DELAWARE’S PLAN TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS

NO ONE WILL EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS IN DELAWARE !

2013

The Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness wishes to thank its members and partners for their commitment and contributions to strengthening policies and programs that serve Delawareans experiencing homelessness and those who are at risk of homelessness. Their ongoing partnership is essential for creating and sustaining the Homeless Prevention and Response System in Delaware.

Jack Markell, Governor, State of Delaware Matthew Denn, Lt. Governor, State of Delaware

Susan Starrett, Chair, Homeless Planning Council of Delaware Anas Ben Addi, Director, Delaware State Housing Authority Rita Landgraf, Secretary, Department of Health and Social Services Jennifer Ranji, Secretary, Department of Services for Children Youth and their Families John McMahon, Secretary, Department of Labor Mark Murphy, Secretary, Department of Education Robert Coupe, Commissioner, Department of Correction Bethany Hall Long, Delaware Senate Gerald Brady, Delaware Housing of Representatives Tom Gordon, New Castle County Executive Michael Petit de Mange, Kent County Administrator Todd Lawson, Sussex County Administrator Dennis Williams, Mayor, City of Wilmington Carlton Carey, Mayor, City of Dover Rosemary Haines, New Castle County Private Citizen Jeanine Kleimo, Kent County Private Citizen Catherine Devaney McKay, Connections Community Support Programs Michelle Quaranta, Delaware Apartment Association Kyle Hodges, State Council for Persons with Disabilities Helen Arthur, Council on Public Health Valarie Tickle, Criminal Justice Council

The following individuals have served on the Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness as designees: Brandy Bennett Nauman, Sussex County Cliffvon Howell, DHSS Albert Biddle, Kent County Felicia Kellum, DSCYF Sherese Brewington‐Carr, DOL Lottie Lee, DHSS Kimberly Brockenbrough, DSHA Dennis Rozumalski, DOE Nicole Waters, New Castle County Gail Stallings‐Minor, DOC Nailah Gilliam, City of Wilmington Vaughn Watson, City of Wilmington Tracey Harvey, City of Dover

This plan is dedicated to the individuals and families who experience homelessness in our State and to the providers and caregivers who are fighting to prevent and end homelessness in Delaware.

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December 18, 2013

“Delaware’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness” exemplifies ongoing collaborative partnerships that

are essential for actively seeking long‐term solutions to combat homelessness. The initiative outlines a path forward that reflects the approach we must pursue in the state and complements the first comprehensive federal plan to prevent and end homelessness, which was issued in 2010 by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH).

The USICH plan, Opening Doors, provides a road map for joint action by 19 federal agencies and local and state partners to align housing, health, education and human services to prevent Americans from experiencing homelessness. As the most far‐reaching and ambitious plan to end homelessness in our nation's history, Opening Doors calls for a fundamental shift in how the federal government and communities across the country respond to homelessness.

Central to this shift is greater emphasis on helping people secure and retain safe, stable housing. From years of practice and research, we know that housing is an essential platform for community health and wellness. Stable housing is the foundation upon which people build their lives. Absent a safe, decent, affordable place to live, it is extraordinarily difficult to achieve good health and educational outcomes, or to reach one's economic potential. By the same token, stable housing provides an ideal launching pad for the delivery of health care and other social services focused on improving life outcomes for individuals and families. More recently, researchers have focused on housing stability as an important ingredient for the success of children and youth in school.

In recent years, Delaware has made remarkable strides in advancing housing‐based solutions to homelessness – most significantly through the creation of close to 450 units of permanent supportive housing, most of it targeted to people with disabilities who have long histories of homelessness. But there is much more work to be done. And no one knows this better than the authors of this plan: the Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness (“DICH”).

The DICH plan is the product of a great deal of hard work and forward thinking by members of the Council and provides an important opportunity for our state to make additional progress on eradicating the scourge of homelessness in our state. I thank the Council for their commitment to serving our most vulnerable citizens. Sincerely,

Jack A. Markell, Governor

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HOMELESSNESS IN DELAWARE On any given day, there are approximately 1,000 men, women and children staying in Delaware emergency shelters and transitional housing programs. This is not a finite population. Over eight times as many people (8,021) have at least one episode of homelessness during the year than those who are homeless at any given point in time. With the exception of a core of households who are homeless for long periods of time, there is a tremendous fluidity of people moving into and out of homelessness – some for the first time, some repeatedly over time.

Over half (51%) of Delaware’s homeless population is Black—a disproportionate representation of Dela‐ ware’s population. Over half are males (58%). 42% of those experiencing homelessness at any given time are members of a family with the average size of a family being 3 persons. 19% of Delaware’s homeless population are children under the age of 18 and 6% are between the ages of 18 and 24. Eight percent re‐ port being institutionalized before the age of 18.

Contributing Factors to Homelessness Most often, people who experience homelessness face multiple barriers to economic and health security and few resources and support networks in the community. The most common contributors to homelessness in Delaware are these: Inadequate income. Persons experiencing homelessness typically have incomes below half the federal poverty level. This equates to an annual income of less than $7,300 for a family of two. Only 8% of adults reported having income from employment. 42% reported no financial resources. High cost of housing. The lack of affordable housing is the primary cause of homelessness among families in Delaware, as it is in the U.S. This is both because there is an inadequate supply of affordable housing and because incomes are so low that families cannot pay for the housing that is available. Interpersonal Violence and Adversity. Interpersonal violence and adversity are leading precursors to housing instability and homelessness among families. Survivors of interpersonal violence, particularly those with limited resources, often have to choose between living with or near their abusers or becoming homeless. Adverse experiences before the age of 18 significantly contribute to poor outcomes of adults in quality of life and wellness. Disabling health conditions. Homelessness is directly associated with poor health outcomes. People living in shelters or on the streets are extremely vulnerable to health risks and have great difficulty maintaining compliance with health care treatment regimens. Mental and physical health problems are exacerbated by living on the streets and in shelters. Health conditions that require ongoing treatment—such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, addiction and mental illness—are difficult to treat when people are living in shelter or on the streets. Re‐entry and criminal justice involvement. Housing problems and homelessness are common among individuals leaving the corrections system. They tend to have limited or low incomes and, due to their criminal history, are often unable to obtain housing and employment through channels that are open to other low‐income people. Criminal background checks are frequently employed by landlords, and these can make it challenging for formerly incarcerated people to secure housing. People re‐entering the community often have no other choice than to turn to emergency shelters.

Homelessness is a situation that people find themselves in; it is not a characteristic of the people experiencing it. Effectively addressing homelessness means facilitating the transitions of people out of this situation, preventing their return to it, and preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place.

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COST OF HOMELESSNESS The cost to society because of homelessness is reflected in many sectors: Health Care. Chronically homeless adults often have serious health conditions ‐ such as mental illness, substance use disorders, or chronic health problems ‐ that present persistent obstacles to maintaining housing. Repeated hospital visits account for disproportionate costs and time for emergency departments, drain health care resources, and increase stress on emergency department staff. Studies have documented reductions in avoidable emergency room visits, inpatient hospitalization for medical or psychiatric care, and use of sobering centers once people with serious health conditions are stably housed. In 2012, Delaware conducted a study of the most vulnerably homeless unsheltered. Of the 108 persons surveyed, a total of 215 inpatient hospitalizations in a year were reported and 302 ER visits in 3 months totaling $5,520,775 in healthcare costs. Research shows an average reduction of 60% in healthcare costs after one year of stable, permanent housing with services. If these individuals were placed in permanent supportive housing an estimated $1 million a year would be saved in healthcare costs. Schools. Repeated school mobility leads to decreased academic achievement, impacting both the child’s and the school’s overall performance. While the McKinney‐Vento Homeless Assistance Act protects the ability for a student to remain in the same school despite moving to another school’s feeder pattern it is not always in the student’s best interest to do so. As a consequence performance on State Assessments may be effected as well as lags in learning to read and do math. This makes the effects of homelessness much longer lasting than just the time spent in shelters. Delaware’s System Costs Foster care. Children placed in foster care are at higher risk of experiencing homelessness in the future. The cost of a Program Type # of Beds from 2012‐2013 keeping a family stable and in housing – whether through 2012 Point‐in‐ Funding prevention, rapid re‐housing, or supportive housing strategies Time Amounts ‐ is significantly lower than the cost of out of home placement for children. In Delaware, 7% of those experiencing Emergency 676 $7,016,863 homelessness report having ever been in the foster care Shelter system. Transitional 698 $9,348,845 Housing Prisons, court systems and community safety. Prisons treat more people with mental illness than hospitals and residential Permanent 565 $7,310,597 treatment facilities combined, making our jails and prisons the Supportive primary provider of mental health care in the US. The cycle Housing of arrest, removal, incarceration, and re‐entry is Rapid Re‐ N/A $224,796 predominantly concentrated in the poorest communities and Housing neighborhoods. Of those experiencing homelessness in TOTAL 1,939 $23,901,101 Delaware, nearly forty percent report having been incarcerated at some point in their lives. Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing. The annual cost of an emergency shelter bed in Delaware is approximately $13,042. The annual cost of a transitional housing bed in Delaware is approximately $13,748. For a family of three, this is an annual cost of $39,127, or $3,260 per month. In many parts of the state, this is nearly three times the fair market rent on a two‐bedroom apartment. Because of low exit rates to permanent housing and a high return to homelessness when exited from Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing programs, the costs of these programs can exponentially increase when looking at how much it costs to exit someone from these program types to permanent housing. Using Delaware data from 2012, the cost to exit someone to permanent housing from Transitional Housing increases to approximately $53,891 for an individual and $27,171 for a family. (*Note: Data comes from the Delaware Community Management Information System and is self‐reported by the individual or family.)

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HOMELESS PREVENTION AND RESPONSE SYSTEM

Across the country, many communities have begun a transformation of their homeless systems. Homeless systems have in the past focused on providing shelter in order to move homeless persons off of the street. However, these practices have not had as much success as expected because the number of persons using shelter has continued to increase, services have been inconsistent from one shelter to the next in the same community, and there is no clear path to stable housing in most instances.

Based on research and successful community demonstrations, homeless systems have begun to transform their systems to focus on housing stability. By assessing for risk factors that lead to long‐term homelessness we can target specific interventions that will reinforce and build upon protective factors that ensure housing stability. Focusing on housing stability allows communities to focus resources and address a person’s long‐term service needs – bridging the divide between the homeless system and mainstream systems. Mainstream systems (such as benefits, cash assistance, supportive services, housing assistance, health care, job training, corrections, etc.) have an opportunity in this model to help provide services to the homeless population; spreading the responsibility of preventing and ending homelessness across the en‐ tire community.

A vision of housing stability requires us to measure our outcomes based upon a person’s housing needs, not just social needs. Shifting the focus of the system to housing stability as its main outcome, begs for us to redefine the current system of how we provide housing and services. It is important for a housing stability focused system to continue to identify a person’s social needs – but the Homeless Prevention and Response System does not focus on providing those services and instead refers persons to those services that exist within the community. This allows the resources of the Homeless Prevention and Response System to focus on preventing and ending homelessness.

HOMELESS PREVENTION AND RESPONSE SYSTEM MODEL SHOWING COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM AND CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER SYSTEMS “It is simply unacceptable for individuals, children, families, and our nation’s Veterans to be faced with homelessness in our country.” President Obama

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Program Models

One of the recommendations of this Plan is to create a Program Models Chart that details the programs that exist within the Homeless Prevention and Response System and defines their essential elements and desired outcomes. The purpose of this chart is to create a basic understanding and guide for all agencies to work from when developing and implementing programs. Included within this Plan is a definition for all Program Model types. (Note: The additional information mentioned above will be finalized after the Plan is released and will be included as an Appendix.)

All programs within the Homeless Prevention and Response System will adhere to the following Program Essential Elements:  All programs will adopt a trauma informed care approach in assessment and delivery of services  All programs will participate in the Delaware Community Management Information System (DE‐CMIS)  All programs will participate in Delaware’s Centralized Intake  All programs will be part of the Homeless Prevention and Response System planning group  All programs will utilize a Housing First approach

Engagement Services: Outreach: Low barrier/Low demand street outreach or engagement through a drop in center that creates linkages to centralized intake and provides basic needs assistance Prevention: Short to medium term financial assistance and stabilization services to prevent shelter entrance and promote housing retention Diversion: A program that diverts homeless individuals and families from entering the homeless system by helping them identify immediate alternate housing arrangements and connecting them with services and financial assistance, if necessary

Temporary Shelter: Emergency Shelter: Low demand, site based, emergency shelter to deal with an individual’s or family’s im‐ mediate housing crisis Domestic Violence Shelter: Site based emergency shelter to deal with an individual’s or family’s housing crisis due to fleeing domestic violence, available to any gender Transitional Housing: Short‐term housing that provides services to assist with transitioning someone into appropriate permanent housing

Permanent Housing: Rapid Re‐Housing: Short to medium term housing program that rapidly moves homeless individuals and families into permanent housing with needed services to maintain stability

Permanent Supportive Housing: Permanent, lease based housing with supportive services that are appropriate to the needs and preferences of residents

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COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness

The Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness (DICH) was created by Executive Order number 65 in March 2005 by Governor Ruth Ann Minner. The Executive Order forming the Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness was constructed to ensure that cabinet‐level members of state government, local government officials, providers of a wide range of services impacted by homelessness, and the Homeless Planning Council of Delaware, would come together in an official forum to provide the vision and leadership needed to end homelessness in Delaware. Given that Delaware has a history of collecting data and planning homeless services on a statewide basis, the DICH elected to develop a single statewide plan. In 2008, the DICH was codified in Delaware law. Breaking the Cycle: Delaware’s Plan to End Chronic Homelessness and Reduce Long‐Term Homelessness (2007)

In February 2007, the DICH released Breaking the Cycle: Delaware’s Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness and Reduce Long‐Term Homelessness. The Plan included the following five major strategies for ending chronic homelessness:

 Develop new housing for persons who are chronically homeless or at risk for chronic homelessness

 Remove barriers to accessing existing affordable housing

 Improve discharge and transition planning

 Improve supportive services for persons who are homeless

 Enhance data collection and the use of technology HEARTH Act (2009) and Opening Doors

In 2009, Congress and President Obama signed into law the HEARTH Act. The HEARTH Act sets a vision that no person should experience homelessness for longer than 30 days and puts emphasis on creating a system that prevents persons from becoming homeless and moves persons experiencing homelessness into permanent housing as quickly as we can with a connection to wraparound services. In 2010, the first federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, Opening Doors, was created by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

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Delaware’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

In 2011, the DICH decided to embark on another planning process to create Delaware’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness which aligns Delaware with the HEARTH Act and Opening Doors while expanding the focus of the existing plan to all populations of persons experiencing homelessness. The Delaware Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness combines permanent supportive housing, outreach and engagement‐ oriented supportive services, improved discharge and transition planning, and other evidence‐based practices to alleviate homelessness among all populations most likely to experience homelessness to create an efficient and cost‐effective service delivery system that addresses homelessness now and prevents it in the future. Delaware’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is not just about creating housing units. It also calls for implementing a range of prevention and service delivery strategies that have a basis in research evidence and have been demonstrated to be effective.

Delaware’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is an expression of a collective commitment to actively seek long‐term and sustainable solutions to the issue, rather than continuing to simply manage episodes of homelessness as they occur. The significant focus of this plan is on investing our precious local resources in a manner that better serves the homeless people and, in so doing, eliminates homelessness in Delaware.

To condense planning time while involving a broad range of stakeholders, the Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness and Homeless Planning Council of Delaware engaged the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) to facilitate this work using the CSH Charrette process. The goal of the Charrette was to produce a feasible set of recommendations benefitting from the support of stakeholders through‐ out its implementation. Each conversation occurred in a “fishbowl” setting with a group of experts sitting in a circle surrounded by an outer circle of community stakeholders. Experts from diverse communities and organizations drew from their experiences and expertise to exchange views and craft suggestions for moving forward.

The recommendations presented in this report represent ideas presented in the “fishbowl” sessions that will have the most impact on preventing and ending homelessness in Delaware. In addition to the six issue areas identified prior to the Charrette, a seventh issue area, Homeless Prevention was identified during the Charrette process. Also, as part of this process, recommendations for Implementation were developed and are included. Finally, Delaware used the process to help develop a vision and goal statement and guid‐ ing principles for the Homeless Prevention and Response System of Delaware.

VISION GOAL NO ONE IN NO ONE IN DELAWARE DELAWARE WILL WILL EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS FOR HOMELESSNESS LONGER THAN 30 DAYS

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Themes

Although there are many recommendations in this report, all of them fall under one of the five themes outlined below. The relationship of each recommendation to one of these themes has been noted in order to clarify the overall framework for moving forward on the recommendations.

Capacity Building System Mapping and Re‐Design

For the redesigned system to function effectively there must be a commitment to community‐wide capacity building and training at every level – system, agency, The recommendations under this theme are consumer, and other key stakeholders. those that work in support of the effort to Additionally, integrating cultural understand the resources and housing models competency and language access that exist within the current system. In order components at all levels of the system and to make effective decisions about how to shift within every aspect of capacity building the individual programs toward a and training is critical. comprehensive homeless crisis response system, it is critical to understand what elements currently exist. This includes mapping the existing system and developing system‐wide housing models. Analyzing and understanding this data will illuminate the Change Management most efficient path for persons experiencing homelessness to reach permanent housing and any other needed services, and provide a framework for rebalancing the allocation of In order to successfully implement the housing and service resources in the system changes outlined in these where needed. recommendations, special attention must be given to stakeholder relationships, the creation of organizational infrastructure to support change, and to clear communication of the process. This IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 8,000 PEOPLE includes the development of clear and consistent timelines and messaging at all EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS IN levels. DELAWARE EACH YEAR

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Funder Collaboration Quality Improvement

The funders of homeless services should come A commitment to continuous quality together to discuss their role in system change. improvement is paramount in any Membership could include the HUD Continuum of consumer‐oriented system. Quality Care, foundations, business community members, improvement focuses on ensuring that private funders, government funders, among the system, individual providers, and others. Recommendations that fall under this consumers all have adequate tools to theme include those that address the role that evaluate and improve system funders play in redesigning the system by aligning functionality and performance, and leveraging homeless and housing funding especially as it relates to the streams throughout the community. experience of the homeless consumer.

Goals to Prevent and End Homelessness Delaware has adopted the same goals as the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness in Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

Finish the Job of Ending Chronic Homelessness by 2015

Prevent and End Veterans Homelessness by 2015

Prevent and End Family Homelessness by 2020

Setting a path to ending all types of homelessness

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Guiding Principles for Delaware’s Homeless Assistance System

Persons experiencing homelessness should be treated with dignity and respect

Compassionate and Consistent. All persons experiencing homelessness are in crisis. Our responses must be compassionate and trauma‐informed when interacting with people who are in crisis. From assessment of client barriers, to matching clients with the right housing options, to providing prevention and diversion services, temporary housing and permanent housing, the system must maintain a focus on pro‐ viding consistent services to persons experiencing homelessness. All housing options and services must be adequate, easily accessible and user‐friendly for the person at‐risk of homelessness and/or those who are experiencing homelessness.

Transparent and Accountable. In order for systems to work effectively and efficiently they must be transparent to all stakeholders (providers, consumers, funders, etc.). Holding programs accountable for their performance and effectiveness, quality of service, and collaboration and cooperation with the system will ensure that the Homeless Prevention and Response System is focused on preventing and ending homelessness.

There is strength in collaboration

Collaborative. When everyone in our community works together towards a common goal of preventing and ending homelessness, we will have an efficient, streamlined, and effective system. Collaboration requires clear, consistent and organized communication and the understanding that the Homeless Prevention and Response System has an overarching vision that no one in Delaware will experience homelessness.

Adaptable and Flexible. An adaptable and flexible system can respond based upon feedback received and can conform easily to fit different situations. An effective system: welcomes flexibility as a critical attribute; is open to dialogue and adjustments; is objective, and monitors trends in terms of the needs and choices of people seeking assistance in our community and can adapt to meet those needs.

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We must invest in cost‐effective solutions that end homelessness

Solutions‐Driven and Trauma‐Informed. Decision‐making and system design is driven by the HEARTH Act Objectives. The HEARTH Act identifies system‐wide objectives including: reducing the number of new persons experiencing homelessness, reducing the length of time persons experience homelessness, increasing exits to permanent housing, and reducing the number of persons experiencing reoccurring episodes of homelessness. The system must focus on solutions to ending homelessness not merely coping with or managing homelessness. To become trauma‐informed, means that every part of an organization, management, and the service delivery system is assessed and potentially modified to include a basic understanding of how trauma affects the life of people seeking services. Integrating the core values of a trauma informed care model (safety, trustworthiness, control, choice and empowerment) into our Homeless Prevention and Response System will avoid re‐traumatization and aid in recovery and healing.

Evidence‐Based and Measurable. Homelessness is not a simple problem affecting some rather it is part of a more complex housing and public health issue with many causes, solutions, and outcomes. Over the past 30 years, we have learned that there must be a continuum of housing options and services available in order for all persons to access permanent housing as quickly as possible. New models of pro‐ viding housing and services have become evidence‐based best practices that lead towards measurable out‐ comes. Persons experience homelessness when they lack a safe, decent, accessible, and affordable home. Placing a person in a permanent home and providing the necessary wrap‐around services for that person so they can be integrated in their community leads to a successful outcome. Delaware must invest in these best practices to ensure success at preventing and ending homelessness.

Implementable and Lasting. System transformation requires forward thinking and the realization that change occurs when we are all moving in the same direction. System change respects the accomplishments of the system while optimizing everyone’s role in moving the needle on preventing and ending homelessness by creating changes that are implementable and lasting.

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Objective 1: Implement Centralized Intake

Approximately 8,000 people experience homelessness each year in Delaware. Centralized Intake provides the community with a uniform method of accessing homeless resources. This means people will access resources through a single location and/or phone number (centralized). The aim is to ensure that families and individuals in crisis have the same experience as they seek housing services and that they are directed to the best housing intervention for their situation. The following recommendations will move this issue forward:

Strategy 1: Implement the current proposal, allowing flexibility to make adjustments as needed. Strategy 2: Focus Centralized Intake on matching the best immediate intervention to person or families experiencing homelessness as well as appropriate follow‐up support. Strategy 3: Centralize data entry of clients with housing specialist. Strategy 4: Switch DE‐CMIS from a model focused on entry and exit of clients from programs to a system‐ wide bed management process. Strategy 5: Create a process for real time entry of bed usage. Strategy 6: Continue engagement with agencies not yet in the system. Strategy 7: Create a governance structure to ensure participation and compliance in the Homeless Prevention and Response System including ‐ intake; standards of care; approved models of housing and appropriate delivery of services; and standards for facilities that provide homeless housing.

Objective 2: Build Upon Existing Capacity and Improve Performance

Delaware’s current homeless system has nearly 1,500 emergency shelter and transitional housing beds available on any given night. However, only about 1,000 people experience homelessness in Delaware (again, on any given night). It’s important to determine the right intervention for the right populations. For example, someone experiencing chronic homelessness will need different supports to end their homelessness compared to a family with children facing eviction. Delaware like many states and communities, built capacity in beds and units on an opportunity basis (when resources were available, for example). Under the current HEARTH guidance, communities will be monitored for their capacity to provide the most appropriate solutions to all people who experience homelessness – in addition to monitoring for utilization.

The emphasis of the new homeless rules is on measuring the Homeless Prevention and Response System as a whole. This is in contrast with other funding sources that reward individual agencies competing against each other. System wide performance goals reward agencies for collaborating with each other as part of a system. This also means collaboration among regional partners as well. Everyone is measured together.

System Mapping Capacity Building Change Management Funder Collaboration Quality Improvement

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Objective 2: Build Upon Existing Capacity and Improve Performance

The ultimate goal is to prevent clients from re‐entering as homeless anywhere in the system and ending homelessness as a community. Communities must set system‐wide goals that are aligned with the goals of the Federal Strategic Plan, Opening Doors, in order to prevent and end homelessness. At the same time that we must measure our system’s success at preventing and ending homelessness there is still a need to set and measure individual programs’ successes. Developing program level performance measures is an impor‐ tant part of tracking and increasing capacity of high performing program types. The following recommenda‐ tions will move this issue forward:

Strategy 1: Develop a common framework of what constitutes an eligible housing and service provider in the community, including prevention (i.e. a Programs Model Chart). Strategy 2: Conduct a bed analysis to determine if the existing capacity meets the needs of persons experiencing homelessness. Strategy 3: Retool existing programs based on the needs identified from the analysis and realign funding sources to meet the identified needs. Strategy 4: Develop crisis beds with very low barriers for entry. Strategy 5: Increase the number of units of permanent supportive housing that utilize a harm reduction model. Strategy 6: Develop a program to divert persons experiencing homelessness from entering the Homeless Prevention and Response System. Strategy 7: Conduct training and technical assistance to increase providers’ capacity to retool their programs. Strategy 8: Enhance coordination, education, and training between child support enforcement and providers because this is a significant barrier to housing retention. Strategy 9: Enhance the homeless service provider network to include peer review of system policies and procedures. Strategy 10: Develop performance outcome measurements that align with the HEARTH regulations that evaluate all homeless programs within the system regardless of funding streams—include risk adjustment measures based on populations served. Strategy 11: Set policies and procedures to address underperforming programs within the system to be consistent with HUD‐funded programs.

Permanent Housing

Permanent housing means community‐based housing without a designated length of stay. To be permanent housing, the program participant must be the tenant on a lease for a term of at least one year, which is renewable for terms that are a minimum of one month long, and is terminable only for cause.

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Objective 3: Integrate Healthcare and Behavioral Healthcare

With a national awareness and push towards affordable healthcare that integrates primary and behavioral healthcare, there are new models that could better serve persons who are experiencing homelessness. Delaware conducted a vulnerability index of our unsheltered population in June 2012, and identified over 75 individuals who have been on the street for six months or more and have at least one risk factor for increased mortality. Nearly 25% of our homeless population self‐report having a mental health issue and an‐ other 20% report a chronic substance abuse issue. Persons experiencing homelessness and mental illness/ chronic substance abuse are at increased risk of trauma related injuries and may exacerbate their mental health conditions. Few emergency shelters and transitional housing programs admit persons who have mental health illness or chronic substance abuse issues (especially those who are intoxicated) and even fewer will admit persons who are on mental health medications. At the same time, Delaware has signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure community integration (including housing and services) for persons with severe persistent mental illness. Persons who are experiencing chronic homelessness and diagnosed with a severe persistent mental illness are part of the settlement agreement target population. The following recommendations will move this issue forward: Strategy 1: Incorporate Housing First strategies in the Homeless Prevention and Response System. Strategy 2: Develop crisis beds with very low barriers to address the needs of people on medications as well as active substance users (create new beds or repurpose existing beds). Strategy 3: Create harm reduction models as part of the homeless system. Strategy 4: Professional assessments should ensure that the most vulnerable homeless with behavioral health and chronic health conditions are matched with the best housing and service intervention. Strategy 5: Undertake a service inventory of what is provided in the community and homeless system to identify efficiency of services. Strategy 6: Update the barrier inventory of the system and work with funders and providers to increase access. Strategy 7: Provide training on Housing First principles and practices for all homeless and Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health providers. Strategy 8: Offer re‐training on SOAR and implement SOAR as part of the Centralized Intake process. Strategy 9: Expand peer supports in temporary housing, permanent housing placements, and service delivery. Strategy 10: Create and adopt policies that promote no discharge into homelessness from institutional set‐ tings (hospitals, residential treatment centers, behavioral health centers, detox centers, etc.) Strategy 11: Submit for a Medicaid waiver from the federal government that would design Medicaid‐ financed, supportive housing‐based care management services to improve care for at‐risk beneficiaries while lowering costs associated with avoidable hospitalizations and other crisis services. Strategy 12: Ensure that Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug, and Primary Care providers address low barrier access and expanded eligibility that includes those who may fall into a ‘street’ community. Strategy 13: Connect persons with mainstream services to avoid duplication of services between systems and to ensure that persons exiting from the homeless system have continuity of services.

System Mapping Capacity Building Change Management Funder Collaboration Quality Improvement

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Objective 4: Increase Access to Permanent Housing

Housing is a fundamental need that every resident of Delaware has; a safe, decent, affordable place to call home. Housing options for many in our community who annually earn $20,000 or less are fewer and are accompanied by barriers such as accessibility, affordability, poor quality and insufficient quantity. Our challenge is to think outside the box to develop innovative ways of overcoming barriers to accessing current housing units, improving housing quality, balancing housing costs with incomes, and develop new housing options that are effective at preventing and ending homelessness. People who are experiencing homelessness face many barriers‐ poor credit, criminal records, behavioral issues stemming from addictions and mental illness – topped off with insufficient transportation and constrained community based supports. Some affordable housing providers or housing systems create barriers that keep the most vulnerable people out of their units. Barriers are not always visible and can come from the cumulative effects of multiple systems setting their own priorities and application proce‐ dures. The following recommendations will move this issue forward: Strategy 1: Investigate evidence based practices of “moving on” people from permanent supportive housing to affordable housing with or without a subsidy based on individual need. Strategy 2: Investigate the feasibility of utilization of vacant properties, foreclosures, and HUD surplus federal buildings and homes. Strategy 3: Move toward a universal waiting list for permanent housing, ensuring that the most vulnerable are prioritized. Strategy 4: Explore the concept of home sharing and expansion of legal accessory dwelling units to increase housing options. Strategy 5: Create a rental counseling program. Strategy 6: Convene the 5 housing authorities to revise their administrative plans to allow for best practices and ways to reduce barriers in public housing as well as a homeless priority for rental assistance vouchers. Strategy 7: Advocate changing the QAP to include set‐aside for homeless in all affordable housing projects utilizing the LIHTC program. Strategy 8: Determine feasibility of rental assistance vouchers and units that turn over each month being dedicated to the homeless . Strategy 9: Work with DSHA on feasibility of a set aside of state rental assistance program vouchers for homeless with the flexibility to be used as either tenant based or project based. Strategy 10: Advocate for additional VASH vouchers to be utilized specifically by DE veterans. Strategy 11: Advocate for the inclusion of housing status and source of income under the protected classes in DE’s Fair Housing Law. Strategy 12: Advocate for the inclusion of homeless housing program as a type of housing required to be in compliance with DE’s Fair Housing Law. Strategy 13: Work with the public housing authorities to get project based rental assistance as new units are being developed. Strategy 14: Engage landlord, property managers, developers and service providers to create partnerships leading to increased access, opportunities, and development projects. Strategy 15: Engage public housing authorities, local, and state government to apply through the HUD Continuum of Care for permanent supportive housing projects utilizing rental assistance.

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Objective 5: Improve Services for Family, Children, and Youth Homelessness among families, children, and youth is a problem in our community, and not an easy one to identify. We can identify those families and youth who are living in shelters but it is much more difficult to identify those whose families are doubled up with family or friends or those teens that are couch surfing. Other homeless youth include children aging out of the foster care system and those coming out of the correction system. While we have some programs that are actively trying to address this issue to provide support for homeless youth, we have just begun to scratch the surface of addressing homeless youth and how we prevent children from becoming homeless in the first place. The following recommendations will move this issue forward: Strategy 1: Review existing program policies, procedures and mechanisms that could increase retention in high quality programs. Strategy 2: Develop policies and procedures that ensure seamless access and engagement to educational services for homeless children of all ages. Families Strategy 1: Implement rapid re‐housing to move families experiencing homelessness quickly into permanent housing. Strategy 2: Create a pipeline of permanent supportive housing units for families experiencing homelessness with high barriers to maintaining housing. Strategy 3: Streamline the process for families to gain access in the system and ensure the best housing intervention. Strategy 4: Broaden definition of family to include all family structures; eligibility criteria should reflect keeping all family structures intact when in the homeless system. Strategy 5: Identify children experiencing homelessness more effectively and enroll them in school—for education and school based supports for the family. Strategy 6: Coordinate with DSCYF to determine need for enhanced permanent supportive housing for high need families that are at risk of out of home placement for children. Strategy 7: Improve education of homeless providers about laws and practices that are designed to increase access to early care and education. Strategy 8: Repurpose existing funding that provides temporary housing placements to permanent housing per federal recommendations and Delaware’s vision and goal statements. Unaccompanied Youth Strategy 1: Develop outreach and engagement strategies for unaccompanied homeless youth. Strategy 2: Design and implement safe places for youth where they can be engaged and connected to services. Strategy 3: Obtain more comprehensive information on the scope of youth homelessness with improvements in counting methods, coordination and dissemination of information and new research that expands understanding of the problem. Strategy 4: Petition to enact state law so that unaccompanied youth can access mainstream services without parental/guardian permission. Strategy 5: Work with public housing authorities on allowing youth at the age of 16 to apply for the waiting list. 18

Objective 6: Create Housing Solutions for Re‐entering Offenders

Nearly 40% of persons experiencing homelessness say that they have been incarcerated at least once in their lifetime. A large majority of those who exit prison exit with no identified housing option. Persons who are experiencing homelessness and have a criminal history have additional barriers to accessing permanent housing. A sub‐population of re‐entering offenders that have additional barriers is sex‐offenders and persons with mental illness. The following recommendations will move this issue forward: Strategy 1: Complete a data match on the “frequent flyers” of the correction system and temporary shelters. Develop criteria for defining frequent users and develop protocols and agreements to share data across systems to determine need for replication of national FUSE model program. Strategy 2: Create a peer mentor program that employs the formerly incarcerated to engage and support people who are exiting the correction system to help them move into housing and more healthy living. Strategy 3: Explore strategies on shared living arrangements and monitor with the goal of community safety. Strategy 4: Provide increased training opportunities and awareness about issues dealing with the sex of‐ fender population. Strategy 5: Create and adopt policies that promote no discharge into homelessness from institutional set‐ tings. Strategy 6: Petition for the suspension of Medicaid services rather than termination of benefits while incarcerated so that benefits can resume immediately upon discharge. Strategy 7: Revisit current school zone statute by allowing judicial discretion to impose the 500 foot rule based on Sex Offender Management Board approved risk assessment on a case by case basis. Strategy 8: Increase housing accessibility by working with public housing authorities and local non‐profit and private housing providers to revise policies and procedures. Strategy 9: Look at approved risk assessment tool for rates of re‐offense and provide housing on a one‐to‐ one basis with the information from the risk assessment tool.

System Mapping Capacity Building Change Management Funder Collaboration Quality Improvement

Policies and Priorities

 Strategic Resource Allocation  Removing Barriers to Homeless Prevention and Response System Resources  Maximizing the use of Mainstream Resources  Building Partnerships  Ending Chronic Homelessness  Ending Family Homelessness  Ending Homelessness for Other Populations

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Objective 7: Enhance Services to Prevent Homelessness Preventing homelessness in our community requires us to close the front door of the Homeless Prevention and Response System. Nearly 12% of Delaware’s population lives in poverty and about 6% are severely cost‐burdened, paying more than 50% of their income on their housing costs. Yet only about 1% of Delaware’s population becomes homeless each year. Existing cash financial programs are extremely important in helping those who are living in poverty maintain their permanent housing. Homeless prevention requires us to target financial resources and services on those who are most at‐risk for becoming homeless. Prevention can help our community reduce the size of our homeless population by aiding households to preserve their current housing situation. This ultimately reduces the number of people entering the Homeless Prevention and Response System and the demand for shelter and other programmatic housing beds. The following recommendations will move this issue forward: Strategy 1: Identify what prevention resources are in place and what populations are targeted for those resources. Strategy 2: Include prevention in program model design being developed. Strategy 3: Develop a unified rental assistance system— coordinating homeless prevention and rental assistance programs and resources to make services more effective and efficient. Strategy 4: Create and adopt policies that promote no discharge into homelessness from institutional set‐ tings, inclusive of hospitals, residential treatment centers, correction facilities, behavioral health cen‐ ters, etc. Strategy 5: Coordinate with DSCYF to identify high risk youth and families and put services in place to prevent out of home placement. Strategy 6: Coordinate with youth rehabilitation services to identify high risk youth and put services in place to prevent out of home placement. Strategy 7: Develop a landlord outreach program that includes mediation services. Strategy 8: Conduct an inventory of current prevention programs, evaluate their efficacy, and retool as necessary. Strategy 9: Assess the prevention system to see what other factors are leading to homelessness (i.e. utilities) and determine funding needs and strategies for those areas.

