State Your Case: Policy Change in the States “Utah”

1. State Your Case: Policy Change in the States“Utah” NAEH Conference February 8, 2007 Michelle Flynn The Road Home, Salt Lake City, Utah

2. Utah Overview • Population 2.5 million • Highly Urban/ Highly Rural (1.9 million along Wasatch Front) • Conservative voters/legislators (R-76; D-28) • Fair Market Rent for a 2 Bedroom is $714; a renter would need to make $14.73/hour; minimum wage is $5.15 • 2006 SL County average rent is $774, up $133 from 2005; vacancy rate is 5% • Homeless Count – 3,250 PIT;15,000 annual .6% of total population • 86 % or 2,816 of those are in Salt Lake County State Your Case - Utah

3. Overview of The Road Home • 5,799 clients served: • Emergency Shelter (500 / 850 per night) • Emergency Assistance • Housing (250 households daily) State Your Case - Utah

4. Advocacy Strategies for the State • Legislature, Governor and State Depts. • Identify a limited set of priorities • Identify your best messenger • Be consistent in your message among providers, board members, advocates • Funding and or new legislation • Identify Legislative Committee Members State Your Case - Utah

5. Advocacy Strategies p. 2 • Create Pilot Projects that show results • Tie in National and Local advocacy to the State message and be consistent • Inform State legislators about efforts on the national front (ELHSI, McKinney funding) and the local front • They love a match! State dollars matching local dollars especially State Your Case - Utah

6. Advocacy Strategies p. 3 • Profound impact of the Policy Workshops • Telling the story of Housing First – it makes sense • Phil Mangano and the Interagency Council have helped to make Ending Homelessness a bi-partisan issue • This is important for a conservative State like Utah State Your Case - Utah

7. Advocacy Payoff in Utah • Change in State Coordinating Committee structure and members (2005) • Approval of State 10 Year Plan • Involvement of Dept. of Corrections and Department of Workforce Services • Increase in funding to Homeless Trust Fund and Housing Loan Fund • * Success in gaining HOME and General State and County dollars for rental assistance subsidies for homeless State Your Case - Utah

8. What’s Working • Pamela Atkinson, Community Advocate • Conservative State / Financial benefits of Housing First • Active and supportive elected officials Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Coroon • Tight collaborations around the 10 Year Plan • Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund and Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund targeting funding to 10 Year Plan, rental assistance, etc. State Your Case - Utah

9. What’s Working p.2 • Increase in support from State and Local Government; key positions created and filled by the right people • Dept. of Workforce Services creation of SSI taskforce and Homeless One Stop Shop • Dept. of Corrections beginning to identify releases into homelessness • Dept. of Education participating in PIT State Your Case - Utah

10. Homeless Coordinating Committee Marie Christman Dept. of Human Services (DHS) Gary Herbert Lt. Governor Chair Palmer DePaulis Dept. of Community and Culture Dr. David Sundwall Department of Health Kristine Pepin Businesses/United Way Belle Brough Dept. of Corrections Purpose Rudy Johansen Veterans’ Admin. Kimberly Hood State Planning Office • Coordinates all homeless planning and policy development. • Coordinates the State’s ten-year plan with AOGs, counties and cities to reduce homelessness with emphasis on ending chronic homelessness. • Recommends policy, regulatory, and resource changes needed to accomplish the objectives. • Ensures a research driven, results oriented strategy with statewide guidelines. • Allocates PHTF, ESG, and CNH funds and coordinates priority of other funds assisting the homeless. • Reports to governor and legislators on progress. Donald P. Ketcham Social Security Pamela Atkinson At Large Jane Shock Financial Institutions Kreig Kelley Office of Education Rosemary Kappes S.L. Housing Authority Tani Downing Dept. of Workforce Services John Brereton Utah Housing Corporation JoAnn Seghini Local Governments Sharon Downing Balance of State Continuum of Care Vaughn McDonald Philanthropic Orgs. Robert Boles Faith Based Orgs. State Your Case - Utah Bill Hulterstrom Mountainland Cont. of Care Kerry Bate SLC Cont. of Care October 2006

11. Homeless Coordinating Committee Organization Lt. Governor HCC Allocation Committee Local Homeless Coordinating Committees Discharge Planning Affordable Housing Supportive Services Information Systems Belle Brough Richard Walker Tani Downing Mayor JoAnn Seghini Kristine Pepin • Mental Health • Hospitals • Substance Abuse • Prisons • Jails • Foster Care • Juvenile Justice Ser. • Banks • Developers • Housing Authorities • Planners • Providers • HMIS • Outcome Measures • Management Reports • Domestic Violence • Case Management • Training • Employment Elected Officials Chair - LHCC San Juan County COG Salt Lake County COG Six-County AOG Bear River AOG Five-County AOG Mountainland AOG Grand County COG Davis County COG Uintah Basin AOG Weber County COG State Your Case - Utah COG – Council of Governments AOG – Association of Governments October 2006

12. AOG/COG Homeless Coordinating Committee (Model) Elected Official Chair Vice-Chair Dept. of Human Services Businesses Dept. of Health Financial Institutions Purpose Dept. of Corrections • Implement locally the State’s ten-year plan to end chronic homelessness and reduce overall homelessness. • Prioritize and coordinate funding to implement supportive service programs to reduce and prevent homelessness. • Use Homeless Management Information System to report and manage results. • Develop a “pathway” to self-reliance for the homeless. United Way Dept. Workforce Ser. Housing Authorities At Large Sheriff Community Clinics Domestic Violence Schools/PTA Service Agencies Colleges/Tech. Schools Continuum of Care Local Government Leaders Native American Housing Authority State Your Case - Utah Faith Based Orgs. Police Chief

13. Official Homeless Plan Goals for 2007 • Update State Ten-Year Plan and add homeless families • Complete LHCC ten-year plans – ten needed • Implement pilots in balance of LHCCs – five • Implement delivery system at Sunrise Metro using the Bridges Out of Poverty approach • Develop additional pilots using Bridges Out of Poverty • Fine tune the statewide and LHCC management information reports • Fully implement SSI/SSDI expedited approval system • Complete statewide plan for 2,500 housing units for chronic homeless State Your Case - Utah

14. Local Advocate Goals • Active Attendance by all SHCC members • Creation of 10 Year Plan to End Family Homelessness • Each State Department identifying goals/changes within their department and including ending homelessness as a dept. priority • Social Security / Disability Determination Services reduce time to process SSI apps • Continued work on zoning to allow low-income housing throughout the State • ** Dedicated State-wide revenue source for State Housing Fund State Your Case - Utah

15. Contact Information:Michelle C. FlynnAssociate Executive Director of ProgramsThe Road Home210 South Rio Grande StreetSalt Lake City, Utah 84101(801) 328-8759mflynn@theroadhome.orgwww.theroadhome.orgwww.utahcontinuum.org State Your Case - Utah