2016 Comprehensive Report on Homelessness
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COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON HOMELESSNESS State of Utah 2016 Department of Workforce Services COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON HOMELESSNESS State of Utah 2016 Authors and Contributors Alex Hartvigsen, Utah Homeless Management Information System Patrick Frost, Utah Homeless Management Information System Brett Coulam, Utah Homeless Management Information System Andy Agardy, Utah Homeless Management Information System Ashley Tolman, State Community Services Office Andrew Gray, State Community Services Office Brandon Sorenson, State Community Services Office Karen Quackenbush, State Community Services Office Tamera Kohler, Assistant Director, Housing and Community Development Division Jonathan Hardy, Director, Housing and Community Development Division Funding Funding for this report was provided by the State of Utah Housing and Community Development Division through the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund. Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank all those who supported the data collection and analyses, and who provided information and expertise in preparation of this report. All rights reserved © October 2016 Utah Housing and Community Development Division State Community Services Office 1385 South State Street, Fourth Floor Salt Lake City, Utah 84115 http://jobs.utah.gov/housing/ Department of Workforce Services jobs.utah.gov Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling (801) 526-9240. Individuals with speech and/or hearing impairments may call the Relay Utah by dialing 711. Spanish Relay Utah: 1-888-346-3162. Table of Contents Introduction . 2 2016 Homeless Initiatives . .31 Homeless to Housing Reform Fund 31 Measuring Homelessness . 3 Salt Lake City Site Location Committee 32 The Definition of Homelessness 3 Salt Lake County Collective Impact 33 Utah Homeless Management Information Medicaid Expansion 34 System . 4 Data Bill and Data Matches 34 History of UHMIS 4 Health Care and Housing 35 UHMIS Capacity and Impact 4 Homeless System Performance UHMIS Limitations 4 Measures . .36 The Face of Homelessness . 6 Statewide Performance Measures 36 Federal HUD System Performance Measures 37 Chronically Homeless 7 Families 8 The Complexity of Counting . .38 Unaccompanied Youth 10 Domestic Violence Victims 12 Point-in-Time in Utah Fact Sheet . .41 Veterans 13 Chronic Homelessness in Utah A Systemic Approach for Solutions . .15 Fact Sheet . .42 Housing Crisis Response System 15 Veteran Homeless in Utah Fact Sheet . .43 Housing First Philosophy 17 Coordinated Entry and Assessments 18 How to Help People in Homelessness . .44 Assessments as a Tool for Prioritization 19 Volunteer Resources 44 SPDAT 20 Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund 45 Housing Prioritization Lists 21 Domestic Violence Victims and Coordinated Local Homeless Coordinating Assessment 21 Committee (LHCC) Profiles . .46 Components of a Homeless Glossary of Terms . .74 Response System . .22 Diversion 22 Works Cited . .78 Day Shelters and Resource Centers 23 Street Outreach 23 Emergency Shelter 24 Transitional Housing 25 Rapid Re-Housing 26 Permanent Supportive Housing 27 Affordable Housing 29 State of Utah | 1 Introduction The State of Utah Department of Workforce diversion from emergency homeless shelters Services,Executive Housing and Community DevelopmentSummary when safe and appropriate, while connecting Division, and its Community Services Office are diverted households to support and resources pleased to present the 2016 Comprehensive that can be accessed without ever spending The State of Utah Department of Workforce homelessness must begin with diversion from Report on Homelessness in Utah. a night in a shelter. Through data from the Services, Housing and Community Development Utahemergency Homeless homeless Management shelters when Information safe and AsDivision, in previous and its years, Community the intent Services of this Office report are Systemappropriate (UHMIS), while connectingwe know that diverted most households Utahns to ispleased to inform to present interested the 2016 parties Comprehensive as to the state Report whosupport experience and resources shelter that stays can be will accessed self-resolve without ofon homelessness Homelessness in in Utah. Utah. This report includes theirever spendinghousing acrisis night and in a leaveshelter. the Through system data with from homeless data organized in geographic areas littlethe Utah or no Homeless support Management to reconnect Information to the natural System andAs in information previous years, on bestthe intent practices of this and report homeless support(UHMIS), system we know that that previously most Utahns helped who themexperience systemis