System Mapping Capacity Building Change Management Funder Collaboration Quality Improvement

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Implementation Strategies

Any effective implementation of strategies to prevent and end homelessness requires four components Community Wide Involvement, Effective Providers, Creative Bureaucracies, and Political Will. Having just one or two of these in a community will show some results, but in order to see an actual reduction in the number of people who experience homelessness, all of them need to be working together toward a common goal of preventing and ending homelessness. Additionally, in order to make sure all of these components are organized under a model that prevents and ends homelessness, a community needs a lead agency to bring all these together and guide implementation of the plan. Delaware and its cities are highly effective with almost all of these. However, one area that needs some focused energy is engaging all members of the community to implement these recommendations. Not all of those involved in the homeless community, including providers, elected officials and State representatives were a part of the Charrette. The follow‐up to the Charrette should continue to build on the community will that was visible during the fishbowl sessions and feedback meeting to do more community building. The goal should be to move the system to be more responsive to the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in a way that is mutually beneficial for all parties concerned, most importantly those that experience homelessness or may be on the verge of it. Strategy 1: Create an effective governance structure that can move recommendations in the plan forward. The structure of the primary decision making group should have representation from all key stakeholders involved in homelessness. Strategy 2: Decide on a lead implementer to ensure action is taken on accepted recommendations. Strategy 3: Have the State of Delaware formally approve and accept the plan. Strategy 4: Review and prioritize adopted recommendations. Map out timelines and responsible entities for implementing accepted recommendations. Strategy 5: Define clear roles and responsibilities (MOU’s) for those responsible for aspects of monitoring and implementing the plan. Strategy 6: Create structured and time limited committees to increase coordination and planning. Consider repurposing existing committees instead of creating new committees to begin implementation of action items and strategies outlined in the updated plan. Strategy 7: Ensure full community buy‐in through ongoing engagement of all partners needed to prevent and end homelessness through these structures. Strategy 8: Create a Consumer Advisory Council. Strategy 9: Increase participation, either by outreach or funding, among all providers in the community regardless of their funding sources around successful outcomes and data collection. Strategy 10: Continue good work on issues not covered in these recommendations. Evaluate and update those committee charges if necessary. Additionally, stay flexible and open on other opportunities and issues. Strategy 11: Implementation tasks and timelines should adhere to the Federal Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness and must adhere to HEARTH Regulations.

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NO ONE WILL EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS IN DELAWARE!

22 Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee:

Commonwealth of Virginia November 2010 Report prepared by Communitas Consulting, Charlottesville, Virginia

Questions or comments related to this report may be directed to:

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Main Street Centre 600 East Main Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 804.371.7000 Table of Contents

Chairman’s Preface………………………………………………………………………………4 Executive Summary...... 5 Introduction...... 6 Method...... 7 Vision, Core Values and Principles...... 7 Causes of Homelessness...... 8 Goals and Strategies...... 8 GOAL ONE: INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS IN THE COMMONWEALTH...... 10 Background...... 10 Rationale...... 11 Strategies and Action Steps...... 12 GOAL TWO: INCREASE FLEXIBILITY OF FUNDING TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS AND SUPPORT RAPID REHOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES...... 13 Background...... 13 Rationale...... 13 Strategies and Action Steps...... 14 GOAL three: INCREASE STATEWIDE DATA COLLECTION AND SYSTEM COORDINATION...... 15 Background...... 15 Rationale...... 15 Strategies and Action Steps...... 16 GOAL FOUR: INCREASE ACCESS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT...... 17 Background...... 17 Rationale...... 18 Strategies and Action Steps...... 18 GOAL FIVE: EVALUATE, DEVELOP AND ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION OF STATEWIDE, PRE- DISCHARGE POLICIES FOR THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, HOSPITALS, MENTAL HEALTH Facilities AND CORRECTIONal FACILITIES...... 20 Background...... 20 Rationale...... 21 Strategies and Action Steps...... 21 Conclusion and Next Steps...... 22 Acknowledgements...... 22 Endnotes...... 23 4 our goal. We have highlighted several key Chairman’s Preface indicators to measure progress along the way: As the Chair of the Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee, We plan to increase the number of permanent I am honored to present this plan supportive housing units 15 percent for fiscal to improve the effectiveness and 1. year 2012 and 20 percent in FY 2013 above the efficiency of state resources in current inventory of existing and in-the–pipeline the Commonwealth of Virginia to units. prevent and reduce homelessness. To prevent homelessness and support Rapid Rehousing for individuals and families – we will In May of 2010, Governor Bob McDonnell signed 2. accomplish a ten percent increase in the number Executive Order 10 for a Housing Policy Framework of individuals and families placed in permanent that called for a focus on addressing the needs of housing from 4,333 in fiscal year 2010 to 4,766 homeless Virginians, and housing and services for in fiscal year 2012 and 5,243 in fiscal year 2013. those with very low incomes. As part of this effort, To improve statewide data collection and the the Governor charged our Committee with the coordination of the system of services – we will following task: to develop a plan to leverage state 3. create a Statewide Coordinating Council in fiscal resources more effectively; maximize the effectiveness year 2011 of State services and resources for individuals and To increase access to substance abuse and mental families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; health treatment – we will create four new SOAR and realize efficiencies through enhanced coordination 4. sites in the Commonwealth -- Social Security and shared resources among State agencies. Disability Insurance (SSDI) Outreach, Access and Recovery – in fiscal year 2011. This effort has been enhanced by the participation To ensure implementation of statewide pre- and support of the Secretariat of Health and Human discharge policies and procedures for the Services. Secretary Bill Hazel’s leadership and 5. foster care system, hospitals, mental health and involvement helped shaped the Committee’s correction facilities – we will achieve a five understanding and work. percent decrease in the number of incarcerated adults transitioning to the community without Our Committee proposes five primary goals to housing in fiscal year 2011. meet the Governor’s challenge, summarized in this Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee Report. Helping Virginians find a stable and affordable These goals will be used by a cross section of state home in the Commonwealth is a state priority. To agencies and pursued in partnership with local accomplish this, the plan will require new levels of communities, local and regional governments, private coordination – not only among state agencies – but and nonprofit entities and the federal government. also in local communities across public, private and This plan reflects unprecedented coordination and regional organizations. We look forward to working leadership at the Cabinet level and builds on the with our fellow Virginias to give more of our residents progress of local plans and proven practices across the the choice of a safe and permanent home. Commonwealth to prevent and reduce the numbers of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Sincerely,

Our overall goal is to reduce homelessness by over 1,300 individuals (at least fifteen percent) in three years time, by 2013 from 8,883 to 7,550. The comprehensive plan includes fifteen strategies to reach Bob Sledd Executive Summary Goals 5

In local communities across the Commonwealth, individuals and The report includes five goals: families are experiencing homelessness. It is estimated that the Commonwealth has 8,883 individuals who report that they are Goal One will achieve a gradual shift in the focus of homeless on any given day in 2010,1 or up to 45,500 annually.2 state funding resources from emergency housing to In the last five years, there have been concerted local and regional permanent housing solutions. efforts, in partnership with state government, to reduce these numbers with some success. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1. Increase the number of permanent rates decreased by six percent between 2005 and 2007. However, supportive housing units in the in recent years, these decreases have not continued. Since 2008, Commonwealth. the numbers have stayed relatively steady, indicating that, without increased attention, almost 9,000 Virginia citizens will continue Goal Two rewards local communities for preventing 3 to be at risk. homelessness and getting individuals and families into housing as quickly as possible. Nationally, there is increasing evidence of effective ways to reduce homelessness and move people into permanent housing. 2. Increase flexibility of funding to prevent While local and state practitioners in the Commonwealth of homelessness and support Rapid Rehousing Virginia have the knowledge of effective practices and some for individuals and families. localities have put in place innovative solutions, state policies and funding are often not flexible enough to support and expand Goal Three maximizes the efficient use of state funds, these tested approaches. By design, the funding available through leverages new federal funding resources, provides the current spectrum of state services places greater emphasis on responding to emergencies than on a long-term solution of statewide leadership to reduce homelessness and helping residents find and keep a home. In addition, localities designs coordinated approaches that meet the diverse often do not have the data or capacity to compete for federal needs of individuals who are homeless. and private funding, which would leverage additional resources to their doors. Further, state policies and programs are not well 3. Increase statewide data collection and coordinated across agencies, resulting in missed opportunities system coordination. for residents seeking services and inefficient management of resources. Goal Four reduces substance use and improves mental health services for the most expensive group In May 2010, Governor McDonnell issued an Executive Order of individuals who are homeless—those who are for a Housing Policy Framework that called for a focus on chronically in and out of homelessness. The intent is addressing the needs of homeless Virginians. Immediately to help these individuals gain stability, employable following the Order, Senior Economic Advisor to Governor skills and the opportunity to become independent McDonnell Bob Sledd and Secretary of Health and Human contributing members of society. Resources William Hazel convened the first meeting of Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee. Up until this time, there had not been concerted cabinet level attention and leadership focused on 4. Increase access to substance abuse and preventing homelessness and helping individuals and families mental health treatment. find housing. Goal Five stems the flow of individuals leaving state The Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee adopted five and local mental health institutions, health care major goals and fifteen strategies. These five goals address the facilities, correctional institutions and foster care needs of individuals, families, veterans, victims of domestic placements into homelessness. violence, individuals who experience chronic homelessness and unaccompanied youth, and they reflect a comprehensive approach 5. Evaluate, develop and ensure to both prevent and reduce homelessness over the next three implementation of statewide, pre-discharge years and beyond. policies for the foster care system, hospitals, 6 mental health facilities and correctional Introduction facilities. In local communities across the Commonwealth, individuals and families are experiencing The Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee created homelessness. It is estimated that the Commonwealth this plan to be implemented. Recommendations has 8,883 individuals who report that they are 4 are practical, informed by research and stakeholder homeless on any given day in 2010, or up to 45,500 5 expertise and designed to be enhanced and annually. In the last five years, there have been implemented in partnership with local communities. concerted local and regional efforts, in partnership with state government, to reduce these numbers with Virginia citizens have the knowledge to end some success. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, homelessness and the means to do so. This report was rates decreased by six percent between 2005 and written so that Virginia residents who are homeless, 2007. However, in recent years, these decreases have or at risk of becoming homeless, can find affordable not continued. Since 2008, the numbers have stayed housing and support through coordinated state and relatively steady, indicating that, without increased local resources. To accomplish this, the plan will attention, almost 9,000 Virginia citizens will continue 6 require unprecedented coordination—not only among to be at risk. state agencies, but also in local communities across public, private and regional organizations. Nationally, there is increasing evidence of effective The recommendations will be successful with the ways to reduce homelessness and move people into continued support of citizens as volunteers and permanent housing. While local and state practitioners investors committed to ending homelessness. An in the Commonwealth of Virginia have the knowledge important step for improved results is to adopt a of effective practices, and some localities have put unified approach from state government, emphasizing in place innovative solutions, state policies and permanent supportive housing, Rapid Rehousing, funding are often not flexible enough to support coordinated tracking and leadership, access to mental and expand these tested approaches. By design, the health and support services and improved discharge funding available through the current spectrum of planning. This report provides a blueprint to advance state services places greater emphasis on responding and accomplish this work. to emergencies than on a long-term solution of helping residents find and keep a home. In addition, localities often do not have the data or capacity to compete for federal and private funding, which would leverage additional resources to their doors. Further, state policies and programs are not well coordinated across agencies, resulting in missed opportunities for “Virginia citizens have residents seeking services and inefficient management the knowledge to end of resources. homelessness and the In May 2010, Governor McDonnell issued an Executive Order for a Housing Policy Framework that means to do so..” called for a focus on addressing the needs of homeless Virginians. Immediately following the Order, Senior Economic Advisor to Governor McDonnell Bob Sledd and Secretary of Health and Human Resources William Hazel convened the first meeting of Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee. Up until this time, there had not been concerted cabinet level attention and leadership focused on preventing homelessness to do its work without the expenditure 7 and helping individuals and families find housing. of new resources, participants were challenged to make the majority of their The Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee recommendations to better align and focus existing undertook an unprecedented examination of how state resources. In exceptional cases, the Committee made resources can have a greater impact in localities across recommendations requiring new resources based the Commonwealth. Committee members adopted on the conviction that these investments would a charge to leverage state resources for addressing significantly reduce overall long-term costs. homelessness more effectively, to maximize the effectiveness of state services and resources for The Committee adopted the following as its definition individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of the individuals and families at the center of the of homelessness and to realize efficiencies through report: enhanced coordination among the more than twelve state agencies that provide services to persons • An individual who lacks a fixed and adequate experiencing homelessness. The Committee was residence; charged to accomplish this without additional state • An individual in a temporary shelter or place resources, adding an additional challenge affecting the not designed for sleeping accommodations; scope and breadth of recommendations. • People at risk of imminently losing their housing without resources and support The Committee worked in coordination with the networks, including those at risk of eviction, Governor’s Re-entry Council and the Housing Policy doubled up or living in a motel without Task Force through overlap in its membership, sharing resources to stay; information and vetting draft goals and strategies with • Unaccompanied youth and homeless families agency leaders. who have experienced persistent instability; • People who are fleeing or attempting to flee The Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee domestic violence. adopted five major goals and fifteen strategies. These five goals address the needs of individuals, families, veterans, victims of domestic violence and unaccompanied youth, and they reflect a Vision, Core Values and Principles comprehensive approach to both prevent and reduce homelessness over the next three years and beyond. Beginning with a review of local and regional plans to end homelessness, the Committee launched its task rooted in the work of local communities, with Method an eye toward building self-reliance and increasing collaboration across state agencies and within The Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee studied communities. effective local and regional plans in Virginia, reviewed models in states across the nation, read available The Committee adopted a vision that reflects a state and federal research on needs and resources portrait of the Commonwealth with a highly effective and engaged over 140 stakeholders from across the state approach to ending homelessness: “Virginia Commonwealth in identifying ways in which state residents who are homeless, or at risk of becoming agencies might work more effectively at preventing homeless, find affordable housing and support through and reducing homelessness in partnership with local coordinated state and local resources.” communities. The planning process was informed by research materials and facilitated sessions conducted The Committee’s core values are reflected in the by Communitas Consulting of Charlottesville, adopted goals and strategies. Committee members Virginia. Because the committee was charged believe in: • Opportunity: In reducing barriers to economic continuously homeless for a year or more. 8 independence and creating opportunities The primary cause of homelessness is a • Collaboration: In meaningful collaboration lack of affordable housing. On average, across agencies to improve results in Virginia, a worker must be employed full time at • Will: Homelessness is solvable and can be $19.63 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment.7 prevented The high cost of housing makes it difficult for • Access: In eliminating barriers to resources individuals below the poverty line to find affordable and services shelter. In addition, people experiencing homelessness • Stability: Permanent, accessible and may have insufficient education and training, adding affordable housing, with support services as to the challenges of finding a job. necessary, is a primary solution to ending homelessness Individuals also experience homelessness as a result • Dignity: In the individuality and diversity of of a financial or personal crisis, due to domestic persons who experience homelessness violence, or aging out of foster care. Mental illness • Leadership: In the role of state government can contribute to homelessness, as can leaving a jail to facilitate opportunities and influence local or health care institution without resources to find and communities keep a home. Fewer support services for addiction can lead individuals battling substance abuse to The Committee adopted key principles that guided the homelessness. In the 2009 count of Virginia residents development, creation and intended use of the report. who were homeless, approximately 29 percent The report’s recommendations will: reported chronic substance abuse; 17 percent reported being severely mentally ill, 15 percent were victims of • Be developed in partnership with state domestic violence, and 13 percent were veterans.8 agencies • Have measurable results • Be focused on the well-being of individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming Goals and Strategies homeless • Be cost effective The report includes five goals, each followed by • Be informed by local input strategies to accomplish the goal. The five goals are: • Focus on permanent housing solutions • Address causes and symptoms of homelessness Goal One will achieve a gradual shift in the focus of • Leverage public, private and local partnerships state funding resources from emergency housing to • Be implementable permanent housing solutions. • Work across agencies toward collaborative solutions 1. Increase the number of permanent • Be sustainable beyond three years supportive housing units in the Commonwealth.

Particularly for those who are chronically homeless, Causes of Homelessness permanent supportive housing has been proven to save money by reducing time spent in hospitals or jails. Homelessness affects Virginia citizens of all ages It is an effective means for ensuring that individuals and backgrounds. In 2009, 20 percent of individuals who are homeless and have mental illness or are experiencing homelessness were families with recovering from substance use disorders will be able children, and almost 18 percent were “chronically to find and keep a permanent home. While current homeless”—unaccompanied individuals experiencing state agencies provide some support and tax credits bouts of homelessness over the last three years or for the construction of permanent supportive housing, the current rate of development is too slow to meet 3. Increase statewide data collection 9 the increasing demand, and services are too piecemeal and system coordination. to help these citizens live independently. Goal One emphasizes the coordination and targeting of existing By strengthening planning and data collection, state resources across agencies to provide housing to an and local partners will be able to leverage more private increased number of individuals, including veterans, and public resources, target services where they are and builds the capacity of local and regional nonprofit needed most and make it easier for individuals and organizations to develop permanent supportive families who are homeless to access a range of state housing in partnership with the state. Should and local resources. A statewide coordinating body is additional resources be available, the creation of a recommended to facilitate this coordination, serve as state Housing Trust Fund is recommended. an information source, leverage and coordinate new and existing funding resources, build the capacity of Goal Two rewards local communities for preventing urban and rural localities to enhance resources and homelessness and getting individuals and families into lead the implementation of the overall plan. housing as quickly as possible. Goal Four reduces substance use and improves 2. Increase flexibility of funding to prevent mental health services for the most expensive group homelessness and support Rapid Rehousing of individuals who are homeless—those who are for individuals and families. chronically in and out of homelessness. The intent is to help these individuals gain stability, employable Currently, most of the state funding mechanisms skills and the opportunity to become independent available to alleviate homelessness support nights contributing members of society. of shelter or a set of services for those experiencing homelessness. This recommended approach will 4. Increase access to substance abuse and emphasize “Rapid Rehousing”—a proven method mental health treatment. that increases the number of individuals rapidly moving from homelessness to housing by providing By leveraging existing state funds to increase access transitional services to them in their new homes and to federal benefits, such as Supplementary Security maintaining a connection to landlords to ensure that Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance individuals and families may remain in their homes. (SSDI) through an evidenced based program called Performance-based contracts will reward those SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR), this agencies best able to find homes for their clients, allow goal improves conditions for individuals who are for flexibility of implementation among rural and chronically homeless as a result of mental health and urban localities and encourage innovation and use of substance abuse problems. If additional funds can effective practices. Funding will be leveraged from be identified, an expansion of Housing First sites several state departments to achieve this goal. Because and a network of peer recovery programs based on no new funding is allocated toward this goal and Richmond’s Healing Place—both proven models for providing a safety net for those who are experiencing reducing homelessness—are top priorities. homelessness remains critical, funding adjustments for Rapid Rehousing will be incremental and an Goal Five stems the flow of individuals leaving state appropriate level of emergency shelter support will be and local mental health institutions, health care maintained. facilities, correctional institutions and foster care placements into homelessness. Goal Three maximizes the efficient use of state funds, 5. Evaluate, develop and ensure leverages new federal funding resources, provides implementation of statewide, pre-discharge statewide leadership to reduce homelessness and policies for the foster care system, hospitals, designs coordinated approaches that meet the diverse mental health facilities and correctional needs of individuals who are homeless. facilities. Goal Five recommends engaging state government 10 in educating discharge planners and strengthening GOAL ONE: INCREASE THE procedures and policies within these institutions. It is intended that individuals have a housing plan NUMBER OF PERMANENT before release into the community, and that discharge planners take advantage of existing state and local SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS IN THE resources for veterans and build partnerships with appropriate community-based organizations to reduce COMMONWEALTH the likelihood of individuals returning to homelessness or public institutions. These recommendations are Goal One will achieve a gradual shift in the focus coordinated with the Governor’s Re-entry Task Force of state funding resources from emergency housing and promote an improved transition from state and to permanent housing solutions. Particularly for local correctional institutions to the community that those who are chronically homeless, permanent prioritizes the reduction of homelessness. supportive housing has been proven to save money by reducing time spent in hospitals or jails. It is an effective means for ensuring that individuals who are homeless and have mental illness or are recovering from substance use disorders will be able to find “Nationally, there is and keep a permanent home. While current state agencies provide some support and tax credits for the increasing evidence of construction of permanent supportive housing, the rate of development is too slow to meet the increasing effective ways to reduce demand, and services are too piecemeal to help these citizens live independently. Goal One emphasizes the homelessness and move coordination and targeting of existing resources across agencies to provide housing to an increased number people into permanent of individuals, including veterans, and builds the capacity of local and regional nonprofit organizations housing.” to develop permanent supportive housing in partnership with the state. Should additional resources be available, the creation of a state Housing Trust Fund is recommended. “Virginia residents who are homeless, or at risk of Background

becoming homeless, find The majority of state resources for people experiencing homelessness are focused on helping affordable housing and individuals once they are in a housing crisis and need emergency care and support services. The state support through coordinated government has played an important role in providing benefits, emergency housing and funding for shelters state and local resources.” to individuals including children, veterans, victims of domestic violence and chronically homeless adults. These services are critical as a safety net for Virginia residents, yet providing these alone will not result in a long-term solution to homelessness, particularly for chronically homeless individuals who are the most substance use disorders or co-occurring 11 expensive to serve and most challenging to assist.9 disorders—individuals who are likely to have difficulty maintaining housing without Currently, six state agencies and Community Service appropriate and intensive support services. In addition Boards provide either support to individuals in to those with mental health problems or disabilities, permanent support housing or funds to assist with veterans and families are also beneficiaries of development and services. These include: permanent supportive housing.

1. HOME Investment Partnership funds in For chronically homeless individuals, permanent the Virginia Department of Housing and supportive housing provides them with the tools Community Development to live stably in housing and often results in better 2. Community Service Block Grants in the health outcomes. As noted in the JLARC report, “For Virginia Department of Social Services treatment to be successful, numerous studies have 3. Housing Choice Voucher Program in the shown that individuals need stable housing….housing Virginia Housing Development Authority is health care.”11 Permanent supportive housing is 4. Sponsoring Partnerships and Revitalizing less expensive than other alternatives such as jails or Communities SPARC loan Multifamily Rental hospitals. The Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness Program in the Virginia Housing Development reports that: Authority 5. Foster Care Independent Living Program in the • In Connecticut, daily costs of supportive Virginia Department of Social Services housing range from $40 - $1,145 less than 6. Low Income Housing Tax Credit in the venues such as shelters or hospitals; Virginia Housing Development Authority. • In nine large cities, supportive housing expenses averaged nearly $30 per day while As noted in a recent Joint Legislative Audit and prisons and mental hospitals averaged nearly Review Commission (JLARC) report, Reducing $80 and $550; Veteran Homelessness in Virginia, the Commonwealth • A study of Maine’s supportive housing has not designated support for permanent supportive program found savings of $219,791 for 163 housing, despite evidence of its effectiveness. The individuals over the course of six months;12 authors note, As noted in the JLARC report on “Reducing Veteran “While some general funds and Temporary Homelessness in Virginia,” emergency shelters Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are not equipped to help the chronically homeless money have been designated to assist those find housing. These shelters have limited hours experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and support services and often strict eligibility these programs have focused on providing requirements that restrict use by chronically homeless emergency shelter, transitional housing, individuals with mental health or substance use and short term assistance to households at disorders. The authors note: imminent risk of losing their housing.”10 “By contrast, supportive housing has emerged as a successful, cost-effective combination of permanent affordable housing and support Rationale services that help formerly homeless people maintain stable housing and live more productive lives…”13 Permanent supportive housing is a solution to homelessness targeted to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness as well as mental illness, 12 Strategies and Action Steps providers, including Community Services Boards and nonprofit agencies, to provide In order to increase support for permanent supportive permanent supportive housing. housing, the following strategies and action steps are recommended: Action Steps: »» 1.3.1 Provide training, coaching and technical Goal 1: Increase the number of permanent assistance with packaging and leveraging state supportive housing units in the Commonwealth and federal funds to help develop the capacity of providers to operate and fund supportive Strategy 1.1. Ensure the optimal use and alignment housing. of existing state resources for permanent supportive »» 1.3.2 Support implementation of the housing. recommendations in the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services Action Steps: “Creating Opportunities” plan to align policies »» 1.1.1 Designate funds for predevelopment to promote supportive housing development expenses: Allow Community Housing through partnerships between Community Development Organization (CHDO) funds to Services Boards and supportive housing be used for predevelopment. providers. »» 1.1.2 Change the eligibility requirements for SPARC loans to support only permanent supportive housing development under the homeless category. »» 1.1.3 Expand the eligibility requirements of the “The primary cause of non-competitive pool within the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program to include homelessness is a lack of projects that serve the chronically homeless through permanent supportive housing. affordable housing.” »» 1.1.4 Encourage public and nonprofit agencies to participate in the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program and the VA Grant and Per Diem Program. »» 1.1.5 Target permanent supportive housing to frequent users of emergency shelters and “Funding adjustments public institutions including mental health facilities, private hospitals, jails and prisons. for Rapid Rehousing

Strategy 1.2 Prioritize any new federal and state trust will be incremental fund resources for permanent supportive housing. and an appropriate Action Steps: »» 1.2.1 Develop a state Housing Trust Fund that level of emergency places a high priority on permanent supportive housing. shelter support will be »» 1.2.2. Ensure that permanent supportive housing is a high priority for a new federally maintained.” funded National Housing Trust Fund.

Strategy 1.3 Educate and build the capacity of Emergency Shelter Grants, funded through 13 GOAL TWO: INCREASE the federal government by formula to support effective shelter and transitional FLEXIBILITY OF FUNDING TO housing operations; (2) State Shelter Grants that assist homeless families and individuals by providing PREVENT HOMELESSNESS AND financial support, technical assistance and training opportunities for the operation of emergency shelters SUPPORT RAPID REHOUSING FOR and transitional housing facilities in Virginia; (3) the Homeless Intervention Program (HIP), which INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES provides temporary mortgage or rental assistance, case management and housing counseling to individuals or Goal Two rewards local communities for preventing families experiencing a temporary financial crisis; and homelessness and getting individuals and families (4) the Child Services Coordinator Grant (CSCG) for into housing as quickly as possible. Currently, most shelters, which funds child service coordinators who of the state funding mechanisms available to alleviate screen all homeless children to assess their health, homelessness support nights of shelter or a set of mental health and educational needs and connect them services for those experiencing homelessness. This with the appropriate services. recommended approach will emphasize “Rapid Rehousing”—a proven method that increases The majority of funds are awarded to local nonprofit the number of individuals rapidly moving from organizations on the basis of the services, while homelessness to housing by providing transitional a small component are awarded on the recipients’ services to them in their new homes and maintaining a capacity to move shelter residents into affordable and connection to landlords to ensure that individuals and permanent housing. families may remain in their homes. Performance- based contracts will reward those agencies best able Of those individuals experiencing homelessness to find homes for their clients, allow for flexibility in recent years, one in five live in households with of implementation among rural and urban localities children. Rapid Rehousing has proven particularly and encourage innovation and use of effective effective in preventing family homelessness and practices. Funding will be leveraged from several helping families find stable housing. state departments to achieve this goal. Because no new funding is allocated toward this goal and providing a safety net for those who are experiencing Rationale homelessness remains critical, funding adjustments for Rapid Rehousing will be incremental and an A paradigm shift is taking place across the country in appropriate level of emergency shelter support will be the way that communities respond to homelessness. maintained. Communities have adopted “Rapid Rehousing” models which view obtaining housing as a critical first step in helping individuals and families live productive Background lives rather than thinking of housing as a reward for participating fully in program services. The model Virginia’s Department of Housing and Community is based on the premise that the “best way to end Development has several programs to support homelessness is to help people move into permanent emergency shelters and designed to connect the housing as quickly as possible”14 As a result of homeless or those at risk of homelessness to the communities’ successes in finding residents permanent services they need in a cost-effective way. To housing and growing research demonstrating date, a small proportion of these funds have been impressive results, Rapid Rehousing is replacing the allocated to support Rapid Rehousing for families provision of emergency shelter as a more proactive, and individuals. These programs include: (1) effective and permanent solution to homelessness. return to shelter. 14 The National Alliance to End Homelessness provides »» 2.1.2 Develop strategies that the following definition of Rapid Rehousing: incentivize non-shelter programs that place individuals and families in permanent (1) Homeless people move into permanent housing quickly (i.e. housing-focused case housing as quickly as possible; (2) Services management and hotel vouchers). are delivered primarily following a housing »» 2.1.3 Pilot projects to redirect shelter funds placement; (3) Housing is not contingent on to prevention and Rapid Rehousing: reduce compliance with treatment or services; (4) the number of shelter beds and increase Housing First programs provide intensive the number of individuals and families not housing search assistance, low-barrier housing, becoming homeless. long-term rent assistance (in some cases); »» 2.1.4 Based on pilot project experience, expand ongoing case management services, and a to more communities. close relationship with property managers, with guarantees to intervene when there are Strategy 2.2 Set performance goals and link state problems.15 funding and contracts for housing and prevention of homelessness to criteria and outcomes. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) can blend its resources with Action Steps: other state departments and create performance-based »» 2.2.1 Reward high performers. contracts that reward recipients for helping citizens »» 2.2.2. Improve coordination with the Virginia obtain and keep permanent supportive housing as Department of Social Services, the Virginia quickly as possible. In stakeholder meetings across Department of Housing and Community the state, there was widespread support for moving Development, the Virginia Department of away from funding service units and transitioning to Corrections, and other appropriate state a “pay for performance” approach where the intended agencies to leverage funding and integrate outcome is reducing the numbers of individuals and services and referrals for the prevention of families who repeat the cycle of homelessness or gain homelessness and Rapid Rehousing. a transitional reprieve in emergency shelter only to »» 2.2.3 Coordinate state agency funding streams find themselves unable to afford or keep a permanent and reporting requirements. home.

Strategies and Action Steps

Goal 2. Increase flexibility of funding to prevent homelessness and support Rapid Rehousing for “It is intended that individuals and families individuals have a Strategy 2.1. Increase the flexibility for State Shelter Grants, Emergency Shelter Grants, and the Homeless housing plan before Intervention Program to provide a continuum of services with a focus on performance, Rapid release into the Rehousing and prevention. community..” Action Steps: »» 2.1.1 Establish funding goals based on the number of individuals and families re-housed into permanent housing and decreased rates of 15 GOAL THREE: INCREASE STATEWIDE Among state agencies there are a myriad of data collection methods for obtaining DATA COLLECTION AND SYSTEM information on individuals and families who are homeless. All local agencies receiving state COORDINATION shelter funds from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) are now required Goal Three improves statewide coordination and to use a Homeless Management Information System data collection to maximize the efficient use of state (HMIS) system, except for domestic violence shelters, funds, leverage new federal funding resources, which provide their data through VDSS to VAData provide statewide leadership to reduce homelessness (an electronic web-based data collection system for and design approaches that meet the diverse needs Virginia’s Sexual and Domestic Violence Service of individuals who are homeless. By strengthening Agencies). planning and data collection, state and local partners will be able to leverage more private and public Leadership and Coordination resources, target services where they are needed While at least twelve state agency departments most and make it easier for individuals and families have programs and services or funding that reaches who are homeless to access a range of state and individuals and families who are homeless, there local resources. A statewide coordinating body is is currently very limited coordination among them. recommended to facilitate this coordination, serve as As noted in the JLARC study on homeless veterans, an information source, leverage and coordinate new “[A]cross the various entities and services, a lack of and existing funding resources, build the capacity of coordination and a lack of awareness about programs both urban and rural localities to enhance resources could lead to inefficiencies or to homeless veterans and lead the implementation of the overall plan. ‘falling through the cracks.’”16

