Supportive Housing Strategies: AB 2034 Evaluation -- Implications for the MHSA
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Transcript of Supportive Housing Strategies: AB 2034 Evaluation -- Implications for the MHSA
Supportive Housing Strategies:
AB 2034 Evaluation -- Implications for the MHSA
Presented by the Corporation for Supportive Housing
Jonathan Hunter, California Director
October 26: Los Angeleswww.csh.org
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Our Mission
CSH helps communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness.
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Why We Need Supportive Housing
As many as 250,000 American households have nowhere to call home for years on end - many with mental illnesses
For decades, communities have “managed” homelessness without addressing the underlying causes
Government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars per year, yet homeless rates are growing
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What Is Supportive Housing?
A cost-effective combination of permanent, affordable housing with services that helps people live more stable, productive lives.
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Defining Supportive Housing
Permanent affordable housing with combined supports for independent living Housing is permanent, meaning each tenant may stay as
long as he or she pays rent and complies with terms of lease or rental agreement
Housing is affordable, meaning each tenant pays no more than 30% to 50% of household income
Tenants have access to an array of support services that are intended to support housing stability, recovery and resiliency, but participation in support services is not a requirement for tenancy
May be site-based or scattered site Options available for adults who are single, those who
choose to share housing, and families with children
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Who Is Supportive Housing For?
People who are homeless or
at-risk for homelessness
- and -
face persistent obstacles
to maintaining housing,
such as mental health issues,
substance use issues,
other chronic medical issues,
and other challenges.
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Supportive Housing Is For People Who:
BUT FOR HOUSING cannot access and make effective use of treatment and supportive services in the community; and
BUT FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES cannot access and maintain stable housing in the community.
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Supportive Housing Types
Dedicated buildings Rent-subsidized apartments Mixed-income buildings Long-term set asides Single-family homes
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Strategies for Creating More Housing Options for Consumers
Development of new buildings Acquisition and renovation of existing buildings Long-term lease agreements with private landlords
for single units or entire apartment buildings (master-leasing)
Identifying private landlords who rent directly to consumers
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Services Make the Difference
Flexible, voluntary Counseling Health and mental health services Alcohol and substance use
services Independent living skills Community-building activities Vocational counseling and job
placement
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Cost effectiveness - NY/NY Cost Study
U. Penn study of 5,000 mentally ill homeless people in New York
Facilitated by CSH Conducted by Dennis Culhane,
Stephen Metraux, Trevor Hadley Tracked costs for two years while
subjects were homeless, two years after they were housed
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Homeless mentally ill people are heavy service users (37% of last 2 years spent in institutional settings)
Providing a mentally ill person with permanent supportive housing costs only $995 per year more than allowing that person to remain homeless
NY/NY Findings
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More than 80% of supportive housing tenants are able to maintain housing for at least 12 months
Most supportive housing tenants engage in services, even when participation is not a condition of tenancy
Use of the most costly (and restrictive) services in homeless, health care, and criminal justice systems declines
Nearly any combination of housing + services is more effective than services alone
Consistent Findings
Housing + Services Make a Difference
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California Institute of Mental Health Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
AB 2034 Evaluation Sponsors
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Purpose of Evaluation
Identify the range of housing strategies implemented by the 34 counties that have received AB2034 funding;
Determine if there is any correlation between the housing strategies or range of strategies that a county (or program within a county) employed and successful housing outcomes for AB2034 participants;
Begin to calculate the immediate and projected long-term costs associated with each housing strategy.
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Lots of differences among counties (and among programs within counties)
There is a wide range of experience in: Enrolling and serving homeless people Implementing a wide range of housing
strategies Achieving housing outcomes
Major Findings
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Consumer Preferences
Most consumers want their own apartment without roommates
Majority of consumers don’t want the structure and rules associated with “clean and sober” housing, but program staff think consumers need a mix of housing models (including “clean and sober” and “low demand” housing)
Nearly all counties report that there is not enough affordable housing available in their community
Major Findings
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Housing is Really Important!
If you give consumers housing, they are MUCH more likely to stay enrolled in the
program.
Major Findings
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Who is Being Served by AB2034?
