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Beth Stokes Acting Executive Director Hamilton Family Center San Francisco Bstokes@hamiltonfamilycenter.org (415) 409-2100. Paying for Housing: Innovative Housing Subsidy Sources and Design NAEH November 29 th , 2007. Hamilton Family Center: The Organization.
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Beth Stokes Acting Executive Director Hamilton Family Center San Francisco Bstokes@hamiltonfamilycenter.org (415) 409-2100 Paying for Housing: Innovative Housing Subsidy Sources and DesignNAEHNovember 29th, 2007
Hamilton Family Center: The Organization • HFC’s been serving homeless families in San Francisco for over 20 years. • Our continuum of care for homeless families consists of: Dudley Apartments (permanent supportive housing) Hamilton Family Emergency Center (overnight & 60-day stays) Hamilton Family Transitional Program (18-month stay) Hamilton Family Residences (6-month stay) First Avenues Housing Solutions for Families
Small Investments: First Step Toward Housing First Small Financial Investments Produce Housing Results $ Schwab Foundation provided a two year grant of $150,000, launching the Shifting Gears Initiative in June 200 $ Capacity development grant with the following objectives: Developing programs and strategies aimed at ending family homelessness through: • Homelessness Prevention • Rapid Re-housing • Increasing the supply of affordable housing $ Hamilton Family Center launches pilot projects: 1. Shallow rental subsidies 2. Eviction prevention assistance
Small Investments: First Step Toward Housing First Investment of Political Will • October 2005: Mayor Newsom announces efforts to: 1. Develop a comprehensive citywide Housing First Model for families 2. Broaden the focus/efforts to Redesign the Homeless Family System • January 2006: San Francisco Human Services Agency responds, convening a six month work group titled, “Homeless Families Service Redesign”, with a focus on Housing First initiatives. • May 2006:City Supervisor proposes using city surplus dollars to fund Family Rent Subsidies
Funding Shift: Commitment of Larger, Permanent Housing Investments $ July 2006:Hamilton Family Center redirects emergency shelter funding toward affordable permanent housing; creating 80 Shallow Rental Subsidies • Redirected $500,000 in emergency shelter funding into our First Avenues Program to fund housing initiatives • Over $200,000 for shallow subsidy assistance • Over $50,000 in eviction prevention assistance • Expanded program staffing capacity in fiscal administration, transitional home-based assistance & eviction prevention assistance $ February 2007: SF Human Services Agency releases funding for new Family Housing & Eviction Prevention assistance • $2.3 million directed toward shallow rental subsidies for homeless families & families living in SRO’s (single resident occupancies) • $800,000 directed toward eviction prevention & short-term rental assistance (security deposits and emergency assistance) • Funding distributed throughout city to non-profit housing and eviction prevention providers
First Avenues Program Budget: $1 million Hub of all housing initiatives within the organization, including: Move-in assistance (Security deposits of up to $1,200) Household Assistance (household goods gift certificates) Housing search Short-term rental assistance (Emergency 1-3 months, value is flexible) Shallow rental assistance (Up to $500 per month, for12-15 months) Transitional home-based assistance (12-15 months) Landlord mediation assistance Eviction prevention grants (Up to $1,500, 2x within 5 years//Eviction Loans) Representative payee assistance (free) First Avenues Staffing Levels Director 2 Housing case managers 2 Transitional home-based case managers 1 Eviction Prevention Specialist .5 Fiscal Administrator First Avenues: Housing Operations
Who’s Investing in First Avenues Today... Since July 2004, the Schwab Foundation saw a return from their initial capacity investment of $150,000 • First Avenues Housing Assistance Investors • SF Human Services Agency: $475,000 (Direct assistance/personnel) • HUD McKinney: Security Deposits/Household Assistance/Housing personnel • First Avenues Eviction Prevention Investors • SF Human Services Agency • Mayor’s Office of Housing: ($115,000) • First Five San Francisco • Foundations • First Avenues Capacity Investors (partial list) • Salesforce.com: 1. Design & licensing of a database 2. $50,000 matching grant for Pathways to Technology: 50 computers for families moving out of shelter • 17 Feet Design: Creation of FirstAvenues.org website • Full Circle Foundation: Creation of evaluation tools; creation of communications plan • California One Bank: Free online checking & savings accounts