Home Again A 10-year plan to end homelessness in Portland and Multnomah County Targeting Resources for Homeless Families Transitional Housing

Homeless Demographics Annual ( ) Approximately 19,200 served:  10,936 adults without children (3.6% reduction from prior year)  7,865 persons in families (5.4% increase from prior year  384 homeless youth (12% reduction from prior year) Point in time (Jan. 2007)  1,438 unduplicated “street count” (70 in families)  2,231 unduplicated in “shelter/TH count” (863 or 39% people in families).

Family System Inventory Overview  Shelter Capacity for families – 158 year-round beds  Local rent assistance $’s for families – for prevention and for rapid re-housing  New project for chronically homeless families – 20 families per year  Bridges to Housing – family hybrid PSH/TH – 75 units opened (95 in March)

Transitional Housing Inventory  341 units with 1,029 bed for homeless families  Mix of facility based and scattered site apartments  Scattered site apartments used as transition in place units - Family takes over lease once transitional funding ends

10 YP & Transitional Housing  Separate workgroup focused on role of facility based transitional housing  Workgroup made up of facility based TH providers across all homeless and other systems  Made recommendations on appropriate use of facility based TH for specific populations

Workgroup Recommendation  People with transitional needs that are best addressed in a community setting with onsite services should be primary population served with facility based TH  Some examples:  People early in recovery from addiction/alcoholism  Homeless youth  People with primary care needs (not chronic)

Additional Analysis  CoC (McKinney) funded family transitional housing  Data from APR’s and annual review process for CoC application  Following slides illustrate 2006 analysis of information

Destination Scattered Site (475 families) 89% PH 4% TH 1% Emerg. Shelter 6% Unknown Facility Based (82 families) 86% PH 2% TH 4% Emerg. Shelter 6% Unknown 2% Institution

Exit Reasons Scattered Site (475 families) 73% completed program 7% left for other housing opportunity 5% needs not met 7% non-compliance 1% disagreement w/rules 4% reached max time 3% other Facility Based (82 families) 68% completed program 7% left for other housing opportunity 2% needs not met 19% non-compliance 1% disagreement w/rules 3% other

Permanent Housing Placement and Retention Scattered Site (475 families) 89% moved to PH 62% still in housing at 6 months Facility Based (82 families) 86% moved to PH 86% still in housing at 6 months

Cost Scattered Site $5,052 per family Facility Based $9,482 per family Facility based is 189% more expensive than scattered site.

Possible Issues with Configuration of Facility Based TH There isn’t enough affordable housing for poor families who become homeless, therefore;  Families served in a first come first served fashion, regardless of special needs,  Expensive programs used by families that do not need intensive services,  Because of demand, programs can place rules on families that may screen out harder to serve families who need more intensive services.

Potential Shifts in Using Facility Based Transitional Housing  Focus on families with special needs that are best served by intensive services, but are not chronic in nature  Change rules to “screen in” harder to serve families that would not make it in permanent housing without services  Convert some to permanent supportive housing

Actual Shifts since 2006  One project has changed significantly  One project considered moving to PSH/Housing first  Another project, not CoC funded now accepts the “hardest to serve” families in their organization

Another Shift Disabled Head of Household Status Scattered Site 2006 – 17% % Facility Based 2006 – 37% (31% inc. DV) % (55% inc. DV)

THANK YOU Copies of 10 year plan and other updates for Portland are available online at: Heather Lyons, Homeless Program Manager City of Portland, Bureau of Housing and Community Development