Westminster studies "STEPS" homelessness framework as county partners outline regional shelter and prevention data

Westminster City Council on Feb. 2 heard a detailed presentation from city staff and county partners on strategies to reduce homelessness, with staff urging a shift from emergency response to a coordinated prevention‑to‑permanent housing framework called STEPS.

City Parks, Recreation and Libraries Director Eric Oetzelberger said the STEPS framework is intended to bridge the point where emergency services and housing supply overlap so the city can make more effective handoffs to partner agencies. "We want to transition from emergency to how we do business — prevention, services, supports," Oetzelberger said.

Kate Starbeck, the city's human services touchpoint who oversees the navigator program, described how navigators connect people who are living in cars, RVs or outdoors to benefits, hotel stays and housing referrals. "The real solution to homelessness is preventing homelessness from occurring in the first place," Starbeck said, and she emphasized the program's regional partnerships: "We work with over 100 partner agencies. We can't do this alone."

Haley Stevenson, a navigator supervisor, outlined eligibility and service limits: navigators focus on residents with a verifiable Westminster connection and prioritize those living outdoors, in vehicles or RVs. Stevenson described day‑to‑day services such as DMV events, resource fairs and hotel stays used as bridge housing. Staff reported 2025 program outcomes: 23 people placed into permanent housing, 18 into temporary housing, more than 3,750 hotel stay nights provided, 319 people served at DMV events and 754 attendees at resource fairs.

Adams County and Jefferson County officials presented regional data and programs. Matt Rivera, Adams County's director of community safety and well‑being, said the county has focused on upstream prevention and case management and noted successful pilots such as "million dollar blocks" and an asset development match program that pairs participant savings with a public match. Adams officials cautioned that much of the funding that supported prevention programs was one‑time federal aid that has now ended, creating a funding gap for ongoing rental and mortgage assistance.

Jefferson County's presentation emphasized a steep local rise in homelessness: county staff reported a 27% increase in its point‑in‑time count for 2025 and that about half of those counted were newly homeless. Jefferson County described a regional intergovernmental agreement used to pool motel vouchers and other severe‑weather responses; staff said pooled funding has enabled thousands of motel voucher nights and several thousand bed nights of sheltering during activations.

Councilors asked about targeting limited resources. Several members pressed staff on preventive interventions such as rental or mortgage assistance and how cities can collaborate on shared funding. Councilor Johnson said he wanted concrete asks from the counties so the council can evaluate shared commitments in upcoming budget cycles.

City staff said they will return with more detailed cost estimates and policy options in coming study sessions, and both counties signaled interest in continuing regional coordination. The council scheduled follow‑ups and study sessions focused on community engagement and housing later in February and asked staff to include realistic cost ranges and partnership options when reporting back.

The presentation positioned Westminster's navigator work as a day‑to‑day case management effort that relies on regional partners and volunteer coordination; staff cautioned that scaling or new programs will require sustained funding and administrative capacity to manage contracts and volunteers.

What happens next: staff will bring scoped cost estimates and policy options to council for its February strategic planning work, and county and city managers will continue regional discussions about pooled programs and prevention funding.