Transcript Rebuilding Lives: - Community Shelter Board

Developing Local Capacity for
Supportive Housing:
The Columbus Experience
Barbara Poppe
Executive Director
Community Shelter Board
www.csb.org
Presented at the 2009 Conference on Homelessness,
Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County
February 6, 2009
Who is CSB?
Community Shelter Board
• Created in 1986 to respond to growing
needs of homelessness in Franklin County
• "It is unacceptable for anyone in our
community to go without food or shelter for
even one night."
Mel Schottenstein, CSB Founder
CSB’s Founders
• Public/Private Partnership:
– City of Columbus
– Franklin County Commissioners
– United Way of Central Ohio
– Columbus Chamber
– Metropolitan Area Church Council
– ADAMH Board
– The Columbus Foundation
– Leo Yassenoff Foundation
Homeless in Franklin County
7,500+ men, women and children
What is
Rebuilding Lives?
A New Strategy – 1998
• Short-term needs – ensure basic
emergency shelter during a crisis
• Long-term needs – establish permanent
housing with supportive services
A New Strategy – 1998
• Develop 800 units of supportive housing
• Establish a Funder Collaborative
• Create Good Neighbor Policies and
Procedures
• Institute a community relations plan
Permanent supportive housing
Rebuilding Lives
Funder Collaborative
• Provide funding for capital, services and
operations of supportive housing
• Strategy
• Program guidelines & standards
• Underwriting criteria
• Program evaluation, outcome measurement &
reporting requirements
Rebuilding Lives
Funder Collaborative
• Members
Affordable Housing Trust of Cols/Franklin Co.
Franklin County Administration
ADAMH Board
Franklin County Children Services
City of Columbus, Administration
Franklin Co. Dept. Job & Family Services
Columbus City Council
Franklin Co. Office on Aging
The Columbus Foundation
Franklin County MR/DD
Columbus Health Department
Columbus Mayor’s Office
Columbus Medical Assoc. Found.
Columbus Metro. Housing Authority
Community Shelter Board
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing
Osteopathic Heritage Foundations
United Way of Central Ohio
Veterans Service Commission
What are the results?
Permanent supportive housing
• Total of 1,292 in virtually every ZIP code
Columbus’ Report Card
• PSH programs successfully target heavy
shelter users
• PSH programs reduce demand for shelter
by at least 5% per year
• PSH reduces shelter use by 35 days per
placement
Columbus’ Report Card
• PSH residents have much less
subsequent admission to shelters
• 70% of residents either retain housing or
exit to successful housing placement over
a 5-year period – only 9% return to
homelessness
Columbus’ Report Card
• Average cost of $33/day is much lower
than institutional care – cost per unit varies
widely by program
• Federal source provide 58% of total
operating & services funding for
Rebuilding Lives programs; CSB provides
19%; the State of Ohio only 2%
What has contributed
to success?
Keys to project success
• Success due to tremendous partnership
– Between funders, providers, and neighbors
• Project development:
– Good Neighbor Agreements
– Diverse locations
– Strong political and business community support
– Strong developers and providers
Keys to project success
• Funding
– Board, system and funder support and consistent
leadership
– Availability of local and federal funding
– Creativity in securing funding sources
• Housing First program model
– Low-demand housing and voluntary services
What impact has occurred?
• New investment from key stakeholders City, County, ADAMH, CMHA, United Way
• Broad range of implementing agencies
(board and staff) are informed and on
board
• High level of media attention and focus
What impact has occurred?
• Pressure for public policy action and
investment
• Real Estate Transfer Fee
– $6.5 million annually for homeless services &
affordable housing
How is public will
sustained?
What ‘hooks’ have kept political, business &
community leadership invested?
• “Caring community – moral foundation”
• Partnership approach
• Media coverage – generate positive and
manage the negative
• Results -- the plan did not sit on the shelf –
it actually was implemented
• Broad & diverse investment
• Consistent, quality communication – “Care
& Feeding” of leadership
How have new leaders been
engaged?
• Immediate one-on-one briefings
• Tours
• Establish relationship with staff
• Use CSB trustees and their government
affairs staff
What are the opportunities?
• Recognition of leaders
• Ongoing engagement of champions
• National model
What’s next?
Goals
Rebuilding Lives
Access
Making sure community resources are
available to prevent or end homelessness
[Strategy]
Access to benefits & health care
Rebuilding Lives
Crisis response
Preventing and resolving housing crises
as quickly as possible
[Strategy]
Single point of access to emergency
shelter for adults
Rebuilding Lives
Transition
Guiding exits from homelessness to stable
housing
[Strategy]
Develop 1,400 more supportive housing
units
Rebuilding Lives
Advocacy
Leveraging public policy to work toward
ending homelessness
[Strategy]
Launch a campaign for increased
resources for housing & rent subsidies
One family, under one roof
Latrell Clark
Questions?
community shelter board
111 liberty street, suite 150
columbus, ohio 43215
614.221.9195
www.csb.org