Maximizing Transitional Housing Resources

1. Maximizing Transitional Housing Resources The Lancaster County Pennsylvania Experience Kay Moshier McDivittCommunity Homeless Advisor for Lancaster County150 North Queen Street, Suite 602 Lancaster PA. 17603Tele: 717-735-8485    KMcDivitt@co.lancaster.pa.us

2. Our Community • County of 500,000 • City of Lancaster: 56,000 person situated in the middle of Lancaster County • Very diversified population (from very rural Mennonite/Amish communities to a large concentration of Latino’s in the city) • Historically, neither the city nor county government has taken ownership of homelessness, shelters or ending homelessness

3. Tabor Community Services • Established in 1968 • Our Mission: To rebuild communities by helping families find housing and financial solutions • HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency since 1971 • A Member of the National Foundation of Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies since 1988 • Accredited through the Council on Accreditation since 1996.

4. Tabor Community Services • Financial Counseling Services • Consumer Credit Counseling Services • Matched Savings Accounts Programs • Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Initiatives • Housing Counseling Programs • Rental Counseling/Prevention Programs • First Time Homebuyer Programs • Family Self Sufficiency/HOV Program • Rapid Re-Housing • Supportive Housing Programs • Permanent Supportive Housing • Transitional Housing

5. Tabor’s Transitional Housing Models • Jubilee House opened in July 2000 in response to Continuum of Care request • Transitional Living Center merged with Tabor in July 2004; Originally started as “Harb-Adult” in 1988 in a 54 room hotel serving single adults, added families in the mid 90’s • Beth Shalom merged with Tabor July 2006; originally started as a transitional housing program for “unwed” young mothers

6. Our Issue: What is our role in meeting the community’s goal of ending homelessness? • Strategic Planning Process • Identifies clear steps and goals • Identifies key players in the process • Redefined who we are • Requires an “open mind” for ANY suggested changes • Requires retraining, new resources and internal cultural shifts • Communicated our Role to the Community at Large • Funders/supporters • Homeless Provider and Social Services system • Clientele

7. Strategic Planning Process for Shaping Tabor’s Transitional Housing Programs • Steps we took • Revisited our program mission statements (Does the goal of the program ultimately end homelessness) • Critical review of outcomes, indicators, targets (are we successful in ending homelessness?) • Feedback from Lancaster County’s Continuum of Care committee (what are the gaps/community needs) • Established a Community Review Committee

8. Strategic Planning Process for Shaping Tabor’s Transitional Housing Programs • Identifies Clear Goals • To review current mission and clientele and make recommendations regarding goals and direction • Analyze outcome data • Final Goal: to ensure program is meeting a community need and is ending homelessness

9. Strategic Planning Process for Shaping Tabor’s Transitional Housing Programs • Identified issues to be considered • Current role, populations served, transitional vs permanent, future funding, outcomes • Identified possible options • Continue as is, target populations, provided combined transitional/permanent, full permanent • Identified questions we wanted answered • Gaps that exist, solution to fill that gap, feasibility for plan, what does “program mean”, what does “transitional” mean

10. Strategic Planning Process for Shaping Tabor’s Transitional Housing Programs • Identify Key Players in the Process: Developed a Study Group • City government • Funders • Mainstream Providers • Board Member (current and former board members) • Neighbors • Homeless Providers • United Way • Staff, direct service and management • Former clientele

11. Redefining Who We Are • Requires an open mind • Any suggested change is worth reviewing; this is about ending homelessness • Winning teams are those that come up with new plays • “Its not the letting go that hurts, it’s the holding on” • We are here not for ourselves, but for the community • Ultimately, going out of business can be a good thing! • Retraining, new resources, internal cultural shifts • Identify what training will be needed • Identify resources, both funding and services • Develop a plan to shift organizational culture • Identify strategic service providers to partner with

12. Communicating to the Community at Large • Funders/Supporters: Make them believers, involve them in the process • Get feedback from the providers, utilize them to get the message out • Get the word on the streets • Most difficult for long established programs

13. What Transitional Housing is for Tabor: The Outcome • Prioritized and now serve Targeted Populations • Redefined length of stay: • Service provision is through external program/sources rather than internal • Redefined staff role to that of a supportive service coordinator • Coordinated case management inclusive of all external providers • Shared outcomes and indicators with major focus on moving to permanent affordable housing • Established community partnerships • Reductions in costs

14. Targeted Populations • Jubilee House: Women completed treatment programs who are homeless and have children (family reunification) • Beth Shalom: Women released from prison who are homeless and have children • TLC: Set asides • Two Floors for Veterans (all referred through the VA) • Single Men and Women coming from Prison (working with pre-release unit and drug court) • Two Parent Homeless Families, • Single Male Headed Households

15. Length of Stay • Not Program Driven • Determined by individual plan to find permanent housing, not by program “requirements” • Focus on shortest length according the individual needs • Average for TLC dropped from 8-12 months to 3-4 months • Jubilee from 18 months to 6-8 months • Beth Shalom just started accepting residents, still developing targets

16. Services provided externally • Partner with community providers • Less dependence on the program • Ensures an ongoing sustaining support system within the larger community • Mental Health, Recovery, parenting services, life skills etc. are all external providers • Service participation is not mandated, • Referrals made if identified as part of the barriers to housing plan (better participation because it is client driven, not program driven)

17. Redefined Staff Role:Supportive Service Coordinator • Shift from “what you need to do to stay here successfully, to what you need to leave here successfully” • Role is not to counsel or “fix” but to connect residents with the services identified on the case management and permanent housing plans

18. Coordinated Case Management • Ensures seamless case management so that all providers are on the same page • Releases of information to obtain case management plans from other providers • Reduces duplication of services and ensures successful housing procurement

19. Shared Outcomes and Indicators • All transitional housing providers in the community have shared outcome measurements • Program success is measured by households successfully leaving the homeless system and maintaining their permanent housing • Funders are using the shared outcome measurements

20. Strategic Community Partnerships • Treatment Programs • Lancaster County MH/MR and D&A • Children and Youth • VA • RMO (Re-entry Management Organization) • Emergency Shelter Providers • Food and Clothing Banks • Other Tabor Programs (Financial Literacy, Budgeting, Matched Savings) • Job Readiness and Employment Programs (WIB, Career Link)

21. Cost Effective • Reduced the TLC budget by 25% • Reduced the Beth Shalom Budget by 60% • Cost per household served reduced by 42%

22. Results • 74% of households in the Transitional Living Center moved to permanent housing in an average of 3.4 months • 82% of households in Jubilee House moved to permanent housing in an average of 7.2 months • 94% maintained permanent housing for six months, 82% for a year

23. Final Thoughts • Re-defining the role of transitional housing for your community requires a culture that embraces change • Clear goals are imperative • Community involvement is key to success • Prepare a communication plan • Remember, “its not the letting go that hurts, it’s the holding on”.

24. Kay Moshier McDivittCommunity Homeless Advisor for Lancaster County150 North Queen Street, Suite 602 Lancaster PA. 17603Tele: 717-735-8485    Fax: 717-295-3680 KMcDivitt@co.lancaster.pa.us