Ending Homelessness for Veterans and Their Families:
Prevention’s Place in a Community System of Response to Homelessness among
Veterans
NAEH Ending Family and Youth Homelessness Conference
February 9, 2012
Corporation for Supportive Housing
CSH is a national non-profit organization that helps communities create permanent housing
with services to prevent and end homelessness.
CSH advances its mission through advocacy, expertise, innovation, lending, and
grantmaking.
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Understanding Homelessness as a System of “Flows”
Prevalence of Homelessness is a function of rate of “flows in”, rate of “flows out,” rate of returns to homelessness, and length
of stay
New Entries into Homelessness
Exits from Homelessness
Homelessness
Returns to Homelessness
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Varying Patterns of Homelessness
Transitionally Homeless– Experience homelessness in a single occurrence
lasting only a brief period of time Episodically Homeless
– Experience homelessness as an “institutional circuit”, and cycle between jails, hospitals, and other crisis services along with shelters
Chronically Homeless– Experience homelessness for long periods, often
as a semi-permanent state
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Varying Levels of Persistence
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Cohort Shelter Days Used
Transitional
Episodic
Chronic
Chronically Homeless represent 10%, but use 66% of shelter resources
Episodically Homeless represent 10%, but use 28% of shelter resources
Transitionally Homeless represent 80%, but use only 6% of shelter resources
Source: Kuhn and Culhane (1998)
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Different Strategies for Different Patterns of Homelessness
Pattern Strategy
Transitionally Homeless
Prevent entry into homelessness in the first place
Episodically Homeless
Rapid re-housingTransitional housingPermanent supportive housing
Chronically Homeless
Permanent supportive housing
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Decreasing Flows In and Increasing Flows Out
Homelessness Prevention
Permanent Placements into Housing
Rapid Re-housing
Housing Retention Supports
Transitionally Homeless
EpisodicallyHomeless
ChronicallyHomeless
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Ending Homelessness among Veterans Needs Complete “System of Response”
Patient-Centered
Health Home
Standard VA Services
and Benefits
Rapid Re-Housing
Homeless Prevention
Supportive Services for
Veteran Families
Enhanced “Housing
First” Supportive
Housing
Permanent Supportive
Housing
HUD-VASH
Transitional Housing
Grant & Per Diem Program
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Matching Needs to Interventions
Measure “Needs” along 2 Dimensions: Housing:
– Current housing/homelessness status– Duration of homelessness and housing crisis– Income, employment
Services:– Behavioral and primary health problems, other
complex service needs– Independent living skills– Public system involvement– Social Supports
A Proposed Housing and Service Needs Continuum
HOUSING NEEDSLow Moderate High
SERVICE NEEDS
LowStandard VA
Services/BenefitsSupportive Services for
Veteran Families
Supportive Services for
Veteran Families
ModerateVA treatment
servicesSupportive Services for
Veteran Families or Grant and Per Diem
Supportive Services for
Veteran Families or
Grant and Per Diem
HighVA Patient-Centered
Health Home HUD-VASHHUD-VASH/PSH,
PACT, Safe Haven, or
Domiciliary Care
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Supportive Services for Veteran Families
Helps to “complete” a community system of response:– Homelessness prevention– Rapid re-housing
Program is very new – applications for new grantees due on February 15
Most 2011 grantees have only been operating since September
Grantees are CBOs with access to “front door” of homeless services system
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What is Homeless Prevention?
Provide targeted assistance to people for whom homelessness would be an inevitability “but for” receiving help
Assess situation and immediate/underlying reasons for housing crisis
Counseling/case management to problem-solve conditions that led to housing crisis and short-term financial assistance
May lead to connection to more intensive housing and services interventions
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What is Rapid Re-housing?
Best suited to people newly experiencing homelessness who can maintain housing on their own with moderate to minimal supports
Combines rental assistance (either short-term or long-term) and rental start-up costs coupled with time-limited supportive services
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Who is Eligible for SSVF?
Low income vets who are homeless or about to be homeless
Veterans and their families– Follows HEARTH guidelines for homelessness– Household is defined as “all persons as identified
by the Veteran, together present for services and identify themselves as being part of the same household”
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Key Considerations in Homelessness Prevention
Must be targeted to clients who are truly at-risk of homelessness vs. anyone in need
Services plan driven by assessment of situation and problem solving-orientation
Services plus financial assistance
Connection to appropriate permanent housing and services options
Design of SSVF
Focus on housing stability with resources and services designed to produce immediate impact.
Efficient use of resources concentrates efforts on securing and maintaining housing.
Grant funding weighted towards rapid re-housing.
Case management will assist Veteran and family with employment and benefit resources that will promote long-term stability.
Program able to address critical barriers to housing: legal issues, transportation, child care, family issues.16
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SSVF – A New “Front Door” to Homeless Response System
Prevention services replaces shelters as “first stop” and “gateway” to response system:
– Most obvious place for veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness to seek help on their own (“walk-ins”)
– Central point of coordination for multiple intercept point outreach/in-reach
– Ideal place for assessing needs/risks and matching/ connection veterans to most appropriate type of help
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Multiple Intercept Points for Outreach and “In-Reach”
Courts Jail/
Prison
Street
Hospital
DetoxAlcohol/
Drug Treatment
Precarious
Housing
Shelter
Psychiatric
Hospital
Prior Era Veterans Experiencing Chronic
Homelessness
Homeless Veterans from Prior Conflicts/Era
OEF/OIF Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
OEF/OIF Veterans At-Risk of Homelessness
SSVF Completes a System of Response
May be most appropriate intervention for a larger number of Veterans newly experiencing or on the brink of homelessness
Allows for re-calibration of VASH, GPD, and other housing interventions to fully leverage their strengths to “unclog” homeless system
Supplements and completes the locations and opportunities for outreach (the “front door” to system of response)
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How SSVF Differs From Other VA Programs
Remember the goal is Housing Stability and is not contingent on treatment. A Housing First philosophy is focus of both the homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing interventions.
Grantees are community-based organizations Grantees serve Veterans and their families. Families
can continue to receive services for up to a full year if the Veteran leaves due to institutionalization, death, or other causes.
Temporary financial assistance payments may be provided to third parties on behalf of participants
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SSVF Compliments Other VA and Non-VA Programs
A services “bridge”/enhancement to permanent supportive housing (e.g. in conjunction with the HUD-VASH Program).
A stand-alone, short-term, intensive case management model (e.g. in conjunction with a program using a critical time intervention model).
A homelessness, eviction, or housing crisis prevention program (e.g. in conjunction with a program such as HUD’s HPRP initiative).
In addition to VA supports, SSVF grantees access universal prevention services, entitlements, and other available community resources.
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Thank you!