Background Rationale

Data Without state leadership, reducing homelessness Virginia has 23 Continuum of Care (CoC) areas will not become a priority. As noted in the JLARC and fourteen local and/or regional Ten Year Plans to report, up until this time, the state has played a limited Prevent Homelessness. These are regional planning role in addressing homelessness. The report notes groups, some of which organize and deliver housing that there have been two attempts between 2003 and and services to homeless individuals and families, 2007 to establish comprehensive goals for reducing funded by the federal Department of Housing and homelessness in Virginia, “but both of these efforts Urban Development (HUD). HUD requires that all stalled.”17 This has been despite spending extensive CoCs report Point-In-Time (PIT) counts of people resources across twelve departments and agencies and experiencing homelessness every two years. in partnership with local and federal organizations. The Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee plan The Homelessness Management Information System offers the state the opportunity to establish statewide (HMIS) is a tool, required by HUD, which allows goals, coordinate services, create a reliable census communities to better understand the populations of individuals who are homeless, advance targeted they serve. HMIS administration often takes place priorities across departments and ultimately reduce the at the local level within government offices—cities numbers of individuals and families who experience and counties may have offices to prevent and end homelessness. To obtain the level of coordination and homelessness, and in some cases, it is the housing leadership required, the establishment of a Statewide authority or regional nonprofits that are responsible. Coordinating Council is recommended. Despite having multiple data systems, there is no occurring disorder who experience 16 comprehensive means of identifying the needs homelessness. and resources of individuals and families who »» 3.1.3 Determine the median length are homeless at any given time. Having more of homelessness and the percentage of comprehensive and accurate information will allow adults experiencing homelessness who are the state and localities to target resources according unemployed. to need and the composition of people experiencing »» 3.1.4 Convene a meeting of the representatives homelessness. Many communities are hampered from the Continuums of Care to plan the in their efforts to obtain federal and private funding annual statewide Point-In-Time count. because they have insufficient capacity to understand »» 3.1.5 Develop a data subgroup to provide their populations and design targeted strategies guidance for annual Point-In-Time surveys, and evaluate impact. Further, the U.S. Department review HMIS implementation across the state of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has and explore the value of a statewide HMIS. increasingly required compliance with federal data »» 3.1.6. Develop a statewide survey for standards for receipt of its funding. A Coordinating collecting data. Council with a clear mandate to work across departments to streamline data collection and funding Strategy 3.2. Set statewide goals for achieving streams and provide needed technical assistance housing stability by populations. to communities will allow the Commonwealth to increase its share of federal and private resources. Action Steps: »» 3.2.1 Determine top indicators for preventing and ending homelessness in Virginia. »» 3.2.2 Review successful indicators in local or Strategies and Action Steps regional Ten Year Plans. »» 3.2.3 Review best practices from the National Goal 3: Increase statewide data collection and Alliance to End Homelessness. system coordination »» 3.2.4 Review indicators with state agency coordinating groups, the representatives of Strategy 3.1. Increase comprehensiveness the Continuums of Care and regional entities of statewide data on homelessness and key advancing Ten Year Plans. subpopulations at risk of homelessness captured by »» 3.2.5 Set benchmarks for state-funded housing and homeless service providers. programs for each priority subpopulation. »» 3.2.6. Include expected housing stability outcomes in requests for state funding sources serving the targeted subpopulations. Action Steps: »» 3.2.7. Request that appropriate state agencies »» 3.1.1 Get updated data from annual Point-In- adopt a housing stability goal as one of their Time counts including the number of adults performance outcomes. in families, chronically homeless individuals, veterans, unaccompanied youth and ex- Strategy 3.3. Create a statewide coordinating body offenders. to oversee the implementation of the plan, to provide »» 3.1.2 Collect data from appropriate guidance on resource allocation or re-allocation, departments and organizations on the number to facilitate cross-agency and cross-secretariat of youth exiting foster care into homelessness partnerships and to review and coordinate statewide and the number of individuals experiencing data on homelessness. mental illness, substance abuse or a co- Action Steps: 17 »» 3.3.1. Establish a statewide coordinating GOAL FOUR: INCREASE agency including the leadership of state department heads and other public, private ACCESS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE and nonprofit stakeholders. Secure top-level commitment of state agencies. AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT »» 3.3.2 Convene members to review current data, monitor the status of the plans and prioritize Goal Four reduces substance use and improves action steps for each year. mental health services for the most expensive group »» 3.3.3 Develop a program directors’ meeting of individuals who are homeless—those who are of agency staff to review action steps, identify chronically in and out of homelessness. The intent is barriers and areas of collaboration and to help these individuals gain stability, employable make recommendations to state and agency skills and the opportunity to become independent leadership. contributing members of society. By leveraging »» 3.3.4 Convene representatives from each existing state funds to increase access to federal Continuum of Care or regional Ten Year benefits, such as Supplementary Security Income Plan entity to monitor implementation of (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance the state’s strategies, determine barriers to (SSDI) through an evidenced based program called implementation and areas of collaboration and SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR), this make recommendations to state and agency goal improves conditions for individuals who are leadership. chronically homeless as a result of mental health and »» 3.3.5 Increase the interface and integration of substance abuse problems. If additional funds can systems, including data management, within be identified, an expansion of Housing First sites state Health and Human Resource agencies, and a network of peer recovery programs based on the Department of Housing and Community Richmond’s Healing Place—both proven models for Development and the Department of reducing homelessness—are top priorities. Corrections to improve efficiency and service coordination. »» 3.3.6 Coordinate with state workforce development efforts to facilitate coordination Background with the Homelessness Outcomes Advisory Committee plan, and reward and recognize According to a 1999 study by the Urban Institute local communities that link homeless planning of persons experiencing homelessness, 38 percent and services with workforce development reported alcohol use problems in the previous month, 26 percent reported drug use, 39 percent efforts. reported mental health problems and 66 percent reported having one or more of these problems.18 In Virginia, substance abuse costs an estimated $613 million dollars (2006 estimate), including health “Rapid Rehousing has care, incarceration, law enforcement and community proven particularly corrections, with the state incurring over half of these 19 effective in preventing expenses. People with active and untreated symptoms of mental family homelessness and illness or substance abuse can find it extremely helping families find difficult to meet basic needs for food, shelter and safety. These individuals are often impoverished; stable housing.” many are not receiving benefits for which they may 18 be eligible, and they become homeless more often over $4 million dollars over the first and for longer periods of time than other homeless year of operation.20 populations. 2. Peer recovery models, such as the Healing Place, for homeless individuals with substance In Virginia state government, there are several use disorders allow clients to support each programs and agencies that provide mental health other as they are provided with a structured and substance abuse treatment. Local Community and comprehensive system of services. Service Boards provide public mental health and Individuals transition to the community based substance abuse services (with funds from the on completion of recovery steps and are Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental given responsibilities such as paying small Services) including Supportive Residential Services. amounts of rent and holding down a steady The following agencies and programs provide job. In addition, life skills classes, education some support or resources for both substance abuse opportunities, housing partnerships and legal treatment and mental health services: Projects services are provided to clients to help them for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness transition into the community and prevent (PATH) in the Department of Behavioral Health returning to the streets. and Developmental Services; Virginia Medicaid 3. Mental health dockets also provide specialized in the Department of Medicaid Assistance; Foster interventions and support services for Care Independent Living Program within the offenders who are in trouble because of their Virginia Department of Social Services; Housing mental health or substance abuse problems. Choice Voucher Program and State Shelter Grants The key to these dockets is a targeted system within the Department of Housing and Community of services for each client, collaboration Development; and the Department of Veteran’s among service providers and the court system Services. and maintaining contact with each individual as they utilize services and assimilate into the community. Rationale 4. The SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery, or SOAR program, increases Investing in substance abuse treatment and improved access to treatment and supports by securing mental health resources for individuals who are Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and homeless helps them become productive citizens Social Security and Disability Insurance who can work and contribute to the community. (SSDI) for people with disabilities who are Four models have proven successful in paving the homeless or at risk of homelessness. Trained way for this transition and are recommended for case managers walk eligible individuals implementation of the plan. Existing funds can be through the application process and help them used to expand the SOAR program; new funds are collect and prepare the necessary paperwork. requested to support a network of peer recovery In Virginia, SOAR has had success in helping centers, mental health dockets, and increased Housing connect individuals with benefits, with a 69 First sites: percent approval and success rate, compared to a national approval rate of 37 percent as of the 1. “Housing First” is a tested approach to ending summer of 2009. chronic homelessness where individuals with chronic substance abuse or mental health problems are provided with housing and Strategies and Action Steps support services that include case management, therapy and psychological and medical care. A Goal 4. Increase access to substance abuse and recent study of a Seattle Housing First model mental health treatment of 95 residents found that the program saved Strategy 4.1. Target new housing and behavioral program to consider post-booking, 19 health resources to “Housing First” projects to serve pre-trial jail diversion program homeless individuals with serious mental illness. models to serve homeless and at- Action Steps: risk persons with serious mental illness or »» 4.1.1 Plan and budget for the development co-occurring mental illness and substance use of new Housing First projects and identify disorders. potential locations and providers. »» 4.3.3 Identify potential pilot sites and »» 4.1.2 Develop a memorandum of agreement necessary local partnerships. among pertinent state agencies to set aside »» 4.3.4. Provide training and technical assistance new housing and service funds for potential to volunteer sites to seek funding and projects. implement programs. »» 4.1.3 As new housing and service funds are identified, make funding available to Strategy 4.4. Expand capacity of public and nonprofit prioritized projects. homeless service providers to connect clients to SSI/ SSDI benefits through SOAR. Strategy 4.2 Plan and establish a network of substance abuse peer recovery “best practice” models of service Action Steps: enhanced shelters (e.g. The Healing Place). »» 4.4.1 Find a match for PATH funds to fund a SOAR coordinator position. Action Steps: »» 4.4.2 Increase the number of trainers to provide »» 4.2.1 Consult with Richmond, Virginia, and training to shelter and other homeless service Raleigh, North Carolina Healing Place sites to providers. Require trained staff to use SOAR consider programs to address homelessness, procedures. jail diversion, and prisoner re-entry. »» 4.2.2 Identify site locations in Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, and Lynchburg areas to house approximately 250-300 beds in each region. »» 4.2.3 Identify sources of public and private funds through cost offsets of reduced hospital and criminal justice expenditures. “Permanent supportive »» 4.2.4 Acquire and build or renovate sites, hire staff and begin implementation. housing is a solution to

Strategy 4.3 Explore redirection of state criminal homelessness targeted to justice funding to effective models, such as mental health dockets, that support persons with mental health individuals experiencing needs involved in the criminal justice system. chronic homelessness...” Action Steps: »» 4.3.1. Identify funding options in partnership with the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Department of Corrections (grants/general fund) to address persons with serious mental illness or substance use disorders who are under supervision with community corrections. »» 4.3.2 Consult with New River Valley Bridge experienced homelessness in 2009 20 GOAL FIVE: EVALUATE, DEVELOP were in institutional settings the AND ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION night before becoming homeless.23 Persons who are discharged into homelessness are OF STATEWIDE, PRE-DISCHARGE more likely to cycle (back) into hospitals and jails.24 This cycle wastes state resources: the (per-person) POLICIES FOR THE FOSTER cost of a night in a hospital or jail is significantly more than the (per-person) cost of a night in subsidized or CARE SYSTEM, HOSPITALS, supportive housing.25

MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES AND Virginia state agencies have discharge policies and procedures in place, but they are not uniformly CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES enforced or followed. This has resulted in residents leaving institutions without having a place to call Goal Five stems the flow of individuals leaving state home, or showing up at temporary or emergency and local mental health institutions, health care shelters with no resources or plan for long-term facilities, correctional institutions and foster care housing. placements into homelessness. Goal Five recommends engaging state government in educating discharge The following summarizes the current discharge planners and strengthening procedures and policies approaches. The state does not administer health care within these institutions. It is intended that individuals discharge policies and procedures, but does oversee have a housing plan before release into the community those policies related to foster care, mental health and that discharge planners take advantage of institutions and corrections institutions: existing state and local resources for veterans and build partnerships with appropriate community-based • Foster Care: The Virginia Independent organizations to reduce the likelihood of individuals Living Program assists foster care youths returning to homelessness or public institutions. ages 14-21 in developing the skills necessary These recommendations are coordinated with the to make the transition from foster care to Governor’s Re-entry Task Force and promote an independent living. This skills training improved transition from state and local correctional covers: communication and decision-making institutions to the community that prioritizes the skills, career exploration and job skills, reduction of homelessness. money management, housing, transportation, and legal issues. Background • Mental Health: Virginia’s mental health system includes 16 state facilities and 40 People transitioning out of foster care, mental health locally-run Community Services Boards facilities, hospitals, jails and prisons face unique (CSBs). CSBs function as the single points obstacles that put them at risk of homelessness. of entry into the publicly funded services Nationally: system. Each CSB provides discharge planning for all individuals who reside or • Twenty-five percent of former foster youth will reside in cities or counties served by the reported that they had been homeless at least CSB before they are discharged from state one night within four years of exiting foster hospitals. CSBs must follow state protocols care.21 when developing discharge plans. • One in five people leaving prison experiences • Corrections: The Virginia Department homeless soon after, if not immediately.22 of Corrections (DOC) has pre-discharge • Fourteen percent of individual adults who protocols in place. Upon entry into the prison system and each year during the Strategy 5.1. Improve discharge policies 21 offender’s sentence, prison counselors and procedures for foster care. identify and document offender post-release home plans. If offenders do not have a Action Steps: viable home plan, six months before release, »» 5.1.1. Develop a pre-discharge protocol the prison counselor refers the case to the requiring that all youth have a discharge plan DOC Community Release Unit, which that: (1) specifies an appropriate housing works with the prison and local Probation arrangement; (2) guarantees access to and Parole Offices to develop home plans. supportive services; and (3) connects them to In the majority of cases, a home plan is education. developed prior to an offender’s release. »» 5.1.2. Develop a pre-discharge protocol The Virginia Community Re-entry Program requiring that, where possible, youth are not to is a community-based program designed be released from the foster system before the to smooth the transition out of corrections terms of the discharge plan have been met. facilities. The program has been adopted »» 5.13 Develop foster care policy that integrates in seven localities. The program includes adult services housing options for the older pre-release planning that addresses financial foster care population. obligations, housing, employment, and community resources. Strategy 5.4. Strengthen mental health and health discharge protocols and policies.

Action Steps: Rationale »» 5.4.1 Educate hospital discharge planners about resources for individuals who are State policies designed to ease transitions out of homeless. publicly funded institutions can decrease the incidence »» 5.4.2. Require that mental health facilities of homelessness among transitioning individuals document and report the number of patients and increase the quality and cost-effectiveness of that are discharged into shelters. services delivered to these individuals. In addition, »» 5.4.3. Provide training to Continuums of the McKinney-Vento Act requires that, to the Care to apply for affordable housing units for maximum extent possible, individuals discharged from individuals with mental illness and substance publicly funded institutions or systems of care not be use problems. discharged into homelessness. Thus, all Continuums »» 5.4.4. Develop protocols for hospitals to link of Care must develop discharge planning policies veterans with services offered by the Veteran’s that aim to prevent discharge into homelessness. Administration and the Department of Having policies in place is key, yet implementation Veteran’s Services prior to discharge. of these policies is critical to reducing the numbers of individuals who are homeless upon release. Strategy 5.5. Improve corrections discharge policies and procedures.

Action Steps: Strategies and Action Steps »» 5.5.1. Develop a pre-discharge protocol requiring that all inmates have a discharge Goal 5. Evaluate, develop and ensure plan that: (1) specifies an appropriate housing implementation of statewide, pre-discharge policies arrangement; (2) identifies prior military for the foster care system, hospitals, mental health service; (3) includes a mandatory re-entry facilities and correctional facilities. program; and (4) connects them to support services. »» 5.5.2. Require all state prisons as well as 22 regional and local jails to identify inmates with Acknowledgements prior military service using their electronic case management system. Members of the Homeless Outcomes Advisory »» 5.5.3. Require that the Department of Committee shared their expertise, time and leadership Corrections document the number of offenders to develop this report. A special thanks to: released without viable home plans and the reasons why plans could not be developed. Bob Sledd, Chair, Senior Economic Advisor to the Governor, Richmond

Dr. Bill Hazel, Co-chair, Secretary of Health and Conclusion and Next Steps Human Resources, Richmond

The Homeless Outcomes Advisory Committee created Doug Bevalacqua, Inspector General for Behavioral this plan to be implemented. Recommendations Health and Developmental Services, Richmond are practical, informed by research and stakeholder expertise and designed to be enhanced and Phyllis Chamberlain, Virginia Coalition to End implemented in partnership with local communities. Homelessness, Arlington

Virginia citizens have the knowledge to end Steven Combs, Department of Veterans Services, homelessness and the means to do so. This report was Richmond written so that Virginia residents who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, can find affordable Claudia Gooch, Planning Council, Norfolk housing and support through coordinated state and local resources. To accomplish this, the plan will Kelly Harris-Braxton, First Cities, Richmond require unprecedented coordination—not only among state agencies, but also in local communities across Chris Hilbert, Virginia Development Housing public, private and regional organizations. Authority

The recommendations will be successful with the Shea Hollifield Virginia Department of Housing and continued support of citizens as volunteers and Community Development, Richmond investors committed to ending homelessness. An important step for improved results is to adopt a Kelly King Horne, Homeward, Richmond unified approach from state government, emphasizing permanent supportive housing, Rapid Rehousing, Pam Kestner-Chappelear, Council of Community coordinated tracking and leadership, access to mental Services, Roanoke health and support services and improved discharge planning. This report details the steps and leadership Dr. Dianne Reynolds-Cane, Virginia Department of required to achieve the five goals as well as outcomes Health Professions, Henrico to track future success. Michael Shank, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Richmond

Bill Shelton, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Richmond

Hope Stonerook, Loudon County Department of Family Services, Leesburg James Stewart, Department of Behavioral Health and 20 percent were households with children, 21 23 Developmental Services, Richmond percent suffered from substance abuse and 18 percent had been in and out of homelessness over Banci Tewolde, State Prison Re-entry Coordinator, the last three years (2010 Results from Virginia’s Point-in- Richmond Time Count, per Matthew Leslie, Department of Housing and Community Development, Virginia, October 2010). Alice Tousignant, Virginia Supportive Housing, 5 2008-09 Program Year: A Report to the Richmond House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, Department of Housing and Community Development, Paul McWhinney, Virginia Department of Social Commonwealth of Virginia, 2009. Services, Richmond 6 Between 2008 and 2009, the Point-In-Time count Special thanks to Generra Peck, Commerce and Trade, shows a slight increase from a total of 8,469 individuals to and Kathy Robertson, Department of Housing and 8,852 individuals and projected 2010 PIT counts estimate Community Development, for dedicated and able a total of 8,883. Twenty percent of these individuals staff support to the Homeless Outcomes Advisory are families with children, and another 18 percent are Committee. individuals who have been in and out of homelessness over the last three years (source: United States Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] Homelessness Resource Exchange, www.hudhre.info, October 2010).

Endnotes 7 “In Virginia, the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,021. In order to afford 1 This translates into 35,650 – 44,560 individuals this level of rent and utilities, without paying more than experiencing homelessness throughout the year. In 2009, 30 percent of income on housing, a household must earn 20 percent were households with children, 21 percent $3,403 monthly or $40,841 annually. Assuming a 40- suffered from substance abuse and eighteen percent had hour work week, 52 weeks per year, this level of income been in and out of homelessness over the last three years translates into a housing wage of $19.63” (National Low (2010 Results from Virginia’s Point-In-Time Count, per Income Housing Coalition, www.nlihc.org). Matthew Leslie, Department of Housing and Community Development, Virginia, October 28, 2010). 8 HUD 2009 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and 2 2008-09 Program Year: A Report to the Subpopulations, Department of Housing and Urban House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, Development. Department of Housing and Community Development, Commonwealth of Virginia, 2009. 9 “Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness are alone and spend long or frequent periods of time 3 Between 2008 and 2009, the Point-In-Time homeless. In addition, they have one or more disabling (PIT) count shows a one percent increase from a total of conditions, defined as a physical illness or disability, 8,469 individuals to 8,552 individuals and projected 2010 serious mental illness, or substance use disorder.” – Page PIT counts estimate a total of 8,883. Twenty percent of 3, Report of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review these individuals are families with children, and another Commission to the Governor and General Assembly 18 percent are individuals who have been in and out of of Virginia, Reducing Veteran Homelessness in Virginia, homelessness over the last three years (United States June 14, 2010. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] Homelessness Resource Exchange, www.hudhre.info, 10 Page 51-52, Report of the Joint Legislative October 2010). Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to the Governor and General Assembly of Virginia, Reducing Veteran 4 This translates into 35,650 – 44,560 individuals Homelessness in Virginia, June 14, 2010. experiencing homelessness throughout the year. In 2009, 11 Ibid, page 52. 24 21 “Issues: Youth.” National 12 Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness, Alliance to End Homelessness, http://www. “Permanent Supportive Housing: An Alternative to endhomelessness.org/section/issues/youth Hospitalization and Incarceration for People Experiencing Homelessness, Mental Illness and Other Disabilities”, 22 “Issues: Re-Entry.” National Alliance to End www.vceh.org, May 2010. Homelessness, http://www.endhomelessness.org/section/ issues/re_entry 13 Page 44, Report of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to the Governor and General 23 “Issues: Re-Entry.” National Alliance to End Assembly of Virginia, Reducing Veteran Homelessness in Homelessness, http://www.endhomelessness.org/section/ Virginia, June 14, 2010. issues/re_entry; Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. United States Interagency 14 “Housing First: A New Approach to Ending Council on Homelessness, 2010. Homelessness for Families,” The National Alliance to End Homelessness, Inc., www.naeh.org/networks/ 24 Ibid. housingfirst/index.htm, 2008. 25 Ibid. 15 Housing First presentation, Norm Suchar, National Alliance to End Homelessness, May 2008.

16 Page v, JLARC Report Reducing Veteran Homelessness in Virginia, June 14, 2008.

17 Ibid, page 72.

18 Page ix, Burt, Aron, Douglas, Valente, Lee and Iwen, Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve: Findings of the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients, Urban Institute, Washington, DC, December 1999.

19 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Mitigating the Costs of Substance Abuse in Virginia, July 31, 2008.

20 “During the first six months, even after considering the cost of administering housing for the 95 residents in a Housing First program in downtown Seattle, the study reported an average cost-savings of 53 percent—nearly $2,500 per month per person in health and social services, compared to the costs of a wait-list control group of 39 homeless people” (“Health Care and Public Service Use and Costs Before and After Provision of Housing for Chronically Homeless Persons With Severe Alcohol Problems”—The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 301 No. 13, April 1, 2009). Homeless Outcomes Initiative Structure

Homeless Outcomes Coordinating Council Homeless Outcomes

Advisory Committee Secretary Bill Hazel, Co-Chair Bob Sledd, Co-Chair Bob Sledd, Chair Pam Kestner, Homeless Outcomes Coordinator

Access to Substance Data Collection & Supportive Services & Abuse & Mental System Coordination Discharge Policies Funding Committee Health Treatment Committee Committee Committee

Bill Shelton, Chair Bob Sledd, Chair Keith Hare, Chair Shea Hollifield, Co-Chair Bill Shelton, Co-Chair John Pezzoli, Chair Jim Martinez, Co-Chair Homeless Outcomes Committee Structure

Coordinating Council – Co-Chairs, Bob Sledd & Secretary Hazel Bill Shelton, DHCD Martin Brown, Prisoner Reentry Susan Dewey, VHDA Jim Stewart, DBHDS Paul Galanti, DVS Chris Hilbert, VHDA Garth Wheeler, DCJS Jim Rothrock, DARS Margaret Schultze, DSS Phyllis Chamberlain, VCEH Kelly King Horne, Homeward Cathy Zielinski, Piedmont Housing Network Andy Kegley, HOPE Tony Turnage, Arlington Co Human Services

COUNCIL COMMITTEES Supportive Services & Funding – Co-Chairs, Bill Shelton & Shea Hollifield Jim Thur, DVS Kathy Robertson, DHCD Jack Frazier, DSS Michael Shank, DBHDS Marcia DuBois, DARS Bill Fuller, VHDA Sharon Worthy, VEC

Data Collection & System Coordination – Co-Chairs, Bill Shelton & Shea Hollifield Lyndsi Austin, DHCD Dave Burhop, DMV Mike Wirth, HHR Kelly King Horne, Homeward Phyllis Chamberlain, VCEH Joe Grubbs, VITA Paul Gilding, DBHDS Nancy Fowler, DSS Brandi Jancaitis, DVS Beth Jones, DSS Tony Turnage, Arlington Co Human Services Cathy Zielinski, Piedmont Housing Network

Access to Substance Abuse & Mental Health Treatment – Co-Chairs, John Pezzoli & Jim Martinez Kathy Robertson, DHCD Nancy Fowler, DSS Michael Shank, DBHDS Tracey Jenkins, DCJS Mark Blackwell, SAARA Eric Leabough, DBHDS Karen Stanley, The Healing Place Phyllis Chamberlain, VCEH Brandi Jancaitis, DVS Victoria Cochran, DBHDS Mellie Randall, DBHDS

Discharge Policies – Co-Chairs, Banci Tewolde & Keith Hare Steve Combs, DVS Kelly King Horne Bruce Cruser, DCJS Russell Payne, DBHDS Phyllis Chamberlain Jack Ledden, DSS Catherine Harrison, DARS Scott Richeson, DOC Marcia DuBois, DARS Ashaki McNeil, DJJ Harold Clarke, DOC Brandi Jancaitis, DVS Jeannie Cummins, Fairfax Co. Skip Stanley, Chesterfield Co. Joy Cipriano, Hampton-Newport News Betty Long, VHHA Colette Edmonson, Sentara Norfolk Steven Hytry, John Randolph Med. Ctr. General

Advisory Committee – Bob Sledd, Chair Claudia Gooch, The Planning Council Hope Stonerook, Loudoun County Jim Thur - DVS Dean H. Klein, Fairfax Co. Dianne Reynolds-Cane, VDHP Alice Tousignant, VSH Kelly Harris Braxton, First Cities

Staff: Pam Kestner, Homeless Outcomes Coordinator April 2013 revised

Co-Chairs Mike Beatty Commissioner, Department of Community Affairs B.J. Walker Commissioner, Department of Human Resources

STATE OF GEORGIA SFY 2009 HOMELESS ACTION PLAN

Homeless persons have increased their independence and been restored to the mainstream of society because State and local resources have ensured optimal opportunities through the creation of an integrated and seamless system of quality services. As a result of these actions, the State of Georgia will have the resources to prevent homelessness, to transition homeless families back to self sufficiency and to end chronic homelessness within ten years.

To accomplish this vision, the State of Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council (GIHCC) offers the following six goals and accompanying activities as a Plan of Action.

Goal One

Expand access to and use of the Federal mainstream housing and support service programs by homeless families and chronically homeless individuals. HUD- identified mainstream service programs include Medicaid, TANF, SSI, CHIP, Workforce Investment Act, Food Stamps, Adult Literacy, Vocational Rehabilitation and Veterans Benefits. Mainstream housing programs include the affordable and supported rental and homeownership programs administered by HUD, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and local agencies.

Outcome: Intake needs assessments will include mainstream eligibility screening procedures and protocols to ensure that appropriate referrals and enrollments procedures result in individuals and families receiving or maximizing their opportunity to receive the mainstream housing and/or services to which they are entitled or can benefit.

Action Step 1.1 Develop a toolkit that identifies strategies to end homelessness for various homeless sub- populations to be used by human service staff to better serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness through mainstream services

• Develop service mapping of mainstream housing and/or services resources available to assist individuals and families with ending homelessness. Each service should include a) description of the service, b) customer eligibility, c) service access, and d) website for more service/provider information

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• Assess every individual and family on their housing status when applying for services, with a protocol in place to address the housing needs of those identified as living on the streets or in emergency shelters

• Review available information system capabilities to facilitate access to mainstream services and benefits (Pathways Compass, B.E.N., First Step) and provide recommendations on increasing their accessibility to service providers

Action Step 1.2 Decrease the average amount of time it takes homeless individuals to obtain disability benefits

• Identify increased access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for mentally ill adults experiencing homelessness by establishing and tracking quarterly measures on the disability determination period AND the initial approval rate

• Document initiatives that have been successful at expediting the application process and disseminate information to other communities

• Increase the number of providers that have received SOAR training

• Increase the number of SSI Coalitions meeting across the State

• Provide training for Georgia physicians and psychologists on the appropriate way to document disability

Action Step 1.3 Recommend measures to improve access to mainstream housing and service programs by individuals and families

• Develop a mechanism to collect feedback from service providers and homeless individuals regarding the accessibility and availability of mainstream services

• Conduct a critical pathway study to outline access to basic services

• Develop report documenting challenges and recommendations regarding access to mainstream services

• Create ongoing opportunities for Agency staff and local service providers to share information

Action Step 1.4 Convene an Access to Service Subcommittee to oversee action steps under Goal One

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Goal Two

Provide supported housing for chronically homeless individuals and families that is both affordable and appropriate for the delivery of supported services.

Outcome: There will be an increased number of new supported housing units added annually.

Action Step 2.1 Increase collaboration between agencies in the development, operation and support of permanent supported housing units

• Prepare a draft Memorandum of Agreement between DHR Office of Mental Health and DCA Office of Special Housing Initiatives outlining responsibilities, annual production goals, plan of action and joint RFP

• Engage DCH, DOL, DOJ and other agencies in a discussion about participating in the Memorandum of Agreement

• Disseminate standard template outlining the costs of development, operation and delivery of supported services for the proposed supported housing units (see 2.3)

Action Step 2.2 Document Existing Capacity and Available Resources for Permanent Supported Housing • Create Statewide Inventory of Permanent Supported Housing including population eligibility

• Document existing sources of funding for PSH and develop strategies to increase the use of funding sources currently being underutilized (Medicaid, 811)

Action Step 2.3 Implement strategies to increase the quality of existing Permanent Supported Housing Programs • Develop Housing Support Standards and Training Curriculum

• Conduct a survey of current PSH providers and operators in order to document current practice

• Hold a Permanent Supported Housing Conference to share best practices between agencies

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• Provide Technical Assistance and Training for PSH providers/operators

• Implement a Performance Measurement System for all DCA funded PSH providers

• Explore the possibility of creating a Statewide Association of PSH providers/operators

• Establish a standard template outlining the costs of development, operation and delivery of supported services for the proposed supported housing units

• Disseminate Template from Action Step 2.1 to Supported Housing Developers and Operators

• Disseminate results from PSH survey and conference to Agencies in order to improve planning

Action Step 2.4 Increase access to existing Permanent Supported Housing Units • Establish protocols and formal contractual agreements for the appropriate referral of consumers of public services at State-funded institutions (including public hospitals, prisons and regional mental health facilities) and State- funded nonprofit organizations providing shelter and services for homeless individuals

• Increase the number of PSH providers/operators that are listed on Georgia Housing Search

• Increase the number of PSH providers/operators using Pathways compass

• Document the number of individuals entering S+C that are unsheltered or in emergency shelter

Action Step 2.5 Convene Supportive Housing Subcommittee to oversee action steps under Goal Two

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Goal Three

Develop and adopt state policies to end the discharge of institutionalized individuals (to include discharge from correction facilities, public health or mental hospitals, treatment facilities, foster care, or juvenile justice programs) directly to homeless facilities which are unprepared and unable to meet the supported service needs of the individual.

Outcome: Adoption of discharge policies by Governor’s Executive Order and Agency Board Resolutions. Expand and Replicate Successful Programs for Individuals Discharged from Institutions.

Action Step 3.1 Establish State policies that require affected agencies to assure appropriate housing and community treatment for individuals with disabilities discharged from institutional settings

• Make Recommendations for Revisions of Existing Policies • Review Existing Discharge Policies • Review Best Practices

• Engage Additional Relevant Institutions/Groups in the Interagency Council • Georgia Association of Primary Health Care • Indigent Care Hospital Plan • GRIP Representative • Other

• Explore the possibility of assigning one agency the responsibility to provide oversight regarding the development of appropriate discharge planning guidelines by affected state agencies

Action Step 3.2 Identify Current Level of Need Related to Discharge of Institutionalized Individuals

• Assign the relevant state agencies the task of enumerating both the existing census of institutionalized residents that require services in community settings and the number of individuals “at-risk” of institutionalization due to inadequate or an insufficient inventory of community supported housing

• Explore available data (including HMIS) on the number of homeless individuals discharged from various institutions prior to homelessness

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• Explore the possibility of Department of Community Health preparing a report that identifies the estimated need for post-hospitalization homeless facilities by region and the potential savings to the State that recuperative centers would provide

• Explore possibility of Data Integration Pilot between HMIS and Institution/Agency Databases

• Develop mechanism to provide feedback from local providers to State Agencies on successes and challenges related to individuals being discharged from Institutions

Action Step 3.3 Increase Collaboration between Institution Discharge Coordinators and Local Providers

• Develop a model for collaborative discharge policies and procedures for persons released from Federal, State and local correction facilities

• Develop mechanisms to educate discharge coordinators about resources available through State Agencies and local providers • Facilitate Access to Toolkit developed in Goal 1.1 • Encourage discharge coordinators participation in local and regional planning • Provide Regional Training for Discharge Coordinators and State Mental Health Hospital Case Expeditors

• Explore and implement feasible models of “in-reach” to connect individuals with outside service providers before their discharge

Action Step 3.4 Expand and Replicate Successful Initiatives Providing Access to Housing/Services for Individuals being Discharged from Institutions

• Provide Recommendations on Successful Re-Entry Initiatives (June 2009) o Document Best Practices/Successful Initiatives that currently exist at local, regional and State level o Identify National Best Practices o Identify Potential Funding Sources

• Explore pre-release eligibility contracts with Social Security Administration

• Develop Plans to Expand and Replicate Successful Programs

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• Develop recuperative centers for post-hospitalization discharge of homeless individuals with immediate primary care health needs

• Explore the possibility of requiring that Indigent Care Hospital Plan participants address the need for homeless post-hospitalization facilities and the use of funds to support homeless health care initiatives in the Indigent Care Trust Fund Plans submitted to DCH

Action Step 3.5 Expand and Replicate Successful Diversion Initiatives (e.g. Mental Health Court and Drug Court)

• Provide Recommendations on Successful Diversion Initiatives (June 2009) o Document Best Practices/Successful Initiatives that currently exist at local, regional and State level o Identify National Best Practices o Identify Potential Funding Sources • Expand and Replicate Successful Diversion Programs

Action Step 3.6 Convene Discharge Planning Subcommittee to oversee action steps under Goal Three

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Goal Four

Develop replicable local community planning model(s) to exemplify the process for integrated housing and service delivery strategies to be implemented at the local level for homeless persons. This model will include Guiding Principles in areas of collaboration, governance, authority and finances.

Outcome: Local housing and service collaboratives will adopt guiding principles as a prerequisite to State-supported funding.

Action Step 4.1 Improve community collaboration at the local level

• In collaboration with local providers and regional planning groups (including Continuum of Care Contacts), prepare a model outline for the creation of a community collaborative based on existing best models including the identification of critical long-term partners

• Implement requirements that any agencies receiving State Funding for homeless services are involved in local planning and collaboration

Action Step 4.2 Increase evaluation capacity of agencies and local planning groups

• Develop a model outline of outcome based measurements for program evaluation for use at the local and regional levels based on best practices in the area of outcomes measurement and program evaluation around plans to end homelessness

• Develop recommendations to State agencies regarding the adoption of common outcome measures for grantees on projects that impact homelessness

Action Step 4.3 Provide training and technical assistance to local providers based on local and national best practices

• Develop and conduct training workshops for other communities to promote the replication of community integrated homeless supported service programs with supported housing programs

• Initiate the development of a peer-to-peer technical assistance mechanism

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Goal Five

Engagement of the State leadership (Department Heads, Legislature and Governor’s Office) in the adoption of strategies, allocation of resources and the implementation of these and future recommendations of the Council.

Outcome: Adoption of the SFY 2009 Georgia Homeless Action Plan by the Office of the Governor and presentation of the Annual Council Report at Agency Board / Commission meetings.

Action Step 5.1 Present SFY 2009 Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council Action Plan to the Governor’s Office for adoption

• Review the recommendations of the Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council with the Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources, the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, the Commissioner of the Department of Community Health, the Commissioner of the Department of Labor, the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, the Commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Superintendent of the Department of Education, and the Chairman of the Board of Pardons and Paroles

• Develop an implementation support strategy that would identify the expected public and private support for the adoption of the recommendations by the Governor

Action Step 5.2 Develop a comprehensive, statewide, homeless data collection and analysis reporting capacity. • Conduct an analysis on the existing methodologies that are used to report on housing and services provided to homeless individuals. The review should include database systems maintained through the homeless Pathways Community, Inc. network, the local and state homeless Continuum of Care Plans, the U.S. Veterans Administration, the Georgia Department of Corrections, and the various systems within the Georgia Department of Human Resources

• Prepare an outline of outcomes that will provide information regarding statewide progress on addressing homelessness. Outcome measurements could include: (a) tracking the reduction incidents of admissions to hospitals, jails, and crisis treatment facilities; (b) measuring the decrease in the length of stay at these

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facilities; (c) monitoring the decrease in the period of homelessness by individuals receiving services through a collaborative model program; (d) monitoring workforce development and the number of clients hired, the type of employment, the pay rates, and respective retention; and (e) assessing the lengths of stay in stable housing

• Prepare a model for the aggregation of all the available homeless data reports

• Explore the possibility of pilot projects integrating Homeless Management Information Systems data with data from certain State Agencies in order to assess prevalence of homelessness and impact of homeless services

Action Step 5.3 Assign the Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council the responsibility to issue an Annual Georgia Homeless Status Report and Action Plan based on the State Fiscal Year

Action Step 5.4 Evaluate current agency participation with the Interagency Homeless Coordination Council and recruit additional agencies

• Identify Agencies and/or Division that are not actively participating in the Council and encourage participation

• Evaluate reasons for lack of participation by some of the current agencies and stakeholders

• Encourage and reinforce active participation in the Council on an ongoing basis

Action Step 5.5 Convene Information and Evaluation Subcommittee to oversee action steps related to information, data and evaluation

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Goal Six

Take the necessary actions to fully utilize and maximize the available Federal, State, public and private funds available to address the needs of the homeless and to meet the goal of ending chronic homelessness in ten years.

Outcome: Georgia continues to secure 100% of the annual HUD Continuum of Care pro rata share funding and other Federal funding with identified match provided through State, local and private funding.

Action Step 6.1 Assess current funding streams and funding availability. Provide recommendations for obtaining increased funding and maximizing existing funding.

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Opening Doors Rhode Island

Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission

Opening Doors Rhode Island Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Goals of Acknowledgements Opening Doors Rhode Island: The Housing Resources Commission and the Opening Doors Rhode Island Steering Committee provided invaluable guidance and direction  Finish the job of during this planning process ending chronic Island homelessness in 5 Principal Authors years Rhode  Howard Burchman, Housing Innovations End Veteran homelessness in 5 Doors

Janice Elliott, InSite Housing Solutions Suzanne Wagner, Housing Innovations years  End homelessness for families and Opening Thank you to the many public and private agencies and individuals youth in 10 years who provided expert advice and counsel in the development of this document. Special thanks to the Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission, the United Way and Rhode Island Housing for helping fund the development of this plan.

