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Community Spotlights:Memphis, TN

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Overview of Pre-HPRP System inMemphis, TN Access to Eviction Prevention: a small program operates outside

of Continuum of Care that provides a limited amount of evictionprevention on a first-come, first-served basis. Another non-profitprovides up to $200 emergency assistance.

Access to Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing:Combination of no wrong door and centralized referral. Mostpeople in need of emergency shelter and transitional housing callvarious programs (that are always full) every day in order to beplaced on or remain on a waiting list. Thirteen different programsconduct their own intake processes and maintain their own waitinglists.

Rapid Re-housing: No program exists.

Post-HPRP System

Target Population

Memphis/Shelby County targeted:• Homeless and imminently homeless households with a dependent

minor child or dependent adult with earned or unearned income.• Youth aging out of foster care.• Single individuals served by probation and parole for home visits.• Central Assessment matches families with best fit intervention

using a quasi-clinical approach vs. self-selection.• Financial assistance is limited to 3-months, but eligible for

additional assistance. So far, only 18% have required additionalassistance.

Key Principles Related to Central Intake andAssessment. All applicants are screened first for

prevention and re-housing prior toshelter or transitional housingassignment.

Approved applicants and shelterresidents are screened usingevidence-based StructuredDecision-Making tool developedby Children’s Research Center,Madison WI.

Tool identifies risk of childmaltreatment.

Comparison of Housing Stability With and WithoutSupports

Family HousingAdvocate services areprovided to homelessfamilies with moderateto very-high risk andfor imminentlyhomeless families withhigh/very high risk offuture childmaltreatment.

Preliminary Results as of September 1, 2010.

18,413 callers sought help through the emergencyhousing hotline.

88 emergency after-hours placements. 4,800 households assessed face-to-face for

prevention, re-housing, and/or shelter. 467 received homeless prevention and rapid re-

housing assistance (74% prevention, 26% re-housing). 0 returned to shelter after receiving assistance.

Principles of Housing-Based Supports

Not case managers – Family HousingAdvocates

Trained in SAMHSA’s evidence-basedVanDenBerg wraparound modelfocusing on natural assets and strength-based approach.

Services are face-to-face contact 2xmonth for 6 months plus monitoring up to12 months.

Major Challenges/Obstacles

At first, providers were unconvinced of the model andsome resisted the change.

Transition to shared intake process was challenging;had to meet weekly to improve communication andhand-offs.

Due to HPRP “closing the front door”, shelter andtransitional housing providers are experiencing higheracuity of need in their programs.

Transitional providers have experienced reduceddemand (going from 97% capacity to 70% capacity inone program.)

Findings/Lessons Learned

Data-driven management and regular, ongoingmeeting structure (both management and caselevel) helped us address previously “taboo” topics.

Significant system change takes at least 6 monthsto take root. In month 8 we finally hit our stride.

Memphis has a significantly high percentage oftransitional housing units (65% of all capacity);HPRP is providing a real-time research experimentwith this lower-cost alternative.

Lessons Learned, (cont’d) Continual education of the community is

needed to manage expectations and solidifythe system change.

Support Services are important, particularly at6 month mark.

Program does not cream – HPRP familiesexperience significant substance abuse,mental health, and child welfare challenges.

FHAs learn to market their services withdonated goods and a customer serviceorientation.