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Retooling Transitional Housing Using a Systems Perspective

Retooling Transitional Housing Using a Systems Perspective. Kari Murphy, Building Changes Sheila Morley, City of Spokane Tess Colby, Pierce County Community Connections. Workshop Objectives.

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Retooling Transitional Housing Using a Systems Perspective

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  1. Retooling Transitional Housing Using a Systems Perspective Kari Murphy, Building Changes Sheila Morley, City of Spokane Tess Colby, Pierce County Community Connections

  2. Workshop Objectives • Increase understanding of what retooling is and why communities are retooling their transitional housing • Increase knowledge of how 2 counties in Washington State are retooling transitional housing to more effectively reduce homelessness.

  3. What is Retooling? • Changing the use of current homeless housing resources to help more people access permanent housing faster. • Retooling involves: • contract changes with funders • programmatic changes (removing time limits, eligibility criteria, program rules, and policies and procedures) • For example: • TH  RRH • TH  Shelter

  4. Retooling Approach • System AND project analysis to determine need & opportunities

  5. Why Retool? • Current resource allocation isn’t ending homelessness • HEARTH performance measures • Refined focus on ending the immediate housing crisis, not on ending poverty • Match resources with need • Cost effectiveness

  6. HEARTH Performance Measures: • Reduce the number of people who become homeless • Reduce the amount of time people spend in homelessness • Reduce returns to homelessness

  7. Performance on HEARTH Measure: Exits to Permanent Housing Rapid Re-Housing Transitional Housing Shelter Source: Data from 14 Continuums in seven states that prepared Evaluators for National Alliance to End Homelessness Performance Improvement Clinics in 2011-2012 compiled by Focus Strategies

  8. Match Resources with Need • Temporarily homeless • Long-stayers • Episodically homeless families

  9. Average Cost Per Exit for Families with Children in 14 Communities Cost Effectiveness Permanent Housing Exits All Exits Source: Data from 14 Continuums in seven states that prepared Evaluators for National Alliance to End Homelessness Performance Improvement Clinics in 2011-2012 compiled by Focus Strategies

  10. Background & Context

  11. Vision for Pierce County Family Homeless System • A right-sized system that has something for every family, when they need it • No wait list, and no unsheltered families • Diversion Program • Short LOS = turnover = no unsheltered families

  12. Current System • 43% of system interventions in transitional housing, using 55% of resources • Allocated 26% of our resources to rapid rehousing, which will provide 42% of the housing slots

  13. System Performance • Length of Stay • Shelter: 4.2 mo • Transitional Housing: 13.5 mo • Rapid Rehousing: 3.8 mo • Exits to Permanent Housing • Shelter: average 45% • Transitional Housing: av 78% • Rapid Rehousing: 4% return to homelessness • Exits with increased income • Transitional Housing: av 20%

  14. Spokane County Facts Spokane County- approx 475,000 residents • 210,000 within the City of Spokane 1,763.79 square miles Median household income, 2007-2011 $49,257 Persons below poverty level, percent, 2007-2011 14.4% Average rental vacancy rate: 4.3% 2014 Point in Time: 1149 Total Persons US Census Bureau 2007-2012 reports

  15. Goal of Spokane’s Homeless System • Easily accessible, responsive system for families and individuals in a housing crisis • Allows for a consistent assessment of clients needs • Appropriate level of service and housing • Provide permanent low-barrier housing options • Shortest Length of stay possible in homeless system

  16. Current Strategies in Place to meet this goal • Coordinated Assessment System for Families • Diversion Focus– Ensure that clients entering the system have exhausted all other resources • Targeted prevention assistance • Prioritize Permanent Housing Options : • Permanent Supportive Housing- for those with the highest barriers • Rapid Re-housing for those who have lower service needs

  17. Current Strategies: Prioritization of Funding for Permanent Housing Options

  18. Current Strategies: Shift in Homeless Housing Inventory • From 2011-2013 • The distribution of beds shifted from temporary housing to permanent housing Compiled from Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) Point in Time data 2011, 2012, and 2013

  19. Why Retool?

  20. Misaligned System

  21. Background on Decision to Retool • Retooling conversation started in 2011 • Stakeholders attended 2-day NAEH workshop • Developing a Coordinated Assessment system was identified as the top priority from that workshop. • Retooling Transitional Housing to Permanent Housing identified as 2nd priority. • May 2011- Moved into planning stage for Coordinated Assessment System with Implementation goal of 2012 • Coordinated Assessment for Families Implemented in 2012.

  22. How our system looks now • Screening • Diversion • Assessment • Referral to rapid re-housing • RRH for all populations • SSVF • RRH for specific geographic areas • Referral to prevention • Housing placement All entry points provide: Rapid Re-housing provider Rural Outreach HFCA- The Salvation Army Phone Walk-In Email VOA- youth provider families with hh under 18 DV provider Coordinated Assessment System for Families Coordinated Assessment System for Families

  23. Approach to Retooling

  24. Retooling Process • Data • Best Practices • Consultants • Transitional Housing • System Right Sizing • Centralized Intake • Homeless System Projection Tool • Performance Improvement Calculator

  25. Our Approach to Retooling • Lots of conversation, information and data provided to Community Stakeholders: • HFCA Learning Community Members • Homeless Program Managers • Continuum of Care Advisory Committee • Decision Makers • Data from coordinated asssessment, PIT, cost per service, length of stay, recurrence, client data • Stakeholders have developed short and long-term goals for retooling system

  26. What we have learned from Coordinated Assessment • 54% of families accessing the system don’t ever have to enter the system • Most families coming through the system have low barriers and need a short term housing and service interventions- 85% • Very low recurrence rate- Families aren’t entering the homeless system after exit • Role of Emergency Shelter had changed- Emergency Shelter units had become a holding place for clients who needed Rapid Re-Housing • Housing inventory and the identified need is misaligned.

  27. Retooling to….

  28. Projected Distribution of Resources

  29. Vision for Pierce County Family Homeless System

  30. Retooling Strategies: Short Term • Changes in Service Delivery • Moving from ES / TH units to Interim Housing Model. All programs will take any household in need of temporary housing and adjust their service delivery to that households need • Integrating RRH methodologies into interim housing programs- shift service component to reducing immediate barriers to housing and housing search • Increase partnership with local DSHS and RRH case managers for integrated housing and employment case plan

  31. Results of Short Term Strategies: Length Of Stay In Interim Housing Compiled from Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) data. Date Range 4/1/12 - 9/30/13

  32. Results of Short Term Strategies: Rate Of Exits To Permanent Destination Compiled from Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) data. Date Range 4/1/12 - 9/30/13

  33. Retooling Strategies: Long Term • Long term solutions: • Adjustments to Inventory to meet need • Continued shifting of resources to permanent housing options • Continued adjustment to Service Delivery Questions to be answered: • What populations should be served in our Transitional Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing units • Can we re-tool current non-facility based TH programs to RRH • How do we ensure the changes made won’t effect the current efficiencies in the system • How do local funding priorities need to be adjusted to complete the re-tool of the system.

  34. Tools needed for Retooling Decisions • DATA! • Continued review LOS, Exit and Recurrence Data within system • Performance Improvement Calculator • STAKEHOLDER INPUT! • Continued conversation and input with CoC Advisory Committee, program level staff and ultimately decision makers

  35. Questions?

  36. Kari Murphy Building Changes 206.805.6125 kari.murphy@buildingchanges.org Sheila Morley City of Spokane, Human Services Department (509) 625-6052 smorley@spokanecity.org Tess Colby Pierce County Community Connections (253) 798-6139 tcolby@co.pierce.wa.us

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