San Diego “Crosswalk” Process for Permanent Supportive Housing

1. San Diego “Crosswalk” Process for Permanent Supportive Housing Tricia Tasto LevienSenior Program Manager Corporation for Supportive HousingMarch 9, 2011www.csh.org

2. San Diego County MHSA Housing Program Background • $33 million dollars ($22 capital/$11 operating) • Full Service Partnerships • Community Research Foundation • Mental Health Systems, Inc. • Heritage Clinic • Providence Community Services • Target Populations • Adults • Older Adults • Adults (justice system) • Transition Age Youth

3. San Diego County MHSA Housing Program Background • Goals: Develop 241 units of housing; Lease 115 units of housing • Current Status: 190 units in development pipeline; 421 clients are in leased housing being subsidized by local County MHSA dollars. • One development is currently leased-up - Townspeople, Inc. 34th Street Apartments. • Two other developments will open by end of 2011 – Squier Properties/REOM’s Cedar Gateway and Father Joe’s Villages’ 15th and Commercial.

4. San Diego “Crosswalk” Committees • The County of San Diego Mental Health Services Administration recognized the need for a high level of coordination between all involved parties in order to ensure effective MHSA housing program implementation. • The Crosswalk Committees have been meeting regularly since fall 2010 to plan and discuss issues related to successful lease-up and operations of MHSA permanent supportive housing developments.

5. San Diego “Crosswalk” Committees • The “Crosswalk” Committees, much like a pedestrian crosswalk, were originally formed with the intention of assisting developers and service providers as they transition clients from their current living situations to permanent supportive housing. • Over time, the Committees have expanded to focus on all aspects of preparing for lease-up. • The Committees meet on a monthly basis and include representation from developer; service provider; property management; and County and their technical housing consultant the Corporation for Supportive Housing.

6. San Diego “Crosswalk Committees” There are currently three Crosswalk Committees underway

7. San Diego Crosswalk Meeting Topics • Meeting topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas: • Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) • Tenant Selection and Screening • Planning for Services • Community Building • Marketing and Communications • Capitalized Operating Subsidy Process • Community Art • Grand Opening • Retail Space (for those w/ retail) • Community Outreach • Client/Tenant Input • As we identify other topic areas, we add it to the list of topic areas.

8. San Diego Crosswalk Meeting Topics • The meetings are approximately 1 ½ hours in length. Each month’s meeting focuses on one or two main topic areas. • Topic areas are discussed in order of importance related to timelines. • MOA – 120 days prior to lease-up • Supportive Services Budget – 120 days prior to lease-up • Marketing – 90 days prior to lease-up • At the end of each meeting, we discuss follow-up and topic(s) for next month’s meeting.

9. San Diego Crosswalk Committee Meetings – Work Plan Matrix • A work plan matrix has been designed that includes topic areas, meeting dates, and important timelines. • Matrix also includes a section on follow-up items and a “parking lot” section. • The parking lot section is used as a way to note questions or discussions that are important but are tabled for discussion at a later date.

10. San Diego Crosswalk Committee Meetings – Work Plan Matrix

11. Crosswalk Committee Meeting Binders • Contact List • Meeting Agendas • Meeting Notes • Memorandum of Agreement • Work Plan Planning Matrix • Tenant Certification and Referral Process • Tenant Screening and Selection • Tenant Screening Matrix

12. Tenant Screening Matrix

13. Crosswalk Meeting Benefits • Create atmosphere of collaboration early-on. • Develop policies and procedures together • Manage workload over time. • Prioritize tasks in order of importance. • Anticipate potential issues earlier in the process • Establish tasks and delineate responsibilities. Share workload amongst all parties (Developer, FSPs, PM, County, etc.). • Establish common “vision” for development (esp. important for mixed-tenancy developments).

14. Lessons Learned • You can never begin planning early enough. • Focus on meeting topic. As other items arise, table for future discussion. • Prioritize what needs to happen first in order to meet established timeframes. • Important to have management input and approval at the beginning. • Take meeting notes and summarize follow-up for everyone. • Establish deadlines and accountability to meet those deadlines.

15. San Diego MHSA Housing Program • For more information, http://www.sandiego.networkofcare.org/mh/CountyContent/San-Diego/Housing.cfm. • San Diego County Mental Health Services Administration, KevineKy, Administrative Analyst to Dr. Piedad Garcia, (619) 563-2703, Kevine.Ky@sdcounty.ca.gov. • CSH San Diego – Tricia Tasto Levien, (619) 232-1982, tricia.levien@csh.org.