Lessons Learned and Work to Do Rapid Rehousing for Single Adults Lessons Learned and Work to Do National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference July 23, 2018

What We Did In Phoenix Funders Collaborative Made a Plan Created an AWESOME Team People were successfully housed through Rapid Rehousing Program Evaluation What we Did Phoenix, like any communities, has been experiencing an increase in homelessness. While working to develop a strong system for addressing homelessness, many of these efforts were focused on the chronic population. . In 2015 Phoenix faced a situation that increased the urgency to develop solutions for the non –chronic population. We needed to close a local overflow shelter that housed aprox 500 people a night. One of the 1st things done was to create the Funders Collaborative Funders Together Public/ Private Made a Plan Assess people Determined RRH was an appropriate intervention Garner and Align Resources Created an AWESOME Team Developed the intervention for singles based on successful RRH for family programs Providers A New Leaf UMOM Mercy Housing HOM Inc. Ensure single adults were were successfully housed through Rapid Rehousing Round 1: 250 people Round 2: Round 3: 200 Program Evaluation by Focus Strategies During first year Year 1 report Year 2 Report

What We Learned Focus Strategies Report & Lived Experience Full Report Available Data Quality Matters Funding Sustainable, Flexible / Unrestricted funding Funders United to Empower Local Solutions (FUELS) Returns to Homelessness Characteristics Income Matters Coordinated Entry plays a critical role What we Learned Focus Strategies and Lived Experience Full Report available with lots of awesome stuff Data Quality Matters I will just focus on a few things Flexible/Unrestricted funding allows for Effective, efficient program operation and Program testing/adjustment Program sustainability Funders United to Empower Local Solutions (FUELS) Expand current Funders collaborative to resource regional plan to end homelessness Align current resources Garner new resources Returns to Homelessness: Initially the return to homelessness rate was about 24%, now closer to 15% Common characteristics of people likely to return to homelessness Those who reported domestic violence Those without income at program exit So income matters We also learned that Connection to community critical The “pull” of the campus Coordinated Entry Policies and Procedures matter Assessment and Housing Matching practices People refusing RRH to “wait it out for PSH” Progressive engagement model in community needs to allow from transfers to PSH

What We Are Doing Now In Phoenix Increased attention to data quality Returns to Homelessness Increasing DV and Trauma Informed Care trainings and awareness for staff Extended program length for those without an income Implemented after exit care approach Increased efforts to increase income Coordinated Entry Progressive Engagement: Bridge to PSH Continually refining assessment and housing matching practices We have increased attention to data quality Returns to Homelessness Providers are increasing DV and Trauma Informed Care trainings and awareness for staff Some providers have extended anticipated program length for those without an income Implemented after- exit care approach Follow to the end of lease, after program exit Working to develop methods to increase income Partnership for Opening Doors Coordinated Entry Progressive engagement model in community now allows transfers from RRH to PSH Refining housing matching and assessment practices To make best possible referrals Singles CE is now using navigators to continually engage unsheltered people who have been assessed to increase success when they are referred to a housing program Assist people in getting document ready

What We Are Doing Now In Phoenix Funding Funders United to Empower Local Solutions (FUELS) SWAP with Focus Strategies What we are doing now In hopes of addressing the funding sustainability issues, VSUW Funders United to Empower Local Solutions (FUELS) Expand current Funders collaborative to resource regional plan to end homelessness Align current resources Garner new resources We will use the results from the Focus Strategies: SWAP System Wide Analytics and Performance study Help the community right size interventions and Increase system efficiencies

Next Steps Continue to explore ways to increase income through employment Explore shared housing Create stainable flexible (unrestricted ) funding Prevention Diversion RRH Shelter Next Steps Continue to explore ways to increase income through employment Partnership for Opening Doors will broaden participation to other RRH programs Explore shared housing Create stainable flexible (unrestricted ) funding for Prevention Diversion RRH Shelter Garner enough resources to ensure funders are not diverting shelter funds to RRH

Next Steps Discover effective ways to create strong connects in the community Create community commitment to create more Affordable Housing Address other discoveries People refusing RRH to “wait it out for PSH” “Pull of the campus” In-flow / Out-flow Discoveries Next Steps Discover effective ways to create strong connections in the community In the concrete, housing ends housing crisis, And in reality it is relationships that keep people housed. Continue to explore the “pull” of the campus Create community commitment to create more Affordable Housing Advocate FUELS Address other discoveries People refusing RRH to “wait it out for PSH” The “pull of the campus” In-flow / Out-flow Discoveries

Contact info: Krickette Wetherington, MSW Director of Community Impact Valley of the Sun United Way Phoenix, AZ kwetherington@vsuw.org 480.416.0175 (text or voice)