high school. Her parents, suffering from extreme financial distress with 3 additional school-aged children, claimed they could no…
Kerri had a difficult childhood because of her family circumstances. At age 10, she lost her dad to drugs and alcohol, and her mom used regularly as well. Kerri was left acting as a parent to her three younger siblings by age 13. Soon after, the stress and demands of being an adult at such…
In September of last year, 17-year-old Addison found herself without a home after her parents could no longer afford the motel they were living in. At this point in her life, Addison was too familiar with instability. She wanted something different. In an effort to make a better life for herself, she moved back to…
Zach recently passed all four GED tests required to receive his diploma, which was an extremely proud moment for Zach as well as everyone at The Source. After a couple of weeks of getting to know Zach we began talking about his future goals and general aspirations. During these conversations he mentioned that he had…
“I am currently staying at The Source. After fighting to complete High School, I started working. Home was not safe, but I never asked anybody for help. It was hard to get away; I was comfortable where I was sleeping because through the chaos, I do love my family. I decided to leave home for…
