GOALS FOR TONIGHT 1) What is the status of homelessness in - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

GOALS FOR TONIGHT

1) What is the status of homelessness in Redding/Shasta County? 2) What is currently being done? 3) What can further reduce the impact homelessness is having on our community? 4) What are the next steps? 5) What is the community’s role in solving homelessness in Shasta County?

AGENDA

I. Welcome and Introductions II. Why an Analysis? III. Findings and Recommendations IV. What’s Next V. Q&A

A LITTLE ABOUT US

HomeBase

• Non-profit consultants

since 1985, working on the local, state and national level to support communities in successfully implementing effective responses to homelessness

Strengthening the Shasta County Homeless Response System: Recommendations for Building Capacity in the Homeless System

• f Care

Symmetric Solutions

• Professional consulting

firm founded in 1991, specializing in large-scale human service agency project implementations

Shasta County Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Review

BACKGROUND: WHY AN ANALYSIS?

Homelessness is a vast and complex challenge in Redding/Shasta County that affects everyone.

BACKGROUND: WHY AN ANALYSIS?

The 2015 PIT counted 559 homeless persons, down from 851 in 2013.

• But there is reason to believe these numbers are not

accurate and the problem is much greater.

• At least 3,000 homeless persons – and probably

many more – rely on the service system each year. Inquiry #1: In your experience, how does homelessness affect Shasta County?

THE PUBLIC COST OF HOMELESSNESS

Public costs of homelessness are very high  it is far more cost-efficient to have effective programs responding to homelessness than to do nothing.

• Health Complications
• Ambulance
• Fire Department
• Emergency Room
• Law Enforcement/Jail
• Lost Taxable

Employment Income

LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL: VETERANS

• Thanks to targeted strategies and effective coordination, there

has been a 33% decrease in homeless veterans nationally since 2009.

• Communities are successfully ending veteran homelessness,

for example:

• Houston, TX
• Lancaster, PA
• State of Connecticut
• New Orleans, LA

LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL: OTHER COMMUNITIES

• Other communities are also taking great strides toward

the ultimate goal of ending homelessness:

Utah has driven down chronic homelessness by 91% over the past 10 years Utah has driven down chronic homelessness by 91% over the past 10 years Jacksonville, FL, reduced its chronic homeless population by 25% this year Jacksonville, FL, reduced its chronic homeless population by 25% this year Santa Clara County has committed to ending homelessness by 2020 by creating 6,000 new housing

• pportunities

Santa Clara County has committed to ending homelessness by 2020 by creating 6,000 new housing

• pportunities

Every community is different and there is no one-size-fits all solution – but there are ideas and lessons that can be adapted to Redding/Shasta County.

SOLVING HOMELESSNESS

• Research and experience proves it is

possible to transform what homelessness looks like in communities, large and small  We know what needs to be done, what the system and tools are that turn homelessness into a solvable problem

• Solving homelessness means having the system – the right mix of

affordable housing and support services like case management, job training and addiction treatment – so people can get housed and stay housed

WHAT ABOUT SHASTA COUNTY?

• While the problem would be far

worse without these services, the current response and resources are insufficient to meet the need.

Inquiry #2: What would it take to solve homelessness in Redding/Shasta County?

• Redding/Shasta County already has a variety of

programs and services and many dedicated providers working hard to reduce homelessness.

METHODOLOGY: HOW WAS THIS REPORT CREATED?

Stakeholder Interviews (June – Aug) Stakeholder Workshop (July 16) Local Documents Regulatory Requirements Best Practices Material

JULY 16 STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP

• Nearly 60 diverse members of Redding/Shasta

County community gathered to discuss gaps and

• pportunities for strengthening the homeless

response.

• Participants included:
• Elected

Representatives

• Law Enforcement
• Service Providers
• Housing Authority
• Health & Human Svcs
• Faith Community
• Business Community
• Journalists
• Property Managers
• Health Care/Community

Clinics

• Public Library
• Public Schools
• Neighborhood Safety
• 2-1-1
• County Residents

JULY 16 STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP

Recurring themes  What do people want?

Unification of approach and vision Strong leadership to drive creation, implementation, and community buy-in to cohesive central plan Increased resources Sustainability and accountability to promote participation and engagement Transformation of the community perception of homelessness and the local homeless response

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE: WHY ARE PEOPLE HOMELESS IN SHASTA COUNTY?

• Diverse homeless population – some visible, many not – lots of

different stories:

• 85% of the county’s very low income renters spend over 50% of

their income on housing, much of which is substandard

• For some, a single crisis is enough to fall down the homeless

spiral

• Mental illness
• Domestic Violence
• Missed Paycheck
• Drug or alcohol

addiction

• Medical crisis

POINT IN TIME COUNT

2013 2015

Individual Adults 631 504 People in Families 220 55 Chronically Homeless 199 298 Veterans 203 87 Total Homeless 851 559

Still missing crucial information about who is homeless, how many, and why. Inquiry #3: What else do you want to know about homelessness in Shasta County? What other information would be helpful to solving the problem?