March, 2012

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Table of Contents Goals of Opening Doors Rhode Island:...... 1 Housing Resources Commission, State of Rhode Island ...... 3 Introduction ...... 4 Current organizational structure of RI Continuum of Care ...... 5 Homelessness in Rhode Island ...... 6 Homeless housing services system (current) ...... 9 Projected Impact of Strategic Plan ...... 11 System Transformation ...... 12 Housing Assistance Needs ...... 15

1 .. Increase the supply of and access to permanent housing that is affordable to very low income

Island households...... 17

Seek to increase PHA participation in the Rhode Island Continuum of Care ...... 20 Rhode End Homelessness among Veterans ...... 22

Doors 2. Retool Homeless Crisis Response System ...... 23

3. Increase Economic Security ...... 27 4. Improve Health and Housing Stability ...... 29 Opening Families, Children and Youth ...... 31 Criminal Justice and Re‐entry ...... 32 5. Increase Leadership, Collaboration and Civic Engagement ...... 32 Costs of Housing Assistance ...... 36 Appendix 1: Opening Doors Rhode Island Steering Committee ...... 37 Appendix 2: Estimated Average Cost Per PersonPer Year of Housing Assistance ...... 38 Appendix 3: Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan ...... 39

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Housing Resources Commission, State of Rhode Island Ex Officio Members Richard Licht Director of Administration Paul McGreevy Director of Business Regulation Catherine Taylor Director of Elderly Affairs Michael Fine Director of Health Sandra Powell Director of Human Services Craig Stenning Director of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals James DeRentis Chairperson of Rhode Island Housing The Honorable Peter Kilmartin Attorney General William Fenton President of RI Bankers Association (designee) Stephen Tetzner President of RI Mortgage Bankers Association Jamie Moore President of RI Realtors Association Chris Hannifan Executive Director, RI Housing Network Island James Ryczek Executive Director, RI Coalition for the Homeless Rhode James Reed President of RI Association of Executive Directors for Housing (designee) Doors Members Appointed by the Governor Jeanne Cola Chairperson

Kathleen Bazinet Community Development Corp. Rep. Opening Roberta Hazen Aaronson Agency addressing Lead Poisoning Rep. Thomas Kravitz Local Planner Joseph F. Raymond Local Building Official Michael Evora Fair Housing Interests Rep. Ana Novais Agency advocating interests of Racial Minorities Rep. Albert Valliere RI Builders Association Rep. David Hammarstrom Insurers Rep. Carrie Zaslow Community Development Intermediary Rep Joanne McGunagle Non‐Profit Developer Bonnie Sekeres Senior Housing Advocate Staff Michael Tondra Chief/Executive Director Ray Neirinckx Housing Comm. Coordinator, Office of Homeownership Simon Kue Principal Program Analyst 3 Darlene Price Housing Comm. Coord Off of Homelessness Peter Dennehy Legal Counsel

Introduction This strategic plan outlines a program to significantly transform the provision of services to homeless people in Rhode Island. Consistent with new federal direction and policy, the plan seeks to sharply decrease the numbers of people experiencing homelessness and the length of time people spend homeless. It proposes to finish the job of ending chronic homelessness in five years and to prevent and end all homelessness among Veterans in the state in the same time period. It also outlines strategies to substantially decrease the numbers of homeless families and young people and to end this homelessness in ten years. Finally, the plan will reduce all other homelessness in the state and establish the framework for system transformation that will reduce the numbers of people who experience homelessness for the first time.

This plan shares the vision of “Opening Doors, the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness”. That vision is: No one should experience homelessness – no one should be Island without a stable, safe place to call home. Rhode It also shares the core values of the Federal Plan:  Homelessness is unacceptable. It is solvable and preventable. Doors

 There are no “homeless people,” but rather people who have lost their homes who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

Opening  Homelessness is expensive. Invest in solutions.

The ‘focus areas’ for this plan which are used to categorize the strategies to prevent and end homelessness follow those used in the Federal strategic plan. Specifically, the focus areas are:

 Increase access to stable and affordable housing  Retool the homeless crisis response system  Increase economic security  Improve health and housing stability  Increase leadership, collaboration and civic engagement.

Additionally, this plan includes four signature initiatives focused on key homeless subpopulations – the chronically homeless, Veterans, families and youth. The signature initiatives are high profile targeted efforts intended to both solve a significant aspect of homelessness and to demonstrate to all Rhode Islanders that effective strategies can succeed at not simply managing homelessness but ending it. 4 This plan also calls for an adjustment of homeless policy in Rhode Island to align it with the goals and outcomes specified by the HEARTH Act (Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing), passed in 2009, which substantially changes Federal homeless assistance

policy. In keeping with the former McKinney‐Vento funded programs, the new Federal policy emphasizes achieving substantive outcomes in reducing homelessness and ensuring an effective range of services accessible to all people facing homelessness. HEARTH expands the range of outcomes to focus on rapidly ending homelessness and preventing its growth.

This plan was developed in the fall of 2011 and finalized in the winter of 2012. The process was guided by the Housing Resources Commission and the Opening Doors Rhode Island Steering Committee (membership in Appendix 1). To ensure that there was maximum opportunity for public involvement in developing this plan, a stakeholder’s session, six listening sessions, and a consumer forum were convened. Participants included advocates, providers of homeless services, public housing agencies, workforce organizations, housing developers, behavioral health professionals, criminal justice officials, and representatives of local educational authorities. An unduplicated total of approximately 130 persons contributed input to this plan. The structured ‘listening sessions’ had approximately 80 participants and covered the following topics: Island  Homeless Crisis Response  Families, Children & Youth Rhode  Health & Behavioral Health  Criminal Justice Doors  Workforce and Income  Housing

The listening sessions enabled experienced providers, advocates, and government officials to Opening present information on what was and was not working in Rhode Island and to identify successful practices that could be increased in scale.

In addition to obtaining public participation, the consulting team projected need for homeless assistance based on current trends. Cost projections for the development and operation of this housing were developed based on current actual costs.

Attached to this strategic plan is a detailed Action Plan including specific strategies to prevent and end homelessness and detailed action steps. The Action Plan also includes responsible parties for implementing the action steps and cross references each step to the Federal Strategic Plan and HEARTH Act performance outcomes. The Action Plan will be updated on an annual basis with special objectives for the year identified.

Current organizational structure of RI Continuum of Care Rhode Island has a single Continuum of Care which guides the state’s homelessness programs and policies and administers federal and state homeless funds. This continuum includes a broad 5 range of state agencies, community partners and individuals all working together to build a

statewide system to prevent homeless and to quickly connect those who become homeless with the housing and services they need to get back on their feet.

The Continuum of Care is led by the Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission (HRC). The HRC was created in 1998 to be the state policy and planning agency for housing issues. Its mission is to provide housing opportunities for all Rhode Islanders, to maintain the quality of housing in Rhode Island, and to coordinate and make effective the housing opportunities of the agencies and subdivisions of the state. The HRC’s Office of Homelessness and Emergency Assistance is responsible for coordinating the homeless system toward the goal of ending homelessness. HRC members represent every segment of the public and private sectors that have involvement or concern with homelessness in Rhode Island. The HRC is responsible for the development and adoption of the state’s homelessness plan, and for overseeing its implementation.

Another key partner in implementing Opening Doors Rhode Island is the Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH). The ICH was originally established by Executive Order in August 2007 to

Island examine problems associated with homelessness and to develop and implement strategies and

programs for assuring a coordinated, effective response to reduce homelessness in Rhode Island. The Executive Order establishing the Interagency Council expired in July 2009, but Rhode subsequently was reauthorized in February, 2011 by Governor Chafee, and then made permanent through legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Chafee. Doors The ICH is made up of the Directors of all the key state agencies whose programs assist the homeless and is chaired by the Executive Director of the HRC. The ICH is responsible for coordinating services for the homeless among state agencies, community‐based organizations, Opening faith‐based organizations, volunteer organizations, advocacy groups and businesses, and for identifying and addressing gaps in services to the homeless. The ICH will play a key role in implementing those strategies in the plan that rely on state programs and services and for overcoming barriers the homeless face in accessing those services.

Homelessness in Rhode Island In 2010, the most recent year for which data are available, about 4,400 persons were literally homeless in Rhode Island, living in shelters, on streets, or in transitional housing for homeless people. On any given night, over 1,100 Rhode Islanders have no home. This does not account for the many people who live in overcrowded housing or are temporarily residing in housing in which they have no legal right of occupancy.

Ending homelessness for those already homeless in Rhode Island and preventing homelessness for those who are precariously housed and at risk of homelessness will require a range of resources from permanent supportive housing for those with significant long term disabilities, service enriched permanent housing for those who will require occasional support in resolving 6 crises and maintaining housing, transitional housing for those transitioning from institutional settings or in a transitional period in life; and rapid re‐housing and prevention services for those imminently entering homelessness.

Rhode Island faces considerable challenges: it has the highest poverty rate and the highest rent burden rate in New England. According to the 2010 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 14% of Rhode Island’s population lived below the Federal poverty level ($18,310 for a family of 3) – an increase from 11.5% in 2009. Moreover, 61,000 Rhode Islanders are in deep poverty, with incomes less than 50% of the Federal poverty level or $9,150 for a family of 3. Families living in deep poverty are considered to be at high risk of homelessness. The American Community Survey also found that 41.7% of all households in Rhode Island are housing cost‐ burdened, meaning that they are paying more than 30% of their income for housing. Virtually half of all renters (49.2%) pay more than 30% of their income for housing.

Making a problematic situation even more troublesome, the national recession and efforts to reduce governmental deficits are restricting resources available to prevent and end homelessness. For the current fiscal budget year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be sharply reducing funding for Community Development Block Grants (12% cut) and the HOME program (37% reduction in available funding). Similar cutbacks are impacting

the housing voucher and public housing programs (14% decrease in public housing operating Island funds) curtailing federal housing assistance. While dedicated homeless resources have been level funded at HUD, the sharp reductions in mainstream housing programs will make it more Rhode difficult to supplement dedicated homeless funding. The federal cutbacks are paralleled at the

state level as the state government struggles to address burgeoning needs while federal Doors resources are cut and tax revenues stagnate.

While striving to assemble as many resources as possible to address this critical problem, it is Opening also important to ensure that existing resources are used as efficiently as possible, targeted to the correct populations and provided based on an individualized assessment of need. The most long term and costly resources – permanent supportive housing ‐‐ should be targeted toward those for whom it can be demonstrated that the resolution of their homelessness will not occur in the absence of significant continuing support.

Additionally, many of the newly developed affordable housing resources in Rhode Island are not necessarily affordable to those with extremely limited income or no income at all, circumstances that characterize many people without homes. These units lack deep on‐going subsidies. Residents whose income decreases after occupancy can face significant obstacles to maintaining their housing.

The charts below illustrate the numbers of persons as counted on a single night in January and the total number of persons accessing homeless services in the calendar year. The point in time numbers provides data for three years; the annual count covers the most recent four years.

7

Changes in Homelessness (Sheltered) ‐ Annual 5,000

4,000 4,396 4,083 4,154 3,851 3,000 Families Individuals 2,000 2,492 2,178 1,955 Total People 1,000 1,839

0 693 741 665 688

2007 2008 2009 2010

Island

FIGURE 1 Rhode

Doors Changes in Homelessness ‐ Point in Time

1,200

Opening 1,000 1,110 1,135 1,141 800 Families 600 659 665 Individuals 590 400 Total People 200

‐ 150 183 184 2009 2010 2011

FIGURE 2 The annual numbers presented are taken from HMIS; the point in time numbers come directly from that count. The trend has been for an increase in the single individual population and for steadier numbers of homeless families.

To address this need, Rhode Island has the following emergency, transitional and permanent 8 housing resources (shown in the charts below) as indicated in the Housing Inventory Charts submitted to HUD. As can be seen, the numbers of transitional and emergency beds have remained relatively constant; the permanent supportive housing (PSH) capacity – especially for

single adults ‐ has increased significantly in line with policy to rely on PSH to meet the needs of chronic and long term homeless people.

This plan will call for the continued expansion of permanent supportive housing units to serve chronically homeless persons. It will also call for an examination of the use of shelter and transitional housing services. To the maximum extent possible, shelter services for families will be supplanted by diversion from shelter through rapid rehousing. Transitional programs will be evaluated to assure that they are achieving outcomes in ending homelessness and effectively serving those in transition.

Homeless housing services system (current)

Island

Rhode

Doors

Opening

9

In addition to the households actually experiencing homelessness in Rhode Island, there are

many more who are at risk of homelessness. The chart below shows the number of households Island

in Rhode Island living in deep poverty – defined as having an income no greater than 50% of the Federal poverty level. In Rhode Island, that was $9,265/year for a family of three in 2010. Rhode

Doors 2010 American Community Survey, Poverty Institute Opening RI Population 1,052,567

Persons living in Poverty 142,000 (13.5% of RI population; US 14.3%)

Persons living in deep poverty (50% FPL) 61,000 (5.8% of RI population)

Households living in deep poverty 38,000 (9.4% of RI households)

Total homeless persons (annual) HMIS 4,396 (0.42%)

Total homeless households HMIS 3,008 (0.75% of all RI households)

10 Although nearly one in every ten households in Rhode Island is living in deep poverty and therefore at high risk of homelessness, only 8% of those extremely low income at risk households actually became homeless in 2010. This indicates the significant resiliency of

households in deep poverty as the overwhelming majority is able to piece together sufficient resources to avoid becoming homeless. This provides indirect evidence that the evidence based strategy of rapid re‐housing, providing families with immediate but limited short term support can be highly effective in ending or preventing homelessness. It also indicates that there is an extremely large population that will remain at risk of homelessness in Rhode Island and it is essential that an effective program of re‐housing and diversion from shelter for those with no other options to homelessness will be extremely important to maintain.

Projected Impact of Strategic Plan The following tables project the estimated impact on homelessness in Rhode Island through the implementation of this strategic plan. Consistent with the goals of the plan, the increased levels of permanent supportive housing and other interventions will reduce the point in time count of chronically homeless people to zero in 5 years. Family homelessness will be greatly reduced in the same 5 year period and ended over the 10 year term. All other homelessness will sharply

decline to less than half the level in 2012. Island

Rhode

FIGURE 3 Doors

Changes in Homelessness ‐ Point in Time

1,400 Opening

1,135 1,141 1,158 1,138 1,200 1,110 977 1,000 798 Families 800 649 Chronically Homeless 564 508 530 518 519 528 600 471 Individuals not CH 415 372 336 Total People 400 183 184 189 188 150 163 133 200 100 69

‐ 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 11

The following table presents the projected impact of this strategic plan on the numbers of persons who annually access homeless assistance in Rhode Island.

Changes in Homelessness (Sheltered) ‐ Annual 5,000 4,396 4,332 4,500 4,083 4,154 3,851 3,996 4,000 3,573 3,171 3,500 2,929 2,772 3,000 2,642 Families

2,178 2,500 2,036 1,999 Chronically Homeless 1,839 1,955 1,838 1,649 Island 2,000 Individuals not CH 1,505 1,450 1,406 1,370 1,500 Total People 741 Rhode 693 665 688 689 1,000 633 572 512 461 428 397 500 Doors 456 428 406 ‐ 343 250 204 180 172 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Opening FIGURE 4

System Transformation These changes in projected numbers of homeless people will be achieved by transforming the delivery of homeless services in Rhode Island. The strategic plan relies on expanding the implementation of two key evidence based strategies, strategies emphasized in the HEARTH Act.

 Rapid re‐housing & shelter diversion to prevent and end homelessness among families.  Permanent supportive housing structured on a ‘Housing First’ model for chronically homeless adults.

12

The multiple strategies Families 2010 included in this plan are outlined in the Strategies SH 5% Rapid Re‐Housing section which follows. The 9% 0% figures shown here illustrate Supportive the system transformation Housing needed to achieve the reductions in homelessness Affordable Housing shown in Figures 3 and 4 Shelter/TH above. Prevention only Figure 5 shows how 86% Shelter/TH only homeless families were receiving services in 2010.

Overwhelmingly (86%) Island FIGURE 5 families received shelter and/or transitional housing

services. Only 9 percent received rapid re‐housing to end their homelessness and 5 percent Rhode

accessed permanent supportive housing. Doors

FIGURE 6

Opening Figure 6 illustrates a Families 2019 transformed system in 2019. The percentage of families accessing shelter or transitional housing is reduced from 86% to Prevention 31%, meaning that Affordable 34% overwhelmingly families who Housing lose their housing will not have 13% shelters as their primary option. Over a third of all families in SH Shelter/TH 6% only housing emergencies will be 31% diverted from shelter services Rapid (34%) and will never need to Re‐Housing become homeless in order to 16% get assistance. Increased access to deeply affordable housing 13 will end homelessness for about 13% of homeless families. Rapid re‐housing will assist 16% of the families. Six percent of families will be assisted through permanent supportive housing.

The following figures illustrate the transformation proposed for chronically homeless adults. In 2010 the overwhelming service received by chronically homeless individuals was shelter or transitional housing only. Through the system transformation proposed by this plan, at the conclusion of a five year period in which the development of new supportive housing remains prioritized, chronically homeless people will overwhelmingly be provided with permanent supportive housing to end their homelessness. The plan calls for the creation of additional supportive housing through development of new housing and through leasing/rental assistance.

Chronic Homeless Chronic Homeless Adults 2010 Adults 2016

Island

5% 2% Rhode

Supportive Supportive Doors Housing Housing Shelter/TH Shelter/TH

Opening only only 95% 98%

FIGURE 7 FIGURE 8 These changes in the utilization of homeless services by families and chronically homeless adults will be accomplished through the strategies outlined in the Strategies section of this report. The strategies call for a transformation of homeless services to focus on diversion and rapid rehousing to reduce the number of families who become homeless and to rapidly end homelessness for those who lose their housing. As illustrated above, services for chronically homeless adults will be transformed from shelter/transitional housing to permanent supportive housing. Accompanying the changes in homeless emergency assistance will be increased 14 collaboration between agencies providing services to homeless or at risk families.

Housing Assistance Needs Data from the Rhode Island Point in Time Count, HMIS, and available research was used to develop estimates of the number of households who will need prevention and rapid re‐housing assistance, permanent supportive housing, and deeply affordable rental housing over the next five years. The aim was to determine the level of housing assistance that would be needed to end chronic and Veterans homelessness in five years and family homelessness in ten years. In total, it is estimated that over 2,100 households will need housing assistance over the five year period. Estimates of the costs of providing this assistance follow the Strategies section.

Island

Rhode

Doors

Opening

15

Estimated Needs for Housing Assistance Over Five‐Year Timeframe ‐ Rhode Island

2012‐2016 Estimated needs for housing assistance, by Chronically type, among targeted households who will Veterans Families Homeless experience homelessness (unless prevented) Total (included with Adults Households within other Children without columns) Children Prevention Strategies* 465 465 86

Rapid Re‐Housing* 329 329 71

Island

Deeply Affordable Housing** 350 350 40

Permanent Supportive Housing 251 724 975 178 Rhode

Estimated need that could be met through

Doors ‐149 ‐277 ‐427 ‐98 turnover of existing supportive housing units

Need for new Supportive Housing 101 447 548 80 Opening Estimated Total Target Households 1,394 724 2,118 376 Needing Housing Assistance 2012‐2016

Estimated Persons in these households 3,856 724 4,580 475

*Does not assume permanent rent subsidies connected with prevention and rapid re‐housing.

**Deeply affordable housing refers to subsidized rental housing that is affordable to persons living in deep poverty. Affordable housing and permanent supportive housing options can take the form of scattered subsidized apartments or the development of buildings through new construction or rehabilitation. The affordable housing numbers presented here do not include rent subsidies needed to prevent homelessness or that may be used in conjunction with rapid re‐housing or permanent supportive housing. These numbers also do not encompass the need for affordable housing among low income households who are not experiencing homelessness. Significantly increasing the availability of rental housing that is affordable to households with the lowest incomes would be the most effective strategy for preventing and ending homelessness. The need for affordable housing in Rhode Island is much larger than the number of affordable housing units needed to

16 serve households who have become homeless.

Opening Doors Rhode Island: Strategies for Preventing and Ending Homelessness These strategies for preventing and ending homelessness in Rhode Island were developed through the Listening Sessions conducted during the fall of 2011, a review of best practices among continuums of care, and based on preparation for impending changes resulting from the implementation of the HEARTH Act. The strategies presented are grouped according to the five themes established in Opening Doors, The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.

In each of the past three years during the Point‐in‐Time homeless count conducted at the end of

January, over 1,100 people were homeless in Rhode Island. Although the numbers have varied Island

somewhat from year to year, this total includes well over 600 homeless individuals and over 180 families. In addition to the Point‐in‐Time numbers, on an annual basis nearly 4,400 persons Rhode

accessed homeless services in 2010 and this includes nearly 2,500 individuals and almost 700

families. Doors

To provide overall focus to this plan, the goals established for the Federal Strategic Plan have been incorporated into Opening Doors Rhode Island: Opening

Goals of Rhode Island Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness:

 Finish the job of ending chronic homelessness in 5 years  Prevent and end homelessness among Veterans in 5 years  Prevent and end homelessness for families , children and youth in 10 years;  Set a path for ending all types of homelessness.

These goals will be achieved through the following strategies.

. Increase the supply of and access to permanent housing that is affordable to very low income households. Permanent housing includes: permanent supportive housing for long term and chronically 17 homeless persons with disabilities, service enriched housing for homeless families with less intensive support needs, and deeply affordable housing for those with extremely limited

incomes. This plan calls for additional units of permanent housing through the development of new units targeted to homeless and at risk households and by providing rental and other subsidies to make existing housing affordable to extremely low income families.

Permanent supportive housing using the Housing First model has been demonstrated to be successful in solving chronic homelessness and other long term homeless situations. It is also a cost effective intervention. Multiple studies including one on Housing First Rhode Island have documented cost savings when the total publicly funded cost is compared pre‐ and post‐ Housing First for chronically homeless persons. Across the board the most significant cost savings have been in Medicaid expenditures for emergency room, inpatient, detoxification, and ambulance costs. Create and/or Subsidize Deeply Affordable Housing for Households with Little or No Income

Additional units of deeply affordable housing (affordable to households in deep poverty) should Island be created through rental subsidies and through the development of new housing supported by project based subsidies. Rhode

 Much of the newly developed affordable housing has very limited ongoing support to Doors

maintain affordability. To ensure that this housing remains viable and useful as a resource for homeless and at‐risk households, it will be necessary for some units to have deeper subsidies in terms of rental assistance or operating support. Federal funding for deep Opening subsidies through many of the traditional programs like the Section 202 or 811 programs has been cut in recent years. Securing this additional support will need to come from project basing voucher assistance from HUD‐VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) or the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program, and from the reforms to the Section 811 program under the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Act. State investment in operating support is also needed which could be coupled with development capital through a new housing bond.

Establish a goal to make available 100 additional permanent supportive housing units per year through leasing/rental assistance and development. Utilize all funding sources to reach goal.

 Allocate and seek funding from all federal sources (Continuum of Care, competitive grants ‐‐ Section 811, 202, entitlement dollars), and VA resources (HUD‐VASH)  Seek Public Housing Agency (PHA) support and commitment through seeking competitive federal resources (Family Unification), establishing set‐asides and, where possible, allocating

18 project based vouchers.  Secure state investment through a new housing bond, allocation of tax credits, and facilitating access to mainstream resources (Medicaid) to fund supportive services.

Expand and Maintain Rental Assistance Vouchers and other Operating Supports

For households with long term disabilities and others not expected to become economically self‐ sufficient, long‐term housing assistance through rental assistance or operating subsidies is essential for housing stability. Increase project basing of vouchers and operating funding through a reliable annual legislative appropriation dedicated to creating permanent supportive housing

 In the past the state has provided funding through the Neighborhood Opportunities Program to provide essential support to housing serving very low wage workers and disabled families to maintain the affordability of privately owned rental housing. It contributed to the production of over 2,400 homes.  Seek opportunities through Section 811 HFA partnership program.  Project based subsidies are one of the few strategies to ensure that affordable housing Island

developments remain affordable to extremely low income families with little to no income. They also provide the subsidy assistance needed in order to secure financing for housing Rhode

development. Potential sources of project based subsidies include:  HUD‐VASH Doors

 PHA’s allocation of housing choice vouchers (up to 20% of the PHA’s rental assistance budget authority can be project based)

Opening

Systematically pursue all Federal Funding Opportunities

 Establish a protocol for evaluating and applying for federal funding opportunities that address housing and/or services targeted to homeless people, those at risk of homelessness, and special needs populations. Seek to ensure that all applicable opportunities are pursued by eligible, competitive applicants.

Expand Partnerships with Public Housing Agencies

Public housing agencies (PHAs) control much of the mainstream housing resources including Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) and public housing. This plan seeks to increase collaboration between PHAs and the Continuum of Care (CoC) by increasing access to supportive services for PHA residents and eliminating barriers to accessing PHA resources by homeless people. Although Federal requirements place limitations on accessing PHA resources especially to those with criminal justice histories or past negative history with

vouchers or public housing, many PHAs have requirements and restrictions that exceed the 19 Federal rules. As a result, many homeless families are unable to access the most significant

resources for housing assistance in the country. It is also critical to ensure that tenants in PHA housing can access supportive services and maintain their housing. Seek to increase PHA participation in the Rhode Island Continuum of Care.

By increasing PHA participation, barriers to homeless people accessing PHA resources can be addressed and PHA needs such as accessing services for tenants can be jointly considered. Rhode Island PHAs should be represented at the highest levels in the CoC. Develop a MOA with public housing agencies and the State that will ensure access to services for individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and an examination of barriers to homeless participation in PHA housing.

Many PHA tenants require community based behavioral health and other services in order

to live independently. Failure to access these services could result in loss of PHA housing and a PHA eviction will make it difficult to secure housing in the future. Island The CoC should work with PHAs to identify supportive services needs of PHA tenants and develop strategies to address these needs and prevent evictions. Rhode PHAs should examine barriers to homeless households accessing their housing. They should review their Administrative Plans to identify areas where the local requirements are in Doors excess of federal standards and determine the necessity of the requirement. PHAs should also explore set‐asides and preferences for homeless families in public housing and Housing

Opening Choice Voucher waiting lists.

The Rhode Island Continuum of Care (CoC) should work with PHAs to secure commitments to project base some of their allocation of housing choice vouchers to support affordable housing development. Create partnerships through MOUs with PHAs that increase opportunities for federal funding that focus on Family Unification and housing opportunities for youth aging out of the child welfare system.

PHAs frequently have the opportunity to apply for additional funding or special initiatives to address the needs of special populations, including youth aging out of foster care or otherwise leaving the child welfare system. Fully competitive applications require collaborations between PHAs, CoCs, and other supportive services organizations. These partnerships should be established in advance of any possible application cycles to be fully prepared and competitive. 20 Mandate a set‐aside in state‐supported affordable housing developments of at least 15% of cumulative units to serve special needs households

Designated homeless assistance resources are insufficient to accomplish the goal of preventing and ending homelessness in Rhode Island. Unless additional resources are allocated to this effort, the problem will not be resolved. A mandated set‐aside of units in affordable housing development will assist in addressing homelessness. However, it is important not to transfer all responsibility to the developers of affordable housing. For set‐asides such as the one recommended to succeed, there must be some form of operating subsidy to support it. Additionally, there must be access to appropriate supportive services so that the assisted households are able to maintain their housing.

 The ability to implement this set‐aside is contingent on the availability of deep subsidies or other financing and underwriting models that guarantee affordability.  To ensure that these resources effectively serve homeless and at risk people, it’s recommended that, to the maximum extent possible, nonprofit community

development organizations be involved in the development, management and operation of the housing. Island  Facilitate relationship building between nonprofit housing developers and service providers and encourage development applications for permanent supportive Rhode housing that involve these strong partnerships. Doors Develop move‐on strategies for permanent supportive housing residents who no longer need extensive services

Recent studies have indicated that the large majority (about two‐thirds) of residents of Opening permanent supportive housing in Rhode Island are satisfied with their housing and intend to remain. However, a sizeable minority would be more satisfied with housing alternatives. Although permanent supportive housing has been demonstrated to be a cost effective solution to chronic and other long term homeless, it’s a costly intervention with long‐term costs for housing and services.

Individualized service planning in permanent supportive housing must address the resident’s preferences for long term housing. Plans for future housing opportunities should be identified by residents and their case managers as part of their individualized housing stability plans. Those with an interest in moving on to other housing opportunities should be assisted in applying for and securing positions on waiting lists for long term affordable housing. This includes PHA waiting lists as well as lists associated with privately owned affordable housing development. Residents who no longer require the services intensity of permanent supportive housing should be assisted in securing long term affordable housing in communities of their choice. Vacancies in affordable housing units across the state should be tracked and monitored on a regular basis and information on available housing made available to the PSH providers. 21 Other communities have been able to accelerate the pace of moving on by dedicating some housing vouchers or set‐asides of public housing for people leaving PSH.

Create a program for ‘service enriched housing.’

Service enriched housing is affordable housing with wrap‐around services that provide homeless and extremely low income households support in addressing issues and resolving crises that can lead to loss of housing stability. Unlike permanent supportive housing, which is based on continuously available supportive services, service enriched housing assumes that most of the time, families will be able to maintain their housing but because of extremely low incomes and other life issues residents will have episodic needs for support. Case management caseloads in service enriched housing are significantly higher than in permanent supportive housing, reflecting the expectation that a lower level of support will be needed. This is a lower cost approach that prevents homelessness among those in affordable housing. Recognizing the need for these services for low income families in public housing, some public housing already provides service coordination with funding from HUD. The Listening Sessions identified the need

for a broader range of services to include cross‐sector partnerships between housing organizations and vocational service providers and access to financial counseling/literacy Island

services. Signature Initiative: Reduce Rhode End Homelessness among Veterans homelessness among Veterans by 20%/year until the mission of Doors ending Veteran homelessness is accomplished Opening Rhode Island is small enough and the numbers of homeless Veterans are manageable enough to make it realistic to actively plan for ending all homelessness among Veterans. According to the 2011 point‐in‐time count, the number of Veterans in shelter or transitional housing was 86. This number has remained consistent: there were 82 homeless Veterans counted in 2009, 88 in 2010 and 86 in 2011. Despite the seemingly manageable numbers, ending Veteran homelessness in Rhode Island will require a combination of VA and CoC resources.

The most critical task is ensuring that the VA is an active partner to and participant in the CoC. Ending Veterans’ homelessness requires that U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and CoC resources be used in a planned and coordinated manner. CoC resources should be used to fill in the gaps that cannot be addressed by VA resources, including serving Veterans ineligible for VA benefits and covering services and assistance that cannot be provided by the VA. The VA, through the regional VISN (Veterans Integrated Services Network), has developed its own 5‐year plan to end Veteran’s homelessness and the VA’s plan should be aligned and coordinated with the CoC.

22  Assess all persons accessing homeless services for military service and connect, where appropriate, to the VA.

 Serving the chronically homeless is the priority for the HUD‐VASH program. The VA has established a performance outcome that at least 65% of HUD‐VASH recipients be chronically homeless. The CoC should actively coordinate with VA to assist it in identifying chronically homeless Veterans and linking them to the VA.  Seek to secure agreements for project‐based VASH vouchers in PSH projects serving eligible Veterans.  Seek to expand resources available to prevent Veteran’s homelessness in Rhode Island by expanding the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.  Coordinate intake for VA homeless services with planned central/coordinated intake/assessment program.  Explore the development of alternative transitional housing using the Grant and Per Diem Program including transition in place strategies.

 Ensure that Veterans are connected to the VA through a data match with the Medicaid Division. Island  Consider adding the VA as a voting member to the HRC.  Ensure that VA funded homeless assistance programs such as Grant and Per Diem, Rhode Support Services to Veteran Families, and HUD‐VASH have HMIS partnership agreements and are entering data into HMIS. Doors

Opening

. Retool Homeless Crisis Response System

Make the Homeless Response System a Well‐Oiled Machine

The need is imperative for the homeless response system in Rhode Island to be as effective as possible. Flat funding on the Federal level is likely to be the best‐case scenario for the near future. Other sources of Federal funds that could assist homeless people or low income households are facing significant cuts.

Simultaneously, new and significant requirements are being imposed on local Continuums of Care as HUD moves to implement the HEARTH Act, passed by Congress in 2009. The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program will continue – at a much reduced level ‐‐ activities such as prevention and rapid re‐housing formerly funded under the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re‐housing Program (HPRP). ESG sets forth new HUD requirements for a centralized/coordinated intake and assessment process for people seeking assistance and 23 written standards for the provision of homeless assistance.

The impending introduction of the new HEARTH Act regulations for the Continuum of Care will likely impose additional requirements on CoCs as well as establish new requirements for accessing new or bonus funding from HUD. As in the current McKinney‐Vento program, access to additional (bonus) resources will be contingent on achieving HUD‐identified outcomes and addressing HUD‐required procedures. Since bonus or other incentivized funding through the CoC is one of the very few possible avenues to secure additional homeless assistance funding, it will be even more critical for CoCs to meet HUD’s evolving standards and requirements. Plan for a coordinated/centralized intake and assessment process; link to universal wait list process, and embed in HMIS.

This recommendation addresses what will be a HUD requirement. HUD will be releasing standards for this intake/assessment process in the near future. In order to assure that Rhode Island will access bonus/additional funding, it’s essential that the state be prepared to

implement this system as soon as possible after HUD establishes the standards. Island  Assessment to be unified across the CoC.  Assessment will address Continuum of Care programs as well as Emergency Solutions Grants Rhode

and state funded programs.

Doors  Assessment for homeless assistance to be linked to mainstream resource applications.

Intake processes for homeless assistance should be coordinated with applications for mainstream assistance programs such as SNAP (food stamps), TANF, and Medicaid. Opening Establish a governance process for the CoC that targets and allocates resources based on HEARTH outcomes and the goals of Opening Doors Rhode Island

Evaluate CoC expenditures and programs based on CoC defined outcomes and benchmarks. Expand outcome criteria to include new HEARTH outcomes including: length of time homeless, returns to homelessness, providing coverage to all homeless people, improve employment rates and income of homeless people, reduce numbers of people becoming homeless for the first time, reductions in overall numbers of homeless people, and serving youth/families eligible for assistance under other federal homeless programs. Each Continuum of Care and ESG grant should be evaluated at least annually based on outcome indicators established by the CoC in conformity with HEARTH requirements including costs per person served as well as cost per successful program outcome as determined by the CoC.

 Provide technical support or re‐purpose funds that are not achieving specified outcomes.  Awards of renewal grants and the ability to apply for new homeless assistance grants should 24 be contingent on the grantee’s success in achieving, or making progress toward achieving, outcomes with existing funding. Those grantees not achieving designated outcomes should risk loss of renewal funding and limited access to new resources.

 Redesign service and program models based on the results of the program evaluations, using strategies that have been proven effective in achieving desired outcomes.

Establish written standards for administering assistance

Ensure that all assistance provided through CoC resources (leasing, transitional, short/medium term rental assistance, permanent supportive housing) is administered consistently with respect to levels of assistance provided, eligibility determination and documentation, and needs assessments in accordance with written standards developed by the CoC.

 Create standards for case management services, using evidence based practices to support housing stabilization. o Case management is the most significant services investment of the CoC. However, there is significant variation in how case management is practiced and evidence

based case management practices such as Critical Time Intervention are not widely Island

employed. Establishing standards for case management based on best practices will have a positive impact on CoC outcomes. Rhode

Ensure that the full range of homeless prevention and assistance interventions Doors including shelter diversion, rapid re‐housing, housing stabilization and permanent supportive housing are available and that there are minimal barriers to assistance for anyone in emergency need. Opening

 Work to eliminate barriers to emergency assistance including sobriety requirements, inability to accommodate households of more than one person, or insufficient capacity to provide emergency accommodation.  HPRP experience has demonstrated that rapid re‐housing is effective for families fleeing domestic violence and its use should be expanded for this purpose.

Provide Comprehensive and Effective Training to Front Line Homeless Services Staff

In order to ensure that homeless services in Rhode Island are a comprehensive system of care, it is essential that ‘front‐line’ case managers, outreach workers, and drop‐in center staff have a thorough grounding in best practices for their discipline. They should also have an awareness of the resources and requirements for other assistance available in order to comprehensively address the needs of their clients. 25  Develop a CoC‐wide training plan for front‐line staff.  Link to CoC‐wide standards for providing assistance.

 Incorporate HMIS.  Cross train the regional Network RI Staff (Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, and West Warwick) with supportive housing and homeless services providers on a quarterly basis.  Train all family services providers on the McKinney‐Vento Title I benefits.  Cross train local education authorities Homeless Liaisons with homeless and housing services providers.

