Pictured: Douglas County Commissioners and local representatives at GOALS ribbon cutting event Wednesday, Nov. 20
You know that ending homelessness in our community is an ongoing effort. It’s also a community effort.
This week, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners honored another powerful partnership for ending homelessness. The partnership – with Arapahoe County and Family Tree – expands the Generational Opportunities to Achieve Long-term Success (GOALS) program, offering the first-ever countywide resource specifically for families with children experiencing homelessness.
The GOALS program provides temporary residential and supportive services for up to 9 months for families, utilizing a 2Gen, whole-family approach. The program helps to stabilize families by providing secure housing alongside employment, mental health and other services that ultimately empower them to obtain long-term solutions.
Thanks to a $1 million grant secured for Douglas County by US Rep. Jason Crow, the GOALS facility in Aurora is expanding its facilities, creating a home for up to 5 Douglas County families beginning in December 2024.
“In Douglas County, we do our best work in partnership with others,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon, founder and chair of the Douglas County Homeless Initiative. “As we approach the holiday of gratitude – Thanksgiving – we are so thankful for the partnership we have with Family Tree, Congress, and Arapahoe County to provide this unique resource for families in our community who are experiencing homelessness. We know that housing plus wrap-around services gets to the root of why someone is experiencing homelessness and gets them on the path to long-term self-sufficiency.”
The expansion of the GOALS program to assist families is another example of ongoing solution-based work in Douglas County to effectively end homelessness in the community, including reaching Functional Zero for Veterans. Read more about Douglas County’s Homeless Initiative and other local resources including HEART outreach on our website.