1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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