Addressing Family Homelessness Addressing Family Homelessness in Rural Communitiesin Rural Communities

Jonathan HardyJonathan HardyDirector, State Community Services OfficeDirector, State Community Services OfficeState of UtahState of Utah

NAEH Conference NAEH Conference February 10, 2011February 10, 2011Oakland, CA Oakland, CA

8 February 20118 February 2011

2 + 2 2 + 2 ≠ 4≠ 4

Eviction Notice + Rental Assistance Eviction Notice + Rental Assistance ≠ ≠ Homelessness PreventionHomelessness Prevention

Prevention StrategiesPrevention Strategies

Eviction Prevention vs. Homelessness Eviction Prevention vs. Homelessness PreventionPrevention

Eviction PreventionEviction Prevention

Huge Target MarketHuge Target MarketEasy Outcomes (Keep people in their Easy Outcomes (Keep people in their present housing situation)present housing situation)BenefitsBenefits– Stability for Households, especially childrenStability for Households, especially children– Saves costs associated with the cycle of Saves costs associated with the cycle of

movingmoving– Keeps more housing options available for Keeps more housing options available for

householdhousehold

Eviction Prevention (cont.)Eviction Prevention (cont.)

ChallengesChallenges– Not nearly enough resourcesNot nearly enough resources– Starts to supplant natural support systemsStarts to supplant natural support systems– Possibly prolonging the inevitable in an Possibly prolonging the inevitable in an

unsustainable housing optionunsustainable housing option

Homelessness PreventionHomelessness Prevention

Hard to define target marketHard to define target market

Often times they don’t actively present Often times they don’t actively present prior to becoming homelessprior to becoming homeless

Frequently require a greater number of Frequently require a greater number of resources.resources.

Greater housing failure than eviction Greater housing failure than eviction prevention marketprevention market

Utah’s Available ResourcesUtah’s Available Resources

HPRP = Homelessness PreventionHPRP = Homelessness Prevention

TANF = Either HP or Eviction PreventionTANF = Either HP or Eviction Prevention

Questions to ask for Homeless Questions to ask for Homeless PreventionPrevention

How much does it cost to prevent How much does it cost to prevent homelessness in the eviction prevention homelessness in the eviction prevention market?market?

How much does it cost to do targeted How much does it cost to do targeted intervention in the homelessness intervention in the homelessness prevention market?prevention market?

ExampleExample

Eviction PreventionEviction Prevention– 10 households served @ $1,00010 households served @ $1,000– 2 households would have become homeless2 households would have become homeless– Total cost of homelessness prevention = Total cost of homelessness prevention =

$5,000 per household$5,000 per household

Example (cont.)Example (cont.)

Homelessness Prevention modelHomelessness Prevention model– 3 families served who are precariously 3 families served who are precariously

doubled up @ $3,000 per householddoubled up @ $3,000 per household– 2 of those families would have become 2 of those families would have become

homeless without assistancehomeless without assistance– Total cost of preventing homelessness = Total cost of preventing homelessness =

$4,500 per household.$4,500 per household.

How do we know we are effective How do we know we are effective at targeting homeless prevention at targeting homeless prevention

efforts?efforts?

Utah Study of Prevention effortsUtah Study of Prevention efforts– Random AssignmentRandom Assignment– Tracking unserved populationsTracking unserved populations– Do clients in the prevention programs look like Do clients in the prevention programs look like

the clients entering the shelter system?the clients entering the shelter system?

Local Homeless Coordinating Committee (Model)Local Homeless Coordinating Committee (Model)

End Chronic Homelessness andReduce overall Homelessness by 2014

Faith Based Orgs.

Sheriff

Dept. of Human Services

Police Chief

Continuum of Care

Housing Authorities

Businesses

Dept. Workforce

Ser.

Colleges/Tech. Schools

MISSION

Financial Institutions

At Large

Elected Official Chair

Dept. of Corrections

Dept. of Health

Schools/PTA

Local Government Leaders

Domestic Violence

Vice-Chair

United Way

Native America Housing Authority

Service Agencies

Community Clinics

FormerlyHomeless

Local Homeless Implementation PlanLocal Homeless Implementation Plan

Local Homeless

Coordinating Committee

Funding

• State (PAHTF, CNH, ESG, OWLF,CIB)

• Private

• FederalBlock Grants (HPRP, CSBG, CDBG, SAPTBG, MHBG).

Entitlements (SSI,SSDI, DBA-Vets)

Mainstream Programs (Food stamps, SCHIP, TANF, Section 8, Home, DVA, Public/Indian Housing)

Homeless Targeted Programs (Cont. of Care, Health Care, PATH, Employment, etc.)*

State 10-Year Plan

January 28, 2008

Actions

• Housing

• Reduce D V

• Prevention

• Employment

• Income Support

• Discharge Planning

• HMIS/Outcome Measures

• Transportation

• Supportive Service

• Health Care

• Other

Political Leader Chair

HUD REQUIREMENTS

•Consolidated Housing Plan

•Continuum of Care Annual Strategies

State Committees

• Homeless Coordinating Committee

Discharge Planning

Affordable Housing

Supportive Services

Information Systems

Local 10-Year Plan

*Education (DOE), Homeless Vets – Transitional Housing (DVA), Treatment for the Homeless (SAMHSA), Runaway (ACF/DHHS)

Utah Dept. of Workforce ServicesUtah Dept. of Workforce Services

Houses all of the mainstream benefit Houses all of the mainstream benefit programsprograms– TANFTANF– Food StampsFood Stamps– MedicaidMedicaid– General AssistanceGeneral Assistance– Unemployment InsuranceUnemployment Insurance– Employment Programs, etc.Employment Programs, etc.

DWS (cont.)DWS (cont.)

Have local “one-stop” physical locations Have local “one-stop” physical locations for benefitsfor benefits

90% of interactions can be completed 90% of interactions can be completed without entering an officewithout entering an office

Centralized policy and proceduresCentralized policy and procedures

Involved in every Local Homeless Involved in every Local Homeless Coordinating CommitteeCoordinating Committee

Utah HPRP/TANF Utah HPRP/TANF Major Goals & ObjectivesMajor Goals & Objectives

Reduce Overall Shelter DemandReduce Overall Shelter Demand

Make Systems Change (Virtual Make Systems Change (Virtual Centralized Intake Model)Centralized Intake Model)

Streamline and Simplify Process for Streamline and Simplify Process for ClientsClients

Rural Implementation of Prevention Rural Implementation of Prevention ProgramsPrograms

Basic AssumptionsBasic Assumptions– Limited Case Management ExperienceLimited Case Management Experience– Government organizations are the main Government organizations are the main

service delivery systemservice delivery system– Few emergency sheltersFew emergency shelters– Mostly “precariously housed”Mostly “precariously housed”

Implementation (cont.)Implementation (cont.)

““Virtual Centralized Intake”Virtual Centralized Intake”- No wrong door to seek servicesNo wrong door to seek services- Cross Referral and Training on programsCross Referral and Training on programs- One source for collecting documentation One source for collecting documentation

and interacting with clientand interacting with client- Centralized approach to qualifying for Centralized approach to qualifying for

benefit programsbenefit programs

Housing

DWS Programs

TANF

GA

Food Stamps

UI

Employment Services

Medicaid

WIC

CHIP

Landlord/Utility Company

July 15, 2009

Client Entry & Assessment

Case Mgmt Agency

Housing Relocation and Stabilization Financial

Assistance

Client Placement in Services

Lead HPRP/TANF Agency Rapid Re-housing

Prevention

HPRP & TANF Virtual Centralized Intake