Addressing the Unique Challenges of Rural Homelessness

A discussion with Utah, Nebraska, and West Virginia

Utah’s Homeless Structure

NAEH Family & Youth Homeless Lloyd S. Pendleton

San Diego, California Director, Homeless Task Force

February 19, 2015 State of Utah

State of Utah Vision

Everyone has access to safe, decent, affordable housing with the needed resources and supports for self-sufficiency and well being.

Homeless Coordinating Committee

End Chronic Homelessness and

Reduce overall Homelessness by 2015

Dr. David Patton Department of Health

Pamela Atkinson At Large

Craig Burr Dept. of Corrections

Jon Pierpont Dept. of Workforce Services

Philanthropic Orgs.

Bill Hulterstrom Mountainland Cont. of Care

Jane Lewis Balance of State Continuum of Care

Financial Institutions

Bill Crim Businesses/United Way

Lana Stohl Dept. of Human Services (DHS)

Spencer Cox Lt. Governor

Chair

Tara Rollins SLC Cont. of Care

Jonathan Hanks Utah Housing Corporation

Terry FeveryerS.L. Housing Authority

Al Hernandez Veterans’ Admin.

Gina Ramer

Social Security Denver Office

Mike Gallegos Local Governments

Max Lang Office of Education

Ron Humphries Faith Based Orgs.

MISSIONFormerly Homeless

February 2012

Gordon Walker Housing and Community Development Division

Homeless Coordinating Committee Organization

HCCLocal Homeless

Coordinating Committees

Supportive Services

Affordable Housing

Discharge Planning

Information Systems

Bear River AOG

Salt Lake County COG Five-County

AOGMountainland

AOG

Six-County AOG

San Juan County

COG

Uintah Basin AOG

Weber County COG

Davis County COG

Grand County COG

• Domestic Violence

• Case Management

• Training

• Employment

Allocation Committee

• Elected Officials

• Chair - LHCC

• Banks

• Developers

• Housing Authorities

• Planners

• Providers

• HMIS

• Outcome Measures

• Management Reports

• Mental Health

• Substance Abuse

• Foster Care

• Juvenile Justice

Lana Stohl

Lt. Governor Greg Bell

Gordon Walker Bill Crim JoAnn Seghini

COG – Council of Governments

AOG – Association of Governments October 2013

Craig Burr

• Prisons• Jails

Tooele COG

Carbon/EmeryCOG

DWS/HMIS

AOG/COG Homeless Coordinating Committee (Model)

Faith Based Orgs.

Sheriff

Dept. of Human Services

Police Chief

Continuum of Care

Housing Authorities

Businesses

Dept. Workforce

Ser.

Colleges/Tech. Schools

Purpose

Financial Institutions

At Large

Implement local ten-year plan in providing housing opportunities to all chronically homelessness individuals and reduce overall homelessness by 2015.

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

Coordinating Committee

Funding

• State (PAHTF, CNH, ESG, OWLF,CIB)

• Private

• Federal

�Block Grants (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, Surplus Property, 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 (AFC/DHHS)

Local Homeless Implementation Plan

Ben NickleSt. George Council Member

1,932 1,914

1,530 1,470 1,400

812601 542 495 539

14.11% 14.32%

12.78%

10.23%

9.02%

5.19%

4.19%

3.28% 3.28%3.96%

0.00%

2.00%

4.00%

6.00%

8.00%

10.00%

12.00%

14.00%

16.00%

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Utah Annualized Chronic Homeless Count

Number of Chronically HomelessPersons

% Chronic of Total Homeless Persons

Panhandle System of Care for Older Youth

Perspective fromCommunity Action Partnership of

Western Nebraska

Community Action PartnershipYouth Programs

� Youth Shelter/Group Home

� Supportive Housing

� Teen Outreach Program

� Supportive Services for Transitional Youth

Panhandle Partnership

� Utilizes Collective Impact Focus

� Serves as the Backbone Organization

� Leverages Resources and Improves Outcomes for Youth

� “We” instead of “I”

Rural Youth Homelessness

� Not under the bridge, invisible

� Rural communities “undersell” themselves

� Youth not engaged in community

� Point in Time Count not representative of actual rural youth numbers

An Example of how we work

Support Services for Rural Homeless Youth� Six national demonstration states (Colorado,

Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Vermont).

� In Nebraska this was a partnership between Family Youth Services Bureau, NE Department of Health and Human Services, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, and Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska.

Purpose

A demonstration project which focuses on improving coordination of services and creates additional supports for rural youth, particularly rural youth experiencing homelessness.

Target Population

� Young people age 16-21 � Most without positive connections in their

communities ( adults, school success, etc) � Fragile families, generational histories� Emancipated from foster care � Returning from OJS placements� Couch surfing

Role of the Youth

� Partners in the development through a series of information gathering and dialogues to present findings.

