SSA Homeless Outreach and Research

1. SSA Homeless Outreach and Research Richard Balkus Associate Commissioner Social Security Administration Office of Program Development and Research

2. SSA’s Role in Ending Homelessness • Provides benefits to millions of individuals through Old Age, Survivors, Retirement and Disability Program (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program • Strive to remove barriers for homeless individuals’ access to benefits • Establish liaisons with various organizations to assist homeless individuals applying for disability benefits

3. SSA Workload and Resource Challenges • Initial disability applications continue to increase: 3.2 million applications received in FY 2010, 600,000 more than FY2008 • Despite growing workloads, budget remains flat; SSA remains under hiring freeze • Due to state fiscal crises, many states have furloughed state DDS employees, resulting in delays in claims processing and delays in benefits paid

4. Overview of SSA Homeless Initiatives • Policy • Flagging of homeless cases • Compassionate Allowances/Quick Disability Determinations • Aging out of foster care • Outreach & Research • SOAR • Presumptive Disability Pilot • BEST Demonstration • HOPE longitudinal study

5. SSA’s SUPPORT TO SOAR • Assist with SOAR training to case managers helping homeless individuals with disability applications and claims processing • Appoint SSA liaisons to work with SOAR • Assist with the Mathematica follow-up evaluation

6. SOAR Benefits • Potential for faster decisions, higher allowance rates • Appointed representatives provide consistent contact • Sufficient medical documentation may reduce need for consultative examinations • Increased access to Federal benefits lessens the burden on state and local governments and provide a means to more stable housing

7. San Francisco and Santa Cruz Counties Homeless Schizophrenia Presumptive Disability Pilot • Demonstrationin the San Francisco and Santa Cruz Counties tests viability of making Presumptive Disability (PD) determinations for homeless individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. • Allows participants to receive up to six months of payments prior to SSA’s final disability determination. • If successful and implemented nationally: • Expedite benefits to disabled homeless claimants with schizophrenia • Useful tool for SOAR and other homeless providers nationwide

8. Benefits Entitlement Services Team (B.E.S.T.) Demonstration Project • 2-yr Los Angeles County-funded project designed to increase homeless individuals’ eligibility for disability benefits • Provides mental health care and case management, conducts outreach services, and assists homeless individuals with claim process • Local SSA Field Offices, DDS, & LA County staff collaboration • We will conduct an evaluation of project participants’ outcomes

9. HOPE Longitudinal Study • Congress provided $8 M annually in FY 2003-2005, directing SSA to conduct outreach to "homeless and other under-served populations." • Provided funding for 41 program grantees across the nation. Grantees were required to provide outreach, supportive services, and benefit application assistance to homeless adults and children. • Continue following HOPE participants, examine if project improved the economic well-being and housing status of the SSI recipient.

10. Affordable Care Act and Homelessness • Lack of sufficient medical evidence is often a reason for delay or denial of disability benefits • Expanded Medicaid coverage • More SSI applicants will have Medicaid • Homeless SSI applicants and recipients will have more access to supportive services through community health centers and benefit from better coordination of health care, employment , and supportive housing services.