1.02 Becoming a Low-Barrier, Housing-Focused Shelter Kay 1

2.05 Diversion: A Key Element of a Homelessness System How does a shelter deliver housing-focused services with the goal of housing people as quickly as possible? Learn about housing case plans that are client- centered, reducing tenancy barriers, creating a housing-focused shelter environment, and directing staff activities to permanently house p eople residing in shelter more quickly. Panelists will also discuss which services are best provided in shelter versus after someone is housed.

Put Your Most Burning Question on Your Index Card!

Our Presenters Kay Moshier-McDivitt Nadine Joyner John MacDonald National Alliance to End Homelessness, Washington, D.C Nadine Joyner Spooner House, Shelton, CT John MacDonald Crossroads Rhode Island, Providence, RI Katherine (Kat) Hammer Gulfstream Goodwill, Inc., Palm Beach, FL

Who Is Here? Emergency Shelter Staff Providers CoC Leadership Coordinated Entry Local/State/Federal Government Funders Community Leaders

Role of Emergency Shelter in the Crisis Response System Shelter plays an important role in your system’s response to homelessness The effectiveness of emergency shelter greatly impacts your system’s performance Average length of homelessness Exits to permanent housing Returns to homelessness Kay High level look at what the role of shelter is within a system that houses people. Trying to bring things together – in a way that you can see how they interact

Emergency Shelters in the CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM Housing crisis resolution Rapid re-housing Permanent Supportive Housing Market rate housing Voucher Emergency Shelters in the CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM

Cynthia The 5 key elements to effective emergency shelters: Having a Housing First Approach Practicing safe and appropriate diversion Ensuring your shelter provides immediate and low-barrier access Making your shelter housing-focused, with rapid exits TO HOUSING services And using your data to measure your shelter’s effectiveness and make shelter design decisions

Kay #shifthappens

MAKING THE PHILOSOPHICAL SHIFT Philosophical Shift Practice Shift Operations Shift There are three areas of shift to transition to a shelter that uses the key elements. Your shelter will likely have to make a philosophical shift, a practice shift, and shift in the actual way you operate the shelter, including hours of operation, staffing, and the way you utilize space. We won’t spend much time today on operational shift, but will dive deeper into those shifts at the upcoming learning community meetings.

Philosophy Shift Housing First Issues that contributed to a household’s homelessness can best be addressed once they are permanently housed National Alliance to End Homelessness

Immediate and Low-barrier Access Philosophy Shift Practice Shift Shelter is life saving It should be easy to access It should be easiest for the most vulnerable Few to no prerequisites to shelter No sobriety requirement No waiting list Coordinated entry Prioritize households with the most needs 24/7 access Equal Access Rule compliance Rules should only pertain to safety After diversion conversations indicate not alternative is available, it is critical that persons in need of a shelter bed have immediate access to that shelter bed. Think of shelters as the homeless systems emergency room. People are not put on a waiting list and told they will be called when a room is available, and the most critical acute patients are cared for first. That is what emergency shelter is for those experiencing homelessness. Shelter is life saving and should not have multiple requirements or barriers to entry. What does this mean on the practice side – read slide. We know that some of this practice shift may feel uncomfortable for many shelters and very different from common practice. That’s why

Housing-focused, Rapid Exit Services Philosophy Shift Practice Shift Everyone is ready to be housed immediately Clients are the captains of their housing plans Shelters are not employment, recovery, or mental health programs Shelter stays are very short Plan for rapid exit to housing at entry “If you’re not talking about housing you’re having the wrong conversation” Environment reflects a housing focus All meetings, policies, procedures, job descriptions, signage, client handbooks, etc. reflect focus on housing Housing focused philosophy means that from the moment someone enters shelter they are ready to be housing immediately, and that a housing plan to a rapid permanent housing exit starts in the very first meeting. Everything the shelter does or offers is focused on housing, and everything from the environment, meetings, policies and procedures, job descriptions, you name it, reflects that housing focuses. We will be talking a lot about ways to incorporate this at our meeting. The one thing we want to clarify is that rapid exit does not mean that we dismiss people back into homelessness at the end of 30 days. It means our goal should be for folks to move to permanent housing rapidly, within 30 days. Next Slide

Example of Low-Barrier Guidelines

Example of Housing-Focused Shelter Messaging Anna

Shelter Examples Housing-Focused Services Spooner House Crossroads Rhode Island Lewis Center