Katharine Gale May 21, 2014

1. Rapid Re-Housing Models and Practices: Progressive Engagement and Related ApproachesWashington Low Income Housing AllianceConference on Ending Homelessness • Katharine Gale • May 21, 2014

2. Core components of Rapid Re-Housing • Housing Identification • Recruit landlords to provide housing opportunities for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. • Rent and Move-In Assistance (Financial) • Provide assistance to cover move-in costs, deposits, and the rental and/or utility assistance (typically six months or less) necessary to allow individuals and families to move immediately out of homelessness and to stabilize in permanent housing. • From NAEH in collaboration with, and endorsed by, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

3. Core components of Rapid Re-Housing • Services to help secure housing: • Help individuals and households: • Identify and select from permanent housing options based on unique needs, preferences, and financial resources. • Address issues that may impede access to housing (e.g. credit history, arrears, and legal issues). • Negotiate manageable and appropriate lease agreements with landlords. • Services to help maintain housing: • Appropriate and time-limited services and supports to stabilize quickly in permanent housing. • Monitor housing stability • Be available to resolve crises, at a minimum during the time rapid re-housing assistance is provided.

4. Core components of Rapid Re-Housing • Connections to community-based services • Provide or assist with connections to resources that improve safety and well-being and help achieve long-term goals, as needed, e.g. benefits, employment and community-based services. • Manner of delivery • Ensure that services are client-directed, respectful of individuals’ right to self-determination, and voluntary. • Unless basic, program-related case management is required by statute or regulation, participation in services should not be required to receive rapid re-housing assistance • From NAEH in collaboration with, and endorsed by, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

5. How do we define success? • Households that have no housing get housed, and do not return to homelessness in a defined time period • Don’t expect 100% ... • But so far better than everything else we do, except permanent subsidies (i.e. shelter, transitional, services only, even some PSH)

6. How can it work?? > 95% of people in poverty are housed at a point in time – how do they do it? • Very low income families typically rent-burdened. Most pay > 30% and many pay > 50% of income for housing but remain housed. • Our families typically have incomes at 10-15% of median - not going to live in median cost housing

7. Rapid re-housing's potential is great • Based on typical costs, we can successfully rehouse five times as many people with rapid rehousing as with transitional housing, with equal or better outcomes

8. Design questions: how much is enough? • Programs of varying length and depth have had similar success rates • Longer stays look good, especially for income changes, but shorter stays look good too, especially on housing stability • Shorter stays let us help more households with the same amount of resources

9. Example: Let’s all go on a job hunt… What about assessment? • Assessment is critical: need knowledge of client’s relevant history, current plans and desires • Understand housing barriers to assist, not to refuse assistance • Develop realistic approach to finding landlords and housing situations • Ability to link clients to supports in the community • But: • Assessment up front may not be a good way to size the financial assistance or length of time services are offered

10. Progressive Engagement • Lightest touch possible first, leaving open potential for more • - or - • “you can always add more, but you can’t take it away” 19

11. Progressive Engagement approach PSH $$$$ Independently Housed RRH 3 $$$ RRH 2 $$ RRH 1 $ Point of Entry *[Graphic from National Alliance to End Homelessness]

12. A change in philosophy and culture • Take as the goal ending the housing crisis • Idea of doing the least necessary • Believing people can make it without us, but being there if they cannot • Getting rewarded by seeing people leave, and helping more

13. TANF $ ESG $$ HOME TBRA $$$ • Use different resources in tandem, based on their requirements and strengths, for different levels or phases of assistance How do you structure it?? Example: • Use one resource with regular reassessments and adjustments Example: ESG alone, SSVF, local Child Welfare dollars

14. Resource Model from The Road Home

15. What do you need to know? • Funding Available/Budget • Rules of the funding – what can it pay for and for whom • The population you will serve and their housing barriers • Trends for lengths of stay and exits • Community partners • If we’re not going to provide the service, who can? • Projecting the overall program size – knowing how to budget and staff How do you structure it??

