Alternatives To Shelter Ending Homelessness for Women A Collaborative Model In Portland National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual conference July 17-19, 2006 Liora Berry, City of Portland, Oregon Bureau of Housing & Community Development

Home Again A 10-year plan to end homelessness in Portland and Multnomah County

 Focus on the most chronically homeless populations;  Streamline access to existing services to prevent and reduce other homelessness;  Concentrate resources on programs that offer measurable results. Three Principles

Key Action Steps In the 10 Year Plan Move People into Housing First Stop Discharging People into Homelessness Improve Outreach to Homeless People Emphasize Permanent Solutions Create Innovative New Partnerships Make the Rent Assistance System More Effective

“Downsizing Shelters” What to Consider  What are the resources in the community?  Are the shelters effective? All of them?  What do people want and need who use the shelter?  What can be fixed? Will it be enough?  What is the cost?  What is possible? Is this the right thing to do?

The Women’s Shelter  34 Bunks  Night “wet” shelter  Toilets, showers + coin washer/dryer  No linens, no storage  No services offered  1 night at a time rule

Question: What are the resources in the community? A)Homelessness in Portland …women B)Funding for Homeless Services in Portland …women

Homelessness in Portland 17,000-18,500 served in FY 04-05:  11,224 adults without children  7,442 persons in families: - 4,316 children under ,456 persons served in domestic violence system  436 unaccompanied youth (under 18)  1/3 of those living on the street are women

Homeless Funding Total FY funding: $32 million from federal, state, local and private resources* *An additional $16 million was allocated in FY for the construction of transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons.

 Is the shelter meeting the goals in the 10 Year Plan?  What do the women want and need who use the shelter?  What do the women want who don’t use the shelter but are living on the street?  What can be fixed? Question: What are the resources/services in our community?

Evaluating the Shelter Serves approximately 500 women per year Uneven occupancy rates & outside queuing Majority had been living at the shelter: 18 for over a full year & one for over 4 years High rates of untreated mental health & chemical dependency Listening to the women - a shared vision

1st Year - Trying A Fix 1) Provision of Technical Assistance 2) Changes to Operations at the Shelter Site 3) Adding in Services - Partners with an array of services and housing

Improvements Outcomes...  494 Women Stayed in the Shelter  Uneven Occupancy (74 to115 per month)  251 of the Women Served via New Partners  67 women placed into stable housing  19 into transitional & 48 into permanent housing

Is this good enough? Half of the women connecting …and half are not 19% of the women who connect with the partner agencies are placed into housing …and 81% are not 10% of the shelter women are placed into permanent housing…and 90% are still are on the street or in unstable short-term housing

More Improvements Are Needed  Addressing Philosophical Differences  Evaluating the Outcomes  Exploring the Options  Bringing People Together  Making the Decision  Cutting the Funding - Bumpy Roads  Implementing the New Model

WESC: Women’s Emergency Services Collaborative  4 Experienced High Performing Partners  Transition Projects - Shelter & Services  Cascadia - Behavioral Health & Housing  JOIN - Street Outreach/Housing First  Northwest Pilot Project - Homeless Seniors  Funding & Support- City of Portland

The Model  15 SRO Units of Wet Housing Within a Mental Health Transitional Housing Site  On-Site & Community Services  Focus on Permanent Housing Placement  1 Year of Retention Services  Flexible Client Assistance Funds  Harm-Reduction Relationship Focused

What is possible? Make it happen! Emergency Housing –Private SRO Unit –2 Meals Per Day –Transportation Assistance –Mental Health Assessments & Services –Medication Support –Groups –Social Activities –On-site 24-Hour Staffing –Coordination with Partners Individualized Support –Housing Placement & Retention Support –Client Assistance –Flexible Rent Assistance –Help Applying for Benefits/SSD & More... –Support in Employment Efforts –Family Reunification –Furnishings/Supplies

Back to the Shelter … A Housing Placement Blitz  Leveraging Community Resources  Agreement on Low-Barrier High Tolerance  Telling the 34 Women: August 29th 2005  Lucky vs. Unlucky  Successful Engagement

WESC Is Born Oct

WESC - Outcomes For Year 1  192 Women Households Served  210 people; partners, family members and 16 children  78 met the definition of chronically homeless  We planned on serving 200 women (a year)  31 Women Provided Emergency Housing at SRO’s  19 exits (12 into PH, 6 into transitional, 1 to Psych facility)  We planned on serving  90 Women Households Placed into Permanent Housing  110 people; partners, family members and those 16 children  89% Remain Stable in Permanent Housing (6 months+)  Tracking outcomes at 3, 6 and 12 months after placement

What About the Women Who Were At the Shelter? OF THE 34 BEDS AT THE DORM….  30 women engaged  30 placed into housing  27 into permanent housing  including 3 of 6 placed into transitional housing  89% remain in permanent housing (24)  & continued efforts at engaging all of the women

Profiles 40% Chronically Homeless 60% Mental Health Issues 46% Substance Abuse 18% Had Children Under Age 18 –Only 1 out of 5 were eligible to regain custody Of Those Entering SRO Units –65% Chronically Homeless; 84% Mental Health Issues; 90% Substance Abuse

Personal Profiles- JOIN –Psychiatric hospital, denied state MH referral, placed into Cascadia MH transitional housing. –In permanent housing since September. Linked with workforce agency and received subsidized housing via CDN Partner. –In permanent housing since September. Attending school and has a new job. 6 months clean & sober. Reconnected with her mother. –In permanent housing since September. Working full-time & working towards renewing teachers license.

Personal Profiles - Cascadia 26 year old zero income chronically homeless mentally ill, mother of young daughter. 5 1/2 months in emergency SRO. Assistance: Linkage with MH Services; restraining order related to a DV assault; applications for benefits, securing of PSH unit; reestablishing relationship with daughter and coordinating with DHS.

1st Year  Fewer women served with emergency housing  Big increase in the rate of success for all “touched” 1st Year Outcomes  None return to the street: 63% to permanent housing  47% of households, and 52% of people assisted are in permanent housing WESC: Overall Outcomes

What is the cost?  Original Program $164,000  The “Fix”  +.75 FTE Case Manager via Reunited Partner  +.50 FTE Mental Health Case Manager Leveraged  “Closing the Dorm, WESC Born”  Transfer the 1.25 FTE to WESC  2.25 NEW FTE Using Existing Funds  Almost $60,000 for Client/Rent Assistance (1/2 for relocation of the women in the dorm)

…and the good news continues  $75,000 of County funds added for Safety off the Streets program for women + more funds for rent assistance for WESC  $1.4 Million awarded for KNAC programs  $284,000 KNAC program for CH women  Outcomes demonstrate “Housing First” works  240 formerly homeless women (258 people)  34% Reduction in adult shelter wait list

WAS IT THE RIGHT THING TO DO? …the outcomes say yes

Thank you Copies of the 10 Year Plan and outcome reports are available online at: Liora Berry, Ending Homelessness Team City of Portland, Oregon Bureau of Housing & Community Development