1 / 21

Housing First

Housing First. A Home for Everyone Conference July 16 th and 17 th , 2014. West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Inc. M I S S I ON.

Download Presentation

Housing First

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Housing First A Home for Everyone Conference July 16th and 17th, 2014

  2. West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Inc. M I S S I ON To take action against poverty by developing the social and economic assets of low-income families and their communities and by working to create a more just and sustainable society.

  3. Serving 7 Wisconsin Counties Barron Chippewa Dunn Pepin Pierce Polk St. Croix

  4. What services are provided? • Housing • Apartment Rentals • Homeless Prevention • Homeownership • Weatherization • Energy Assistance • Food (Access & Resources) • Transportation (JumpStart) • Skills Enhancement • Literacy

  5. Housing Assistance Housing counseling and financial assistance for homeless persons, renters, and homeowners • Homeless Prevention Program • Tenant Based Rental Assistance • Rapid Re-Housing • Transitional Housing • Permanent Supportive Housing • Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Dunn, Pierce, and St. Croix Counties • Homebuyer Education and Assistance • Foreclosure Intervention Counseling and Assistance

  6. The Old Way vs. The New Way

  7. Are you “ready” for housing? • Are you compliant with shelter staff? • Are you employable? • Do you have a serious mental illness or substance use disorder? • Do you have a history of violent criminal charges? • Do we think you have a high chance of success?

  8. So Why Change? • Most vulnerable not being helped • Continued utilization of other community resources (ER, CPS, Crisis line, Shelter) • Homeless numbers not declining • Research based evidence for Housing First model • Better housing retention • Lower rate of return to homelessness

  9. What is Housing First? • Philosophy of providing housing • Housing is a right, not a reward • Housing provides stable environment to address other issues • Program Model • Immediate focus on housing • Minimal barriers to obtaining housing • Targets the most vulnerable • Supportive services offered, not required

  10. Housing First Model in Practice • Program Entry • VI-SPDAT to prioritize most vulnerable • Participant understanding of program model • Finding housing • Working with landlords • In-home case management • Be up front about participant barriers

  11. Housing First Model in Practice • Program Participation • Supportive services offered, but not required • PSH v. RRH v. TH • Regular home visits are an expectation • Harm reduction approach • Program moves with the client if an eviction occurs • Program termination is rare

  12. Housing First Model in Practice • Case Management • Initial focus: overcoming housing barriers and finding safe, appropriate housing • Once housed: focus on long term goals, support to maintain housing, and connection to community resources • Goals are developed by the participant, NOT case manager

  13. So how do we make the change?

  14. Getting Everyone on Board • Board of Directors • What is their role in your agency? • Program Staff • A paradigm shift in program philosophy and service provision • Local CoC members • This changes how referrals will be made • Landlords • Developing new and deeper relationships

  15. Impact on Case Managers • Paradigm Shift • Housing Stability v. Rules • Harm Reduction v. Abstinence • New role as Team Leader • Coordinating participant, therapists, sponsors, psychiatrists, family, and many more supports • Morale may be affected • Feeling unskilled/unprepared • Ethical dilemmas

  16. Financial Impact of Change • Planning for supportive services • High barriers, low community connection • Plan for moving costs • Security deposits, cleaning, damages • Training costs for staff • Mental health interventions, crisis intervention, Motivational Interviewing, trauma-informed services, Wellness Recovery Action Plans, harm reduction

  17. Impact on Management • Clinical Supervision • Manager • Contract with mental health professional • Weekly Staffings • Help clarify roles • Help staff recognize housing problems as symptoms of the clinical issue • Address Morale Issues • Reframing situations • Addressing compassion fatigue

  18. Questions?

  19. RESOURCES Back to Basics: What Exactly Is Housing First & Rapid Re-Housing? (OrgCode Consulting) http://www.orgcode.com/2012/05/15/back-to-basics-what-exactly-is-housing-first-rapid-re-housing/ The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious Mental Illness (HUD) http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/hsgfirst.pdf VI SPDAT (100,000 Homes Campaign) http://100khomes.org/resources/the-vi-spdat Affordable and Supportive Housing Research (USICH) http://usich.gov/usich_resources/research_and_evaluation/affordable_and_supportive_housing_research/ Pathways to Housing http://pathwaystohousing.org/

  20. Contact Information Robyn Thibado Associate Director West CAP rthibado@wcap.org Corin Tubridy Homeless Prevention Programs Manager West CAP ctubridy@wcap.org

More Related