Paula Gumina

Community-Led Efforts to Increase the Social Determinants of Health in Denver’s Five Points Neighborhood

Nearly 18,000 children and youth in Colorado experienced homelessness in the 2022–23 school year—over 1,000 attending Pre-K–12th grade in Denver Public Schools. Due to redlining and other racist practices throughout its history, specific neighborhoods within the city and county of Denver have experienced greater challenges in overcoming inequities and disparities that perpetuate intergenerational poverty and housing instability. Lack of economic stability, access to quality education, healthcare, and the ongoing social and community contexts, left a disproportionate number of children, youth and families experiencing houselessness and at greater risk for mental illness, substance use and suicide. Using the lens of houselessness and housing instability as an example, this presentation will explore how the Five Points neighborhood in Denver has organized at the community level to prevent and end youth homelessness. In this workshop style presentation, participants will:

• Learn more about Denver’s Five Points Neighborhood and their community-led efforts to lessening gaps in social determinants of health
• Deepen understanding of homelessness and its history in under-resourced and isolated communities
• Explore how your community can begin to strengthen determinants through awareness and capacity building, narrative, practices, and, eventually, policy change.

Speakers: Kelly Mitchell, Paula Gumina