Youth have been involved in leadership….� Planning, organizing, and participating in service

learning opportunities.� Planning, organizing and developing the Youth

Leadership Institute.� Serving on councils, boards, and committees� Leading and participating in community discussion

forums.

Enhance Housing Options for Youth

Host Homes� Youth found or community resource� Screening and orientation� Reimbursed at the rate of rental for the

community� Youth may stay 21 months

And…….

� Life skill building� Enhanced access to physical and behavioral

health� Education� Employment supports� Personal and Community Engagement

Sustainability

What is sustained?� Change in community knowledge and

approaches to the concerns of rural youth and the causes of homelessness

� Skills and resources for working with youth� Partnerships with youth and commitments to

youth

Sustainability Goals

1. Enhanced community awareness and response to the causes of homelessness for rural youth through a media campaign, participation in PPHHS activities and assessments, and in braiding regional youth plan activities and funding ( Comprehensive Juvenile Services Plan, Healthy Community Healthy Youth, etc)

Sustainability ( cont)

2. Enhanced community skill sets to work effectively with rural youth before they become homeless.

� Partnership with PPHHS Training Academy for skill sets and the development of the Youth Leadership Institute

Sustainability ( cont)

3. Enhanced the service system for RHY youth through partnerships with youth serving agencies.

� Identify systems components ( screening, referrals, service access, supports, evaluations, after-care)

� Identify new partners to design or provide programs.

� Secured additional funding through Public and Private partnership dollars

Youth Leadership Institute

YLI Key Points

� Leadership skills for youth who may not be otherwise engaged in the region.

� Partnership of those currently providing youth leadership and those youth groups, including Rural Homeless Youth.

� Partnership with Western Nebraska Community College resources and provide certificates for youth.

Addressing Unique Challenges of Rural Homelessness

Unraveling the secrets of your special snowflake.

Rural Homelessness

The WV Coalition to End Homelessness (WVCEH)

1. State Advocacy Body for Issues of Homelessness in West Virginia.

2. Lead Agency for the Balance of State CoC. 3. HMIS Lead for the Balance of State CoC. 4. SSI/SSDI Outreach Access and Recovery (SOAR) State

Lead.5. Provides PATH Street Outreach in North Central WV

and the Eastern Panhandle with Rapid Re-Housing.

wvceh.org

Rural Homelessness

Continua of Care in West Virginia

Rural Homelessness

Things we already know about Rural Homelessness

1. Large or spread-out geography. 2. Uneven resources. 3. Not enough housing, or transportation. 4. No shelters. 5. Dodgy Landlords and Housing. 6. Difficult to find people.

wvceh.org

Rural Homelessness

Two things we’re doing well in the wilds of West Virginia

1. Coordinated Access2. Outreach and Rapid Rehousing

wvceh.org

Rural Homelessness

Rural Homelessness

Outreach and Rapid Rehousing

85

178

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

PH - Rapid Re-Housing Street Outreach

WVCEH RRH and Outreach

Rural Homelessness

Outreach and Rapid Rehousing

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Emergency shelter,including hotel or motelpaid for with emergency

shelter voucher(HUD)

Place not meant forhabitation (HUD)

Staying or living in afamily member's room,

apartment or house (HUD)

Staying or living in afriend's room, apartment

or house (HUD)

Top 4 Prior Residences

Rural Homelessness

Rapid Rehousing

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

0 0 0

2

4

6

10

5 5

7

4

0

1

2

0 00

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

VI-SPDAT Acuity Distribution of RRH Clients

Vi-SPDAT Score

# Client Scores

Rural Homelessness

Rapid Rehousing

45

67

89

1011

1314

VI-SPDAT Prescreen Scores and Average Acuity Marker s

VI-SPDAT Prescreen Score Average Trips to the ER

Average Interactions with Police Average Trips to Hospital in an Ambulance

Hospitalized as an Inpatient

Rural Homelessness

RRH Philosophy1. Totally Housing First. 2. Flexible and Tailored. 3. Prioritized (including your regular PSH/HF Crew).4. No Prevention. 5. Intensive Case Management. 6. Prepare to rehouse.

RRH Results1. Of the 85 Housed, 23% are chronically homeless and

96% have remained in housing. 2. 65% have a VI-SPDAT Score of 5-9 and 30% have a

score of 10 or above. 3. No one (thus far) has remained in a subsidy for

longer than 5 months.

Rural Homelessness

Zach BrownExecutive Director

zachbrown@wvceh.org

WV Coalition to End Homelessness

Balance of State Continuum of Care

P.O. Box 4697 (mailing)

929 West Main Street (physical)

Bridgeport, WV 26330

304-842-9522

wvceh.org

@WVCEH“WV Coalition to End

Homelessness”

WVCEH

wvceh.org