to inform initiatives. interested parties as to the state of maintainshelter stays housing. will self-resolve Diversion their expedites housing crisisthis and homelessness in Utah. This report includes homeless 2016 has been a year of renewed interest and process,leave the systemreducing with the little length or no of support time a to household reconnect data organized in geographic areas and information targeted intent to better understand and address experiencesto the natural homelessnesssupport system thatand previouslyreserving helped homelessnesson best practices in and all itshomeless facets. systemSpecific initiatives. efforts were preciousthem maintain emergency housing. shelter Diversion resources expedites for this the most vulnerable people who cannot access other undertaken2016 has been to asecure year of new renewed funding interest on a and state targeted level, process, reducing the length of time a household to address the need for reconfigured emergency natural supports. intent to better understand and address homelessness experiences homelessness and reserving precious shelters, and to coordinate efforts statewide for a “no in all its facets. Specific efforts were undertaken Utahemergency is known shelter and resources commended for the nationallymost vulnerable for wrong door” emergency housing crisis response. to secure new funding on a state level to address collaborationpeople who cannot among access state other and natural local leaders,supports. faith-based organizations, and nonprofits as well Datathe need must for be reconfigured used to inform emergency and drive shelters new bestand Utah is known and commended nationally for practices while prioritizing funding and services as for significant local volunteer involvement. coordinate efforts statewide for a “no wrong door” collaboration among state and local leaders, faith- to the most vulnerable parties. System-level This rich environment has served us well to emergency housing crisis response. based organizations and nonprofits as well as for planning and performance measurements are provide emergency support when needed and keyData principles must be used of such to inform efforts. and These drive principlesnew best are permanentsignificant local housing volunteer for those involvement. who could This obtain rich atpractices the forefront while prioritizing of service planningfunding and that services ensures to the itenvironment by no other has means served to us end well their to provide homelessness. emergency We believe this intentional commitment from homelessnessmost vulnerable is parties. brief, rare, System-level and nonrecurring planning and for support when needed and permanent housing for policy to performance to reduce the time anyone Utahnsperformance who experiencemeasurement it. are key principles of such those who by no other means could obtain housing experiences homelessness is worthy of our best efforts. These principles are at the forefront of service to end their homelessness. We believe this intentional Greater attention to families and youth efforts,commitment and we from thank policy the to homelessperformance service- to reduce experiencingplanning that ensures homelessness homelessness must is begin brief, rare,with and provider community for its continued efforts. nonrecurring for Utahns who experience it. the time anyone experiences homelessness is worthy of our best efforts, and we thank the homeless service- — Jonathan Hardy, Director Greater attention to families and youth experiencing provider community for its continued efforts. Housing and Community Development Division 2 | Homelessness Report Measuring Homelessness omelessness is a challenging issue that is experienced by a fluid population. The complexity of homelessness His underscored by its many definitions, even among federal agencies. The scope of homelessness is difficult to measure because homeless individuals have no fixed residence and, therefore, move in and out of homelessness, often for short periods of time. In order to measure this population, community leaders must rely on a variety of data sources to inform them about trends, demographics, and outcomes. The prevailing data used is collected in a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). The Continuum of Care The Continuum of Care (CoC) is the primary decision-making entity that is defined in the funding application to HUD as the official body representing a community plan to organize and deliver housing and services to meet the specific needs of people who are homeless as they move to stable housing and maximum self-sufficiency. Utah has three CoCs: Salt Lake, Mountainland, and Balance of State. The Salt Lake continuum consists of Salt Lake County. The Mountainland continuum consists of Utah, Summit, and Wasatch counties. The Balance of State