1. Session 1.02: Understanding your System: Using Program and System-Level Performance Measures
Selina Toy Lee
Director of Collaborative Community Outcomes, San Mateo County Human Services Agency, California
February 23, 2017

2. Presentation Overview
Background
San Mateo County Context
Homeless System Changes
HMIS System Performance Analysis
Challenges Faced
Homeless System Redesign
Where Are We Now?

3. San Mateo County, California
Santa Cruz

4. Fast Facts: San Mateo County, CA
758,581
Population
HUD Fair Market Rent: $2,289
Average Market Rate: $2,980
2 Bedroom Rental
Extremely Low 30%: $36,900
Very Low 50%: $61,500
AMI (4 person)
2 person: $86,150
4 person: $107,700
Median HH Income
4.4%
Average Apartment Vacancy Rate

5. Collaborative Applicant Center on Homelessness
HMIS
Lead
Strategic Plan
Community Engagement
CoC Coordinator
Center on Homelessness
(COH)

6. Homeless Services Continuum
Prevention
Rental Assistance
Utility Assistance
Legal Assistance
Outreach and Engagement
Homeless Outreach Teams
Street Medicine
Dignity on Wheels (mobile shower and laundry)
Coordinated Entry and Assessment
Shelter Diversion (begin in April 2017)
Permanent Housing
Rapid Re-Housing
Permanent Supportive Housing
Housing Locator Services
Other Housing Vouchers
Interim Housing
Emergency Shelter
Transitional Housing

7. Funding for Homeless Services
County Funding ($9.8m)
State Funding ($200,000)
Federal Funding ($819,700)
HUD CoC Funding
($8.2m)
Total Funding in FY 16/17: $19 million

8. Homeless Count
2,281
2,149
1,796
1,772

9. Timeline of Homeless System Changes
2009
Late
2013
July 2014
Jan
2015
Nov 2015
June
HEARTH Act
HUD Policy Shift to System Performance
Leadership Changes
New Agency Director and
New Branch Director
County Priority Set
County Manager set priority to end homelessness by 2020; local tax funding allocated; new HMIS implemented
Board Study Session on Homelessness
Board of Supervisors session on homelessness; requested HMIS analysis
Begin Strategic Planning Process
Begin
Community learning and planning for homeless system redesign
CoC NOFA Priority
March
2016
HUD CoC Priority and Funding Shift focused on system and program performance
Release New Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan to Reach Functional Zero by 2020

10. Relationship with HMIS (circa 2013)
COH Staff had limited access
Providers
Submit
AHAR,
APR
Contractor Lead on Reports
to HUD
Limited Data QC
Managed by IT Staff
Compliance Based
Initiated in 2005
HMIS (HOPE System)

11. Homeless System Performance Report
Report Summary
Hire
Consultant
Objectives
Methodology
Data Analysis
To Learn!
Who is being served in the system
Funding Investments
System Investments
System Outcomes
Program Outcomes
Focus Strategies selected via RFP in Sept. 2014
Provider Communication and Data Collection
Housing Inventory Count (HIC)
HMIS data
Program Budget
Program Capacity
PIT Count
Base Year Performance Calculator (BYPC)
Data Quality
Project Costs
Project Performance
System and Program Level Presentation to Board of Supervisors, HOPE Interagency Council in March 2015
Individual Project Level Reports with Providers
Webpage:
Links to Reports on the bottom

12. Key Findings: System Performance
SYSTEM CAPACITY
System Investment and Project Capacity is not proportional to the composition of homeless population.
DATA QUALITY
Excellent
Very little missing data
LENGTHS OF STAY
Single Adults: 101 days
Families: 107 days
ENTRIES FROM HOMELESSNESS
44% entering Emergency Shelter were not literally homeless
COST PER PERMANENT HOUSING EXIT FOR FAMILIES
Emergency Shelter: $25,421
Transitional Housing: $18,329
Rapid Re-Housing: $4,190
RATE OF RETURN TO HOMELESSNESS
Transitional Housing:
Single Adults: 36%
Families: 26%
Rapid Re-Housing
Single Adults: 9%
Families: 10%
RATE OF EXIT TO PERMANENT HOUSING
Emergency Shelter:
Single Adults: 19%, Families: 13%
Transitional Housing
Single Adults: 38%, Families: 68%

