Transcript Slide 1

T-40 Bridges to Housing:
Serving High Need, High Barrier
Homeless Families in the Portland
Metro Area
5/12/2011, 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
Janet Byrd, Executive Director, Neighborhood
Partnerships
Diane Yatchmenoff, Ph.D., Portland State University
Regional Research Institute
Alison McIntosh, Policy Manager, Neighborhood
Partnerships
Bridges to Housing
Alleviating Family Homelessness in the
Portland–Vancouver Metropolitan Area
T-40 Bridges to Housing: Serving High Need, High Barrier Homeless Families in the Portland Metro Area
5/12/2011, 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
Who are we?
B2H
Four county, two
state effort to serve
homeless families
who previously were
left unserved by our
systems
Who do we serve?
B2H
High need homeless
families in the
Portland
metropolitan area
who have significant
barriers to stability
Who do we serve?
B2H
Families face significant
barriers to success.
Permanent Affordable Housing PLUS
Intensive Enhanced Services PLUS
Mainstream Services PLUS Child Care will
support family success over time
Situationally
Homeless
Best served
with short term
rent assistance,
emergency aid.
Many may not
enter system
Heads of Household
permanently unable
to work
Homeless Families
with moderate service
needs, significant
chance of success with
short term support
Families facing ongoing chronic issues
Served primarily with
transitions in place
housing plus short term
services
Permanent
Supportive Housing —
ongoing need for
housing and coordinated
supportive services
B2H: High Need
Homeless Families
Bridges to Housing Model
B2H
• Permanent affordable
housing
• Intensive and
coordinated case
management –
strengths based using
motivational
interviewing
• Focus on child and
family health and well
being
What we’ve done
B2H
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Launched Pilot program in 2007
Model in place in four counties as of 2008
Served 350+ families
Centralized development and administration
Program transitioning now to local control
The Model: Housing
B2H
Bridges to Housing:
• Families are placed in permanently affordable
housing, using a ‘Housing First’ model.
• Housing is family friendly, with access to
amenities such as transportation, recreation,
shopping.
• Most located in affordable housing
developments.
• Some scattered site, and some private market
housing.
The Model: Services
B2H
• Intensive Case Management
– 2 to 3 years
– Strengths-based
– Motivational Interviewing
– Trauma Informed Service Delivery
– Voluntary Services
– 1:15 Case manager to family ratio
– Flexible Client Funds
– Child Care
The Model: Flexible Client Funds
and Child Care
B2H
• Up to $1700 per family, per year.
• Many uses
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Basic Needs upon move in
Employment & Education
Health
Children’s Needs
Past debts
Emergencies
Matching Funds
• Case Management Tool
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Prevent Eviction and Maintain Stable Housing
Move forward with Case Plan
Budgeting
Matching Funds
Evaluation
B2H
• Conducted by Portland
State University’s
Regional Research
Institute
• HMIS is our primary
data collection tool
Evaluation Components
B2H
• Longitudinal outcome
study.
• Process study on
implementation and
experiences.
Governance & Communications
B2H
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Regional Steering Committee
Coordinating Team
Service Provider Workgroup
County Jurisdictional Implementation Teams
Bridges to Housing
Annual Report
April 2011
Overview
• 359 families enrolled across four counties
– Clark County
– Multnomah County
– Washington County
– Clackamas
• 197 families have exited
• Length of stay varied
– Program structure, resources
– Participant experience
2011 Annual Report
• Core B2H Outcomes (24 month data)
– Stability in housing
– Stability for children
– Safety and wellbeing
• Progress Indicators: current caseload
• Focus on Exits
– Status at exit
• Housing security
• Family wellbeing
Core Outcomes
• Stability
– Moves within prior 6 months
• Safety
– Freedom from family violence
– Child welfare involvement
• Wellbeing
– Children stable in education/child care
– On track academically
– Access to medical/dental care
Families Nearing Exit
• Families 18 months or longer on current
caseloads.
• Case manager reports
– Employment, school, job training
– Status and progress achieved:
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Life skills
Social Support
Mental health
Substance abuse
– Expectations after B2H
Families in B2H 18+ Months
• 83 families on current caseloads
– 18-24 months (n=39, 47%)
– 25-36 months (n=44, 53%)
• Samples vary by provider
– Multnomah County 62/83 families
– 25-36 months in B2H: INW & HS (42)
• Criteria for extension of services
– Higher needs
– Greater likely benefit
Families in B2H 18+ Months
• Multiple and complex challenges
• In this sample:
– Drug/alcohol issues 44%
– Mental illness 46%
– Physical health issues 33%
– History of Domestic Violence 69%
– History of trauma/abuse 67%
Progress in Core Life Skills
• Basic Life skills (care of self and family)
• Greatly improved 33%
• Somewhat improved 57%
• Financial wellbeing
– Managing money better – 76%
– Paid off debt – 42%
– Increased financial assets – 36%
– Took a financial literacy/budgeting class – 34%
– Opened checking acct – 24%
Moving towards self-sufficiency
• Someone in the family:
– Obtained new job skills – 42%
– Found employment – 34%
– Entered college – 31%
– Started volunteering – 27%
– Completed job training/cert program – 15%
Increasing Protective Factors
• Personal Support Networks were:
– Greatly improved for 37%
– Somewhat improved for 49%
• Specific indicators included:
– Managing conflict better – 61%
– Reaching out to others – 71%
– Improved communication skills – 69%
Parenting
• Case managers noted:
– Relationships in the family stronger – 74%
– Parenting skills improved – 83%
– More involvement in child(ren)’s education - 72%
– Children connected to needed resources – 80%
Engaging in the Future
• Case managers rated engagement in needed
services.
