As youth homelessness quietly rises across Colorado, The Matthews House is sounding the alarm and calling for community support to help fill a growing gap in resources for youth and young adults experiencing housing instability.
Since opening just eight months ago, The Landing, The Matthews House’s Loveland-based youth shelter, has provided 2,077 nights of safety to 100 youth and young adults. Each of those nights represents a young person who was not sleeping outside, not bouncing between couches and not left to face crisis alone.
What began as a local response has now become a statewide necessity. In the past several months, TGTHR in Boulder and The Place in Colorado Springs—both long-standing youth shelters—have closed their doors. That leaves The Landing and a shelter in Denver as the only two remaining options in Colorado for youth under 18 seeking emergency shelter and support.
“A couch isn’t a home,” says Nicole Armstrong, executive director of The Matthews House. “Without stable housing, it’s almost impossible for a young person to stay in school, hold a job or build a future. The Landing gives youth a place to breathe, rest and rebuild their lives.”
From shelter to stability
The Matthews House does more than provide a safe bed; it offers pathways to long-term stability through case management, employment support, education planning and housing navigation. The Landing helps youth to transition into their own apartments, reconnect with family or pursue higher education—often for the first time in their lives.
Maya, for example, came to The Landing after experiencing homelessness with her mother. Within months, she graduated high school, found a job and secured her first apartment. She still visits The Landing to see the mentors who helped her get there.
Luca arrived after losing her live-in caregiving position and housing. While staying at The Landing, she worked day labor jobs, saved money and attended life skills workshops. With support from staff, she arranged transportation and moved to Aspen, where she’s now thriving in a new role and home of her own.
“These stories remind us that stability isn’t just about housing; it’s about connection, confidence and community,” Armstrong says.
The growing need
Across The Matthews House’s programs, need has surged to unprecedented levels. In the first six months of 2025 alone, the organization received 704 new referrals—an average of 117 each month. With current resources, the organization can serve only 44 percent of those requests. Staff currently manage 357 open cases across all programs on any given day.
“We’re seeing more referrals, more families in crisis and more youth falling through the cracks,” Armstrong says. “Every day we have to make difficult choices about capacity, and that’s why community support is so vital.”
Growing together
To meet the increasing demand, The Matthews House has launched its annual Rooted in Hope: Growing Together campaign, an end-of-year effort to raise funds for housing, family stabilization and youth services across Northern Colorado.
Community members can support the campaign in several ways:
- Donate: Every dollar funds safe housing, meals and case management for youth and families.
- Sponsor a night of safety: A $100 gift provides one youth with a night of shelter, food and individualized support.
- Spread the word: Help raise awareness that youth homelessness exists right here in Northern Colorado and that it’s preventable with the right support.
“When we come together, we can change lives,” Armstrong says. “No young person should have to wonder where they’ll sleep tonight. Every youth deserves safety, dignity and hope, and that’s exactly what The Matthews House provides.”