13. What We Learned Homeless System Service Providers COH Staff
Current system was set up to serve clients to move through programs
Data did not always line up with anecdotes highlighted by providers
Some Programs Were Still Working Towards Housing First
System and Program Measures
Service Providers
Providers had varying knowledge and understanding of their own HMIS data
Providers had never analyzed cost data or provided full budgets
Non-literally homeless clients were enrolled into homeless programs
Providers measure success through program participation & completion
COH Staff
Data Quality Checks were Ad Hoc
System Level coordination of all programs is needed for change
Limited ownership of system or provider performance results
Need to increase depth and knowledge of homeless systems

14. Quality Improvement Plan
Training and Technical Assistance
Program Reviews
Data Validation
HMIS Users Group
Work closely with System Admin
Data Integrity Checks
Quality Improvement Plan

15. Timeline of Homeless System Changes
2009
Late
2013
July 2014
Jan
2015
Oct 2015
June
HEARTH Act
HUD Policy Shift to System Performance
Leadership Changes
New Agency Director and Division Director
County Priority Set
County Manager set priority to end homelessness by 2020; local tax funding allocated; new HMIS implemented
Board Study Session on Homelessness
Board of Supervisors session on homelessness; requested HMIS analysis
Begin Strategic Planning Process
Begin
Community learning and planning for homeless system redesign
CoC NOFA Priority
March
2016
HUD CoC Priority and Funding Shift focused on system and program performance
Release New Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan to Reach Functional Zero by 2020

16. Challenges Faced A. B. C. Alignment? Using Data Promoting Change
Where to Begin?
Alignment?
Using Data
Promoting Change A.
Not all at once
Gaining Trust with Community and Providers
Selling “Change” as Positive
Proving Best Practices can and will work B.
Tough Discussions
Some existing Programs not aligned with HUD/best practices
Decisions and Visions become “personal”
Provider Autonomy
Funding Priorities C.
Ready for Action
Data Integrity belongs to everyone
Balancing data driven decisions with reality of operations

17. Strategic Plan to End Homelessness
VISION
KEY GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Text Here
Systems Orientation
In the next five years, homelessness will be a rare, brief,
and one-time occurrence. End all Homelessness by 2020.
Create System to End Homelessness
End Veteran Homelessness
End Family Homelessness
End Youth Homelessness
Individuals Exiting Institutions will not Discharge to Homelessness
Context Specific and Aligned with Best Practices
Housing First
Data Driven
Client Centered

18. How We Will Create the System
Shift to a Housing First Approach for all Funding 1
Transform existing set of programs into housing crisis resolution system 2
Develop and Implement Shelter Diversion/Housing Counseling 3
Develop and Implement a Coordinated Entry System for Homeless Svcs 4
Right Size Interim Housing 5
Expand Rapid Re-Housing Services 6
Maximize Permanent Supportive Housing 7
Use Data for Continuous Quality Improvement 8

19. Moving Forward: Changing Our System
Public Accountability for System Outcomes
New Systems Require New Thinking
Hire Staff Who Are Data Curious and Flexible
New RFPs include Guiding Principles and Intended Outcomes
Revise Contractor Performance Measures
Data Dashboard and Data Spotlights at Meetings

20. Data Spotlight: Households Requesting Food

21. Data Spotlight: HUD System Performance
HUD System Performance Measures (SPM)
System Performance Measure
Federal FY (10/1/14-9/30/15)
FY Q1 &Q2 Preliminary for discussion
(7/1/16-12/31/16)
1a. Average Length of time homeless in ES and TH
105 days
94 days
1a. Median Length of time homeless in ES and TH
76 days
67 days
2. Persons who exit homelessness to permanent housing destinations who return to homelessness within 6-12 months (exited from ES, TH, RRH, or PSH and returned to ES or TH within 6-12 months) 3%
2.50%
4.6. For CoC Funded Programs, Percentage of adults who exited programs with increased total income (both earned and non-employment income)
21%
22%
7b.1. Percentage of exits to permanent housing destinations for persons exiting from ES, TH , & RRH
43%
53%

22. Thank You and Questions
Selina Toy Lee
Web: (Links to Reports at Bottom)