Examine use of Transitional Housing Resources – especially for single adults

The CoC supports 129 units of transitional housing for single adults – close to 25% of single adults considered homeless on the night of the point‐in‐time count were in transitional housing. It is important that this resource is cost‐effective and achieving outcomes. There are significant unmet needs for persons who are re‐entering from institutional settings and without

appropriate transitional services are at risk of recidivism.



Island Implement a renewal evaluation program to ensure that transitional housing programs are

meeting CoC defined outcomes based on HEARTH requirements.  Rhode Evaluate costs and outcomes of individual transitional housing programs and consider

whether conversion to Transition in Place, Rapid Re‐housing or Permanent Supportive

Doors Housing or adjustments to target population(s) would further the goals of this plan.

Increase linkages to Community Based Supports – Especially Behavioral Health Opening Lack of insurance is a significant barrier to accessing behavioral health services. Community based mental health and substance use treatment services are essential to maintaining housing stability. It was widely reported that access to these critical services is extremely difficult to arrange unless the individual has health insurance.

 Explore all possible avenues to increase access to community based supports among those who are homeless or at risk.  Include the chronic homeless population as a target in the Mental Health Block Grant  Ensure that SOAR (SSI/SSDI Access, Outreach, and Recovery) is widely used to get persons with long term disabilities access to income and health insurance.  Identify alternative funding strategies including Medicaid that can cover the costs of behavioral health services for individuals and families with a history of homelessness or who meet the federal definition of being ‘at risk of homelessness.’

26

. Increase Economic Security

Preventing and ending homelessness requires that people who are homeless or at risk have access to sufficient Signature Initiative: Create a financial resources – through earned income or public pilot program targeting benefits – to be able to maintain decent, safe and homeless youth 18‐24 for sanitary housing. To the maximum extent possible, this successful participation in DLT should be achieved through employment but people with programs by linking long term disabilities or other circumstances which make

education, housing and life full time employment not possible should be supported in accessing benefits. skills support to homeless Island youth. This will demonstrate The economic recession has dramatically decreased the the importance of including

ability of people with histories of homelessness to obtain Rhode housing in job training and competitive employment. The ability to secure placement programs and a employment is complicated by educational deficits Doors including basic literacy, math and English language skills, means to prevent chronic criminal justice histories and lack of employment homelessness and background. It was reported in the Listening Sessions unemployment by intervening Opening that there are many in Rhode Island who are chronically early. unemployed as well as chronically homeless. The greatest challenge may be in ensuring that job training is targeted to jobs that actually exist and are potentially available to homeless people. Additionally, many of the existing employment opportunities do not provide sufficient wages to cover the full cost of maintaining stable housing. In addition to training people for jobs, available employment opportunities have to be expanded to include more jobs paying living wages.

There are multiple barriers to employment that must also be addressed to ensure that homeless people can become economically secure. Families with young children must have access to adequate and appropriate child care; transportation must be available in order to get to and from work; and persons with criminal histories must have some avenues to address legal barriers to employment such as court fines, reinstating licenses, and whenever possible expunging their criminal records or they will never get the opportunity to become self‐sufficient.

Department of Labor and Training has specific strategies to increase employment outcomes for 27 individuals and families which when combined with resources from the Department of Education, Workforce Investment Boards and homeless service providers can provide multiple opportunities for the homeless populations.

Utilize existing employment preparation programs by strengthening coordination between Workforce Investment Boards, Department of Labor and Training and homeless service providers

 Develop model partnership between Workforce Investment Boards, Department of Labor and Training, Chamber of Commerce, Department of Education and homeless assistance programs to integrate employment training, job readiness, job development, job referral and job placement, and preparation with housing.  Ensure that existing ‘On the Job’ training program which allows participants to have up to 50% of their salary paid by federal funds (administered by Workforce Incentive Board) during the duration of training (six months maximum benefit) is accessible to homeless people.  Address special needs of families including access to child care during training and

employment.

Island  Develop opportunities for career advancement through access to post‐secondary education

and academic skill building.

Rhode  Use supported volunteerism as a means of developing skills and opening employment

opportunities. Doors

 Incorporate special needs populations into the state’s employment and training plan and search for federal funding to implement best practices.  Develop incentive based performance contracts that prioritize services to homeless people. Opening  Adapt evidence‐based practices such as Supported Employment to other homeless populations besides those with serious mental illness. Quick access to jobs and ongoing support (“follow along supports”) has proven particularly helpful in working with populations with troubled work histories.

Expand and Improve Access to Mainstream Benefits

The CoC must adopt a systematic approach to assessing people who are accessing homeless services for eligibility for mainstream benefits and assisting them in securing those for which they are eligible. HMIS should be used as the primary vehicle for this.

 Explore methods to increase the utilization of SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery) to increase rates of enrollment in SSI/SSDI  Develop a SOAR initiative in prison.  Expand SOAR initiative to chronically homeless through collaborations with mental 28 health centers, health centers, and hospital emergency departments.  Data match high users of services; connect 50% to benefits through SOAR.

 Expand the involvement of medical centers and health insurance companies to get patients enrolled in SSI/SSDI.  Coordinate benefit processing and application with the institutional discharge process.  Provide access to employment services for people with disabilities through avenues such as Office of Rehabilitative Services.  Educate people on SSI/SSDI about the “Ticket to Work” to improve income.  Recruit employers to participate in “Ticket to Work” to improve access to employment.  Develop a state‐wide unified/consolidated benefit program application and incorporate it into the assessment/intake process for homeless services. The State of Connecticut uses one application for Medicaid, Food Stamps, Children’s Health Insurance and other benefits for low income households.  Embed this application process in HMIS.

 Assess chronic homeless persons for benefit eligibility including Medicaid and/or State CNOM (Costs Not Otherwise Matchable) authority. Island  Develop pilot in‐reach program to connect shelter residents to mainstream resources including CNOM, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Veterans benefits, youth aging Rhode out, and elder services.  Implement a Food Stamps pilot that will outreach to the homeless population to Doors increase food security and provide meals in community settings that are easily accessed by public transportation.

 Expand awareness of the Medicaid buy‐in program – the possible loss of benefits is Opening a barrier to persons with disabilities entering the workforce.

Focus on returning service members and National Guard members in need of employment

 The declining economy has had a severe impact on members of the armed forces (active duty military, National Guard, and Reserve) who have been deployed overseas and are seeking employment on their return.  Consistent with the signature initiative of this plan to end homelessness among Veterans, it is important the returning service members have every opportunity to obtain gainful employment.

. Improve Health and Housing Stability 29

Signature Initiative: Continue the High Users campaign to show the effectiveness of supportive housing in reducing inappropriate use of medical resources. Target the 50 highest users of Medicaid funded services who are also homeless. Document Medicaid expenditures pre‐ and post‐placement in supportive housing. Based on anticipated effectiveness, use results to argue for increased use of Medicaid resources to fund services in supportive housing. Allocate rental assistance vouchers to support implementation of the campaign.

In order to maintain housing stability, residents of supportive housing must be able to access essential services. Developing strategies for funding those services is essential to developing and operating supportive housing. Additionally, access to primary care and behavioral health care must be expanded in order to allow residents to access services in a cost‐effective manner, e.g., without resorting to emergency rooms or other unnecessary high cost care.

Strengthen Behavioral Health Services to Vulnerable Populations

 Provide family centered care to families with behavioral health services needs.

Island  Improve access to mental health services for transitioning young adults

 Create access to mental health services for people re‐entering the community post‐

Rhode incarceration

 Develop strategies for funding mental health services (using mental health block grant Doors funds) for those lacking insurance  Link substance use and mental health services to housing.

Opening  Target some State MH/SA Block Grant funding to support services in permanent supportive housing.

This sets the foundation for a signature initiative for this plan: continue the demonstration program targeting the 50 persons who are homeless and consume the highest levels of Medicaid‐funded services. This involves data matching between HMIS and Medicaid information systems to identify potential participants, outreach to engage, and direct access to housing through Housing First. The ‘campaign’ to identify the highest homeless users of Medicaid funded services and place them in supportive housing parallels similar initiatives such as the 100,000 Homes Campaign (100khomes.org). These campaigns provide multiple benefits: they raise public awareness, involve people in outreach and engagement, and demonstrate that it’s possible to achieve a meaningful impact in ending homelessness. On a regular basis, perhaps annually, the State should match and analyze the Medicaid data with HMIS data to continue to identify and target resources to the highest cost people in the community

Changes on the horizon will make it possible to increase access to services for homeless people. The Affordable Care Act will significantly expand eligibility for Medicaid in 2014 to include all 30 single individuals who earn at or below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL). States have options under Medicaid to use it to support services in permanent supportive housing.

Expand Access to Primary Care

 Re‐establish the mobile van serving homeless people and connecting them to the health care for homeless clinic.  Expand the number of behavioral health providers serving as medical homes to their clients.  Explore methods for co‐locating Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in supportive housing environments. Establish dialogues between FQHCs and supportive housing providers to identify methods to increase primary care access.  Explore new Medicaid health home model through the Affordable Care Act.

Exercise state options to use Medicaid to fund services in supportive housing

States can exercise options under home and community based services to individuals that earn less than 150% of the federal poverty level and require less than institutional levels of care.

These options can allow states to cover housing stabilization services through Medicaid. States

may also use a 1115 waiver process to demonstrate that services to Medicaid beneficiaries in Island supportive housing are at a minimum budget neutral. This is an alternative approach for funding

supportive services. Rhode

 Explore methods to expand the role of Medicaid in funding services in supportive housing Doors o Examine ways to fund substance use, mental health and case management services o Determine whether the Massachusetts model for using Medicaid to fund services for

disabled people in housing can be adapted for use in Rhode Island. Opening  Investigate use of the Medicaid Waiver process (1155) and/or state plan options to cover services in supportive housing.  Couple Medicaid assistance with deeply subsidized homes created with rental assistance provided through the Melville Act.

Families, Children and Youth Signature Initiative: Expand the use of rapid re‐housing and diversion services to Facilitate relationships between contracted agencies address the needs of families serving families and youth and community development entering homelessness. corporations and affordable housing developers to increase the number of supportive housing units. Establish this as the first response for families.  Create housing options for families involved with the Through use of data, 31 Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to assessment, and outreach advance family preservation or re‐unification. strategies, target the most vulnerable families to prevent and/or end their homelessness.

 Expand accessible/affordable child care options.  Increase knowledge of and access to the Family Care Community Partnerships (FCCPs) which provide wraparound services to families with children who are at risk of involvement with DCYF.  Explore ways to expand the FCCP model to other populations by securing additional sustainable funding and improve access to child and family services focused on early child development, educational stability, and youth development.  Ensure access to mental health services for transitioning young adults.  See recommendations on PHAs and Family Unification.  Coordinate a policy workgroup that maps the current system of transitioning youth to the adult systems, identifies gaps in the current systems and develops policies to address these gaps and prevent youth (18‐25) from becoming homeless.

Island Criminal Justice and Re‐entry

Rhode

The Listening Session addressing criminal justice identified many barriers that people leaving

Doors criminal justice settings experience that compound the difficulty of reentering. These include

criminal background checks that accompany employment and housing applications, lack of structured living opportunities post‐incarceration, and access to employment. Opening  Evaluate the pilot program targeting frequent users of criminal justice and homeless services providing stable housing and supportive services. Examine the impact of providing appropriate, coordinated services on recidivism rates.  Seek to decrease recidivism rates by 25% for individuals cycling through prisons and shelters through targeted use of the Access to Recovery (ATR) program.  Examine repurposing transitional housing to provide re‐entry housing for those being released.  Explore possible use of Department of Corrections resources to provide housing and services post‐discharge.

. Increase Leadership, Collaboration and Civic Engagement

32 The Federal Strategic Plan is driven by the vision that no one should experience homelessness – no one should be without a safe, stable place to call home. Accomplishing that vision is complicated by diminished public sector resources, a continuing economic downturn, and the

highly complex needs of people experiencing homelessness. Leadership is essential in order to secure the needed resources to have a meaningful impact in preventing and ending homelessness in Rhode Island.

Given that resources are likely to be limited this is an opportunity to examine alternatives to current approaches to addressing the inter‐related housing, income, health care, and behavioral health needs in a way that achieves better outcomes at lower overall social cost. Multiple public systems including corrections, health care, behavioral health, child welfare, and education have a stake in solving homelessness as a way to achieve overall system savings. To accomplish this requires leadership and collaboration among agencies and providers. It is also important to demonstrate that real and substantial progress can be made toward the goal of solving homelessness.

Restructure the Office of Homelessness and the Continuum around the

implementation of Opening Doors Rhode Island and the HEARTH Act Island In order to preserve the momentum that has been achieved over the past year and move quickly into the implementation of the plan, the HRC’s Office of Homelessness should be restructured to Rhode better align with the goals and strategies set forth in this plan. The new structure should be designed to focus on implementing these goals and strategies and identifying barriers to Doors

implementation that may need to be addressed by the Interagency Council. The structure of the state’s Continuum of Care should also be brought into line with the HEARTH Act. Once HUD has issued and finalized the regulations implementing the changes to the Continuum of Care

Program, the determination will be made as to whether to request designation by HUD of Rhode Opening Island Housing as the state’s Unified Funding Agency. If Rhode Island seeks this designation and HUD supports the request, it will build on Rhode Island Housing’s current responsibilities as Lead Agency in the state’s Continuum of Care application and would provide the Continuum with access to potential additional federal homelessness resources.

33

Shift the focus to putting people in homes, not shelters. Emphasize the criticality of housing and the need for sustained public investment.

Adequate and appropriate housing is essential in order to have a meaningful impact on ending homelessness. This study documents the likely costs of comprehensively addressing homelessness in Rhode Island over the next five years. Although the projected costs are high, the potential savings are considerably higher. Savings will result from decreased utilization of high cost services including health care (emergency rooms, inpatient care, and ambulance services), criminal justice (police time, court costs, and corrections costs), and behavioral health (reduced use of inpatient and emergency services). However, an upfront investment in housing is essential in order to achieve the projected system savings.

 This plan sets out the projected costs, by intervention type (prevention, rapid re‐housing, affordable housing and permanent supportive housing) to comprehensively address

homelessness in Rhode Island over the next five years.

Island  Although projected savings and other numeric projections are critical in addressing the problem of homelessness, securing widespread public support requires more than numbers.

Rhode It requires that ordinary citizens recognize that people who are homeless are no different

and that their struggles are similar – if more intense – to other Rhode Islanders. Telling Doors

people’s stories puts a human face on homelessness and demonstrates on an individual and family basis that homelessness can be solved with positive outcomes. It also helps to limit the stigma associated with homelessness. Opening  Use pilot programs to demonstrate the cost‐effectiveness of solving homelessness. This plan has called for several pilot projects. These are particularly appropriate in the current fiscal environment as pilots are less costly than full scale interventions and can generate data that can be used to document effectiveness and allow the initiative to be increased in scale as additional resources become available.  Continue to identify ways to involve the faith community in raising awareness of homelessness, in service provision and referrals, and in generating support for comprehensive efforts to prevent and end homelessness in Rhode Island.

Use data to document the scope of need and the effectiveness of solutions to homelessness

The homeless management information system (HMIS) provides a means for tracking utilization of services and reporting on outcomes. It also can be adapted to serve as a centralized intake and assessment mechanism. However, to truly measure the impact of strategies to prevent

34 and end homelessness, it is important to match and integrate other data systems that track services to measure the full impact of homeless solutions.

 Conduct an independent evaluation of Rhode Island’s HMIS system and staffing to determine its ability to effectively track progress in achieving targeted performance outcomes and to make recommendations on how to improve the system to build that capacity.  Move toward data integration/sharing between: HMIS, Medicaid information systems, and Behavioral Health Data Systems.  Use HMIS to identify eligibility for other systems of support (VA, Elderly Affairs)  Use data matching to document the impacts of interventions to end and prevent homelessness on other systems of care and their costs.  Increase the scope of the HMIS system to include intake and assessment and coordinated application for mainstream resources.

Agree on a common set of outcomes to measure success in preventing and ending homelessness Island HUD’s homeless assistance programs have been outcome focused for a significant period of time. The existing set of outcome indicators will be significantly expanded through the Rhode introduction of the HEARTH Act to include additional indicators such as: length of time homeless, reductions in numbers of homeless people, coverage of all homeless people, Doors reductions in new households entering homelessness, and returns to homelessness after receiving homeless assistance services. Outcome measures and benchmarks are most successful when developed at the local level to address local priorities. Opening

 Develop system‐wide outcome measures that reflect: reductions in numbers of homeless people, reductions in the use of emergency shelter services, decreases in the lengths of stay for homeless assistance, reduced numbers of persons returning to homelessness or institutional care after receiving homeless assistance services, coverage of homeless services, and the length of time required to access appropriate housing and essential services.  In addition to developing overall outcome measures, develop interim benchmarks to measure success of homeless households in moving toward independence and housing stability.  Explore using performance based contracts to increase outcomes and efficiency. Establish standards for length of stay (LOS) and exits to permanent housing as well as costs per successful outcome. Collect baseline data as a first step in this process.

Ensure key stake holders are “at the table” and that the plan has the required “buy in” to implement it. 35

Costs of Housing Assistance The following tables provide an estimate of the costs of providing the housing assistance projected to be needed during the period 2012‐2016 in order to end chronic and Veterans homelessness within five years and family homelessness within ten years.

The total cost of this housing assistance over the five year period is estimated at approximately $110 million in capital costs for the development of new housing units, and $19.6 million for operating and service costs.

To calculate the average annual cost of the housing assistance, the total capital cost of $110 million is divided by the anticipated 20‐year term of the developed housing. This “annualized” cost of capital is then added to the annual costs of operating and services. The result is a combined average annual cost of capital, operating, and service costs per household served of

$5,613 per year (see Appendix 2 for detail).

Island

Rhode

Doors

Opening

36

Rhode Island Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

Five Year Housing Assistance Plan 2012-2016

Households Needing New Housing Assistance Total Households 12345 Total HOUSING ASSISTANCE 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Prevention Assistance (short/med term) 35 71 106 126 126 465

Rapid Re-Housing Assistance (short/med te 61 61 64 68 75 329

New Permanent Supportive Housing

Leased Units (vouchers or set-asides) 35 66 61 57 55 274

New Construction or Rehabilitation 35 66 61 57 55 274

TOTAL SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS 70 131 122 115 110 548

New Deeply Affordable Housing

Leased Units (vouchers or set-asides) 35 35 35 35 35 175

New Construction or Rehabilitation 35 35 35 35 35 175

TOTAL DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING U 70 70 70 70 70 350

TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS SERVED 236 334 362 379 381 1692

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

New Housing Assistance By Population

Families 186 234 263 279 282 1,244

Chronically Homeless Individuals 50 99 99 99 99 447

Total Households* 236 334 362 379 381 1,692

Households Served Through Turnover in Existing PSH Units

Families 25 28 31 32 33 149

Chronically Homeless Individuals 36 46 55 65 75 277

Total Households* 61 74 86 98 109 427

All Assisted Households* 297 407 448 476 490 2,118

*Households include Veterans Rhode Island Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Costs of New Housing Assistance 2012-2016

12345 Total Capital Costs of New 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2012-2016 Housing Assistance Capital Capital Capital Capital Capital Capital

Permanent Supportive Housing $ 7,979,518 $ 15,237,459 $ 14,340,441 $ 13,639,114 $ 13,249,952 $ 64,446,485

Deeply Affordable Housing $ 8,750,000 $ 8,925,000 $ 9,100,000 $ 9,275,000 $ 9,450,000 $ 45,500,000

TOTAL $ 16,729,518 $ 24,162,459 $ 23,440,441 $ 22,914,114 $ 22,699,952 $ 109,946,485

12345 Total 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2012-2016 Operating and Service Costs New Housing Assistance Rental & Rental & Rental & Rental & Rental & Rental & Financial Services Financial Services Financial Services Financial Services Financial Services Financial Services Assistance Assistance Assistance Assistance Assistance Assistance

Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing $ 288,865 $ 192,577 $ 404,226 $ 264,200 $ 529,646 $ 339,517 $ 616,179 $ 387,534 $ 652,111 $ 402,538 $ 2,491,028 $ 1,586,366

Permanent Supportive Housing $ 733,805 $ 643,566 $ 1,402,369 $ 1,197,342 $ 1,321,183 $ 1,096,159 $ 1,257,784 $ 1,015,041 $ 1,222,756 $ 962,363 $ 5,937,896 $ 4,914,472

Deeply Affordable Housing $ 838,740 $ 70,000 $ 855,515 $ 70,000 $ 872,290 $ 70,000 $ 889,064 $ 70,000 $ 905,839 $ 70,000 $ 4,361,448 $ 350,000

TOTAL $ 1,861,410 $ 906,143 $ 2,662,110 $ 1,531,542 $ 2,723,119 $ 1,505,676 $ 2,763,027 $ 1,472,575 $ 2,780,706 $ 1,434,901 $ 12,790,372 $ 6,850,838

12345 Costs Including Annual Renewals 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Operating and Services Rental & Rental & Rental & Rental & Rental & New Housing Assistance Financial Services Financial Services Financial Services Financial Services Financial Services Assistance Assistance Assistance Assistance Assistance

Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing $ 288,865 $ 192,577 $ 404,226 $ 264,200 $ 529,646 $ 339,517 $ 616,179 $ 387,534 $ 652,111 $ 402,538

Permanent Supportive Housing $ 733,805 $ 643,566 $ 2,136,174 $ 1,840,908 $ 3,457,357 $ 2,937,068 $ 4,715,140 $ 3,952,109 $ 5,937,896 $ 4,914,472

Deeply Affordable Housing $ 838,740 $ 70,000 $ 1,694,255 $ 140,000 $ 2,566,544 $ 210,000 $ 3,455,609 $ 280,000 $ 4,361,448 $ 350,000

TOTAL $ 1,861,410 $ 906,143 $ 4,234,655 $ 2,245,108 $ 6,553,547 $ 3,486,584 $ 8,786,928 $ 4,619,643 $ 10,951,456 $ 5,667,010 Rhode Island Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

Supportive and Affordable Housing Creation - Summary and Timeline

Housing Creation Summary Housing Creation Assumptions Supportive Housing Units 548 Units Created Through Leasing 50% Deeply Affordable Housing Units 350 Units Created Through Development 50% Total Units 898 Time Frame in Years: 5 Assumptions will be revisited annually

Overview of Unit Creation by Type, Size, and Year Unit Production by Year Units 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total by Size

0-1 BR 2-3 BR 0-1 BR 2-3 BR 0-1 BR 2-3 BR 0-1 BR 2-3 BR 0-1 BR 2-3 BR 0-1 BR 2-3 BR Development Supportive Housing Units 274 25 10 50 16 50 11 50 8 50 5 224 51 Deeply Affordable Housing Units 175 - 35 - 35 - 35 - 35 - 35 - 175 Leasing Supportive Housing Units 274 25 10 50 16 50 11 50 8 50 5 224 51 Deeply Affordable Housing Units 175 - 35 - 35 - 35 - 35 - 35 - 175 Total Units Supportive Housing Units 548 50 20 99 32 99 23 99 15 99 11 447 101 Deeply Affordable Housing Units 350 - 70 - 70 - 70 - 70 - 70 - 350

Financing Commitments Required for the Creation of the Units New Commitments Required by Year Units Total 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Supportive Housing Development 274 Capital Funding $ 7,979,518 $ 15,237,459 $ 14,340,441 $ 13,639,114 $ 13,249,952 $ 64,446,485 Operating/Rent Subsidies $ 352,459 $ 674,306 $ 636,157 $ 606,414 $ 590,082 $ 2,859,418 Services $ 361,710 $ 672,403 $ 614,913 $ 568,823 $ 538,892 $ 2,756,742 Leasing 274 Operating/Rent Subsidies $ 381,345 $ 728,063 $ 685,027 $ 651,370 $ 632,674 $ 3,078,478 Services $ 281,856 $ 524,939 $ 481,246 $ 446,218 $ 423,471 $ 2,157,730 Deeply Affordable Housing Development 175 Capital $ 8,750,000 $ 8,925,000 $ 9,100,000 $ 9,275,000 $ 9,450,000 $ 45,500,000 Operating $ 419,370 $ 427,757 $ 436,145 $ 444,532 $ 452,920 $ 2,180,724 Services $ 70,000 $ 70,000 $ 70,000 $ 70,000 $ 70,000 $ 350,000 Leasing 175 Operating $ 419,370 $ 427,757 $ 436,145 $ 444,532 $ 452,920 $ 2,180,724 Services $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -

Appendix : Opening Doors Rhode Island Steering Committee

Laura Archambault Rhode Island Housing

Garry Bliss City of Providence

Eileen Botelho Department of Education

Michelle Brophy Corporation for Supportive Housing – Interagency Council on Homelessness

James Dealy Behavioral Health, Development Disabilities and Hospitals Island John Eacobacci Rhode Island Housing Rhode Caitlin Frumerie Office of Housing and Community Development Eileen Hayes Amos House Doors

Paola Hernandez United Way of Rhode Island

Eric Hirsch Providence College Opening

Melissa Husband Rhode Island Housing

John Joyce The Providence Center‐outreach worker

Jean Johnson House of Hope

Don Larsen Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless‐ HMIS

Kyle MacDonald Crossroads Rhode Island

Mike Burk Department of Children Youth and Families

Darlene Price Office of Housing and Community Development

Amy Rainone Rhode Island Housing

Jim Ryczek Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless

Mike Tondra Office of Housing and Community Development 37

Appendix : Estimated Average Cost per Person per Year of Housing Assistance ‐ Opening Doors Rhode Island

Total Households To Be Served 1,692

Development

Capital Costs ‐ Deeply Affordable and Supportive Housing Total Costs over 5 year period$ 109,946,485 Cost Per Year 20 Years$ 5,497,324 Cost Per Household (Unit) 449 Households$ 12,238

Operating Costs over 5 year period$ 5,040,142 Service Costs over 5 year period$ 3,106,742 Total Operating and Services Costs$ 8,146,884 Cost Per Year 5 Years$ 1,629,377 Cost Per Household 449 Households$ 3,627 Island

Average Annual Cost/ Household Served through Development $ 15,865 Rhode Leasing Rental and Financial Assistance over 5 year period$ 5,259,202 Doors

Service Costs over 5 year period$ 2,507,730 Total Operating and Services$ 7,766,933 Cost Per Year 5 Years$ 1,553,387 Average Annual Cost/Household 449 Households $ 3,458 Opening

Prevention and Rapid ReHousing Rental and Financial Assistance over 5 year period$ 2,491,028 Service Costs over 5 year period$ 1,586,366 Total Operating and Services$ 4,077,394 Cost Per Year 5 Years$ 815,479 Average Annual Cost/Household 793 Households $ 1,028

Average Cost Per Household Served

Average Cost % of total Weighted Average per household households Per Household Development$ 15,865 26.6%$ 4,213 Leasing$ 3,458 26.6%$ 918 Prevention & Rapid ReHousing$ 1,028 46.9%$ 482

Average Annual Cost Per Household Served$ 5,613 38

Appendix : Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Island

Rhode

Doors

Opening

39

Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Goal: Reduce Homelessness Among Veterans by 20%/year until need is met Strategy Action Steps Person/ Organization Relevance Responsible FSP Goal(s) HEARTH PM(s) Coordinate with VA to Assess all persons accessing homeless assistance for military ICH/VA/State Veterans B A, B, C, D, F effectively use all service and refer appropriate persons to VA Affairs homeless assistance Coordinate intake with VA to assure that chronically “ A, B C resources homeless Veterans are able to access HUD‐VASH Ensure that VA is a full member/partner in the CoC “ B C Assure alignment of CoC Strategic Plan with VISN 5 year plan “ B C Develop additional units of Secure agreements to project base HUD‐VASH “ A, B A, B, D PSH to serve homeless

Seek PHA support for disabled Veteran housing “ A, B A, B, D Veterans with disabilities Set aside units in new affordable housing for Veterans with “ B A, B, C, D disabilities Prevent Veterans and Expand the SSVF program in Rhode Island “ B D returning service members Expand protections to returning service members who are “ B C,D Initiative

from experiencing renters homelessness Ensure Veterans are connected to VA through a data match State Dept Veterans B C with Medicaid Division Affairs Implement Veterans Court to divert Veterans from BHDDH/Veterans B C, F nature g homelessness and criminal justice system Affairs

Si Examine alternatives to Explore establishing transition in place model CoC cte B A, D current transitional Examine re‐purposing some CoC supported Veteran VA‐grants per diem B A, D housing services for transitional housing Veterans Improve VA utilization of Assure VA grant and per diem program, VASH projects, and HMIS Steering Cte A, B A, B, D HMIS to ensure accurate new SSVF program have HMIS partnership agreements and CoC accounting and are entering data in HMIS. unified performance measurement

See key to FSP and HEARTH Act Performance Measures at end of table

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Goal: Retool Homeless Crisis Response System to be more Effective in Preventing/ending Homelessness Strategy Action Steps Person/ Organization Relevance Responsible FSP Goal(s) HEARTH PM(s) Implement Coordinate assessment/application process for homeless CHF partnership/CoC C, D E coordinated/centralized assistance with application for mainstream resources Coordinating cte intake/assessment process including SNAP, TANF, Medicaid for CoC and other Coordinate assessment for CoC programs and ESG CHF partnership/CoC C, D A, B, C, D, E homeless assistance Cordinating Cte resources Design, plan and implement assessment and intake process CoC Coordinating Cte C, D A, C, F, G and apply across entire CoC Establish governance Establish annual review process for all CoC funded activities CoC Coordinating C, D C, D process for CoC that to determine their effectiveness in achieving outcomes – Cte/Governance cte targets and allocates especially new HEARTH outcomes resources based on Provide TA to programs not achieving outcomes or initiate a CoC Coordinating Cte C, D C, D HEARTH outcomes and process to repurposed funding goals of Strategic Plan Redesign service and program models based on evaluations CoC Coordinating Cte C, D C, D using strategies effective in achieving outcomes Establish written Develop written standards for CoC assistance including level CHF partnership/CoC C, D C, D standards for providing of support, eligibility determination and documentation, and coordinating cte assistance needs assessments Create standards for providing CoC supported case CoC Coordinating cte C, D B management services using evidence based practices

Provide comprehensive Develop CoC wide training plan for front line staff CHF partnership, CoC C, D A, B, D training to ‘front line’ cte, RICH homeless services staff Cross train regional Network RI staff with supportive housing CoC Coordinating Cte & C, D A, B, D and cross train other and homeless service providers on a quarterly basis DLT workers assisting Cross train local education authorities homeless liaisons with CoC Coordinating Ct & C, D A, B, D, G homeless people homeless and housing services providers DOE Include training with regard to the DCYF‐funded System of CoC Coordinating Ct & C, D A, B, D, G Care Family Care Community Partnerships (FCCPs) and DOE Networks of Care Assess transitional housing As part of renewal evaluation process, assess whether CoC Coordinating cte C, D C programs, ensure they are transitional housing programs are meeting HEARTH achieving outcomes and outcomes examine repurposing for Repurpose programs not achieving outcomes to rapid CoC Coordinating Cte A, C, D C programs not achieving rehousing, transition in place or PSH outcomes

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Goal: Increase Economic Security for those who are homeless or at risk Strategy Action Steps Person/ Organization Relevance Responsible FSP Goal(s) HEARTH PM(s) Strengthen collaboration Develop model partnership between WIB, DLT, Chamber of ICH & DLT cte B, C, D E between Workforce Commerce, DOE and CoC to integrate employment training, Investment Boards, DLT, job readiness, job development, job referral and job CoC and homeless services placement and preparation with housing providers Adapt evidence based practices such as Supported ICH & DLT B, C, D E Employment to other homeless populations beyond those with serious mental illness. Incorporate special needs populations into RI’s employment Sr. Mgmt team B, C, D E and training plan and search for federal funding to implement evidence based practices Expand and Improve Expand SOAR to include: prison based initiative; chronically ICH – EOHHS Medicaid A, B C, E Access to Mainstream homeless through collaboration with mental health centers, division Benefits health centers and hospital emergency departments; data match high users of services and connect at least 50% to benefits through SOAR Examine/research state‐wide unified benefit program HMIS Steering Cte A, B, C ,D C, D, E, F, G application and incorporate into intake/assessment process for homeless services accessed through HMIS Assess chronic homeless persons for benefit eligibility: ICH A A, E develop an in‐reach program to connect shelter users to mainstream benefits and services; Implement food stamps pilot to outreach to homeless DHS C, D D, E, G population Provide access to Develop collaboration with Office of Rehabilitative Services ICH A, B A, B, E employment services for and CoC providers people with disabilities Increase utilization of ‘Ticket to Work’ to improve income of ICH A, B E SSI/SSDI recipients Recruit employers to participate in ‘Ticket to Work’ to ICH B E improve access to employment

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Goal: Improve Health and Housing Stability of Homeless and Vulnerable Populations Strategy Action Steps Person/ Organization Relevance Responsible FSP Goal(s) HEARTH PM(s) Strengthen behavioral Improve access to mental health services for transitioning DCYF/BHDDH/sub cte C F, G health services to young adults and re‐entry post‐incarceration of Governor’s council vulnerable populations on Behavioral Health and linkages to Provide family centered care to families with behavioral DCYF/BHDDH/sub cte C C, F, G appropriate housing health needs of Governor’s council on Behavioral Health Allocate some RI MH/SA block grant to support services in DCYF/BHDDH/sub cte A, B, C B, G permanent supportive housing for homeless people with of Governor’s council serious mental illness on Behavioral Health Develop strategies for funding mental health services using DCYF/BHDDH/sub cte A, B, C C, D, F MH block grant funds for uninsured homeless of Governor’s council on Behavioral Health Seek HUD support through the Section 811 and/or a RIH/BHDDH C, D C, D reinstated Section 202 program Expand Access to primary Re‐establish mobile van serving homeless people and DOH/BHDDH A, B, C A, C care and appropriate care connecting them to health care for homeless clinic for chronic conditions Expand collaborations with FQHCs and supportive housing to DOH –Minority Health A, B, C, D C, F, G increase primary care access and access to integrated Division behavioral health care Develop Medicaid Health Home Model for homeless people BHDDH/EOHHS A, B, C C, D with multiple chronic conditions Medicaid division Increase utilization of Exercise state options to provide home and community BHDDH/EOHHS A, B B, G Medicaid to fund services based care to chronically homeless people in supportive housing Create ‘gaps analysis’ of current Medicaid reimbursed DOC/Re‐entry councils A, B, C A, B, C, D services and the services needed in supportive housing Couple Medicaid funding with deeply subsidized rental EOHHS, BHDDH, Rhode A, B, C A, B, C, D assistance provided through the Melville Act Island Housing Facilitate re‐entry for Evaluate pilot program targeting frequent users of criminal DOC/Re‐entry councils A B, D persons leaving criminal justice and homeless services. justice Decrease recidivism rates through targeted use of Access to DOC/Re‐entry councils A, D B, C, F Recovery Program and coordination with Public Defenders Expand collaborations with DOC, continue discharge planning DOC/Re‐entry A, D B, C, F to prevent homelessness, councils/BHDDH ATR

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Goal: Improve Health and Housing Stability of Homeless and Vulnerable Populations Strategy Action Steps Person/ Organization Relevance Responsible FSP Goal(s) HEARTH PM(s) Redirect emergency Emphasize and prioritize rapid re‐housing CHF Partnership C, D A, D, G

response to family Develop diversion program at intake/assessment CHF Partnership/SHPPN C A, B, D, F homelessness to housing Use data, assessment, outreach to target vulnerable families CHF Partnership/Coord Cte C A, D, F focused services Seek to reduce average length of shelter stays by families by CHF Partnership 20%

Initiatives Create pilot initiative Identify/select provider/sponsor organization to design and DCYF C, D D, E, F, G targeting unaccompanied implement program and homeless youth for Develop MOA among participating state agencies to commit DCYF C, D D, E, F, G successful participation in to cooperating in demonstration and providing sufficient workforce development resources to implement programs funded by DLT Plan and implement evaluation documenting costs and DCYF C, D D, E, F, G Signature and other agencies by outcomes achieved linking education, housing and life skills supports Create housing options for Work with PHAs to secure HUD vouchers for Family DCYF C F, G youth aging out of DCYF Unification Program targeting vulnerable families and aging care and for families at risk out youth of involvement with or Increase the understanding of DCYF’s and FCCPs and DCYF C F, G who are involved with emerging Networks of Care so these services can be more DCYF to advance family effectively accessed for target families preservation and family Explore ways to expand FCCP model to other vulnerable DCYF C F, G reunification populations

Create and/or subsidize Provide state funding for operating support in permanent HRC – RICH C, D A, B, D, F deeply affordable housing supportive housing for families with little to no income Systematically pursue all federal funding opportunities ICH C, D C, D Expand Increase participation by PHAs in the RI CoC ICH C, D C, D partnerships/collaboration Develop MOA with PHAs to reduce barriers to homeless ICH C, D C, D, F with PHAs people accessing PHA resources Develop MOAs with PHAs to increase opportunities for ICH C D, G federal funding that focus on family unification and housing for youth aging out Expand and increase Ensure that educational homeless liaison and shelter and DOE/Coordinating Cte C C, F, G

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan coordination with local supportive housing providers are cross trained education agencies Ensure that homeless families accessing emergency homeless DOE C C, F, G services are accessing McKinney Title I benefits Strengthen services for Establish policy work group to map current system of services DCYF C F, G youth and youth adults and supports for transitioning youth, identify service gaps who are identified as and develop policies which help to prevent youth from being unaccompanied, homeless homeless, at risk of Present mapping document and recommended policies to DCYF C F, G homelessness the Interagency Council on Homelessness to obtain support for recommendations and potential resource commitment Implement recommendations supported by Interagency DCYF C F, G Council

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Goal: End Chronic Homelessness in RI in 5 Years Strategy Action Steps Person/ Organization Relevance Responsible FSP Goal(s) HEARTH PM(s) Establish a goal to make Allocate funding from federal resources (CoC, entitlement RIH ICH A A, B, D available 100 additional funding and competitive grants) permanent supportive Seek commitments of project based vouchers from HUD‐ VA & Public Hsg A, B D housing units per year VASH and from PHAs Authorities through leasing/rental Secure state investments to supplement federal funds ICH A D assistance and including state investment in operating support for development. permanent supportive housing.

