Community Exchange: Ending Family Homelessness Kelly King Horne, Homeward kkhorne@homewardva.org www.homewardva.org www.endhomelessnessrva.org

Transforming how we respond to family homelessness in RVA Context setting with data What problems were we trying to solve? Timeline of adoption and integration of rapid re- housing into community’s response to homelessness Why this matters Discussion

Greater Richmond Continuum of Care Established in 1997 Homeward was created in 1998 to facilitate the CoC funding program More than $4.5 million in HUD funds targeted to homelessness each year; $1.6 million in state funds 2017 PIT = 662 (down from 1150 in 2007 & 2009) Region = approx. 1.3 million individuals (560K households) Poverty rate > 20% AMI= $69K Map retrieved from http://www.richmondregional.org/

Understanding the need for change Started getting good data in 2007 Back of envelope calculation of cost of Transitional Housing for one household = $35,000 Shelters “always full”; high turn-away rates Case managers did not pull credit reports or discuss housing with their clients They did help with parenting skills and budgeting. HUD funding included poor performing supportive service programs.

Could this be done differently? Changing our thinking, 2006 - 2007 Housing and housing stability become key concepts as we learn more about Housing First Started attending national conferences; connected with other communities Introduced concept of “Barriers to Housing” Trained case managers on reading credit reports Started working on a Ten Year Plan with system indicators

Housing & employment markets crash: 2007 – 2008

Introducing Rapid Re-housing to RVA: 2007 February: Rapid re-housing discussed at National Alliance to End Homelessness conference July: Homeward pays for 10 executive directors to attend Summer NAEH conference September: Rapid Exit (MN) invited to 1st annual Best Practices Conference; Community champion attends RRH session

Housing Stabilization 2008- Mapping out how RRH fits into our community Ten Year Plan Model Current Model Housing Placement MH/SA Services Shelter Child Care Employment Family Services Family Services MH/SA Services Child Care Shelter Employment Housing Stabilization 9

The year we get money: 2009 Homeward raises $100,000 for collaborative RRH pilot (with help of Community Champion) HPRP released and includes RRH Transitional housing provider convinced to try RRH

The year the state adds leadership: 2010 Governors’ Coordinating Council on Homelessness formed Rapid re-housing is identified as a key strategy in the state’s efforts to reduce family homelessness Gov. McDonnell sets goal of reducing family homelessness by 15% across the state

Years of building capacity: 2011 - 2014 Statewide & local capacity-building for rapid re-housing Regional learning collaboratives Development of housing navigators/ housing brokers State shifts funding to RRH from TH and emergency shelter 100- Day Challenge to cross gubernatorial administrations

Years of quality improvement & expansion of subpopulations: 2015 - present Solidifying practice and developing standards Expand RRH for single adults and youth Connections to employment and workforce providers Revisit role of emergency shelters in facilitating housing placements

Why this matters– for RVA Questions & Discussion