Homeless Strategy Update: Will It Be The Clutch Move?

Originally published by BizWest, August 26, 2026. 

Will the City of Boulder stumble in addressing its homeless challenges? Or, as we all hope, will it come through in the clutch with a win for the unhoused population and our community? As is so often the case in sports and life, it depends on how well you implement your strategy.

Strong performance in a difficult situation can earn the moniker of a “clutch” move. The term is associated with the nickname for Houston, dubbed “Clutch City” after the Rockets came from behind to win an NBA championship following years of local professional sports teams choking when on the verge of victory.

Carrying the analogy to something far outside the field of sports entertainment, one could argue that Boulder finds itself in a difficult position with respect to addressing the challenge of homelessness. The most recent Point In Time count determined that there were 140 unsheltered individuals in our community. They are the folks who reside in the encampments that populate our parks, sit along our trails or hide in the other nooks and crannies of our urban environment.

To address this challenge, the City of Boulder turned to the Clutch Consulting Group (yes, out of Houston), to produce the Homeless Strategy Update. Clutch referred to the condition of unsheltered homelessness as “rough sleeping,” recognizing the “harsh and dangerous conditions faced by those living without shelter and the public health necessity to prevent such behavior.” This is aside from the public safety threat and nuisance that residents and visitors reference in their interactions with this population. It is the most visible and seemingly intractable manifestation of homelessness in our community.

The Boulder Chamber applauds the high bar for success the Clutch team set for its Homeless Strategy Update: “Reach an end to rough sleeping.” We should all want that for the safety and forward progress of those who are unhoused and for the conditions it imposes on our community. It seems that rough sleeping also is the manifestation of homelessness that most tests our capacity for compassion.

And, having reviewed the Homeless Strategy Update through our Boulder Together program — developed with the benefit of input from government, nonprofit and elected leaders working in the homelessness field, along with those with lived experience — there is much in the strategy for achieving the end to rough sleeping that we believe turns the right corner in our approach to addressing the needs of unhoused individual while setting appropriate boundaries on the lengths of community tolerance.

First, we support the intention to shift food distribution programs from our parks. We send the wrong message to those who continue to sleep outside in our community if we enable their behavior through food distribution in convenient proximity. Shifting food distribution to coordinated service locations will help improve engagement with these individuals in other support services and fosters greater collaboration among support agencies.

The emphasis on diversion tactics also is an important step forward. Homeless support agencies such as All Roads have always pursued diversion opportunities, but it has never been a priority for City of Boulder funding and tactics. Under the Homeless Strategy Update, we are hopeful that prioritization will change and our service providers will have the resources they need to help unhoused individuals relocate to safe and supportive environments outside of Boulder.

With all the positives in the improved approach to addressing homelessness that the Homeless Strategy Update offers, though, there are a few areas where the Boulder Chamber will continue to press for more clear direction from City Council in the strategy implementation.

First, while the report mentions it, the homeless strategy will fail without greater partnership from Boulder County in addressing the behavioral health needs of our unhoused population. Substance addiction and mental illness often lie at the root of a homeless individual’s condition. We need more institutional care and treatment options, and the City of Boulder can not go it alone in meeting that service demand.

We also need to make sure there is adequate support for our law enforcement officials in implementation of our homeless strategy. This includes training in the appropriate protocols for handling recalcitrant individuals who continue to camp in our rights-of-way and who reject offers to engage with support services.

Finally, as former City Councilmember Bob Yates put it, “Boulder cannot house the world.” Given the Clutch report’s finding that 60 percent of those screened for homeless services have lived in Boulder County less than one month, we recommend prioritizing services for current residents seeking to maintain Boulder as their long-term home. That principle is consistent with an emphasis on diversion tactics which we believe can effectively serve the transient population that continues to flow into our community. It also represents a responsible allocation of resources, particularly as our community wrestles with tightening fiscal constraints.

No, the road to addressing our homeless challenges isn’t a slam dunk. However, with the Homeless Strategy Update we have a clear comprehensive framework for achieving many of our goals in this area, including an end to rough sleeping. Now, as we move toward implementation, let’s make sure to follow the strategy, pursue the necessary adjustments, and make the clutch moves for the benefit of our unhouse population and our community.