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY

• There is a lot to celebrate in the

current system.

• The system will benefit from more

centralized leadership, coordination, and community-wide engagement.

• Emphasis on growing resources and targeting them to the

most effective interventions.

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY

Many excellent programs and local initiatives operated by dedicated community providers, including – to name just a few:

• The Woodlands, in development, affordable housing complex with 19 beds

set aside for persons with severe mental health issues

• Shasta Community Health Center provides services to approximately 3,000

homeless people a year with programs including the Hope Van

• HHSA case managers are helping persons move on from encampments to

permanent housing

• 34 unit permanent supportive housing project operated by Northern Valley

Catholic Social Services (NVCSS)

• County administered VASH vouchers for 55 veterans, and support services

and SSVF for many more via the Veterans Resource Center

• Successful transition of 120 homeless persons to permanent housing in

2014 by the Good News Rescue Mission

RECOMMENDATIONS: FIVE GOALS

Right Mix

• f Services

Data Leadership Planning

What about resources?

• This is ALL about

resources:

• Using resources more

effectively

• Building a system to

bring in new, sustainable resources

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

RECOMMENDATIONS: ENGAGEMENT

Right Mix

• f Services

Data Leadership Planning

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

FINDINGS: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Strengths Challenges

• July 16 stakeholder meeting of
• ver 60 diverse community

members demonstrating commitment to solving homelessness

• Volunteerism and support,

including from the faith community; tremendous community generosity

• Public sentiment that

“something must be done”

• Insufficient public information

regarding homelessness and the service system

• Frustration and lack of

awareness and support for the interventions that could best impact homelessness in Shasta County

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: COMMUNITY CARE FUND

• Stakeholders in the faith community are developing a

flexible community fund to address housing barriers – e.g., deposits, utilities – that will support households leave homelessness more quickly.

• Stakeholders are also exploring ways

community members can get involved in providing housing navigation and support.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: LANDLORDS

• Homeless and formerly homeless people face many

challenges in locating an apartment.

• Poor credit
• No recent rental history
• Criminal history
• Mistrust by landlord
• No community references

One-third of vouchers issued by the City of Redding go unused, partly because the household can’t find a rental.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: BUSINESS COMMUNITY

• Studies show that the vast majority –

around 88% – of homeless persons would prefer to be employed or already are.

• With the right tools and support, many

homeless persons can be successful in the workplace.

• Support from the business community

can create job and skill building

• pportunities.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: BUILDING SOLUTIONS THAT WORK

• Solving homelessness requires the support of the

community around the solutions that work.

• Participation in the planning process to identify steps

that will turn the tide on homelessness in Shasta County/Redding.

RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, fostering a united front and broad support for addressing homelessness. Develop a community engagement plan and unified messaging  this is a problem that can be solved. Inquiry #4: How should the community learn about homelessness and the service system? What should they know?

RECOMMENDATIONS: THE RIGHT MIX OF SERVICES

Right Mix

• f Services

Data Leadership Planning

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

FINDINGS: BUILDING THE SERVICES

Strengths Challenges

• Dedicated service sector, with

many committed agencies doing great work to prevent and end homelessness

• Meaningful formal and informal

collaboration between different agencies

• Successful leveraging of

mainstream resources to offer some key services such as

• utreach case management
• An existing foundation for each

pillar: prevention, outreach, supports/housing

• Inadequate housing and support

services to meet need – high demand for more housing and case management

• Only 34 permanent supportive

housing beds (not counting VASH) and limited rapid rehousing availability

• Most programs are not

permanent and not housing first

• Some federal and state funding
• pportunities may go unpursued

WHAT ENDS HOMELESSNESS?

Homeless Homeless Spiral Housing Stability Self- Sufficiency Permanent housing.

• A safe place, affordable, with the

support needed to stay there.

• That’s what we mean by Housing

First  having a place to stay leads to stability

PERMANENT HOUSING: A CRITICAL INVESTMENT

Permanent Supportive Housing  Permanent subsidy and support services for persons with multiple long-term barriers to maintaining housing.  Supports households who would remain on the streets without significant support. Rapid Rehousing  Time-limited housing subsidy and support services lasting from 3 months to 2 years  Supports households so they can get back on their feet

PERMANENT HOUSING: A CRITICAL INVESTMENT

PERMANENT HOUSING IS COST EFFECTIVE

PSH in King County WA saves $2,449 per person/month PSH in Rhode Island reduced annual costs by $8,839/person PSH in rural Maine reduced costs of mental health services by 57%, ER by 14%, ambulance by 32%, incarceration by 95%

PERMANENT HOUSING: A CRITICAL INVESTMENT

AND KEEPS HOUSEHOLDS OFF THE STREETS FOR THE LONG TERM

94% of single vets and 90% vets in families did not experience subsequent homelessness after a year in RRH 82% of singles and 95% of families in Connecticut were stably housed 3 years after participation in RRH 90% of families participating in RRH for Families Demonstration did not return to homelessness

HOUSING INVENTORY COUNT 2014

Summary of Beds Reported By CoC

Permanent Supportive Housing: 34 Emergency Shelter: 192 Transitional Housing: 393 Total Number of Year Round Beds: 619

**Plus some additional housing such as Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) and CalWORKs Rapid Rehousing.

RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF: BUILDING THE SERVICES

BUILD THE SERVICE SYSTEM that will successfully reduce homelessness. Promote evidence-based practices in existing programs Realign resources to better achieve community priorities Increase resources by establishing systems to better

• btain federal, state, and local funding

Inquiry #5: What should be the service system’s priorities? Who is falling through the cracks?

RECOMMENDATIONS: LEADERSHIP

Right Mix

• f Services

Data Leadership Planning

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

FAQ: WHAT IS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE (COC)?

• Flexible coalition-type structure
• Supports coordination of the local homeless response
• Administers homeless funding from the US Dept. Housing & Urban Development

(HUD) to local programs

• Different leadership/coordination roles in different communities
• Funding limitations in Redding/Shasta County means the CoC has historically been

focused on bringing in $375,000 in HUD funding for housing programs.

• The CoC could do more with more resources invested

FINDINGS: INFRASTRUCTURE (LEADERSHIP)

Strengths Challenges

• Several dedicated individuals

taking initiative to move the system forward

• CoC successfully received

award of nearly $375,000 in 2014

• Strong community voice in favor
• f developing leadership at the

July 16 meeting

• No common understanding of

who’s in charge – no “center of gravity”

• Initiatives are independent; no

coordination at the system level

• CoC is severely under-

resourced

• CoC coordinator is intermittent,

part-time, limited funding

RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF: LEADERSHIP

Inquiry #6: What are the challenges to unification and leadership around homelessness in Shasta County? What qualifications will make a successful leader here?

IDENTIFY AND FOSTER UNIFYING LEADERSHIP to provide a hub for collective action to drive unity and collaboration around shared priorities.

RECOMMENDATIONS: DATA

Right Mix

• f Services

Data Leadership Planning

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

FAQ: WHAT IS THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (HMIS)?

• Information technology system
• Collects and manages client and

service data

• Helps monitor program and system

level performance

• Supports understanding of the local

landscape around homelessness

FINDINGS: INFRASTRUCTURE (DATA)

Strengths Challenges

• Existing HMIS system operated

by County Housing and Community Action Agency

• Substantial community feedback

supporting HMIS expansion

• Interest in using HMIS for

coordinated entry

• Insufficient data around

homeless population

• Very limited staffing for HMIS –
• approx. 10-20% fte – and few

dedicated resources

• Few participating agencies,

insufficiently robust HMIS software and relatively inactive HMIS committee

WHY DATA?

Understanding the Problem Tailoring the Solution Measuring the Results

• Getting the most we can
• ut of the resources we

have with monitoring and evaluation

• Bringing in new

resources by identifying the issue and measuring impact

RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF: INFRASTRUCTURE

DEVELOP KEY DATA SYSTEMS AND IMPLEMENT HMIS REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS to  understand current landscape and plan accordingly  ongoing monitoring and evaluation  facilitate long-term resource development/funding

RECOMMENDATIONS: PLANNING

Right Mix

• f Services

Data Leadership Planning

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

FINDINGS: PLANNING

Strengths Challenges

• Already some planning, such as

the Consolidated Plan

• Meaningful collaboration

between different service agencies to make limited resources go farther

• July 16 stakeholder workshop

demonstrated substantial community support for a common vision, goals and leadership around addressing homelessness

• Several different, uncoordinated

initiatives being led by different groups

• No consensus around priorities,

how to achieve objectives or who should be responsible for implementation

RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF: COMMUNITY PLANNING

CONDUCT A COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS that: Engages stakeholders at all levels of the community Is grounded in a real and data-driven understanding of the community needs and resources

RECOMMENDATIONS IN BRIEF: COMMUNITY PLANNING

CONDUCT A COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS that: Focuses on evidence-based program models Establishes a process for implementation and ongoing monitoring Focuses on short and intermediate term goals, emphasizing sustainability and maximizing outcomes

STRATEGIC PLANNING

• A community process where stakeholders work

together to identify priorities and an actionable path to achieving those priorities.

• What needs to be done?
• Who will do it?
• What steps to take?
• What is the timeline?

WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED?

Who is responsible for addressing homelessness? Elected Officials Faith Community Business Community Health and Human Services Housing Authorities Non-Profits Schools

HOW CAN THE COMMUNITY GET INVOLVED?

• Support plan development by participating in
• pportunities for community input
• Engage in the dialogue around homelessness and

its solutions

• Become part of the solution: there’s a place for

everyone

Inquiry #7: What should be the role of the community in addressing homelessness?

QUESTIONS?

Nikka Rapkin & Eli Hamilton, HomeBase nikka@homebaseccc.org eli@homebaseccc.org Scott Rich, Symmetric Solutions HMISsupport@gmail.com View the HMIS and Homeless System Reports at http://www.norcalunitedway.org/redding-area- homelessness-coalition-project