Supportive Housing Strategies:

AB 2034 Evaluation -- Implications for the MHSA

Presented by the Corporation for Supportive Housing

Jonathan Hunter, California Director

October 26: Los Angeleswww.csh.org

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Our Mission

CSH helps communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness.

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Why We Need Supportive Housing

As many as 250,000 American households have nowhere to call home for years on end - many with mental illnesses

For decades, communities have “managed” homelessness without addressing the underlying causes

Government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars per year, yet homeless rates are growing

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What Is Supportive Housing?

A cost-effective combination of permanent, affordable housing with services that helps people live more stable, productive lives.

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Defining Supportive Housing

Permanent affordable housing with combined supports for independent living Housing is permanent, meaning each tenant may stay as

long as he or she pays rent and complies with terms of lease or rental agreement

Housing is affordable, meaning each tenant pays no more than 30% to 50% of household income

Tenants have access to an array of support services that are intended to support housing stability, recovery and resiliency, but participation in support services is not a requirement for tenancy

May be site-based or scattered site Options available for adults who are single, those who

choose to share housing, and families with children

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Who Is Supportive Housing For?

People who are homeless or

at-risk for homelessness

- and -

face persistent obstacles

to maintaining housing,

such as mental health issues,

substance use issues,

other chronic medical issues,

and other challenges.

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Supportive Housing Is For People Who:

BUT FOR HOUSING cannot access and make effective use of treatment and supportive services in the community; and

BUT FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES cannot access and maintain stable housing in the community.

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Supportive Housing Types

Dedicated buildings Rent-subsidized apartments Mixed-income buildings Long-term set asides Single-family homes

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Strategies for Creating More Housing Options for Consumers

Development of new buildings Acquisition and renovation of existing buildings Long-term lease agreements with private landlords

for single units or entire apartment buildings (master-leasing)

Identifying private landlords who rent directly to consumers

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Services Make the Difference

Flexible, voluntary Counseling Health and mental health services Alcohol and substance use

services Independent living skills Community-building activities Vocational counseling and job

placement

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Cost effectiveness - NY/NY Cost Study

U. Penn study of 5,000 mentally ill homeless people in New York

Facilitated by CSH Conducted by Dennis Culhane,

Stephen Metraux, Trevor Hadley Tracked costs for two years while

subjects were homeless, two years after they were housed

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Homeless mentally ill people are heavy service users (37% of last 2 years spent in institutional settings)

Providing a mentally ill person with permanent supportive housing costs only $995 per year more than allowing that person to remain homeless

NY/NY Findings

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More than 80% of supportive housing tenants are able to maintain housing for at least 12 months

Most supportive housing tenants engage in services, even when participation is not a condition of tenancy

Use of the most costly (and restrictive) services in homeless, health care, and criminal justice systems declines

Nearly any combination of housing + services is more effective than services alone

Consistent Findings

Housing + Services Make a Difference

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California Institute of Mental Health Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

AB 2034 Evaluation Sponsors

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Purpose of Evaluation

Identify the range of housing strategies implemented by the 34 counties that have received AB2034 funding;

Determine if there is any correlation between the housing strategies or range of strategies that a county (or program within a county) employed and successful housing outcomes for AB2034 participants;

Begin to calculate the immediate and projected long-term costs associated with each housing strategy.

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Lots of differences among counties (and among programs within counties)

There is a wide range of experience in: Enrolling and serving homeless people Implementing a wide range of housing

strategies Achieving housing outcomes

Major Findings

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Consumer Preferences

Most consumers want their own apartment without roommates

Majority of consumers don’t want the structure and rules associated with “clean and sober” housing, but program staff think consumers need a mix of housing models (including “clean and sober” and “low demand” housing)

Nearly all counties report that there is not enough affordable housing available in their community

Major Findings

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Housing is Really Important!

If you give consumers housing, they are MUCH more likely to stay enrolled in the

program.

Major Findings

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Who is Being Served by AB2034?