CSH identified 4 indicators of counties/programs that are
serving people with the most barriers. These indicators are:
At least 70% of consumers were homeless at the time of enrollment
At least 60% of consumers were on the streets at the time of enrollment
Average length of time homeless in past 12 months was more than 180 days
Average length of time incarcerated in past 12 months was more than 50 days, or at least 40% of consumers were incarcerated during the 12 months before enrollment
Major Findings
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Housing Outcomes
Programs that enroll “more challenging” consumers (those that have had longer histories of homelessness or more barriers to housing stability) are not getting worse results in terms of housing outcomes, in fact sometimes the results are better
“Housing readiness” is not a good predictor of housing outcomes
Major Findings
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Housing Strategies
Some strategies are being used by nearly every county – and offered to virtually every consumer. These include:
Advocacy on behalf of individuals to help them find and get housing
Supportive services to help people keep housing Back-up problem-solving help for landlords
Major Findings
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Housing Strategies, cont’d
Other widely implemented housing strategies include:
Assist consumers to apply for housing subsidies Provide short-term subsidies or help with move-in
costs Provide long-term rent subsidies to some consumers Provide temporary or transitional housing to get people
off the streets and/or for respite/crisis
Major Findings
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Housing Strategies, cont’d
Some strategies are used in about half of the counties/programs:
Actively recruiting landlords, systematically finding available units, making arrangements with landlords to secure the next vacant unit
Master-leasing buildings or apartments within buildings and sub-leasing units to consumers
Use AB2034 funds to secure dedicated or set-aside units for consumers
Major Findings
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Housing Strategies, cont’d
Strategies more likely to be implemented in large/urban counties:
Administer Section 8 or Shelter + Care rent subsidies that are available to consumers
Partner with Housing Authority or other public agencies that control rent subsidies
Work with other supportive housing providers
Major Findings
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Housing Strategies, cont’d
A small, but growing number, of counties/programs are getting involved in
developing or operating permanent supportive housing.
Major Findings
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Overall Focus of Housing Strategies
About a third of counties/programs report that the primary focus of their housing activities is on helping INDIVIDUALS
About two-thirds report that their housing activities focus on BOTH helping INDIVIDUALS and EXPANDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES by working to develop housing and/or build partnerships with landlords
Major Findings
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Effective Strategies
The most successful counties/programs are using a range of housing strategies including: Partnering with housing providers Recruiting landlords Securing rent subsidies or set-aside units
Counties/programs that have been less successful have focused primarily on individuals and have not (yet) expanded the supply or range of housing available to consumers
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MHSA Capital Facilities and IT
Approximately $325 million will be available for “capital facilities and technological needs” to implement plans for mental health services over 4 years (FY 05 through FY 08)
Funding to implement local plans for services for children, transition-aged youth, adults and older adults, including prevention and early intervention services
Cost of IT infrastructure has not yet been determined so it is not known how much funding will be available for other capital needs
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Other Capital Facilities Priorities
Housing is essential – but not the only need
Consumer / peer operated wellness & recovery support centers
Family Resource Centers Crisis stabilization and residential care as alternative
to hospitalization Mental health services co-located with community-
based services including schools, primary care clinics
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MHSA Funds Can Leverage Other Sources of Funding for Capital Facilities
Resources available for housing include: MHP Supportive Housing and Special Needs Programs (Prop 46
Housing Bond) administered by Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) (through 2007)
Special needs loan program from California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA)
Low Income Housing Tax Credits Federal funding from US Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) including Homeless Assistance Programs coordinated through local “Continuum of Care” and resources administered by public housing authorities (PHAs)
Other resources controlled by City and County governments, which may be coordinated through 10-Year Plans to End Homelessness” or other inter-agency collaborations
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Integrated services & supportive housing are products with proven effectiveness ending chronic homelessness – but without a system to produce them
Homeless people must hunt for and combine discrete services for their needs
Every project is a patchwork of authorizations and funding
Often, success means using money for purposes that weren’t officially intended
Challenges to Creating Supportive Housing
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A Vision for a Better Future
Reliable sources of funding New sources of funding Supportive housing as “normal response” Streamlined process for approving service and
housing funds
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To learn more
about supportive housing
visit our website
www.csh.org