– 31% highly motivated
– 33% moderately so
• Remaining needs varied
– Income and employment
– Mental health and/or addiction treatment
– Services for child(ren)
– Safety (dv)
Challenges to Long Term Stability
• Employment rates are low (<25%)
– Among those employed:
• Fewer than half have full-time job with benefits.
• Virtually none receive a ‘living wage.’
• 52% of entire sample are managing well on income
from all sources.
• Long-term support may be needed for nearly 40% of
those not working now.
– Mental health
– Coping skills
– Cognitive capacity
Families who have exited
• Case manager reports (n=196)
– Reasons for leaving
– Stayed in B2H housing or left?
• Where did they go?
• Financing for housing
• Longer term security
– Income
• Sources, adequacy, living wage
– Employment/school/training status
• Connection with community resources
Exit Status
• Graduation
– ‘Graduated with honors’.
• No longer needed intensive case management.
• Stayed in B2H housing or left with other housing
secured.
– Exited at/around 24 months.
• Remain in B2H housing or left with housing secured.
• Most were doing well; others ‘timed out.’
• Early Exits
– Remain in B2H housing or had other housing
secured.
Housing Stability
• Financing for housing post B2H
– 35% Project-based Section 8
– 19% Tenant-based Section 8
– 35% Market Rate; 3% Income Restricted
– 9% Public Housing
• More than 80% of housing/family
situations appeared stable, at least in the
short-term.
Future Trajectory
• When case managers see long-term stability:
– “Client has done wonderfully, has full-time job, makes
good choices…”
– “Client getting 4.0 at CC; will enroll at PSU next year.”
• When case managers see short-term stability:
– Concerns about relapse; concerns about continued income
source; dependence on education grants.
• When it is precarious at best:
– Relapse, mental illness, domestic violence, eviction.
Employment and Income
• Employment rates remain low.
– About 26% had jobs (51/196 HOHs).
– 31 (16%) had full-time work (14 with benefits).
– Among those with partners, 20% had another adult in the
household who was working.
• Gross monthly income
– 90% made less than $2000 per month
– Half less than $700
– 75% no more than $1200 per month
• Based on area and family size, only one HOH was making
‘living wage.’
Connecting to Supports
• Case managers linked families to:
– Mental health services – 44%
– Energy Assistance – 43%
– Childcare resources – 39%
– Addiction recovery support – 35%
– Informal/personal support – 32%
– OHP – 28%
– Disability income – 16%
– Domestic violence services – 15%
– Education support – 15%
Summary
• B2H has effectively stabilized families.
– Improved safety
– Stabilized children in childcare/education.
– Increased parental involvement in children’s
education.
– Increased life skills and personal support
networks.
• What will it take to gain living wage jobs and
long-term financial stability?
“I can’t stress enough how much [Bridges to
Housing] was really there for me...I’ve got a lot
of gratitude and I’ve taken the things that I got
from the program and continued moving
forward with them. [My case manager] gave me
the resources and the tools and I took them and
ran with it...”
- Bridges to Housing
Head of Household
Challenges
B2H
• Serving families with mental health and
cognitive issues remains challenging.
– Retention
– Employment Success
• Use of Emergency Rooms
– Systems Issue with Medicaid and other providers
• Employment
Partnership with DHS/DSHS
B2H
• Partnership with TANF
Agency
• Meet quarterly with
staff from DHS/DSHS
• Increase collaboration
• Increase resources &
access for clients
• Better understand
changing programs &
policies
Employment
B2H
• Received planning grant from Corporation for
Supportive Housing in 2008
• Looked at systems options
• Promising model emerging in two counties
Advocacy
B2H
• Articulate need for targeted response for
families with complex barriers.
• Employment strategies must continue to be
refined.
Trauma Informed Services
B2H
• Systems and partners must recognize and
address impacts of trauma
• Impacts of trauma are pervasive and severe;
and impact ability of families to maintain
housing
• Pilot launched in late 2010
Where are we now?
B2H
• Evaluation will continue through 2011
• Communication across counties continues to
share learning
• Counties considering budget requests to serve
new families
Questions?
B2H
Contact info
Bridges to Housing
c/o Neighborhood Partnerships
Portland, OR
503.226.3001
www.bridgestohousing.org
Janet Byrd
[email protected]
Diane Yatchmenoff, Ph.D.
[email protected]
Alison McIntosh
[email protected]