16. How do you structure it?? ?

17. The Road Home: January 1 2013 – 119 Families in Shelter

19. Checking the assumptions • Road Home Projected Annual – 500 families • Actual Cohort – 119 Families

20. Using data to adjust • Unacceptable losses or rates of return? • Resize, assist longer, check-in more, develop new partnerships • Everybody sticks? Trying giving less support • Some succeed and some don't? What factors can we look at: e.g. family size, income source, histories of homelessness, the staff person or staffing?

21. Closing thoughts • We should be at least as concerned of failing by inaction as we are of failing by our actions. • We have the data now to monitor progress as we go; if something's not working we can change it, but if we never try, we’ll never know. • Always keep the next household that needs help in mind.

22. For more information • National Alliance to End Homelessness www.endhomelessness.org • United States Interagency Council on Homelessness www.usich.gov • Focus Strategies www.focusstrategies.net • Contact us: katharine@focusstrategies.net

23. PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT… HOW IT WORKS ON THE GROUND? Washington Low Income Housing Alliance Conference on Ending Homelessness May 21, 2014 Vivian Wan, MSW Associate Director • How much… how long... for whom? • Design & Implementation • Mechanics of Creativity…what tools do you need? • Letting go sooner end homelessness for people

24. Abode Services = Housing First • Started as a “shelter provider” • Adopted Housing First in 2005 • 30 Housing Programs- 940 HH/ night • Employees 15 Housing Specialists & 4 Housing Managers • Housing “Soup to Nuts” • First time homelessness – outreach, shelter, diversion, Rapid Rehousing • Episodic- outreach, shelter, diversion, prevention, RRH, transition in place • Chronic- outreach, shelter, long-term supportive housing, RRH as bridge

25. Bypassing Shelter= Better Outcomes • Outcomes of Winter Relief Program -Permanent Housing <30%, -Length of Stay > 9 months • Compared to success of RRH- 82-92% • Putting $$ behind outcomes- funders • Creatively moving money around -Kick off with HPRP, replace with HOME, ESG, General Fund, Probation, Child Welfare, and yes… even HUD CoC!!

26. WHO? “BUT THIS FAMILY NEEDS MORE…” ONE REAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION!!! Does this family have a desire and abilityto increase their household income to pay for housing through…. $$$ benefits acquisition $$$ earned income $$$ changing household comp OR…. In geography?

27. Beyond Assessment

28. Tools- Referral

29. The Application- 1 pageAre they eligible?

30. HOW MUCH….HOW LONG? • Designed for singles, families, veterans, first time homeless, and episodic homeless. • Those who have some desire & ability to increase income. • Flexibility is key!! • Phase 1 – 0-3 Months – 40% of adjusted income • Phase 2 – 3-6 Months – 30% of rent • Phase 3 – 6-9 Months – 50% of rent • Phase 4 – 9-12 Months -70% of rent • 3 month reassessments • Funding set-aside for “prevention” • Say yes, we can do that…

31. HOW IT WORKS…. Example 1: Household enters program with $600/month (adjusted). Rent for unit is $1,000 Example 2: Household enters program with $1,100/month (adjusted). Rent for unit is $925. .

32. Tools to help Case managers

33. Why it works? • Ending Homelessness- Not poverty • 95% of people living in poverty are not homeless • People who have a home fight to keep it • Expect high rent “burdens”- as high as 85% • People can “return” if they need help • Helps staff and participants • Uses Time and Resources wisely • Traditionally we spend time on those who often need the least help • Can DOUBLE or even TRIPLE numbers served- most will achieve housing stability • Less than 5% returns to homelessness

34. Innovation

35. Progressive Engagement- Work On the Ground If you would like more information, you can contact: Vivian Wan, Associate Director (510) 657-7409 x 212 vwan@abodeservices.org