Transcript Ending Family Homelessness The Basics

Ending Family Homelessness
The Basics
National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference
Seattle, Washington
February 7, 2008
Sue Marshall
The Community Partnership for
the Prevention of Homelessness
Washington, DC
www.community-partnership.org
About the Community Partnership
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Nonprofit public private partnership - 501 (c) 3
Established to prevent homelessness through community
building strategies
Manage the District of Columbia’s Continuum of Care pursuant
to competitively procured contract with District of Columbia
Department of Human Services (approximately $35m)
Submit annual Continuum of Care application to HUD ($18m)
Develop and operate Homeless Management Information
System (HMIS)
Conduct annual Point in Time enumeration and Annual
Homeless Assessment report (AHAR)
Homelessness in the Nations Capital
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Summary of 2007 Point In Time Count
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5757 individuals and persons in families were
homeless in January 2007
Homelessness decreased by 6.5%
Permanent supportive housing increased - 38%
of all homeless resided in permanent supportive
housing
340 persons were estimated to be sleeping on the
street
Families Who Are
Homeless in the Nations Capital
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Homelessness and poverty are interrelated
The District of Columbia has one of the highest rates
of poverty in the nation
The average family that is homeless lives on an
income that is 80-90 lower than the area median
Generally lower education levels of heads of
households in families that are homeless lead to low
paying jobs and limited opportunities for financial
growth
Characteristics of Families that are
Homeless(continued)
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Primary source of revenue for families that
are homeless is public benefits which are
stagnant incomes sources that do not adjust
to keep pace with the cost of living
The majority of families entering shelter were
staying in overcrowded conditions with family
or friends; stability there was less than a year
On an average night more than 750 persons
in families are residing in emergency shelter
Prevention Works
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Emergency Rental Assistance Program
(ERAP)contributed to the decline in family
homelessness
Locally funded program pays overdue rent as well as
first month rent and security deposits
Applications taken at the point of intake
Nearly 1250 applicants in FY07 at a cost of $1.5m;
87 % of applicants were approved for assistance
83% of assistance was for rent arrearages
TCP is one of four grantees for ERAP
Prevention Using Housing FirstCommunity Care Grant Program
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How the Program Works
Eight Family Support Collaboratives (FSCs) located throughout the
city. It is recommended that the family work with a program near their
community of origin.
FSC receives about $7,000 per family; $4,000 to case management
and $3,000 for bridge subsidy and other housing-related costs.
Last $1,000 for case management is paid only after the family obtains
housing. How the Program Works
FSCs have housing specialists on staff who have established on-going
relationships with landlords in their neighborhood.
FSCs help the family manage lease application process and resolve
credit history issues.
FSCs help family apply for housing vouchers and/or manage to live
without a subsidy.
Community Care Grant Program
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Factors for Success
Neighborhood service delivery system.
Community relationships with landlords.
Case management (appreciated by families)
Flexibility of housing funds.
The family’s motivation to succeed.
Source: An Assessment of the District of Columbia’s Community
Care Grant Program – Center for the Study of Social Policy
Family System Transformation
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Mayoral mandate to close large, congregate
shelter that did not conform to legal mandate
to provide apartment-style shelter
Needed to:
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Create plan to prioritize how families would be
moved out of shelter system
Determine the types of housing options needed
Provide case management services
Housing First
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Used Community Care Grant Model to achieve
System Transformation
Used locally appropriated funds to develop subsidy
program
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Used HUD Fair Market Rent standards
Families pay 30% of rent
Subsidy can be up to two years
At the end of two years family will be:
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Able to live independently without subsidy
Connected to a permanent subsidy
Residing in permanent supportive housing
Case management
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Entered into contracts with Family Support
Collaboratives to:
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Identify housing units appropriate for families
Assistance with moving and establishment of
households
Intake, assessment and development of a written
case plan and budgeting plan for each family
Active engagement with families (weekly or
biweekly depending on family profile)
Assessment Outcomes
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Tier 1 Families with high overall self sufficiency score.
These families were categorized as able to live with minimal supportive services. These
families could function well in scattered site community setting with a time limited rental
subsidy
Tier 2-Families that had a mid range overall score.
Families categorized as needing an Intermediate level of supportive services where
services may be intensive at first, but later level off as they makes progress in dealing with
self sufficiency barriers.
Families’ ability to live in scattered site housing would be determined on a case by case
basis.
Tier 3 -Families that had a low overall self sufficiency score. These families had
particularly low scores in the following areas:
Severe Mental Illness that was not treated
Active & Unacknowledged Chronic Substance Abuse
Active Abuse & Neglect Issues
September 2007-100% Shelter Focused
System
System Capacity as of 9/15/07 n=236
45
Apartmetn Style Shelter
Apartmetn Style Shelter
115
28
Apartmetn Style Shelter
Apartmetn Style Shelter
Apartmetn Style Shelter
DC Village-Congregate Shelter
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November 2007-57% Neighborhood
Based Transitional Housing Bridge
Subsidy Focused System
System Capacity as of 10/26/07 n=283
Apartment Style
Shelter
45
Apartment Style
Shelter
28
162
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18
10
Apartment Style
Shelter
Apartment Style
Shelter
Apartment Style
Shelter
Scattered Site
Transitional Program
Keys to Success
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Accurate and thorough front end assessment
Coordinated and formalized partnerships
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Mainstream Systems
Landlords
Community-based institutions
Housing subsidies
Flexibility and Accountability
Data/Ability to track and report outcomes
“Homeless”
describes a
family’s current condition;
it does not define the
family !