Everything You Need to Know about Urban Peak

A nonprofit, Urban Peak serves young people across the Denver metropolitan area who are experiencing homelessness. In this article, we look at the work that Urban Peak undertakes in local communities to support young people and help them to escape homelessness, obtain employment, and lead fulfilled and self-determined lives.

Founded in 1988, Urban Peak is the only Denver-based nonprofit organization that offers a full range of services for clients between the ages of 15 and 24 years old who are either at imminent risk of becoming homeless or who are currently experiencing homelessness. The goal of Urban Peak is to provide support to help young people overcome real-life challenges and to offer them educational and employment opportunities designed to help them become self-sufficient adults.

Urban Peak provides essential services at minimal or no cost to young people, including an overnight and day shelter, a drop-in center, street outreach, supportive housing, educational support, and vocational training.

Committed to engaging with young people experiencing homelessness, Urban Peak aims to provide them with the support and assistance they need to live independently and self-sufficiently. The organization connects these young people with services to help them escape life on the streets.

Through a wide range of services and programs, Urban Peak provides positive youth development and trauma-informed care, helping its clients to reach their true potential and lead successful lives.

Trauma-informed services

In order to provide effective services, organizations such as Urban Peak recognize the impact that trauma can have on one’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Trauma can impact a person’s mental, physical, behavioral, intellectual, social, and spiritual functioning. Urban Peak appreciates the importance of adopting a trauma-informed approach in order to help young people experiencing homelessness, since the likelihood of trauma is particularly high in these situations. Urban Peak’s representatives are specially trained to recognize trauma symptoms and understand only too well the impact that trauma can have on young people’s lives.

Youth experiencing homelessness

In 2013, the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative carried out a survey assessing the level of homelessness in Denver. They found that there were approximately 921 young people between the ages of 13 and 24 living on the streets on any given night of the year. Analysts estimate that, nationally, up to 1.6 million young people may experience homelessness annually in the United States.

Youth may become homeless for a variety of reasons. Some young people who watch their parents succumb to a life of substance abuse may end up following in their footsteps. In some cases, young people are thrown out of the family home due to poor behavior, while others find themselves with nowhere to go once they leave foster care. Some youth are fighting substance abuse and addiction. Others may have been forced out of their homes by their parents after revealing their sexual orientation.

Many people experiencing homelessness have physical and mental wounds that run so deep that they require constant care. Some young people experiencing homelessness have been subjected to human trafficking, prostitution, assault, and a variety of other crimes. Virtually all people experiencing homelessness have had to endure blazing heat, freezing cold, and agonizing blisters on their feet.

These are the physical and mental challenges faced everyday by youth experiencing homelessness on the streets of Denver.

By and large, these young people are an “invisible” population. They survive by living under bridges, in alleyways, behind dumpsters, or by couch surfing until their friend or landlord evicts them. Young people who have experienced homelessness are often transient, guarded, wary, and afraid. They usually find it difficult to trust adults, so reaching out to them can prove somewhat challenging.

A vulnerable population

When young homeless are more visible due to their age and lack of life experience, they can become incredibly vulnerable. Young people experiencing homelessness are often the target of human trafficking rings. The city of Denver is located along one of America’s main sex trafficking routes. According to the Colorado Homeless Youth Action Plan, approximately 30% of youth experiencing homelessness will be recruited for the purposes of human trafficking within 48 hours of leaving the family home.

One demographic that is a particularly common target for human traffickers is the LGBTIQ community. Without support and intervention, the future of young people experiencing homelessness may be compromised by prostitution, drug addiction, welfare dependence, criminal activity, chronic unemployment, and depression.

Programs and services

Urban Peak offers a variety of programs to help young people experiencing homelessness. The organization’s education program helps young people to return to high school and provides college preparatory assistance.

The employment and training program includes a Job Readiness Training initiative that aims to help job seekers explore career opportunities, prepare cover letters and resumes, and develop soft skills such as goal setting, communication, and conflict resolution.

Urban Peak also provides training courses designed to enable participants to earn nationally recognized certification in order to improve their employment prospects. Courses encompass food service industry roles such as servers, cooks, concession workers, and sales and customer service representatives.