Implement high‐users Implement data match with Medicaid and HMIS to identify HMIS Steering A A, C initiative to target high users Cte/EOHHS Medicaid homeless persons who are Division

nature also using very high levels Target outreach to high‐users to engage and assist in Universal wait list cte A A, C, D g of Medicaid covered connecting to PSH Si services Provide housing choice vouchers to support PSH for Public Hsg Authorities A A, C, D participants Track Medicaid expenditures pre and post‐PSH to document HMIS Steering A C cost‐effectiveness of PSH cte/EOHHS Medicaid Division Develop move‐on Assist residents of PSH to develop housing stability plans that Coordinating Cte/Wait C B strategies for PSH for identify long term housing affordability options list cte/OHCD residents who no longer Develop process for residents of PSH to register on PHA OHCD C, D B, D require extensive services waiting lists and affordable housing wait lists in communities where they would like to reside post‐PSH Track and monitor vacancies in affordable housing RIH and PHAs C, D A, C throughout the state and make information available to PSH providers Use outreach to identify Use PATH to outreach and engage sheltered and unsheltered BHDDH A A, C. D and engage chronically chronically homeless homeless persons on Target chronic homeless in MH block grant BHDDH A A, B, D streets Use HMIS to identify elderly chronic homeless and case HMIS Steering Cte A A, B, D conference identified cases with Elderly Affairs

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Goal: Engage Leadership in Preventing and Ending Homelessness Strategy Action Steps Person/ Organization Relevance Responsible FSP Goal(s) HEARTH PM(s) Secure cross‐government Secure legislative support for plan ICH/RICH government A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G support for RI Strategic relations cte Plan Secure support from Housing Resources Commission to HRC A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G implement strategic plan Interagency Council to Adopt Plan ICH A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G Use data to support the Move toward data integration/sharing between HMIS, HMIS Steering Cte A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G need for and effectiveness Medicaid, and behavioral health data systems of solutions to Use HMIS to identify eligibility for other systems of support HMIS Steering Cte A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G homelessness Use data matching to document the impacts of interventions HMIS Steering Cte A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G to prevent and end homelessness on other systems of care and their costs Agree on common set of Develop system wide outcome measures that address OHCD/HRC A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G outcomes to measure HEARTH outcomes success in preventing and Develop interim benchmarks to measure incremental OHCD/HRC A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G ending homelessness successes in moving toward independence and housing stability Establish standards for lengths of stay and exits to permanent OHCD/HRC A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G housing Establish standards for costs/successful outcomes OHCD/HRC A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G Explore using performance based contracts to increase OHCD/HRC A, B, C, D A, B, C, D, E, F, G outcomes and efficiency

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Key to Codes used in Action Plan:

USICH Federal Strategic Plan Goals (FSP Goals) A. Finish the job of ending chronic homelessness in 5 years B. Prevent and end homelessness among Veterans in 5 years C. Prevent and end homelessness for families, youth, and children in 10 years D. Set a path to ending all types of homelessness

HEARTH Act CoC Performance Measures (HEARTH PMs)

A. Reduce average length of time persons are homeless B. Reduce returns to homelessness C. Improve program coverage D. Reduce number of families and individuals who are homelessness E. Improve employment rate and income amount of families and individuals who are homeless F. Reduce number of families and individuals who become homeless (first time homeless) G. Prevent homelessness and achieve independent living in permanent housing for families and youth defined as homeless under other Federal statutes

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Opening Doors Rhode Island Action Plan

Annual Housing Assistance Targets – Families Prevention Strategies 93 at‐risk Families per year Rapid Re‐Housing 66 homeless Families per year Affordable Housing 70 homeless Families per year New Permanent Supportive Housing 20 homeless Families per year

Annual Housing Assistance Targets – Chronically Homeless Adults New Permanent Supportive Housing 89 Chronically Homeless Adults per year

Annual Housing Assistance Targets –Veterans (also included within other tables above) Prevention Strategies 17 at‐risk Veteran households per year Rapid Re‐Housing 14 homeless Veteran households per year Affordable Housing 8 homeless Veteran households per year New Permanent Supportive Housing 16 homeless Veteran households per year

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Vermont’s Plan to End Homelessness

Approved by the Vermont Council on Homelessness December 20, 2012

Introduction from Governor Peter Shumlin

By any measure, too many of our fellow Vermonters are without housing today. We know that homelessness can be encountered across all age and demographic groups, and that, like poverty, it can impact veterans, workers in low-wage jobs, persons struggling with substance abuse or mental health crises, victims of domestic violence, and almost any other vulnerable population one could name. The dislocation caused by homelessness seriously compounds other challenges that our friends, family members and neighbors encounter when trying to address those root causes.

Since taking office, I have been deeply concerned with housing the homeless. In the same way that the causes of the problem are varied, so too are the solutions. As a state, we have made great strides over the past two years developing targeted programs that make housing more affordable and provide effective services to sustain people in their homes. Lasting success will require sustained political support. We must continue to increase both the availability of housing and the delivery of services to those who are homeless. While ending homelessness is no simple feat to be achieved in a single year, this plan outlines our strategy to reduce the incidence and duration of homelessness in Vermont.

For many, homelessness may be the result of a short-term financial crisis. Others, following multiple or extended episodes of homelessness, may have come to believe or accept that homelessness is part of their past, present and future. We should not accept homelessness as an inevitable or permanent condition.

I wish to thank the Vermont Council on Homelessness and members of the Council’s sub-committee who have worked to develop this comprehensive plan to address such an important issue for our state.

Sincerely,

Peter Shumlin Governor

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Introduction

Homelessness occurs when people are unable to acquire or maintain housing they can afford. The root causes are many and varied and misconceptions abound. The experience is traumatizing, especially for children who may see adverse effects on their education and development. The primary concern for those experiencing homeless, whether an individual or a family, is Figure 1 securing affordable housing and the necessary Annual one day count of people who are services to address the issues that put their homeless in Vermont housing at risk.1

On top of the many ways homelessness

traumatizes the individuals involved; it also has

a high cost for society. The federal government

has stated, “Homelessness comes at a very high

2,819 2,803

cost – to individuals, communities, and systems 2,676 2,470 of care. A growing body of research 2,281 demonstrates that communities save money by providing permanent supportive housing to people experiencing homelessness. In short, it 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 is proven to be more cost effective to provide *Includes people "couch surfing" or otherwise precariously housed. permanent supportive housing than to leave someone on the streets or in shelters. The research shows that providing housing to someone experiencing chronic homelessness results in reduced utilization of publicly funded services such as police, hospital, emergency and impatient services, and the correctional systems.” (Source: SAMHSA)

This plan was developed with one goal in mind: to end homelessness. It was written by the Vermont Council on Homelessness, which has recommended that the Governor adopt the plan and its proposed actions. The Council was created by gubernatorial Executive Order (see Appendix 1), and the appointed members are included Appendix 2.

While the primary goal is to end homelessness, we are sadly realistic that there will continue to be instances where someone may temporarily be without housing, and we will work to make any such instances rare and brief. To ensure that the primary goal of ending homelessness becomes reality, the Council is aiming to reduce the number of people who are currently homeless by 5 percent in its first year. This modest goal matches Vermont Agency of Human Services’ (AHS) goal stated in its draft Strategic Plan to reduce homelessness by 5 percent.

The Council’s efforts to reduce and end homelessness are up against macroeconomic realities like widespread poverty, soaring health care costs and a range of employment barriers. The Council will use this plan and other tools in its diligent work to overcome those barriers and support low-income people’s efforts to transition from poverty to economic security. Additionally, at the time this report is being written, there are considerable pressures on the federal budget and it is likely that additional cuts to important federal housing benefits like rental assistance and construction funding for affordable housing will continue to be reduced.

1 This plan uses the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) definitions of “homeless” and “at-risk of homelessness” as our guide, knowing that there is no single definition that could include all people who may experience homelessness. These definitions are included in Appendix 3. Specific programs serving people who are homeless may use these – or different – definitions. Page 2

As figure 1 shows, in 2012, on a single day in January the state’s network of homeless shelters and service providers counted over 2,800 people who were homeless or “precariously housed” (meaning temporarily staying with others but without a permanent home.) Because this is the first year of the plan, and the January 2013 count is not yet available, the Council aims Figure 2: to see the 5 percent reduction by January 2014. Average length of stay in ESG-funded shelters By reducing the number of Vermonters who 36.3 experience homelessness, the Council also 33.8 34.2 32.5 31.4 hopes to reduce the average length of stay in

29 the state’s shelters. As can be seen in Figure 2, 26.4 26 25 this stay has risen over the past decade, and for 21.9 many households with additional barriers to 15.2 finding affordable housing (such as families needing larger units or people who need

handicap accessible housing), this average Number ofnights Number length of stay can stretch for months.

As stated above, there are 2,800 people who are homeless on any given day in Vermont. State Fiscal Years Each of them has their own housing or service needs. Based on the last count, and shown in Figure 3, we know that about 21% were in Emergency Shelter, 24% were living in Transitional Housing, 11% were staying in a state funded hotel or motel, and 9% were unsheltered. Unlike similar statistics from more urban states, Vermont’s profile of homelessness looks somewhat different and almost half of those counted were families (as opposed to single individuals), which included 270 children.

This plan includes goals to direct the Council’s work, strategies and action items to reduce the incidence and duration of homelessness, and indicators to measure progress. Success will also hinge on the continued commitment of resources that support the Figure 3: creation of affordable homes and supportive Housing situation of homeless Vermonters services. After all, there is not enough safe, affordable, accessible housing free from discrimination in the state. And, there are Emergency many parts of the state with long waits for Precariously Shelter supportive services or people who may not Housed 21% receive the services they need to prevent their 35% homelessness. In addition to the barriers that Hotel/Motel 11% people who are homeless face when trying to become re-housed, some people face additional barriers due to their personal Unsheltered Transitional history, diagnosis, age, or other factors that 9% Housing can limit the opportunities to become re- 24% housed.

While Vermont can be proud of its history of serving the state’s most vulnerable efficiently and effectively, it also has long known that there are additional actions that can and should take place to support the Council’s goal of ending homelessness. In an attempt to ensure continual progress is made towards this goal, the Council has identified certain strategies and action items in this plan that it will address in 2013 and beyond. Selecting a manageable number of strategies to tackle first, and acknowledging that so many more worthy strategies must await attention was a difficult process and the Council has a plan to revisit the strategies and action steps in this plan annually. Many of the strategies to address in 2013 are initially the responsibility of AHS although to end homelessness more state, federal, local, and private partners must be engaged. The strategies identified for the near future includes some of those partners, and the Council will continue to actively engage additional partners Page 3 in the formation of strategies, and implementation of action steps. That said, the other sections (goals to end homelessness, currently supported models and practices to embrace), are all long term visions that will be reviewed every five years by the Council. As required by the Executive Order, the Council will report to the Governor by July 1 of each year on the progress made on the key indicators identified in the plan and will identify the next year’s strategies and action items chosen for attention. Goals to end homelessness

The primary, over-arching goal of this plan is to:

1. Reduce the incidence and duration of homelessness.

The Council has also identified these major goals:

2. Prevent homelessness and retain successful housing placements.

Homelessness is an inherently traumatic experience and therefore a goal of this plan is to prevent all households from experiencing homelessness. To stop the increase of Vermonters who become homeless every year, we must also focus on retaining housing for at-risk households who have never been homeless and those who have recently transitioned from homelessness to stable housing.

3. Strengthen services that alleviate and prevent homelessness.

Despite the fact that some households have multiple agencies working towards their success, there are still times when there are gaps in eligibility, timing, or benefit thresholds in services for some households. We must work to identify and fix these situations, while ensuring continuity and efficient delivery of services.

4. Increase the number of available homes affordable to renter households earning 30% of the Area Median Income or less.

Vermont has a shortage of available and affordable housing and has some of the lowest vacancy rates in the nation. Housing is very expensive compared to wages, especially for the lowest income Vermonters who are most likely to become homeless. We must continue to create more affordable housing opportunities for those most in need, and also address the significant gap between the rental prices in units with some government assistance and the rents affordable to people with no or very limited incomes.

5. Increase the economic security of households at risk of homelessness.

As mentioned previously, there are larger economic forces at work that can lead to homelessness including employment that is unstable or unemployment; low benefit levels; low wage jobs; high health care costs; education, transportation, and child care costs; and generational poverty. This plan will work to help bolster the economic security of Vermonters so they can better weather those realities with a goal of creating fully integrated and livable communities. Resource levels

The Council on Homelessness supports at least maintaining existing levels of funding for housing, homelessness, and homeless prevention efforts. State policy makers should always seek to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing programs. For example, the state should reduce reliance on hotels and motels and move towards affordable permanent housing which often requires ongoing rental assistance.

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Currently supported models

The majority of Vermont’s existing shelter and services programs for the homeless participate in a regional Continuum of Care. Local Continuums of Care are regionally based networks of homeless shelter and service agencies that meet regularly to plan for and address homelessness locally to ensure coordinated approaches. Among other roles, these groups are charged with identifying potential gaps in their local systems. By relying on local agencies and residents as key players in addressing homelessness, local needs are brought to the forefront and solutions are tailored to the community’s needs. The Council recognizes that the following models are currently available in much of the state and have done a lot to address and alleviate homelessness:

 Coordinated services and financial assistance that prevents homelessness and rapidly re-house those who become homeless. These are primarily funded through federal and state programs, although also supplemented with private resources. Examples are programs providing rental and utility arrearage, security deposits or other funds that help overcome a barrier to accessing housing. This also often includes housing search and retention activities.  Outreach that can demonstrate it is effective at engaging people with services, connecting people with mainstream benefits, providing emergency services (especially during harsh weather), or which ultimately results in successful housing placements.  Emergency shelter capacity that includes available case management that continues after someone finds housing and ensures more successful long term outcomes. Crisis-based emergency shelter works best when it is responsive to the unique needs that occur seasonally (cold weather), regionally, and when working with populations who have special needs (survivors of domestic violence, for example).  Supportive services that help people transition from homelessness to housing and/or serve those at-risk in their housing to prevent homelessness. Examples include case management, housing support, and housing stabilization. Ideally this offers long-term voluntary relationships with tenants and housing providers to support housing retention.  Transitional housing that provides a bridge between homelessness and permanent housing for those who need opportunities for independence while still being offered comprehensive services.  Permanent supportive housing that provides optional long term individualized services for the length of the lease.  Housing that is affordable and available for the most vulnerable Vermonters without the supportive services provided in permanent supportive housing. Some people who are homeless do not have ongoing service needs or do not choose to accept services, but do need housing that adjusts based on their individual incomes. Some examples include federally and state funded rental assistance programs that are income sensitive. Practices to embrace

Vermont has a long history of providing leadership in innovative, person-centered housing and service options. As it looks to continue to address homelessness in the state, it must continue to work to address the following concepts to ensure that its existing and new programs are exemplary.

 Adopt an overarching goal to not re-traumatize people or exacerbate an already stressful situation. This includes the idea that “benefit cliffs” should be eliminated so that households working toward self- sufficiency are not penalized or forced to make untenable choices.  Be respectful in language and practice so that all programs and policies are designed to minimize unnecessary disruptions to the lives of the households being served. This includes: o A genuine desire to respect the choices of people who are (or were) homeless;

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o Solicit and respond to the needs and suggestions of people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or were formerly homeless. o Encourage the development and/or evaluation of more programs by people who are/were homeless; and o Create a clear delineation of roles between any housing and support staff that fosters an ongoing commitment to positive relationships, respectful communication, and plans that are informed and directed by the person who is homeless.  Provide the necessary financial resources so that programs can operate to their fullest capacity to achieve desired outcomes. This includes the efficient use of limited funding and adapting programs and policies to changing needs locally. Typically the main sources of funding are federal and state resources, but funding from private and local funds can be a critical component as well.  Embrace the concept of continuous improvement which requires the ability to self evaluate. This need for transparency and being open to performance review based on accurate data is crucial for programs and policies to adapt to changing trends and effective outcomes.  Coordinate efforts with other resources within the continuum’s spectrum of programs in a community. By working in cooperation with the existing framework of housing and service options available, there are opportunities for innovative partnerships and ensuring that no one falls through the cracks.  Support regionally targeted housing and service options best suited to local needs while at the same time ensuring some consistency statewide so that no one region of the state is unduly burdened with unmet need. Current strategies

The Council has identified the following strategies as ones that it will tackle first, followed by a list of strategies that it will tackle next as a part of this plan before it is updated in conjunction with the state’s Consolidated Plan, undertaken by Vermont’s Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development. Any overlapping action items between these strategies will not result in duplicate effort, but will be coordinated and communicated through the Council.

1. Increase the number of units affordable to people who are extremely low-income, especially those who are homeless.  Action items to address this strategy: i. Develop the foundation of a housing production strategy which would include: 1. Regular discussions between housing and supportive service agencies to discuss how best to implement this strategy, including determining for whom the housing would be created, where, and how to fund. 2. Set goals for a multi-year housing strategy to increase housing for people who are homeless. 3. Identify other necessary action items to address this strategy.

2. Align and coordinate existing homelessness prevention, housing retention and rapid re-housing activities under a clear and common objective, regardless of funding source with the goal of flexibly meeting the needs of the person instead of the program. This will include standard definitions, reporting and performance measurement.  Action items to address this strategy: i. Create standard program definitions for activities such as: case management; financial sustainability; housing support or retention specialist; length of service follow up after housing is secured; and “stable housing.” ii. Try to determine and encourage maximum case loads so that the defined role of case management can be implemented effectively. iii. Consider implementing the following: 1. Increasing state funded rental assistance; Page 6

2. Expanding and enhancing financial capacity building services and asset building strategies; 3. A supportive housing program for families with children. iv. Draft uniform reporting standards that measure outcomes for these programs. v. Report the drafted standards to community partners for discussion.

3. Expand the capacity of programs to provide voluntary supportive services once households move into permanent housing.  Action items to address this strategy: i. Work with local service providers to document barriers to providing services for one year. ii. Ask housing recipients about their needs after services end during a lease term. iii. Talk with housing providers about what their needs are after supportive services end during a lease term. iv. Quantify the resources needed to achieve this goal of providing services for at least a year once households move into permanent housing. v. Report on findings of the activities above to community partners. Future strategies

Summary of Strategies

The Council will identify specific action items

 Goals to end homelessness  for these strategies once they are selected as a

current year’s strategies. As stated above, this

Reduce

housing

security

services Increase

listing will be revised every five years in  Strategies to address  Retention

Strengthen

Prevention& homelessness coordination with the state’s Consolidated Increase econ. Plan for housing activities. 2013 Increase housing for extremely low      1. Support local transitional and permanent income, especially homeless Coordinate prevention, retention, supportive housing designed to best suit     local needs. This can include supporting re-housing “housing first” programs throughout the Expand service capacity   2014 to 2018 state2, increasing the production and Transitional and permanent housing     availability of affordable cottage style Incentives to landlords   housing, and many other models. Expedite SSI/SSDI   2. Develop incentives for landlords to rent to Discharge planning    households with significant barriers to Address benefit cliffs    housing. Create short term disability fund    3. Expedite Supplemental Security Income Enhance services through GA     and Supplemental Security Disability Expand peer-run models    Income applications for all eligible Increase income support programs    applicants. Integrate asset development    4. Develop an accountability system around discharge planning and relocation planning which prevents institutions from discharging into homelessness. 5. Address issues with federal and state benefit program eligibility that inadvertently increases the likelihood of homelessness. 6. Create a short-term disability contingency fund to keep people in housing if they lose employment income due to illness. 7. Enhance services to General Assistance (GA) recipients and others at risk of homelessness, including education and employment assessments.

2 “Housing first” programs provide people with permanent housing and then combine that housing with supportive treatment services in the areas of mental and physical health, substance abuse, education, and employment. Page 7

8. Expand peer-run self-help housing models. 9. Support efforts to increase income support programs (such as TANF, SSI, GA, and others) to reflect real need. 10. Integrate asset development and financial empowerment practices into homelessness and housing services to help people move towards financial stability faster and long-term. Indicators of progress

To measure progress towards these goals, the Council will annually monitor the following indicators and report on them and to what extent the Council’s efforts have impacted the outcomes. While small sample sizes will undoubtedly mean annual fluctuations for indicators, the state should monitor long-term trends to watch for progress.

Goal 1: reduce the incidence and duration of homelessness Reducing the number of people who are identified as homeless during an annual count, homelessness will be reduced throughout the state.

Figure 1:

Annual one day count of people who are homeless in Vermont

2,819

2,803

2,676

2,470 2,281

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 *Includes people "couch surfing" or otherwise precariously housed. A reduction in the average duration of homelessness will be measured through length of stay data from the state's Emergency Solutions Grant funded shelters.

Figure 2: Average length of stay in ESG-funded shelters 36.3 33.8 34.2 32.5 31.4 29 26.4 26 25 21.9

15.2 Number ofnights Number

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 State Fiscal Years Goal 2: Prevent homelessness and retain successful housing placements Increasing the successful outcomes for the people who were at risk of homelessness but who ultimately had their housing stabilize, will lower the number of Vermonters who become homeless.  Indicator to include, but not yet available: Number of people who were at risk of homeless and served by a homeless prevention program but did not re-appear in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) as being homeless. While not everyone who is homeless or at risk are included in an HMIS system, it is the best proxy available. Page 8

Increasing the number of people who were homeless and secured housing for at least a year will lower the number of Vermonters with unmet housing needs.  Indicator to include, but not yet available: Number of people who were homeless but became housed and did not re-appear in the HMIS system as being homeless within a year. While not everyone who is homeless or at risk are included in an HMIS system, it is the best proxy available.

Goal 3: Strengthen services that alleviate and prevent homelessness Increasing the supportive services available to Vermonters who need them will help more people achieve self sufficiency and prevent or end homelessness.  Indicator to include, but not yet available: the number of people served by various programs that fund services. To be identified.

Goal 4: Increase the housing units affordable and available to extremely low income renters Having an adequate supply of rental units affordable to extremely low income households will help ensure that there are units available, and this will help to make homelessness rare and brief.

Figure 4: Rental units affordable for households at 30% or less of median income

Goal 5: Increase the economic security of households at risk of homelessness Increasing the economic security of households at risk of homelessness will reduce the number of households who will become homeless in the future.

Figure 5: Vermonters Paying Too Much for Housing Renters Homeowners with mortgages

50%+ of income 31-50% of income

20% 23% 22% 25% 25%

9% 9% 8% 10% 9% 25% 25% 25% 25% 24% 17% 17% 18% 16% 15%

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

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Data action agenda

Addressing the needs of people who are homeless typically begins with detailed conversations about the prevalence of the need, demographic characteristics of those involved, how to quantify the unmet demand and how to measure the efficiency or effectiveness of programs. All of these are important factors to consider, yet the state and its providers are continually frustrated by the lack of consistent, reliable, and comprehensive data. There are many tools used to collect data, and the Council will create a team to address these or work with existing data committees where appropriate. For all of the following items, the Council will involve people who are homeless or formerly homeless.

1. There are questions about the accuracy of the annual Point in Time count. The data collection tool should be modified to be more user-friendly, there should be a robust training program to educate community providers and partners throughout the state, and data integrity must be pursued in all respects. a. Action: a subcommittee of the Council was formed in 2012 to begin to address these needs and will remain active through 2013 to implement changes, collect feedback, and work towards continual improvement.

2. There is a need for in-depth analysis of the characteristics of people who are homeless throughout the state. By studying the number of homelessness episodes, service engagements, and housing outcomes for households, the state can begin to understand the paths through the system of care. At the same time, the state must always consider the legal and personal implications of collecting sensitive data from people who have been traumatized and every possible effort must be made to ensure the confidentiality of this information, as well as keeping a low barrier to access programs that doesn’t delay or deny assistance because of data requirements. a. Action: work with the data committees of the two Continuums of Care in the state to prioritize the reports to be generated from the HMIS that collect this information, and support their ability to generate needed reports.

3. Both state-level funding and local providers administering programs must ensure they are efficient stewards of public funding while also creating real and meaningful change. As the state continues to embrace results based accountability, the state and providers must work together to create performance measures that are reasonable, measureable, and uniform while also sharing the results with the public as appropriate. a. Action: State and quasi-state agencies that administer programs designed to serve the homeless or prevent homelessness should attempt to collect the same Universal Data Elements that are required of HUD-funded homeless programs with the goal of then reporting to the public aggregated data reports that can inform planning and programmatic decisions. b. Action: These same state and quasi-state agencies that use performance measures as a part of their contracting process should share the results of those programs’ measures with the public, as well as any plans to implement performance-based contracting. The goal being that Council could provide feedback on the measures, results, and future program data needed to implement this plan.

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APPENDIX I – Executive Order 03-12

WHERAS, homelessness has been a persistent and growing problem within Vermont for 30 years; and

WHERAS, homelessness assaults the human dignity of any individual affected, including children, young adults, working families, and veterans; and

WHERAS, both the financial and human costs of homelessness strain public services including health care, mental health care, and education; and

WHEREAS, Vermont has a commitment to the quality of life for all of its citizens; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, Peter Shumlin, by virtue of the power vested in me as Governor, do hereby re-establish and re-constitute the Vermont Council on Homelessness.

1. Composition and Appointments

Members of the Council shall be appointed by the Governor for three years terms until their successors are appointed and qualified.

Members shall include: the Secretary of Human Services or designee; the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health or designee; the Commissioner of the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living or designee; the Commissioner of Corrections or designee; the Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families or designee; the Commissioner of the Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development or designee; the Commissioner of Education or designee; the Executive Director of the Vermont State Housing Authority or designee; the Executive Director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency or designee; the Executive Director of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board or designee; and

Six (6) representatives of entities engaged in preventing or addressing homelessness inlucind representatives of shelter providers and the Continuum of Care;

Two (2) persons who have experienced homelessness and who are not otherwise included in another category;

Two (2) housing providers;

Two (2) at large members with a strong commitment to fighting homelessness.

2. Council Charge

The responsibilities of the council shall include, but not be limited to:

A. Developing a Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in Vermont which shall include annual targets for reducing the number of homeless people in Vermont and shall set forth plans to implement specific initiative, including those developed at Governor Shumlin’s June 2011 Summit on Homelessness; B. Monitoring and revising the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness as necessary; and C. Reporting to the Governor on July 1 of each calendar year regarding: (1) recommendations to the Administration regarding resource, policy, and regulatory changes necessary to accomplish the goals of the Plan, and (2) progress made under the Plan.

3. Council Progress

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The Governor shall appoint the Chair of the Council. The Council shall meet no less than quarterly. The Council shall establish sub-committees.

The Council shall be attached to the Agency of Human Services for administrative support. To the extent fund permit, community members shall receive reimbursement of expenses and a per diem pursuant to 32 V.S. A. § 1010(e).

4. Effective Date

This Order shall take effect upon signing and expire on December 21, 2022. This Order supersedes and replaces Executive Order 05-06 (codified as No. 33-15).

Dated January 25, 2012.

Peter Shumlin

Governor

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APPENDIX II – Vermont Council on Homelessness Members

State Agencies Angus Chaney, Chair - Agency of Human Services Commissioner - Dept. of Mental Health Will Rowe - Dept. of Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living Karen Lawson - Dept. of Corrections Dave Yacovone - Dept. for Children and Families Jennifer Hollar - Dept. of Economic, Housing & Community Development Mike Mulcahy - Dept. of Education

Quasi-State Entities Richard Williams - Vermont State Housing Authority Sarah Carpenter - Vermont Housing Finance Agency Gustave Seelig - Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Six representatives of entities engaged in preventing or addressing homelessness including representatives of shelter providers and the Continuum of Care Michelle Fay - Umbrella Elizabeth Ready - John Graham Shelter Richard McInerney - Springfield Supported Housing Program Mark Redmond - Spectrum Youth & Family Services Deborah Hall - Rutland County Housing Coalition Rachel Batterson - Vermont Legal Aid

Two persons who have experienced homelessness Laura Ziegler - Another Way Jack Kearnan - Vermont Interfaith Action

Two housing providers Brenda Torpy - Champlain Housing Trust Connie Snow - Windsor & Windham Housing Trust

Two at large members with a strong commitment to fighting homelessness Rita Markley - Committee On Temporary Shelter Linda Ryan - Samaritan House

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APPENDIX III – Definitions

“Homeless” is defined here as household meeting criteria in one of the following categories: (1) An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: (i) An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground; (ii) An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income individuals); or (iii) An individual who is exiting an institution where he or she resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution;

(2) An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that: (i) The primary nighttime residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of application for homeless assistance; (ii) No subsequent residence has been identified; and (iii) The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, needed to obtain other permanent housing;

(3) Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with children and youth, who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition, but who: (i) Are defined as homeless under another federal program; (ii) Have not had a lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing at any time during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of application for homeless assistance; (iii) Have experienced persistent instability as measured by two moves or more during the 60-day period immediately preceding the date of applying for homeless assistance; and (iv) Can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse (including neglect), the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or two or more barriers to employment, which include the lack of a high school degree or General Education Development (GED), illiteracy, low English proficiency, a history of incarceration or detention for criminal activity, and a history of unstable employment; or

(4) Any individual or family who: (i) Is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a family member, including a child, that has either taken place within the individual’s or family’s primary nighttime residence or has made the individual or family afraid to return to their primary nighttime residence; (ii) Has no other residence; and (iii) Lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, to obtain other permanent housing.

“At Risk of Homelessness” in this is defined here as: An individual or family with an annual income below 30% of median family income for the county who lacks sufficient resources or support networks immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place defined in Category 1 of the “homeless” definition; AND who meets one of the following conditions:

 Has moved because of economic reasons 2 or more times during the preceding 60 days; OR  Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship; OR  Has been notified they will lose their housing within 21 days; OR  Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost is not paid for by charitable organizations or by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals; OR  Lives in an SRO or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than 2 persons; OR  Is exiting a publicly funded institution or system of care.

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APPENDIX IV – References

SAMHSA: http://homeless.samhsa.gov/Channel/Cost-of-Homelessness-631.aspx

Figure 1: Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness and Chittenden County Homeless Alliance’s one night census of people who were homeless on January 26, 2012. Also called the “Point in Time count.”

Figure 2: Data collected from the Point in Time count (above).

Figure 3: Data collected from the Point in Time count (above).

Figure 4: VHFA analysis of estimates provided by Nielsen Claritas and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2005-7, Tables B25063 and B25122.

Figure 5: US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 1 year estimates, tables B25070 and B25091.

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HEADING HOME: MINNESOTA’S PLAN TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS Endorsed by the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, December, 2013

Photography Credits Top row, all: St. Stephen’s Human Services Row 2: St. Stephen’s Human Services Row 3: Morguefile - BBoomerindenial; St. Stephen’s Human Services Bottom row, left to right: St. Stephen’s Human Services; Minnesota Housing TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from Governor Dayton...... 4 Letter from Commissioners Tingerthal and Jesson...... 5 Executive Summary...... 6 Two-Year Action Plan at a Glance...... 10 The Plan...... 12 Measuring Success...... 46 Acknowledgments...... 53 Glossary...... 55 LETTER FROM GOVERNOR DAYTON

I am pleased that Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness reflects public input and strong interagency collaboration among the 11 agency commissioners and staff.

I strongly believe all Minnesotans should have access to safe and stable housing and I am committed to the plan’s objectives and strategies. Stable housing results in better educational outcomes for our children, a stronger workforce now and in the future, increased public safety, better health, reduced health care costs, and reduced disparities among communities.

The plan to prevent and end homelessness lays out concrete action steps for state agencies and opportunities for the state to partner with the private sector. These steps build on the progress my administration has made through bonding support for housing for Minnesotans at risk of homelessness, increased funding for the Homeless Youth Act, and rental assistance for families with school-age children and those most likely to become homeless.

Minnesotans care deeply about ending homelessness. We believe working people should be able to afford a place to live, and that people with physical or mental health needs must have a place to call home. However, there is no easy solution, and certainly state government cannot do it alone. Based on our values, both individually and collectively, we must solve the problem of homelessness together—as Minnesotans, as communities, as non-profits and businesses, and as government.

By working as a statewide team to implement this plan, Minnesota can and will solve big problems like homelessness and deliver results for Minnesotans.

Mark Dayton, Governor State of Minnesota

4 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness LETTER FROM COMMISSIONERS TINGERTHAL AND JESSON

As co-chairs of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, we are honored to present Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness: a plan that both builds on what has been working to end homelessness for some of Minnesota’s most vulnerable people and presents new, coordinated strategies to stabilize housing for all Minnesotans, including children, who experience or are at risk of homelessness.

Over the past year, the Council has been re-formed to include Commissioners from eleven state agencies: Corrections, Education, Employment and Economic Development, Health, Higher Education, Human Rights, Human Services, Housing, Public Safety, Transportation and Veterans Affairs. These Commissioners, along with the Governor’s Chief of Staff, comprise the Council, which began its work by engaging a new state director to prevent and end homelessness and drafting a new state plan.

This plan differs from previous efforts to address homelessness among Minnesotans, primarily because it establishes accountabilities for all Commissioners and their staff. In addition to a plan with a long-term vision, we asked our senior leaders and state director to bring clear actions that agencies will implement over the next two years. The plan identifies these actions and describes the results we want. We will measure these results and hold each other accountable for producing them.

The Council drew ideas for the plan and the actions to be accomplished in the next two years from a broad spectrum of stakeholders across Minnesota, as well as from work being done at the federal level and in other states. We expect to continue consulting the community and adjusting the plan as needed over the course of its implementation. The Council has adopted the actions included in the plan and committed the agencies to participating in full. The Council will continue to meet and measure our progress and report on that progress to the people of Minnesota.

We stand ready to work with our colleagues – and partners throughout the state – to make government work better for our fellow Minnesotans in greatest need. We feel privileged to be working together for a better Minnesota: a Minnesota that honors the dignity of each and maximizes the potential of all.

