DENVER -- Nearly 60 percent of the homeless in metro Denver are families with children, according to a new study released Monday.

The 7th Annual 2006 Point-In-Time survey, conducted by the Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) and Mile High United Way, also said that about a 36 percent of the area's homeless are working either full- or part-time or in a day labor position. Those questioned said the loss of a job was the No.1 reason contributing to their homelessness.

The group implementing the survey questioned homeless people during one cold night in January, and asked them where they spent their night, what they did with their day, and how they got to be homeless.

More than 9,091 people in the seven-county Denver metro area -- including 3,261 children -- did not have a permanent place to live the night of Jan. 23.

"Many families and individuals are vulnerable to economic disaster in many forms and are becoming homeless because of increasing housing costs, difficulties in obtaining health insurance to guard against a healthcare crisis, job loss or inability to find work at a livable wage," the report said.

Nineteen percent of those surveyed are homeless for the first time and for less than a year, nearly three-quarters of whom are families with children.

The 7th Annual 2006 Point-In-Time survey provides a snapshot of the homeless community in the seven county metro Denver area and allows local government and service agencies to spot trends in homelessness and to evaluate the success of existing programs.

The survey is not an "exact" count of every person who is homeless in the metro area. It only captures information about people who were either receiving or seeking assistance through homeless service providers, or who confirmed their homeless status when approached on the street by outreach workers.

"We need to ensure that the same kinds of resources available for those who are homeless from hurricanes Rita and Katrina are available for long-time residents of metro Denver. This survey reveals certain realities as it looks into the face of homelessness and we as a community cannot look away," said Tom Luehrs, chair of MDHI’s Board of Directors.

To learn more about the results of the study, go to MDHI.org.