CSH identified 4 indicators of counties/programs that are

serving people with the most barriers. These indicators are:

At least 70% of consumers were homeless at the time of enrollment

At least 60% of consumers were on the streets at the time of enrollment

Average length of time homeless in past 12 months was more than 180 days

Average length of time incarcerated in past 12 months was more than 50 days, or at least 40% of consumers were incarcerated during the 12 months before enrollment

Major Findings

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Housing Outcomes

Programs that enroll “more challenging” consumers (those that have had longer histories of homelessness or more barriers to housing stability) are not getting worse results in terms of housing outcomes, in fact sometimes the results are better

“Housing readiness” is not a good predictor of housing outcomes

Major Findings

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Housing Strategies

Some strategies are being used by nearly every county – and offered to virtually every consumer. These include:

Advocacy on behalf of individuals to help them find and get housing

Supportive services to help people keep housing Back-up problem-solving help for landlords

Major Findings

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Housing Strategies, cont’d

Other widely implemented housing strategies include:

Assist consumers to apply for housing subsidies Provide short-term subsidies or help with move-in

costs Provide long-term rent subsidies to some consumers Provide temporary or transitional housing to get people

off the streets and/or for respite/crisis

Major Findings

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Housing Strategies, cont’d

Some strategies are used in about half of the counties/programs:

Actively recruiting landlords, systematically finding available units, making arrangements with landlords to secure the next vacant unit

Master-leasing buildings or apartments within buildings and sub-leasing units to consumers

Use AB2034 funds to secure dedicated or set-aside units for consumers

Major Findings

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Housing Strategies, cont’d

Strategies more likely to be implemented in large/urban counties:

Administer Section 8 or Shelter + Care rent subsidies that are available to consumers

Partner with Housing Authority or other public agencies that control rent subsidies

Work with other supportive housing providers

Major Findings

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Housing Strategies, cont’d

A small, but growing number, of counties/programs are getting involved in

developing or operating permanent supportive housing.

Major Findings

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Overall Focus of Housing Strategies

About a third of counties/programs report that the primary focus of their housing activities is on helping INDIVIDUALS

About two-thirds report that their housing activities focus on BOTH helping INDIVIDUALS and EXPANDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES by working to develop housing and/or build partnerships with landlords

Major Findings

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Effective Strategies

The most successful counties/programs are using a range of housing strategies including: Partnering with housing providers Recruiting landlords Securing rent subsidies or set-aside units

Counties/programs that have been less successful have focused primarily on individuals and have not (yet) expanded the supply or range of housing available to consumers

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MHSA Capital Facilities and IT

Approximately $325 million will be available for “capital facilities and technological needs” to implement plans for mental health services over 4 years (FY 05 through FY 08)

Funding to implement local plans for services for children, transition-aged youth, adults and older adults, including prevention and early intervention services

Cost of IT infrastructure has not yet been determined so it is not known how much funding will be available for other capital needs

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Other Capital Facilities Priorities

Housing is essential – but not the only need

Consumer / peer operated wellness & recovery support centers

Family Resource Centers Crisis stabilization and residential care as alternative

to hospitalization Mental health services co-located with community-

based services including schools, primary care clinics

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MHSA Funds Can Leverage Other Sources of Funding for Capital Facilities

Resources available for housing include: MHP Supportive Housing and Special Needs Programs (Prop 46

Housing Bond) administered by Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) (through 2007)

Special needs loan program from California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA)

Low Income Housing Tax Credits Federal funding from US Department of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD) including Homeless Assistance Programs coordinated through local “Continuum of Care” and resources administered by public housing authorities (PHAs)

Other resources controlled by City and County governments, which may be coordinated through 10-Year Plans to End Homelessness” or other inter-agency collaborations

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Integrated services & supportive housing are products with proven effectiveness ending chronic homelessness – but without a system to produce them

Homeless people must hunt for and combine discrete services for their needs

Every project is a patchwork of authorizations and funding

Often, success means using money for purposes that weren’t officially intended

Challenges to Creating Supportive Housing

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A Vision for a Better Future

Reliable sources of funding New sources of funding Supportive housing as “normal response” Streamlined process for approving service and

housing funds

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To learn more

about supportive housing

visit our website

www.csh.org