Lucinda Jesson, Commissioner Mary Tingerthal, Commissioner Department of Human Services Minnesota Housing

Letters 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

“There is nothing more important than a good, safe, secure home.” Rosalynn Carter

Stable housing is out of reach for far too many Minnesotans. Systemic changes over the past several decades have resulted in incomes not keeping pace with the cost of housing. In addition to the more than 10,000 Minnesotans who are homeless on any given night, another 248,000 are paying more than half of their income on housing. This disconnect between incomes and the cost of housing undermines our state’s ability to improve educational outcomes for our children, build a stronger workforce, improve health, and reduce disparities. While we are aware that the full solution to homelessness, including addressing income inequality, will require the commitment of many sectors and all levels of government, this plan focuses on strategies and actions state agencies are and can be pursuing. These strategies set us on a path not only to end homelessness for more families and individuals, but also to substantially prevent homelessness, by addressing some of the most significant barriers to maintaining housing stability.

The Vision The long-term vision of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness is Housing Stability for All Minnesotans. The Interagency Council is contributing to this overarching result by focusing on solving the most egregious form of housing instability – homelessness. The role of the Council is to lead the state in efforts to prevent and end homelessness for all Minnesotans.

What does it mean to prevent and end homelessness? Preventing Homelessness means that families and individuals are helped to reduce their likelihood of becoming homeless and avoid crises that, without intervention, would precipitate a loss of housing.

Ending Homelessness means that if a family or individual does become homeless, we will have a crisis response system to assess their needs and quickly provide them the opportunity to access stable housing. It does not mean that no one will experience homelessness ever again.

Why does it matter to prevent and end homelessness? Preventing and ending homelessness matters to Minnesota’s future. Children and youth need stable homes to succeed in school, to develop relationships with peers and community, and eventually to contribute to society as adults. Families and single adults, including Veterans, need stable homes to secure and maintain health and employment.

6 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Preventing and ending homelessness also matters to the future financial health of our community. Homelessness is expensive. By turning expenditures on homelessness to investments in housing stability, we can both advance the well- being of Minnesotans and maximize the value of public investments in housing.

The Outcomes We Seek for Minnesotans Our long-term objective is to prevent and end homelessness for all Minnesotans. Ending homelessness We intend to decrease each year the number of all people experiencing homelessness. Toward this objective, The Interagency Council on Homelessness is means quickly providing prioritizing these measurable outcomes: opportunities to access • Prevent and End Homelessness for Families with Children and stable housing Unaccompanied Youth by 2020 when someone We will make preventing and ending family and child homelessness a priority becomes homeless. focus area. While we have made progress in other populations, family and child homelessness continues to rise in our state (Wilder, 2012). We must reverse this trend now – for the future of our children and our state.

• Finish the Job of Ending Homelessness for Veterans and for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness by 2015 We have already made significant progress on ending homelessness for Veterans and people with disabilities and, with the Federal government’s continued investment on behalf of these populations, we could be the first state in the country to essentially “end” Veteran and chronic homelessness.

The Two-Year Action Plan Earlier this year the Interagency Council on Homelessness requested that the State Director to Prevent and End Homelessness identify a core set of actions with the greatest potential for progress toward these objectives. The Director worked with leaders and key staff within the eleven Council agencies, as well as a broad group of community stakeholders, to create a collective two-year action plan. To guide the development of the action plan, the Council identified nine areas of opportunity that hold the greatest potential to create change.

These guiding “levers” are: • Prevent homelessness, especially at transition points of youth and adult systems of care • Reduce barriers and increase access to critical mainstream programs and services • Improve the coordination and compatibility of existing resources • Improve targeting of existing resources to ensure they are most effective • Improve the quality and access to data to drive policy and better service delivery • Reduce disparities through culturally responsible actions and approaches • Increase investments in what we know works • Align with and build on our work with Federal, local and tribal plans to end homelessness • Increase public education, awareness and engagement

Executive Summary 7 The Strategies and Actions Using these levers as guides, The Minnesota Interagency Council has identified twelve strategies and associated actions that the State can take that will have the biggest impact on preventing and ending homelessness for Minnesota families and individuals over the next two years.

1. Because stable housing is out of reach for far too many Minnesotans… We will pursue increased investments in affordable housing and rental assistance in order to assist Minnesota families and individuals trying to afford a safe place to call home.

2. Because children and youth make up nearly one-half of all people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota and homelessness has especially detrimental and long-term impacts on children… We will create new supportive housing opportunities for the most vulnerable families and provide them with the support necessary to maintain their housing and ensure that the developmental needs of young children are met.

3. Because a decent paying job is the best defense against homelessness… We will evaluate current workforce training and employment programs to assess and improve access to these programs with the goal of increasing incomes for adults and youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We will identify and address common risk factors of job seekers who are homeless, such as a lack of transportation and/or child care. We will increase identification, outreach and engagement with students who are experiencing homelessness while pursuing higher education to increase the likelihood of graduation.

4. Because we know that many people experiencing homelessness have difficulty accessing existing resources, such as food support, primary health care, early childhood programs, and childcare… We will identify and assess publicly-funded income, health and social services that can help families and individuals avoid homelessness. These programs will be reviewed for capacity, eligibility, and other potential barriers that may exclude or make access difficult for people without stable housing.

5. Because we believe that housing stability is critical to a person’s health… We will maximize the use of health care funding and services to promote improved health outcomes through stable housing for people with disabilities experiencing homelessness.

6. Because people involved in the correctional system are more likely to return to that system when they do not have stable housing… We will work with corrections agencies and community providers to facilitate access to stable housing for offenders supervised in the community who are most at-risk of homelessness in order to increase the effectiveness of existing interventions.

8 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness 7. Because we are poised to end Veterans homelessness in this state… We will aggressively focus on finishing the job byending homelessness for Veterans on a Veteran-by-Veteran basis. Collaboration between the VA and other homeless service providers will ensure that each Veteran experiencing homelessness has the tools they need to become stably housed.

8. Because at-risk young people emerging into adulthood are highly vulnerable to becoming homeless… We will focus on improving the transitions young people face when they leave foster care, juvenile corrections, or other systems, by identifying those youth most likely to become homeless. We will connect these youth to critical, holistic services with the goal of ensuring long-term stability and avoiding negative outcomes, including sexual exploitation.

9. Because homeless and highly mobile students are at an enormous academic disadvantage… We will work with local school districts to identify homeless and highly mobile students and connect them and their families with services. We will train school liaisons, increase access to resources where needed, and require formal connections with local homeless service collaboratives.

10. Because the racial disparities represented among people experiencing homelessness are unacceptable and undermine all other efforts to reduce disparities and close the achievement gap… We will, in partnership with culturally specific communities, includingTribal Nations, prioritize funding for efforts most successful at improving housing stability in communities disproportionately impacted by homelessness.

11. Because we must use limited resources in the most effective way possible... We will improve our ability to provide the right services at the right time for families and individuals experiencing homelessness. We will work with local communities throughout Minnesota to develop a coordinated assessment process and tools.

12. Because high quality data drives better planning, policy and results… We will create an Ending Homelessness dashboard that is updated regularly and linked to this plan. To do this, we will strengthen Minnesota’s Homeless Management Information System and homeless point-in-time counts, and connect these data sources with statewide mainstream systems. We will work to integrate data systems that pull data for assessment, research, and evaluation.

In adopting this plan, The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness commits our agencies to working together to implement these twelve strategies and their accompanying actions (found in detail in the body of the report). We know we cannot do this alone and we look forward to working with our local government, community, philanthropic, and private sector partners to ensure that all Minnesotans have a place to call home.

Executive Summary 9 TWO-YEAR ACTION PLAN AT A GLANCE

The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness has adopted a Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. With key agency leaders, the Council’s eleven commissioners have identified 12 strategies and associated actions that state government will pursue over the next two years. State leaders look forward to working with local government, community, philanthropic, and private sector partners to implement these actions and ensure that all Minnesotans have a place to call home.

Topic Strategies and Actions Responsible Agencies 1. Increase investments in affordable housing and rental assistance. • Minnesota • Preserve existing subsidized affordable housing, seek bonding for new housing Housing creation, and develop funding plan. • Incent private sector landlords to rent to more families and individuals who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness. 2. Create new supportive housing opportunities for the most vulnerable families • Minnesota

HOUSING experiencing homelessness. Housing • Based on data, determine number of units and locations of new family • Department of supportive housing needed and develop a funding plan. Human Services • Identify services most beneficial for families and their children and link families in supportive housing to these resources. 3. Evaluate current workforce training, employment and education programs. • Department of • Decrease barriers to accessing existing workforce training and employment Employment programs for people experiencing homelessness. and Economic • Actively engage and enroll people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness into Development workforce development and training. • Department of • Build employment opportunities around the existing and potential skills of Human Services Minnesotans experiencing homelessness. • Office of Higher • Provide high-quality workforce services to youth aging out of foster care. Education • Support students experiencing homelessness to succeed in higher education. 4. Identify, assess and improve key mainstream programs by each state agency • Interagency that could prevent and end homelessness for families and individuals. Council Senior • Review existing state and federal programs and services that each Leadership agency manages and identify opportunities to improve access for people Team • Department of

EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME EMPLOYMENT experiencing homelessness. • Reform income supplement programs for persons with disabilities to allow Human Services greater flexibility and increase housing options.

10 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Topic Strategies and Actions Responsible Agencies 5. Maximize the use of health care funding and services to promote improved • Department of health outcomes through stable housing. Human Services • Build capacity of current homeless and housing providers to bill health funding • Department of sources (e.g. Medicaid). Health • Develop person-centered Housing Stability Services for persons who are • State Council homeless or at-risk and have a disability. on Disability 6. Work with corrections agencies and community providers to facilitate access to • Department of stable housing for offenders supervised in the community. Corrections • Inventory potential housing resources, connect offenders living in the • Minnesota community to stable housing, and enhance existing exit planning processes. Housing • Target resources for ex-offenders who experience high barriers to accessing • Department of housing. Human Services • Ensure culturally responsive and respectful discharge planning. 7. End homelessness for Veterans on a Veteran-by-Veteran basis. • Department of • Form regional teams of Veterans services and housing/homeless providers to Veterans Affairs EFFECTIVE USE OF SERVICES EFFECTIVE identify and reach out to individual Veterans experiencing homelessness— • State Councils working to solve each unique Veteran’s situation. on underserved populations 8. Improve the transitions of young people from foster care, juvenile corrections, or • Department of other systems. Human Services • Plan exits from youth systems starting at time of entry, but no later than by age 16. • Department of • Identify youth served in foster care and juvenile corrections who are most likely Corrections to become homeless and connect them to needed resources. 9. Identify homeless and highly mobile students and connect them and their • Department of families with services. Education • Work with local school districts to increase the impact of homeless school • Department of AND YOUTH liaisons. Public Safety • Create an intentional link between schools, community mental health • Department of

EDUCATION, CHILDREN EDUCATION, resource, and liaisons. Human Services 10. Prioritize funding for efforts most successful at improving housing stability for • Interagency communities disproportionately impacted by homelessness. Council Senior • Work with local communities to identify strategies that are most likely to end Leadership homelessness within communities of color. Team • Change grant guidelines to include and support culturally-specific • State Tribal organizations that possess unique cultural advantages for success. liaisons • State Councils on underserved populations 11. Develop a statewide Coordinated Assessment process and tools. • Interagency • Fully implement Coordinated Assessment systems statewide to simplify access, Council Senior quickly assess needs and strengths, develop person-centered solutions, create Leadership standards for service provision, and provide referrals with follow-up. Team • Create a statewide policy for supportive housing that ensures targeting of • Minnesota resources to those most in need. Housing • Streamline the emergency assistance system. • Department of • Improve cross-agency coordination of the homeless-targeted grant making Human Services TARGETING RESOURCES TARGETING process. 12. Improve data quality and access. • Interagency • Create a better functioning Homeless Management Information System Council on (HMIS). Homelessness • Improve point-in-time homeless counts. Senior • Make effective use of interagency data sharing. Leadership • Develop high quality public reporting processes. Team • Support research and evaluation.

Plan At A Glance 11 THE PLAN

Stable housing is out of reach for far too many Minnesotans. Systemic changes over the past several decades have resulted in incomes not keeping pace with the cost of housing. In addition to the more than 10,000 Minnesotans who are homeless on any given night, another 248,000 are paying more than half of their income on their housing. This disconnect between incomes and the cost of housing undermines our state’s ability to improve educational outcomes for our children, build a stronger workforce, improve health, and reduce disparities. While we are aware that the full solution to homelessness, including addressing income inequality, will require the commitment of many sectors and all levels of government, this plan focuses on strategies and actions state agencies are and can be pursuing. These strategies set us on a path not only to end homelessness for more families and individuals, but also to substantially prevent homelessness, by addressing some of the most significant barriers to maintaining housing stability.

The Vision Housing stability for all Minnesotans is the ultimate quality of life result we are striving to achieve. Housing stability means that all people in our state have access to a safe and affordable place to live, as well as the resources and supports (if necessary) to maintain their housing. Ideally, housing stability also means that people have choices in where they live, and if and when they move.

Housing stability is The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness is contributing to this overarching a platform for better result of housing stability by focusing on solving the most egregious form of housing educational outcomes instability – homelessness. This effort links directly to the statewide dashboard and the indicator of the number of Minnesotans who are homeless on a given day. for our children, a The role of the Interagency Council on Homelessness is to lead the state in efforts stronger workforce both to prevent and end homelessness for all Minnesotans. now and in the future, What does it mean to prevent and end homelessness? increased public safety, Preventing Homelessness means that families and individuals are helped to better health, reduced reduce their likelihood of becoming homeless and avoid crises that, without intervention, would precipitate a loss of housing. health care costs, and reduced disparities Ending Homelessness means that if a family or individual does become homeless we will have a crisis response system to assess their needs and quickly provide among populations. them the opportunity to access stable housing. It does not mean that no one will experience homelessness ever again.

Why does it matter to prevent and end homelessness? Preventing and ending homelessness matters to Minnesota’s future. Children and youth need stable homes to succeed in school, to develop relationships with peers and community, and eventually to contribute to society as adults. Families and single adults, including Veterans, need stable homes to secure and maintain health and employment.

Preventing and ending homelessness also matters to the future financial health

12 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness of our community. Homelessness is expensive. By turning expenditures on homelessness to investments in housing stability, we can both advance the well- being of Minnesotans and maximize the value of public investments in housing. This disconnect between incomes and the cost of The Outcomes We Seek for Minnesotans The long-term objective is to prevent and end homelessness for all Minnesotans. housing undermines our We intend to decrease each year the numbers of all people experiencing state’s ability to improve homelessness. Toward this objective, The Interagency Council on Homelessness is prioritizing these measurable outcomes: educational outcomes for our children, build • Prevent and End Homelessness for Families with Children and Unaccompanied Youth by 2020 a stronger workforce, We will make preventing and ending family and child homelessness a priority improve health, and focus area. While we have made progress in other populations, family and child homelessness continues to rise in our state. This is extremely concerning reduce disparities. for the future of our children and our state.

• Finish the Job of Ending Homelessness for Veterans and for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness by 2015 We have already made significant progress on Veteran and chronic homelessness and, with the Federal government’s continued investment on behalf of these populations, we could be the first state in the country to essentially “end” Veteran and chronic homelessness.

The Two-Year Action Plan Earlier this year the Interagency Council on Homelessness requested that the State Director to Prevent and End Homelessness identify a core set of actions with the greatest potential for progress toward these objectives. The Director worked with leaders and key staff within the eleven Council agencies, as well as a broad group of community stakeholders, to create a collective two-year action plan. To guide the development of the action plan, the Council identified nine areas of opportunity that hold the greatest potential to create change.

These guiding “levers” are: • Prevent homelessness, especially at transition points of youth and adult systems of care • Reduce barriers and increase access to critical mainstream programs and services • Improve the coordination and compatibility of existing resources • Improve targeting of existing resources to ensure they are most effective • Improve the quality and access to data to drive policy and better service delivery • Reduce disparities through culturally responsible actions and approaches • Increase investments in what we know works • Align with and build on our work with Federal, local and tribal plans to end homelessness • Increase public education, awareness, and engagement

The strategies and actions our agencies will take together over the first two years of this initiative will be evaluated on a consistent basis and adjusted as needed to ensure maximum effectiveness. A detailed account of the inter- and intra- agency actions for each of the twelve strategies, the population and performance measures we will monitor, and initial timelines for achieving each action follow.

The Plan 13 BECAUSE STABLE HOUSING IS OUT OF REACH FOR FAR TOO MANY MINNESOTANS… We will pursue increased investments in affordable housing and 1 rental assistance in order to assist Minnesota families and individuals trying to afford a safe place to call home.

Increase Outcome More families and individuals experiencing homelessness have access to investments affordable housing. in what we Indicators of success1 know works • Number of people in Minnesota experiencing homelessness • Number of people who experience repeat episodes of homelessness

Strategy 1 Increase statewide investments in affordable housing opportunities and rental assistance for persons experiencing and at-risk of homelessness.

Context Minnesotans experiencing homelessness state that the number one reason they are homeless is that they cannot afford housing (Wilder interview data). Across the country, between the years 2007-2011, incomes declined by 8.3 percent and the cost of housing increased by 15.1 percent. Housing is simply out of reach. In Minnesota, between 2010-2011, there was an 8 percent increase in low-income renter households with severe housing cost burden (households paying more than 50 percent of their income on their housing).

Actions Lead Agencies2 Timeline a. Preserve existing subsidized affordable Minnesota Housing Ongoing housing. b. Seek bonding authority to support Minnesota Housing May 2014 affordable and supportive housing developments that meet competitive funding criteria. c. Using available data, including data from Minnesota Housing May 2014 the Wilder Research statewide survey and the HUD point-in-time count, determine the amount of new affordable housing opportunities needed.

1 The indicators in this report are meant to serve as general guidelines for measuring success in the plan. Further research is needed to determine the specific indicators that will be used and how they will be operationalized. If data to measure the indicator are not cur- rently available, the indicator will be added to the plan’s Data Development Agenda.

2 The majority of the action items in this plan will require the commitment and partnership of many stakeholders, both public and pri- vate, and they are not all listed here. The Lead Agencies listed in this plan are the one or two State agencies that will be taking the lead in facilitating the implementation of the action item.

14 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness d. Determine the mix of new housing Minnesota Housing May 2014 opportunities to be made available through new construction, acquisition/rehabilitation, and rental assistance, taking into consideration cost-effectiveness, choice, and portability. e. Develop funding plan for new affordable Minnesota Housing August housing opportunities needed, including 2014 identification of: • public and private funding sources, • opportunities to reallocate or access existing resources, and • need for new funding.

Performance Measures1 • Increase in number of households experiencing homelessness who access affordable housing • Increase in long-term housing stability of households who have experienced homelessness

Strategy 2

Incent private sector landlords to rent to more families and individuals who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Context Private sector landlords are often reluctant to rent to people with poor or minimal rental histories or other barriers. There are strong models to learn from both here and around the country to increase private market housing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Identify successful pilots and programs Minnesota Housing November that strengthen relationships with private 2014 landlords (e.g. landlord indemnification fund, trainings from “rapid exit” housing specialists) and what it would take to bring them to scale. b. Expand 1-2 successful strategies. Minnesota Housing May 2015

Performance Measures • Increase in number of units owned by private sector landlords who are willing to rent to people experiencing homelessness

1 The performance measures in this report are meant to serve as general guidelines for measuring success within the action items. Fur- ther research is needed to determine the specific performance measurements that will be used and how they will be operationalized. If data to measure the performance measurement are not currently available, the performance measurement will be added to the plan’s Data Development Agenda.

The Plan: Housing 15 BECAUSE CHILDREN AND YOUTH MAKE UP NEARLY ONE-HALF OF ALL PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN MINNESOTA AND HOMELESSNESS HAS ESPECIALLY DETRIMENTAL AND LONG-TERM 2 IMPACTS ON CHILDREN… We will create new supportive housing opportunities for the most vulnerable families and provide them with the support necessary to maintain their housing and ensure that the developmental needs of young children are met.

Increase Outcome More families with children experiencing homelessness have access to investments permanent supportive housing. in what we Indicators of success know works • Percent of families in Minnesota experiencing homelessness • Percent of families who experience repeat episodes of homelessness

Strategy 1 Create new supportive housing opportunities for families with children experiencing long-term homelessness and families who are identified as having a high likelihood of experiencing repeat episodes of homelessness. Ensure young children are connected to resources to meet their developmental needs.

Context For households with significant barriers to maintaining housing stability, supportive housing is a nationally recognized, evidence-based practice for preventing and ending homelessness. Using available data, we can more successfully target when housing linked with support services is an appropriate and needed intervention and structure the kinds of supports that homeless young children need. The achievement gap for homeless students emerges early and persists or worsens (Dr. Masten, U of M). Early education services are likely to have a high return on investment for these children.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Based on data on the needs of families Minnesota Housing May 2014 and children experiencing homelessness, determine the units, locations and services Department of needed for new family supportive housing. Human Services b. Seek advice from State Councils on Minnesota Housing May 2014 underserved populations and other stakeholders on assessing housing needs for large and/or multigenerational families. Include in funding plan.

16 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness c. Develop funding plan for new supportive Minnesota Housing August housing opportunities needed, including 2014 identification of: Department of • public and private funding sources, Human Services • opportunities to reallocate or access existing resources, and • need for new funding. d. Identify services available to families living Department of November in supportive housing. Link them to available Human Services 2015 culturally appropriate community resources, coordinate existing resources, and increase Department of funding where needed. Focus on ensuring Public Safety the developmental needs of young children are met and addressing the housing and service needs of female-headed households who have experienced domestic violence. e. Examine best ways to add or connect to Minnesota Housing November supplemental reading programs for pre-K 2015 and school age children living in shelter or Department of supportive housing, as literacy adds a strong Education protective factor to children and youth living in homelessness. f. New family supportive housing Minnesota Housing November opportunities are available. 2016

Performance Measures • Increased percent of families experiencing long-term homelessness accessing permanent supportive housing • Increased percent of families stably housed in supportive housing for at least 2 years • Increased percent of children in supportive housing with improved school attendance • Increased percent of adults in supportive housing receiving needed treatment or care for a disability or illness

The Plan: Housing 17 BECAUSE A DECENT PAYING JOB IS THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST HOMELESSNESS… We will evaluate current workforce training and employment 3 programs to assess and improve access to these programs with the goal of increasing incomes for adults and youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We will identify and address common risk factors of job seekers who are homeless, such as a lack of transportation and/or child care. We will increase identification, outreach and engagement with students who are experiencing homelessness while pursuing higher education to increase the likelihood of graduation.

Reduce barriers Outcome Adults and youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness increase their earned and increase access income and their potential for future earnings. to mainstream Indicators of success resources for people • Percent of target population with sustainable earnings at-risk or experiencing homelessness Strategy 1 Decrease barriers to accessing existing workforce training and employment programs that particularly impact people experiencing homelessness.

Context Many adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness are disconnected from employment and training programs. Often those that are employed do not earn wages sufficient to afford housing. These actions aim to increase the quantity and quality of intersections between homelessness individuals and employment and training providers.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Examine existing workforce training and Department of February employment programs for the number of Employment 2014 people being served who are homeless. and Economic Development b. Identify local workforce development Department of July 2014 program capacity to serve persons Employment experiencing homelessness and specify and Economic gaps. Development c. Create and conduct an inventory of local Department of August workforce development programs that are Employment 2014 serving people experiencing homelessness and Economic to identify promising practices and lessons Development learned. Identify areas where disincentives to serving people experiencing homelessness may unintentionally exist.

18 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness d. Develop and issue standard protocols for Department of August identifying and serving persons experiencing Employment 2014 homelessness within workforce development and Economic programs. Development

Performance Measures • Increased percent of persons experiencing homelessness successfully completing a training or employment program, compared to overall population • Increased percent of persons experiencing homelessness who obtain job after participating in a workforce program, compared to overall population • Increased percent of persons experiencing homelessness who increase credentials to obtain jobs in high-growth occupations

Strategy 2

Actively engage and enroll people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in appropriate and available workforce development and training programs.

Context A large number of people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness are unemployed or underemployed and lack the skills and/or credentials to obtain and sustain employment at a livable wage.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Research and seek Department of Labor Department of Ongoing opportunities to supplement effective Employment programs. and Economic Development b. Examine the quality of data currently Department of November available in WorkForce One related to Employment 2014 people experiencing homelessness or at and Economic risk of homelessness. Identify ways to modify Development and improve WorkForce One data on homelessness. Identify and consider better linkages between WorkForce One and HMIS. c. Explore strategies for employment Department of August services for homeless families with trained Employment 2015 job counselors who have knowledge about and Economic homelessness and smaller caseloads. Development

Performance Measures • Increased percent of people experiencing homelessness enrolling in workforce and training programs

The Plan: Employment and Income 19 Strategy 3 Build employment opportunities around the existing and potential skills of Minnesotans at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Increase access to and support for individualized strategies designed to connect people to employment, such as the Employment First approach and Individual Placement and Support practice (IPS), the evidence-based practice of supported employment.

Context People experiencing homelessness are often stereotyped as unemployed and unemployable. We know, however, that significant numbers are employed, and others – including people with physical and mental disabilities – can be employed given the right settings and removal of barriers. Employment First is a philosophy emphasizing the full inclusion of people with the most significant disabilities in the workplace and community.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Use Wilder research and additional Department of August sampling, if necessary, to assess capabilities Employment 2014 of Minnesotans who are experiencing and Economic homelessness today. Challenge common Development misperceptions held by employers and/or workforce center staff. Department of Human Services b. Focus on building opportunities that Department of February connect those skills with the needs of the Employment 2015 workplace. and Economic Development c. Examine the existing IPS pilot project Department of August that combines IPS and Supportive Housing Employment 2015 to identify the key factors needed to and Economic successfully embed IPS in permanent Development supportive housing programs. Department of Human Services d. Collaborate with Minnesota’s 2013 Department of November Olmstead Plan to implement an Employment Employment 2015 First policy in Minnesota. and Economic Development

Department of Human Services e. Identify the funding and infrastructure Department of November needs that would be required to expand IPS Employment 2015 to additional supportive housing programs in and Economic Minnesota. Development

Department of Human Services

20 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Performance Measures • Increased percent of adults experiencing homelessness with disabilities who increase their earned income • Increased number of individuals with mental illnesses experiencing homeless who participate in IPS in a supportive housing program

Strategy 4

Minnesota’s youth workforce system will partner with human services staff and social workers to provide high-quality services to youth aging out of foster care.

Context A high percentage of youth aging out of Minnesota’s foster care system are at risk of homelessness. Consistently, these youth identify their desire to find meaningful employment, pursue their dreams of higher education, and contribute to their communities.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Identify promising practices for serving Department of February youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness Employment 2014 in Minnesota’s workforce system. Identify and Economic specific practices that are culturally Development responsive. b. Explore partnerships to expand statewide Department of February youth-focused internships, apprenticeships Employment 2015 and training opportunities with employers. and Economic Development c. Develop and implement strategies to Department of February support youth ages 18-21 in foster care to Human Services 2015 pursue post-secondary education.

Performance Measures • Increased percent of youth aging out of foster care who access employment or post-secondary education

Strategy 5

Support students experiencing homelessness to succeed in higher education.

Context Students experiencing homelessness are at especially high risk of not completing their educational goals, resulting in debt load and no new marketable skills. Few postsecondary institutions track or provide services targeted to homeless students.

The Plan: Employment and Income 21 Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Learn best practices for identifying and Office of Higher April 2014 supporting students who are homeless, or at Education risk of homelessness. b. Work with higher education institutions Office of Higher May 2014 to develop a process to identify homeless Education students registered at their postsecondary institution, connect them to existing resources and track outcomes. c. To facilitate retention and better Office of Higher November opportunity for future employment, work with Education 2014 postsecondary institutions to develop policies and procedures to effectively support students who are homeless or at risk of being homeless while pursuing postsecondary education.

Performance Measures • Increased year-to-year retention rates and graduation rates of formerly homeless students in post-secondary education • Increased number of institutions that provide services deemed essential for homeless students to achieve educational goals

22 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING EXISTING RESOURCES, SUCH AS FOOD SUPPORT, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, EARLY CHILDHOOD 4 PROGRAMS, AND CHILDCARE… We will identify and assess publicly-funded income, health and social services that could help families and individuals avoid homelessness. These programs will be reviewed for capacity, eligibility, and other potential barriers that may exclude or make access difficult for people without stable housing.

Reduce barriers Outcome Individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness are receiving all and increase access mainstream services and supports that they are eligible for. to mainstream Indicators of success resources for people • Percent of target population accessing income support, as compared to at-risk or experiencing participation rates for the total population homelessness • Percent of target population accessing food support, as compared to participation rates for the total population • Percent of target population accessing childcare, as compared to participation rates for the total population • Percent of homeless or at-risk families, children, and individuals accessing healthcare, including behavioral health services, as compared to participation rates for the total population

Strategy 1 Review existing state and federal programs and services that each agency manages and identify opportunities to improve access for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. Create an implementation strategy for improving the use of resources to address homelessness.

These resources include (but are not limited to): • Early Head Start and Head Start • Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) • Home Visiting through the Health Department • Children and Adult behavioral health services • Help Me Grow (Part C/Part B) • Transportation assistance • Food support, including SNAP and WIC • Income supplement programs, including MFIP, GA, GRH, SSI/SSDI and MSA • Health insurance

The Plan: Employment and Income 23 Context The high mobility of families and individuals experiencing homelessness can result in disruptions in services with long intervals before they can re-apply and eligibility is re-established, if ever. This can be particularly detrimental to young children who lose ground developmentally when they stop receiving early childhood services. According to the Wilder Homeless Survey, during the 12 months preceding the study, one-fifth of homeless adults reported that they had lost at least one service or benefit that they had previously received. One-quarter of homeless adults reported that they needed assistance in applying or reapplying for services or benefits. Potential actions for change include: 1) Making eligibility and application requirements more flexible for persons experiencing homelessness, 2) Improving communication processes for persons experiencing homelessness, 3) Prioritizing persons experiencing homelessness for certain services or resources where limited and target population is underserved, and 4) Developing new methods of service delivery that may be more effective for persons experiencing homelessness.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Each agency reviews all non-homeless- Interagency Council May 2014 specific resources and services to determine on Homelessness how and when people experiencing Senior Leadership homelessness are using them. If access Team is limited, identify capacity, eligibility, cultural competence/racism, or other characteristics that prevent resources from being more easily accessed by families and individuals who are homeless or most at risk of homelessness. Look at questions of access through different cultural/racial lenses. Create a standard template with questions for each agency for use in this review. b. Solicit additional input on barriers Interagency Council August and strategies for change from external on Homelessness 2014 stakeholders, including counties, tribes, Senior Leadership State Councils on underserved populations, Team service providers and people experiencing homelessness. c. Agencies report on findings and prepare Interagency Council November an action plan, including an implementation on Homelessness 2014 strategy developed with specific policy Senior Leadership changes or action steps outlined. Action Team plans should include: • Strategies for increasing outreach to people experiencing homelessness • Methods for providing application assistance to people experiencing homelessness, where applicable • Strategies for reducing any barriers that were identified

24 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness d. Where transportation is a barrier to Department of February accessing services or resources, create a Transportation 2015 plan to reduce barriers. e. Create a mechanism to receive ongoing Interagency Council Ongoing feedback from local providers and clients. on Homelessness Senior Leadership Team

Performance Measures • TBD, based on specific services/resources identified in agency plans for action. Example: Increased percent of families experiencing homelessness who receive MFIP

Strategy 2

Reform income supplement programs for persons with disabilities (Group Residential Housing and Minnesota Supplemental Aid) to allow greater flexibility and increase housing options by promoting choice and access to integrated settings.

Context Minnesota has two income supplement programs for persons with disabilities, GRH and MSA Housing Assistance. Both programs are part of a Maintenance of Effort agreement with the Social Security Administration. Over the past several years, some pilot and demonstration projects, aimed at persons experiencing homelessness, have been implemented to use these income supplements in market rate housing where the tenant holds their own lease. The results of these pilot and demonstration projects indicate that these income supplements could be changed to work better in non-congregate settings and that enabling people to live in the housing of their choice has been very successful.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Prepare proposal for 2015 Legislature Department of November session. Human Services 2014 b. Implement program changes authorized Department of February by the Legislature. Human Services 2016

Performance Measures • Increased percent of people with disabilities who have experienced homelessness receiving income supplement programs to support them in the housing of their choice

The Plan: Employment and Income 25 BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT HOUSING STABILITY IS CRITICAL TO A PERSON’S HEALTH… We will maximize the use of health care funding and services to 5 promote improved health outcomes through stable housing for people with disabilities experiencing homelessness.

Reduce barriers Outcome Families and individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness who have and increase access disabilities have improved health due to increased access to health-related to mainstream services and stable housing.

resources for people Indicators of success at-risk or experiencing • Housing stability for persons experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness homelessness who have a disability or chronic health condition • Use of emergency medical interventions, including inpatient medical and psychiatric hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and ambulance transports by persons experiencing homelessness • Percent of persons experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness who have established a relationship with a primary care provider whom they have seen within the last year

Strategy 1 Maximize the use of health care funds to promote increased health through housing stability. Build capacity of current homeless and housing providers to bill health funding sources (e.g. Medicaid) for health-related services.

Context According to the 2012 Wilder Homeless Study, 72 percent of homeless adults have a serious mental illness, chronic health condition, substance abuse disorder, or evidence of a traumatic brain injury or cognitive impairment. Between one- quarter and one-third have not recently received care for their conditions. Increased access to health care and services available through Medicaid and other health-funding sources for people experiencing homelessness is critically important. However, homeless service providers are not often using these services because: 1) They lack the administrative capacity to do so; and 2) Issues related to the population they are serving (example: eligibility for services has not been established due to lack of proper assessment or diagnosis).

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Collaborate in the development of Department of February behavioral health homes to ensure care Human Services 2014 is available for people experiencing homelessness. Department of Health

26 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness b. Work with housing/homeless providers Department of August to identify individuals who may qualify for Human Services 2014 additional services through Medicaid or other health funding sources. State Council on Disability c. Develop plan to build capacity with Department of November providers to deliver and bill for effective Human Services 2014 Medicaid funded services. Include exploring the development of provider partnerships, third party billing opportunities, and/or other partnerships with local community health agencies that have experience in providing Medicaid-covered services. d. Explore the role of Community Health Department of November Care Workers (CHWs) and Certified Peer Health 2014 Specialists to provide culturally specific health care including mental health within Department of communities, especially at critical transition Human Services points. Review and consider reimbursement policy changes for CHWs. e. Use lessons learned to identify and Department of February recommend potential policy changes Health 2015 that would result in better access to health care and improved health outcomes Department of for individuals and families experiencing Human Services homelessness.

Performance Measures • Increased percent of persons served by homeless providers receiving Medicaid or other health-related services • Improved health of persons receiving homeless services

Strategy 2 Develop person-centered Housing Stability Services for persons who are homeless or at-risk and have a disability, and explore funding through Medicaid.

Context Stable housing can improve stability of employment, save health care dollars and contribute to personal and family stability. Improved housing stability reduces costly institutional, crisis, and treatment services. In Minnesota, the recent expansion of Medicaid eligibility to a broader group of adults without children has created an opportunity to serve those individuals who traditionally have “fallen through the cracks” of our existing system.

The Plan: Effective Use of Services 27 Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Conduct stakeholder discussions. Department of August Human Services 2014 b. Prepare proposal for Housing Stability Department of November Services for 2015 Legislative session. Human Services 2014 Examine relevance for Minnesota of recent expansions in use of Medicaid for housing stability in CA and NY. c. Implement a state-funded Housing Department of February Stability Services pilot. Human Services 2016 d. Begin development of a plan for potential Department of May 2016 Medicaid CMS proposal. Human Services

Performance Measures • Improved health for persons receiving Housing Stability Services • Improved housing stability for persons receiving Housing Stability Services • Decrease in use of emergency services • Increase connection to community health resources

28 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness BECAUSE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM ARE MORE LIKELY TO RETURN TO THAT SYSTEM WHEN THEY DO NOT HAVE STABLE HOUSING… 6 We will work with corrections agencies and community providers to facilitate access to stable housing for offenders supervised in the community who are most at risk of homelessness in order to increase the effectiveness of existing interventions.

