Slide 1:
CHARACTERISTICS & SERVICE NEEDS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCINGCHRONIC
HOMELESSNESS
Slide 2:
Chronic Homelessness
HHS, HUD, and VA have agreed on the characteristics of people experiencing
chronic homelessness and use the following definition in their collaborations:
- An unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who
has either been continuously homeless for a year or has had at least
four (4) episodes of homelessness in the past three (3) years.
Slide 3:
How Many?
- 80% of the estimated 2-3 million people who experience homelessness
each year exit within 3-4 weeks
- 10% are homeless more episodically
- 10% experience chronic homelessness
Slide 4:
Why Address Chronic Homelessness?
- They have greater difficulty exiting homelessness on their own
- Although small in numbers, they use half of all emergency assistance
for people who are homeless
Slide 5:
Who Are They?
- At least 75% male, 40% of whom are veterans
- At least 40% African American
- Tend to be older
Slide 6:
What Issues Do They Face?
- 40% have substance use disorders
- 25% have physical disabilities or disabling health conditions
- 20% have serious mental illnesses
- Many have more than one of these conditions
Slide 7:
What Prevents Them from Exiting Homelessness?
- Persistent poverty
- Lack of affordable housing
- Disabling health and behavioral health conditions
- Service system barriers
Slide 8:
Poverty
- Most rely on public entitlement programs (e.g., SSI, SSDI, VA)
for income
- Even with income support, they remain below the federal poverty
level
- Many do not receive benefits they are entitled to
- People who abuse substances and are not in treatment are not eligible
for SSI
Slide 9:
Housing
- Lack of affordable housing options for low-income people
- People with disabilities on SSI must pay 98% of income to rent
a one-bedroom unit at Fair Market Rent
- Average wait for Section 8 rental assistance is now more than two
years
Slide 10:
Disability
- Have multiple needs that can’t be addressed by one system
- Burden of accessing and coordinating services and treatment falls
on the individual
- Stigma and discrimination are major barriers to accessing housing
and services
Slide 11:
Service System Barriers
- Service systems and funding are fragmented
- Administrative procedures are restrictive and burdensome
- Resources (housing and services) are insufficient
- Treatment and services programs often are ineffective
Slide 12:
What do they need?
- Outreach and engagement
- Comprehensive discharge planning from shelters, hospitals, and
jails
- A range of housing options with flexible support services
- Clinical case management
- Integrated health and behavioral health care
- Substance abuse treatment
- Primary health care
- Mental health treatment
- Income support and entitlement assistance
- Rehabilitation, training and employment services
- Life skills training
- Legal assistance
- Transportation
Slide 13:
The Challenge…
- To ensure that people who experience chronic homelessness have
full access to both targeted and mainstream programs
- To address the lack of coordination among existing mainstream resources
- The ensure the implementation of proven and promising treatment
and services
Slide 14:
Mainstream Federal Programs
Income/Employment
- Department of Labor programs
- SSI/SSDI
- TANF
Services
- Medicaid
- Mental Health Block Grant
- Substance Abuse Block Grant
- Community Health Centers
- Community Services Block Grant
- Social Services Block Grant
Housing
- Section 8
- HOME
- HOPWA
- Community Development Block Grant
- Section 811
Veterans Programs
Slide 15:
Creating A Comprehensive Service System for Homelessness
- Support concept of “No Wrong Door” to services
- Provide services determined by evidence to be effective
- Change ineffective policies or regulations
- Leverage existing resources
- Use mainstream resources
- Pursue new resources
Slide 16:
Steps to Achieving a Comprehensive Service System
- Involve Key Stakeholders
- Establish a formal plan
- Build linkages and partnerships from top-down and bottom-up
- Enhance funding and other resources
- Streamline the administration of funding
- Perform ongoing monitoring and quality assurance
Slide 17:
Build Linkages and Partnerships—Strategies
- Interagency Coordinating Body
- Systems Integration Coordinator
- Interagency Agreements or MOUs (e.g., linkages between mainstream
providers and Continuums of Care)
- Cross-training
- Co-location of services
- Pooled/Joint Funding
- Interagency MIS/Client Tracking System
- Uniform Applications/Intake Assessments
- Interagency Service Delivery Team
- Flexible Funding
- Program Consolidation
Slide 18:
Enhance Funding and Other Resources
- Discretionary resources (e.g., general fund)
- Mainstream Federal programs (e.g., Veterans Affairs, TANF, Mental
Health Block Grant, Substance Abuse Block Grant, HOME)
- Dedicated revenue stream
- Matching contributions
- Incentives
Slide 19:
Streamline Administration of Funding
- Interagency agreements
- Legislative mandates
- Pooled funding
- Separate funding but single application process
- Coordinated funding priorities
Slide 20:
Perform Monitoring and Quality Assurance
- Establish consistent data collection, performance standards, reporting
requirements
- Create single point of accountability
- Tie quality assurance to funding
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