Transcript Instituting A System-Wide Housing First Approach in Norfolk Presentation by Katie Kitchin Office to End Homelessness Norfolk, VA.

Instituting A System-Wide
Housing First Approach in Norfolk
Presentation by Katie Kitchin
Office to End Homelessness
Norfolk, VA
Presentation Overview
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Background on our system and its history
Why/How we started the conversation
Key events and key players
Funding
Outcomes to date
Projections forward
Lessons learned
The Short Story on Norfolk
• Norfolk serves as the urban
core for Southeastern Virginia
(population of Norfolk =
240,000, population of region =
1 million)
• Norfolk has high poverty
(18%), but improving (down
from 20%) as downtown
redevelopment and economy
thrive (less than 4%
unemployment, AMI up).
• Homeless population = 555
(down from 665 last year)
• Regional homeless number is
1800+.
Ending Homelessness in Norfolk
• Norfolk Human Services
Director announced “no child
will sleep on the streets of
Norfolk” in 2004.
• May, 2005, the City of Norfolk
and its Mayor, Paul Fraim,
commit to end homelessness
in 10 years.
• Two related elements in 10
year plan: replicating Rapid
Exit from Hennepin County;
initiating Central Intake for
Homeless Families
How the Conversation Got Started
• The Research tells the story… Culhane et al,
Urban Institute
• Turnaways at Family Shelters were
high, hotel placements were increasing.
• Lengths of stay in family shelters nearing
two months.
• DHS leadership strongly supportive of HomeBased services, family preservation, etc.
• Ten year plan adopted to include this shift.
Key Events and Key Players
• 2004, DHS begins to
adopt Director’s mission
– HART is created.
• 25 families expected,
1,000 come in the first
month.
• Site visit to Hennepin
County in 2005 included
Family Shelter ED, and
City staff.
• Ten year plan adopted
9/05, Homeless
Consortium President
serves on Commission.
Key Events (Cont’d)
• RFP issued to pilot with 50 families/$150,000. No
responses received.
• Early 2006, Hennepin County and St. Stephens Housing
came to regional conference.
• Summer 2006, Family Homeless Summit. Hendrickson,
Amos came back to provide intensive training to all
providers interested.
• Summer 2006, agreement reached on central intake for
homeless families.
• Planning grows intensive throughout Fall 2006.
• Housing Broker Team concept developed by Consortium
members.
• Central Intake launched January 2007.
• Meanwhile, HART numbers continue to grow.
Major Issues
• Major issues around: level of services to be
provided at shelters vs. in housing
• Who will provide services?
• Who is accountable for outcomes?
• Trust!
• What should the City’s responsibility be for
funding shelter operations and move to Rapid
Exit?
• Housing Broker Team without case management
services poses major concerns.
• Moral Hazards!
Funding – Where Does It Come
From?
• Almost no new funding.
• CDBG, IV-B, IV-E, TANF, State and local funds.
• In calendar 2005, $800,000 per year minimum
spent on prevention, 737 households.
• HART controls most of spending on prevention
($600,000 in 05)…
• Funding for housing-based case management
still needed.
HART Expenditures
FY07
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CSA
Family Pres.
VIEW
PSSF
Rapid Exit
Housing-POS
General Relief
Total
$317,068.76
$108,251.97
$80,079.59
$1,124.83
$23,200.67
$300.00
$2,108.37
$532,134.19
HART Customers Increase
HART Walk Ins
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Walk Ins
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
372
628
707
781
739
719
980
966
912
1002
824
M ont h
CDBG Grant Highlights Predictions
• $300,000 over two years provided to test
prevention with little case management
follow-up.
• Results are somewhat disappointing… but
scale is still small (93 households past 3
months in follow-up).
• Are we asking the same question?
3 Month Follow-UP Results
100%
80%
87%
60%
40%
20%
3%
4%
Shelter Utilization
Unknow n
9%
0%
Stable Housing
Lost Housing
6 Month Follow-Up Results
70%
60%
50%
58%
40%
30%
20%
22%
10%
20%
3%
0%
Stable Housing
Lost Housing
Shelter Utilization
Unknow n
Other Results/Projecting Forward
• Family Homelessness held constant or decreasing
slightly.
• Evictions drop dramatically (3000 in 2005 to 1300 in
2006).
• Pressure growing on housing-based case management.
• HUD funding for services presents a major issue.
• Public Housing/Section 8 subsidies in high demand
(NRHA serves est. 16,000 people, 36,000 people are
below poverty) waiting lists closed for several years.
• Evolving role of homeless service providers, securing
connections with Child Welfare, MH/SA services a must!
• Prediction $4 million in additional expenditures through
child welfare system.
Lessons Learned
• Leadership from funders is essential.
• Take the time to listen/understand the
viewpoints of stakeholders.
• Slow progress is okay!