Prevent homelessness Outcome People involved in the correctional system have access to and maintain stable whenever possible, housing while in the community. especially at Indicators of success transition points • Percent of people involved in the correctional system experiencing from adult and youth homelessness systems of care • Percent of people leaving correctional institutions who experience homelessness within 3 years

Strategy 1 Work with corrections agencies and community providers to facilitate access to stable housing for offenders supervised in the community who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness.

Context The majority of people involved in the correctional system live in our Minnesota communities under supervision. If the person under supervision does not have access to stable housing, the likelihood of re-offending increases. The goal is to assist offenders with securing stable housing at the beginning of their involvement with the correctional system in order to avoid future homelessness and recidivism.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Build on existing community partnerships Department of February to identify an inventory of potential housing Corrections 2014 resources and interventions for persons in corrections system. b. Track and report people who are Department of May 2014 involved in the corrections systems and are Corrections discharged into homelessness. Report on outcomes of Department of Corrections housing-targeted resources. c. Connect offenders living in the community Department of January on supervision who are homeless or at- Corrections 2015 risk of homelessness with safe and stable housing, and increased opportunities for employment, at the first possible moment.

The Plan: Effective Use of Services 29 d. Enhance existing exit planning processes Department of January for offenders identified as homeless at time Corrections 2015 of entry or at high risk of homelessness upon exit. Provide more intensive services to this population, particularly around benefits assistance and housing. Match assessed needs with resources.

Performance Measures • Increased housing stability for target population • Decrease in the number of additional offenses for target population • Increased number of connections to services and health care for target population

Strategy 2 Target resources for ex-offenders who experience high barriers to accessing housing, employment and services due to their criminal background.

Context Many ex-offenders, who are disproportionately people of color, are barred from housing, employment services and other services due to their criminal record. This greatly impacts their ability to rebuild a more stable and productive life.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Identify individuals experiencing TBD May 2015 homelessness whose criminal records prevent them from accessing housing and have the potential to be expunged. Connect these individuals to specialized assistance to begin the expungement process. b. Target a portion of permanent supportive Department of May 2015 housing options for individuals whose criminal Corrections backgrounds present barriers to housing in the private rental market. Minnesota Housing c. Expand use of critical time interventions Department of August (CTI) for persons with mental illness Corrections 2015 transitioning from corrections. Department of Human Services

Performance Measures • Increased number of ex-offenders experiencing homelessness whose records are expunged • Increased number of permanent supportive housing opportunities available for ex-offenders • Increased housing stability for persons with mental illness transitioning from corrections and receiving CTI services

30 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Strategy 3 Ensure discharge planning staff and resources are culturally responsive.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Provide routine cultural competency Department of May 2014 training for professionals involved in Corrections discharge planning. b. Outreach to organizations and agencies Department of May 2014 that provide culturally-specific services Corrections that serve (or could serve) people leaving correctional institutions. Create an inventory of cultural resources and regularly update. c. Facilitate semi-annual joint learning events Department of August for discharge planning staff and cultural Corrections 2014 organizations with the goal of building relationships and increasing the success of referrals.

Performance Measures • Increased percent of ex-offenders who receive culturally-specific services or resources • Reduced percent of people of color who are discharged to homelessness, as compared to the overall population

The Plan: Effective Use of Services 31 BECAUSE WE ARE POISED TO END VETERANS HOMELESSNESS IN THIS STATE… We will aggressively focus on finishing the job byending 7 homelessness for Veterans on a Veteran-by-Veteran basis. Collaboration between the VA and other homeless service providers will ensure that each Veteran experiencing homelessness has the tools they need to become stably housed.

Align with and build Outcome Prevent and end homelessness for Veterans by 2015. on our work with the Federal plan and Indicators of success • Number of Veterans experiencing homelessness local community and • Number of Veterans experiencing repeat episodes of homelessness tribal plans to end homelessness Strategy 1 Aggressively focus on finishing the job of ending homelessness for Veterans on a Veteran-by-Veteran basis.

Context In Minnesota, according to the most recent point-in-time count (January, 2013), only 350 Veterans were identified as homeless on that day. While some Veterans experiencing homelessness may not have identified themselves, this relatively small number gives us hope that, with continued focused effort, we can finish the job of ending homelessness for Minnesota’s Veterans.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Identify potential affordable and Department of February supportive housing resources available Veterans Affairs 2014 for Veterans, including supporting local communities in applying for future federal Minnesota Housing HUD-VASH resources (Section 8 vouchers linked with VA services). b. Determine “Veteran to Veteran” Department of May 2014 approaches to encourage Veterans to self- Veterans Affairs identify as homeless and to trust and access services. c. Form regional teams of Veterans services Department of August and housing/homeless providers dedicated Veterans Affairs 2014 to ending homelessness for Veterans through Veteran-by-Veteran responses. These collaborations can vary by area, and will include Veterans’ health care agencies, as well as multiple other state and local stakeholders.

32 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness d. Regional teams will identify and reach out Department of May 2015 to all homeless Veterans in their local area, Veterans Affairs especially communities of color. State Councils on underserved populations e. Regional teams will meet regularly to Department of May 2015 discuss cases and form solutions for Veterans Veterans Affairs experiencing homelessness in their area, including connecting to benefits, housing and service resources.

Performance Measures • Increased percent of Veterans experiencing homelessness connected to Veterans’ benefits • Increased percent of Veterans who have experienced homeless who are stably housed • Improved health outcomes for Veterans who have experienced homelessness and are stably housed • Decrease in time it takes for Veterans experiencing homelessness to obtain permanent housing

The Plan: Effective Use of Services 33 BECAUSE AT-RISK YOUNG PEOPLE EMERGING INTO ADULTHOOD ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO BECOMING HOMELESS… We will focus on improving the transitions young people face 8 when they leave foster care, juvenile corrections, or other systems, by identifying those youth most likely to become homeless. We will connect these youth to critical, holistic services with the goal of ensuring long-term stability and avoiding negative outcomes, including sexual exploitation.

Prevent homelessness Outcome All youth in Minnesota who transition from systems of care have access to safe whenever possible, and stable housing. especially at Indicators of success transition points • Percent of youth leaving systems of care who experience homelessness from adult and youth within 2 years of transition systems of care Strategy 1 Improve the transitions young people face from foster care, juvenile corrections, or other systems. Plan exits from youth systems, starting at time of entry, but no later than by age 16.

Context According to Wilder Research (2012 survey), 58 percent of homeless youth (age 21 and younger) had been in an out-of-home placement prior to becoming homeless (out-of-home placements include foster care, treatment facilities and juvenile corrections facilities). Youth who exit these systems into homelessness are vulnerable to exploitation and are more likely to become homeless as adults. The goal is to ease these transitions as youth leave welfare, behavioral health and juvenile justice systems and learn to negotiate new (adult) education, employment and service systems.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Receive the recommendations of the Interagency Council February Emerging Adults Advisory Committee, on Homelessness 2014 dated November 13, 2013. Identify specific Senior Leadership recommendations (not already included in Team this report) that agencies will move forward on. b. Track, report and evaluate exits into Department of August homelessness from child welfare, behavioral Human Services 2014 health, and juvenile justice systems for 18 months. Determine prevention protocols Department of based on findings. Corrections

34 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness c. Identify youth served in foster care and Department of February juvenile corrections who are most likely to Human Services 2015 become homeless. Department of Corrections d. Evaluate potential strategies for Department of August preventing homelessness for identified youth. Human Services 2015 Explore connecting each identified youth by age 16 to an individualized multi-disciplinary Department of transition team, including non-professional Corrections adult mentors, focused on ensuring long- term stability. Involve and collaborate with culturally specific organizations to ensure culturally responsive approaches.

Performance Measures • Decreased percent of youth served who experience homelessness within 2 years of transition • Increased percent of youth served who are able to identify a positive connection with a caring adult • Increased percent of youth served with a mental illness diagnosis who have received treatment • Increased percent of youth served who have a comprehensive individualized transition plan that includes education, employment, housing and/or any needed support services

The Plan: Education, Children and Youth 35 BECAUSE HOMELESS AND HIGHLY MOBILE STUDENTS ARE AT AN ENORMOUS ACADEMIC DISADVANTAGE… We will work with local school districts to identify homeless and 9 highly mobile students and connect them and their families with services. We will train school liaisons, increase access to resources where needed, and require formal connections with local homeless service collaboratives.

Improve effectiveness Outcome Children experiencing homelessness receive the services and supports needed to of existing resources maintain or improve academic performance. by improving Indicators of success the coordination/ • Number of families with children identified as homeless or highly mobile compatibility • Academic performance among children experiencing homelessness of resources Strategy 1 Work with local school districts to maximize the impact of McKinney Vento Homeless school liaisons.

Context According to Dr. Ann Masten, Professor of Child Development at the University of Minnesota, achievement gaps for homeless students emerge early and persist or worsen. Since schools are in a unique position to identify youth and children at-risk of or experiencing homelessness, there should be greater support and an expectation for schools to adhere to practices as outlined in the federal McKinney-Vento Act.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Enhance the role of McKinney-Vento Department of March Liaisons by mandating that all districts have Education 2014 an active liaison. Use regional collaboration and partnership with other local agencies where there are lower numbers of homeless and highly mobile children. b. Establish consistent expectations and Department of May 2014 accountability for the McKinney-Vento Education liaisons across districts. Develop a standard protocol for responding to students identified as homeless or highly mobile, including an educational needs assessment and plan. Require consistent reporting and communication among Department of Education, homeless liaisons, and local Continuum of Care committees. c. All liaisons attend the statewide training Department of August (already in place). Education 2014

36 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness d. Establish McKinney-Vento liaison network Department of August to regularly share information and best Education 2014 practices across school districts. e. Identify areas where homeless and Department of November highly mobile families and youth may not Education 2014 be accessing needed services including educational, health, housing, and family Department of supports, such as domestic violence services. Public Safety Develop culturally appropriate infrastructure to support these connections. Focus on identifying children and youth who may lack these connections (e.g. refugees and immigrants). f. Create an intentional link between school Department of November and community mental health resources Education 2014 and the McKinney-Vento liaisons to improve access and outcomes of mental health Department of services. Human Services

Performance Measures • Increase in homeless liaisons (or regional designee) attending statewide training • Increased homeless and highly mobile children and youth with a mental health diagnosis accessing mental health services

The Plan: Education, Children and Youth 37 BECAUSE THE RACIAL DISPARITIES REPRESENTED AMONG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE UNACCEPTABLE AND UNDERMINE ALL OTHER EFFORTS TO REDUCE DISPARITIES AND CLOSE THE 10 ACHIEVEMENT GAP… We will, in partnership with culturally specific communities, including Tribal Nations, prioritize funding for efforts most successful at improving housing stability in communities disproportionately impacted by homelessness.

Reduce disparities Outcome Eliminate racial disparities among persons experiencing homelessness and through culturally receiving homeless services or resources. responsible actions Indicators of success and approaches • Percent of people experiencing homelessness who are people of color, compared to the general population • Percent of people experiencing repeat episodes of homelessness who are people of color, compared to the general population • Percent of people experiencing long-term homelessness who are people of color, compared to the general population

Strategy 1 In partnership with culturally specific communities, including Tribal Nations, prioritize funding for efforts most successful at improving housing stability in communities disproportionately impacted by homelessness.

Context Racial disparities among people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota are startling, persistent, and unacceptable. For example, according to Wilder Research (2012 Survey), while African Americans make up only 5 percent of all Minnesotans, they represent 37 percent of all people experiencing homelessness in the state. Similarly, while only 1 percent of all Minnesotans are Native American, they represent 10 percent of all people experiencing homelessness in the state.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Examine and address barriers that Interagency Council February prevent American Indian tribal nations from on Homeless Senior 2014 directly accessing funding designed to end Leadership Team homelessness. State Tribal liaisons b. Work with local communities to identify Interagency Council May 2014 strategies that are most likely to end on Homeless Senior homelessness within communities of color. Leadership Team Bring people experiencing homelessness to the table with their own solutions. State Councils on underserved populations

38 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness c. Change grant guidelines to include and Interagency Council February support culturally specific organizations on Homeless Senior 2015 that possess unique cultural advantages Leadership Team for success. As needed, partner with these organizations to build capacity. Require State Councils guidelines in RFPs to demonstrate how on underserved disparities will be addressed and reduced. populations d. Prioritize funding for promising work that is Interagency Council May 2015 already being done within communities of on Homeless Senior color and within culturally–led organizations. Leadership Team Make funding flexible enough to accommodate multi-generational and non- State Councils nuclear family compositions. on underserved populations e. Increase incentives to providers that meet Interagency Council May 2015 established performance measurements on Homeless Senior related to housing stability for people of Leadership Team color. State Councils on underserved populations f. Coordinate with Health Equity Initiative. Department of August Health 2015

Performance Measures • Increased housing stability for people of color receiving homeless services • Increase in client satisfaction of homeless services

The Plan: Targeting Resources 39 BECAUSE WE MUST USE LIMITED RESOURCES IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY POSSIBLE... We will improve our ability to provide the right services at the right 11 time for families and individuals experiencing homelessness. We will work with local communities throughout Minnesota to develop a coordinated assessment process and tools.

Improve targeting Outcome Connect households and individuals to the right supports at the right time. of existing resources to ensure that we Indicators of success • Percent of households who experience repeat episodes of homelessness are utilizing existing • Average length of time individuals and families experience homelessness resources in the most effective ways possible Strategy 1 Develop and implement a coordinated assessment process for people experiencing homelessness statewide.

Context When a person or family becomes homeless or is at-risk of becoming homeless, it can be very difficult for them to find help due to the complexity of the current system. There is no central or coordinated way to access homeless services, and referrals to housing and supports are generally haphazard at best. A coordinated assessment process is intended to:

• Simplify access to supports when people need them, • Quickly assess the household’s strengths and needs, • Develop a person-centered solution to the individual or family’s housing needs, • Create standards for service provision and homeless response system, and • Provide a referral with follow-up to the appropriate services and supports.

Critical to this process is a credible assessment at the front end that will result in better targeting of resources and improved outcomes. A well-developed coordinated assessment will also provide much-needed systemic information about the most effective strategies for ending homelessness for various populations. Local communities are developing coordinated assessment tools now (as required by the HEARTH Act) and are asking for additional state guidance and support to ensure statewide consistency of effort.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Identify lead state agency to guide Interagency Council February coordinated assessment efforts at local level on Homelessness 2014 Senior Leadership Team b. Support and guide the identification TBD May 2014 of common elements of Coordinated Assessment via Continuum of Care regions

40 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness c. Develop Technical Assistance TBD February (as identified by local Continuum of 2015 Care regions) to help Coordinated Assessment planning, development and implementation. d. Identify any funding needs and sources for TBD May 2014 purchasing assessment tool, data reporting modules, initial training, providing technical assistance, etc. e. Identify state-funded homeless programs/ TBD November funding where participating in the local 2014 Coordinated Assessment system will be a condition of funding. Collaborate with private funders. Establish requirements related to what qualifies as a functioning coordinated assessment system. f. Fully implement Coordinated Assessment TBD May 2015 systems statewide.

Performance Measures • Increased percent of households exiting prevention/diversion programs, emergency shelter and transitional housing to permanent housing • Decreased average length of stay in emergency shelter and/or homeless • Decreased percent of households returning to Coordinated Assessment system • Increase in client satisfaction of homeless services

Strategy 2 Create a statewide policy for supportive housing that ensures targeting of resources to those most in need and an efficient and equitable system for accessing supportive housing.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Research and develop policy that specifies: Minnesota Housing November • Criteria for target population to be 2014 served through supportive housing Department of • Centralized process for accessing Human Services supportive housing • Regular assessments to determine ongoing need for supportive housing • Process and resources for moving on from supportive housing where no longer needed (step-down housing) b. Implement supportive housing policy Minnesota Housing May 2015 as an integrated part of Coordinated Assessment Department of Human Services

Performance Measures • Decreased average wait time for accessing supportive housing resources • Increased percent of positive exits from supportive housing

The Plan: Targeting Resources 41 Strategy 3 Streamline the emergency assistance system, including county- administered Emergency Services, Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP), and other similar programs. Ensure families and individuals experiencing or at-risk of homelessness are easily able to access one-time funding for housing assistance and directed to more intensive support when needed.

Context The existence of multiple funding streams that provide one-time emergency funding to resolve housing crises has resulted in a fragmented system that makes it difficult for individuals and families to know where to go to find help. Furthermore, families that could benefit from more intensive assistance may not be getting the help they need to maintain housing in the long term.

Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Convene group to create Department of February recommendations for improvements to the Human Services 2014 emergency assistance system. Minnesota Housing b. Report on recommended systems Department of May 2014 changes. Human Services

Minnesota Housing

Performance Measures • Decrease in number of households using emergency assistance more than two times in a three-year period • Increased public awareness of the availability of emergency assistance and how to access it

Strategy 4 Improve cross-agency coordination of the homeless-targeted grantmaking process so that the funding process is simplified and more strategic.

Context Community-based homeless service agencies often need to navigate different funding processes and requirements of state-funded programs. There may be opportunities to gain efficiencies for providers, more effective targeting of resources, and better outcomes for consumers by increasing the coordination of these programs and simplifying processes.

42 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Actions Lead Agencies Timeline a. Inventory current state-funded programs Interagency Council August designed specifically to end homelessness. on Homelessness 2014 Identify potential areas of increased Senior Leadership collaboration through the grant-making Team process. b. Integrate recommendations for Interagency Council November coordinated funding process into the 2016- on Homelessness 2014 2017 state biennium funding cycle. Senior Leadership Team

Performance Measures • Decrease in average number of state-funded grants administered by individual homeless service agencies • Decrease in service area gaps identified through Continuum of Care system mapping process

The Plan: Targeting Resources 43 BECAUSE HIGH QUALITY DATA DRIVES BETTER PLANNING, POLICY AND RESULTS… We will create an Ending Homelessness dashboard that is updated 12 regularly and linked to this plan. To do this, we will strengthen Minnesota’s Homeless Management Information System and homeless point-in-time counts, and connect these data sources with statewide mainstream systems. We will work to integrate data systems that pull data for assessment, research, and evaluation.

Improve our data, Outcome Homeless and housing policy decisions are based on timely and accurate data. both quality and access, and use it Indicators of success • Accurate, easy-to-understand data on homelessness and homeless to drive policy services that is regularly updated • Increased public awareness of homelessness and how Minnesota is addressing it • An integrated data system that pulls data from multiple agencies for assessment, research and evaluation while protecting data privacy of the households being served • Fully informed policy decisions based on quality data and research • Higher quality of services supported by improved data and cross-agency data sharing

Overall Strategy Areas

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) • Support HMIS planning in implementing forthcoming HUD Technical Assistance recommendations for improving Minnesota’s HMIS. • Develop effective data sharing practices across agencies and providers with the purpose of improving service for individuals and families. • Reform the current funding and governance of HMIS to ensure long-term sustainable funding and strategic decision-making.

Point-in-time counts • Improve annual HUD point-in-time counts to ensure higher quality data.

Interagency data sharing • Determine where and how information on homelessness status is collected across all state agencies and increase consistency. • Assess feasibility of creating an HMIS that integrates homeless-specific data with relevant data from state agencies to facilitate assessment, research and evaluation. • Explore the development of an Ending Homelessness Data governance function.

44 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Public reporting • Create an Ending Homelessness dashboard that is updated regularly, linked to this plan, and both informs and is informed by ongoing research and evaluation.

Research and evaluation • Develop an ongoing Ending Homelessness research agenda to evaluate plan, vet new initiatives, and track overall progress towards preventing and ending homelessness. • Increase knowledge of children and families experiencing homelessness and the impact of homelessness on children’s well-being.

The Plan: Targeting Resources 45 MEASURING SUCCESS

What follows are the key trend lines we will monitor as we implement this action plan. These trend lines will inform whether or not we are making progress toward decreasing homelessness and increasing housing stability for all Minnesotans.

Where are we now? For overall context, we have included the Point-In-Time data for all homelessness in Minnesota since 2009. While homelessness for some populations is trending downward, overall homelessness in Minnesota is growing.

All Homelessness in Minnesota (one night) 9000

8000

7000

6000

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Source: HUD annual point in time (PIT) data for all homelessness in Minnesota since 2009.

What are our stakes in the ground? These stakes and their accompanying indicators will be the “dials” we monitor as we work to achieve our stated results. We are committed to making annual progress for all Minnesotans who are experiencing homelessness. These indicators While homelessness have been chosen because they:

for some populations • Communicate Minnesota’s rate of progress is trending downward, • Hold proxy power, connecting with real change in people’s lives overall homelessness in • Have annual data to monitor, or a data development agenda Minnesota is growing. This entire effort is done in the framework of continuous improvement. We will learn from these indicators, improve upon them when possible, and adjust as needed. The Action Plan is created specifically with the goal of bending the curves down on each of these indicators. While we may not be able to prevent every crisis that leads a family or individual into homelessness (absolute zero), we do believe we can prevent homelessness to a much greater degree and that we can more quickly reconnect people to stable housing to end their homelessness to the level identified in the stake (functional zero).

46 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness For Minnesota’s Students

The Stake By 2020, all students in Minnesota will have a stable place to call home. We will continually track our progress in reducing the number of homeless and highly mobile students in Minnesota.

Rationale for this stake In 1987, Congress passed the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, as part of legislation directed at many aspects of homelessness. To address problems that homeless children and youth face in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school, the program requires states to ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth.

Annually, Minnesota public schools count the number of homeless and highly mobile students. These numbers have been rising consistently for the past several years. The University of Minnesota conducted research showing that students who were homeless and highly mobile had lower school success than students on free and reduced lunch, indicating that housing stability, in and of itself, plays a significant role in student achievement.

Current Baseline:

Homeless/Highly Mobile K-12 Students Minnesota (throughout year) 13000

11000

9000

7000

5000

3000

1000 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

Source: Minnesota Department of Education

For Minnesota’s Families with Children

The Stake By 2020, no family with children in Minnesota will experience more than two weeks without access to safe and stable housing. We will continually track our progress in reducing the number of families in Minnesota who experience homelessness.

Measuring Success 47 Rationale for this stake While we have made significant progress bending the curve on Veteran and chronic homelessness, we have not made progress in reducing family homelessness.

According to Wilder Research:

• Young people are most at risk for homelessness. Children and youth age 21 and younger make up 46 percent of Minnesota’s homeless population. According to the census, they make up just 30 percent of its overall population. • Homelessness is especially traumatic for children. Studies of homeless children show that they have more health problems than children with housing, more trouble developing healthy relationships, and more difficulty staying on track in school. • Long-term studies show that homeless children are more likely than other children to be homeless as adults, and that young adulthood is a particularly risky time of life for them.

While we may not be able to prevent every instance of homelessness for children and their families, we must ensure that when families do fall into homelessness we resolve the crisis as soon as possible and assist families to regain housing stability. The shorter their time homeless, the more resilient children are likely to be.

We will improve this indicator by: • Developing “length of time” homeless data (e.g. from a coordinated assessment process) • Finding a way to get stronger family and youth data from greater Minnesota, especially for those “doubled-up”

Current baseline:

Total Persons in Households with Children Homeless in Minnesota (one night) 5000

4500

4000

3500

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Source: HUD annual point in time (PIT) data NOTE: In 2013, the 4600 persons in households with children represent 1068 families.

48 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness For Minnesota’s Homeless Unaccompanied Youth

The Stake By 2020, no young person under the age of 25 will experience more than two days without access to safe and stable housing. We will continually track our progress in reducing the number of unaccompanied young persons under the age of 25 who experience homelessness.

Rationale for this stake Every night, too many Minnesota youth are sleeping in shelters or in settings that are unsafe and unstable (on the street, in parks and cars, on buses). The number of youth experiencing homelessness between the ages of 18-21 increased 33 percent between 2006 and 2012 (Wilder Research). Every community in Minnesota has youth who are homeless; 40 percent are in Greater Minnesota, 60 precent in the Twin Cities Metro area (Wilder Research). The first 24 hours of homelessness are critical. From their first night, and increasingly thereafter, homeless kids are at far greater risk of being physically and sexually victimized (2007 Symposium on Youth Research). They are far more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in unprotected sex and commit suicide (Hooks Wayman, Ending Youth Homelessness). Wilder Research has estimated a 4:1 long-term return to society on dollars spent on preventing and ending homelessness for youth, primarily because youth who leave homelessness and join the workforce become taxpayers instead of creating higher social costs.

In 2013, we started gathering data on youth ages 18-24 also not connected with their parents. In 2013, there were 651 persons 18-24 without children, and 333 with at least one child. We will have trend data for youth 18-24 going forward, but currently only have one point on the graph.

We will improve this indicator by:

• Recommending changes to the one-night, point-in-time (PIT) data collection process as needed and tracking 18-24 year olds in future years • Using data from youth in shelter to extrapolate for all youth • Exploring a composite index approach to track youth experience in a sample set of shelters around the state • Exploring ways to consistently measure length of time homeless as well as “safe” housing

Measuring Success 49 Current Baseline:

Homeless Unaccompanied Youth Under 18 Years of Age Minnesota (one night) 350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Homeless Unaccompanied Youth 18-24 Years of Age Minnesota (one night) 1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0 2013

Source: HUD annual point in time (PIT) data

Note: The two graphs above make up the whole population of homeless youth under 25 years of age. We will have trend data going forward for youth 18-24, but currently only have 2013 data for this group.

For Homeless Minnesota Veterans

The Stake By 2015, homeless Veterans in Minnesota will be at a determined “functional zero,” (e.g., less than 1 percent of all people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota, or no more than 100, whichever is less.) We will continually track our progress in reducing the number of homeless Veterans in Minnesota.

Rationale for this stake Minnesota is leading the nation in ending Veteran homelessness. Between the

50 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness years 2010-2011, we reduced Veteran homelessness by 31 percent. Minnesota Veteran homelessness numbers trended up slightly in 2013 (even though their percentage of the homeless population held steady), but with renewed focus, continued federal investment and a commitment to strategic targeting and coordination of resources, the goal of ending Veteran homelessness is within reach. Once again, while we may not be able to prevent every crisis that leads a Veteran into homelessness (absolute zero), we do believe we can prevent and end Veterans homelessness to the level identified in the stake (functional zero).

Current Baseline:

Homeless Minnesota Veterans Number and Percent of Total Homeless (one night) 600

500

400

300

200

100

0 2009 (7%) 2010 (7%) 2011 (6%) 2012 (4%) 2013 (4%)

Source: HUD annual point in time (PIT) data

For Minnesota’s Chronically Homeless

The Stake By 2015, the number of people identified as “chronically homeless” will be at a determined “functional zero,” (e.g., less than 1 percent of all people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota or no more than 100 people, whichever is less.) We will continually track our progress in reducing the number of people identified as “chronically homeless” in Minnesota.

Rationale for this stake Progress is being made in Minnesota to reduce chronic homelessness. Between the years 2010-2011, we reduced chronic homelessness by 17 percent, in large part due to the state’s commitment to permanent supportive housing for long-term homeless Minnesotans. People who are chronically homeless are often highly vulnerable individuals and families. Housing stabilizes their health and the health of our communities.

Our data for this indicator is a sufficient proxy.

Measuring Success 51 Current baseline: Chronically Homeless Individuals Number and Percent of All Homeless (one night) 1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0 2009 (19%) 2010 (19%) 2011 (16%) 2012 (13%) 2013 (11%)

Source: HUD annual point in time (PIT) data

Closing Gaps: Reducing and Eliminating Disparities

The Stake Within each of the stakes above we will eliminate racial and tribal group disparities. For each of the homeless populations we will continually track our progress in gaps (each racial or tribal groups’ percentage of homeless compared to their percentage of the overall population), and gains (reduction in the actual number of homeless in each group.)

Rationale for this stake Racial disparities among people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota are startling and unacceptable. For example, according to Wilder Research (2012 Survey), while African Americans make up only 5 percent of all Minnesotans, they represent 37 percent of all people experiencing homelessness in the state. Similarly, while only 1 percent of all Minnesotans are Native American, they represent 10 percent of all people experiencing homelessness in the state. In the following graph we show the disparities for 2012 – these have been steady and persistent since the first findings in 1991.

100 90 MN Homelessness in 2012 by Race/Ethnicity 80 Source: Wilder 70 Research 2012 60 Homeless Survey 50 40 30 % Homeless 20 % Population 10 0

52 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

As we begin implementing this ambitious but actionable plan, we want to thank the hundreds of stakeholders throughout Minnesota who have contributed their valuable expertise and insight to creating this plan. Building on years of surveys, studies and input about homelessness, the planning process included several regional conversations around the state this summer and fall, involving 465 individuals -- service and housing providers, local county and tribal leaders, people who have experienced homelessness, and others. We are grateful for all the past and current insights, ideas and inspirations that people have provided. For a full report on the statewide regional conversations and stakeholder recommendations, see the findings report entitled, “Harvesting Stakeholder Conversations for the Two-Year Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in Minnesota.” The actions in this plan will continue to be refined and updated as we work with community partners and learn from stakeholders about what is working and what is not.

A Senior Leadership Team including Deputy and Assistant Commissioners, Division Directors and managers from all eleven Council agencies and the Directors of the Chicano Latino Affairs Council, the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, the Council on Black Minnesotans, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and the Minnesota State Council on Disability developed the plan’s objectives, strategies and actions. Collectively this group operates or oversees most state programs that bear on any aspect of preventing and ending homelessness. They bring a wealth of experience in and outside of government, practical knowledge of how programs work, and the commitment to make them work better.

In addition to the information gathered from stakeholders throughout Minnesota, the Senior Leadership Team was informed by many interrelated state initiatives during the creation of this plan. They will continue to coordinate with these efforts as they lead implementation of the Two-Year Action Plan. They include (but are not limited to):

• Minnesota’s 2013 Olmstead Plan • The Department of Human Services Foster Care Grant • The Health Equity Initiative • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) initiative at Department of Health • State Innovation Model (SIMS) at Department of Health and Department of Human Services • The work of the Children’s Cabinet • The Visible Child Initiative • Supportive Housing as EBP (SAMHSA) • The Emerging Adult Task Force • The Minnesota Council on Transportation Access • The Transition from Prison to Community initiative at Department of Corrections • Minnesota’s Safe Harbor initiative for youth who have been sexually exploited

The Senior Leadership Team and The State Director to Prevent and End Homelessness will continue to meet regularly to monitor the Plan’s strategic indicators and timelines, work through interagency issues and opportunities, report on progress towards the outcome goals, and improve the Plan. They have been and will continue to be assisted by an ongoing Implementation Team of state staff professionals from all participating agencies.

The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness is proud to partner with Heading Home Minnesota (HHM). HHM is the umbrella initiative for the coordinated public-private partnership to end homelessness in Minnesota. This partnership invests in proven and cost-effective strategies that promote individual and community success and provide a sound return on public and private investments. To learn more about HHM, visit www.headinghomeminnesota.org.

Acknowledgments 53 COUNCIL MEMBERS

Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Commissioner, Department of Education Katie Clark Sieben, Commissioner, Department of Employment and Economic Development Ramona Dohman, Commissioner, Department of Public Safety Dr. Edward Ehlinger, Commissioner, Department of Health Lucinda Jesson, Commissioner, Department of Human Services Kevin Lindsey, Commissioner, Department of Human Rights Larry Pogemiller, Commissioner, Office of Higher Education Tom Roy, Commissioner, Department of Corrections Larry Shellito, Commissioner, Department of Veterans Affairs Tina Smith, Chief of Staff, Office of Governor Mark Dayton Mary Tingerthal, Commissioner, Minnesota Housing Charlie Zelle, Commissioner, Department of Transportation

Cathy ten Broeke, State Director to Prevent and End Homelessness SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Cynthia Bauerly, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Employment and Economic Development Ellen Benavides, Assistant Commissioner, Policy, Quality, Compliance and Reform, Department of Health Elia Bruggeman, Assistant Commissioner of Education, Department of Education Melvin Carter, Director, Office of Early Learning, Department of Education Loren Colman, Assistant Commissioner for Continuing Care, Department of Human Services Linda Davis-Johnson, Division Business Manager, Department of Transportation Jackie Dionne, Director of American Indian Health, Department of Health Christine Dufour, Director of Communications & Community Relations, Department of Human Rights Steve Erbes, Employment and Training Program Coordinator, Department of Employment and Economic Development Hector Garcia, Executive Director, Chicano Latino Affairs Council Lauren Gilchrist, Special Advisor to the Governor, Office of Governor Mark Dayton Betsy Hammer, Executive Budget Officer, Minnesota Management & Budget David Hartford, Assistant Commissioner for Chemical and Mental Health Services, Department of Human Services Sia Her, Executive Director, Council on Asian Pacific Americans Anna Marie Hill, Executive Director, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council Marcie Jefferys, Director of the Children’s Cabinet, Director of the Children’s Cabinet Marcia Kolb, Assistant Commissioner, Multifamily, Minnesota Housing Vern LaPlante, Director, Office of Indian Affairs, Department of Human Services Jane Lawrenz, Manager, Community Living Supports, Department of Human Services Scott Leitz, Assistant Commissioner Health Care, Department of Human Services Raeone Magnuson, Director, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Public Safety Edward C. McDonald, Executive Director, Council on Black Minnesotans Sue Mulvihill, Division Director, Employee and Corporate Services, Department of Transportation Diane O’Connor, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Higher Education Mary Orr, Director of Community Partnerships and Child Care Services, Department of Human Services Tonja Orr, Assistant Commissioner for Policy, Minnesota Housing Rick Smith, Indian Housing Liaison, Minnesota Housing Ron Solheid, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Corrections Erin Sullivan Sutton, Assistant Commissioner for Children and Family Services, Department of Human Services Mark Toogood, Director of Transition to Economic Stability, Department of Human Services Joan Willshire, Executive Director, Minnesota State Council on Disability Reggie Worlds, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Veterans Affairs

54 Heading Home: Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Chronically homeless Individual or family who is diagnosed with a disability and (a) has been homeless (according to above definition) for one year or more or (b) has been homeless on four or more occasions in the last three years. Note: The State includes individuals and families that are doubled up in the definition of those homeless and defines long term homeless as those that meet the federal definition of chronically homeless but do not have a disability.

HEARTH Act Federal law passed in 2009 making significant changes to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (see below). Consolidated HUD’s competitive grant programs, changed definitions of homelessness and chronic homelessness, and increased prevention resources.

Homeless (Federal) Individual or family who lacks fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence: 1. An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for a human being, or 2. Individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter for temporary living arrangements, or 3. Individual exiting an institution where he/she temporarily resided if he/she met condition 1 or 2 immediately prior to entering institution (“Temporarily resided” means a period of 90 days or less).

Homeless and Highly Mobile Students (Federal) Student whose family lives in any of the following conditions because of lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence: • In a shelter (family shelter, domestic violence shelter, youth shelter, or transitional housing program), • In a motel, hotel, or weekly rate housing, • Doubled up with friends or relatives because they cannot find or afford housing, • In an abandoned building, other inadequate accommodation, or in a car, • On the street, • In emergency foster care, or • With friends or family because s(he) is an unaccompanied youth.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Federal law providing funding for homeless programs, including shelter, transitional housing, and prevention. Originally passed in 1987, the Act has been reauthorized several times over the years.

Point-in-Time Count A federally required count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people on a single night in January. Required annually for those in shelter and every other year for those not in shelter.

Supportive housing Combines affordable housing with services that help people who face the most complex challenges to live with stability, autonomy and dignity. Transitional housing is time-limited supportive housing. Permanent supportive housing is available until the resident chooses to move.

Unaccompanied youth Youth on his or her own without a parent or guardian. Includes all youth under age 25. Includes youth living with his/her own children.

Glossary of Terms 55 For more information, please contact:

Cathy ten Broeke, State Director to Prevent and End Homelessness Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness 651.248.5799| [email protected]