The Vital Link: Connecting Housing and Services
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Transcript of The Vital Link: Connecting Housing and Services
The Vital Link: Connecting Housing and ServicesA publication of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
CLPHA
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Table of Contents The Vital Link
Sometimes a home is not enough.
Across the country, families are struggling to climb the economic ladder. Seniors are
grappling with how to prevent losing their homes and independence. People with
physical or mental disabilities are searching for ways to live full lives in their own
communities. More and more veterans are finding themselves without a home and
out of the economic mainstream. Other people are finding themselves abruptly out
on the streets because of illness or the loss of a job.
But none of these problems are intractable, and housing authorities are increasingly
playing a leading role in developing wide-ranging solutions.
These agencies are uniquely situated as housing providers for vulnerable populations
because they have practical experience developing community-based programs.
With few federal dollars available for housing-linked supportive services, housing
authorities are bringing together local service providers and their cities to secure
additional resources for this expanded mission.
Housing authorities today provide decent and safe affordable housing to 7.45
million low-income seniors, people with disabilities, working adults, and families with
children. They serve hundreds of thousands more through other local, state, and
federal housing programs.
The profiles on the following pages provide a handful of examples of the thousands
of lives that are being improved by these new ventures. With their partners, housing
authorities are developing intervention strategies to get people off of the street,
to help people retain their housing, and to use
housing as a springboard for a better future. Their
efforts represent not only effective interventions, but
cost-effective solutions to community concerns.
In the process, they are establishing best practices
for local, state and federal policy makers, along with
nonprofits and private entities, to support these
community-based solutions. They are finding new
ways to coordinate between federal agencies and
other partners, breaking down silos that can be
roadblocks to services. Housing authorities are truly
serving as a vital link.
Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA)
1 Introduction
2 Providing Tools for Success 3 Chicago, Illinois5 San Antonio, Texas6 Bridgeport, Connecticut7 Dallas, Texas
9 Aging with Dignity
10 Cincinnati, Ohio11 New York, New York 12 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
13 Supporting Independent Living
14 King County, Washington16 Newark, New Jersey
18 Serving Those Who Served
19 El Paso, Texas20 Washington, D.C.22 San Bernardino, California
23 Everyone Deserves a Home
24 Jersey City, New Jersey25 San Diego, California27 Portland, Oregon29 Baltimore, Maryland
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Families Climbing the Economic Ladder
Almost half of public housing residents and housing choice voucher holders
are extremely low-income families. The remainder are seniors and people with
disabilities. The median annual income in public housing for these families is
$10,600, more than $4,000 below the federal poverty line for a family of two. The
median income in the housing choice voucher program is $14,700, just above the
poverty line.1 Approximately one third of all households in these programs report
income from earned wages, but the work tends to be extremely low-paying.
There are substantial barriers to sufficient employment for these families beyond
the current weak labor market. Many families are struggling with poor health and
limited education. Those with high school or equivalency degrees are more likely
to have steady employment but many residents lack even these basics. Further
complicating the goal of steady employment is accessing support services like
child care and transportation.
However, there are programs that have been proven to work. For example, a HUD
2011 report found that Family Self Sufficiency Program graduates had higher
incomes when they completed the program.3
Low-income families are also more vulnerable in times of crisis because they lack
sufficient resources to fall back on. The risk of becoming homeless is growing for
families, in large part because of the economy. Between 2007 and 2009, there was a
25 percent increase in families facing worst-case housing needs4; family homelessness
overall increased by 13 percent, even as individual homelessness did not.5
Even brief episodes of homelessness can have lasting consequences for families.
All aspects of a child’s development—physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and
behavioral—can be negatively impacted. For example, homeless children are
four times as likely to be sick as other children. Rates of post-traumatic stress for
parents are three times those of the general population.
The most successful programs are those that first try to prevent at-risk families
from losing their homes, and then if they do, quickly re-house them to mitigate
the impact. Housing authorities are increasingly involved in helping their resident
families get back on their feet.
Providing Tools for Success
Statistics for extremely low-income renter households as of 2009:
• There was a shortage of 3.4 million
affordable units.
• Only 32 units were affordable and
available for every 100 households.
• The number of renters with worst-case
needs in 2009 (7.1 million) rose 42%
since 2001.
• A household must earn the equivalent
of $38,400 in annual income to afford
the national average two-bedroom fair
market rent (FMR) of $960 per month.2
1 HUD Picture of Subsidized Housing http://explore.data.
gov/Construction-and-Housing/A-Picture-of-Subsidized-
Housholds-2008/b9tu-4kdp
2 http://www.nlihc.org/oor/oor2011/introduction.pdf
3 http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/affhsg/
eval_fssp.html
4 HUD defines worst case needs as very low-income rent-
ers who do not receive government housing assistance
and who either pay more than one-half of their monthly
income for rent, live in severely inadequate conditions,
or both.
5 http://usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/USCMHunger-
completeWEB2009.pdf
Chicago, Illinois
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) is known for its Plan for Transformation, the largest
revitalization of public housing stock in the country. It is the most ambitious redevelopment
effort of public housing in the United States, with the goal of rehabilitating or redeveloping the
entire stock of public housing in Chicago.
By the end of the Plan in 2015, 25,000 units of housing will be renovated or built new. But
beyond the bricks and mortar, a significant component of the plan involves integrating residents
into the larger social, economic, and physical fabric of Chicago.
A key component of that effort is FamilyWorks, a comprehensive support services program that
helps families work toward self-sufficiency. It is a voluntary program, yet 70 percent of eligible
families are in the program at any given time.
Carrie Pullie, the Program Manager for FamilyWorks contractor Metropolitan Family Services,
says the program is outcome-dependent.
“We work from a performance-based contract and are rated on 49 distinct goals,” she says.
“We do quality assurance calls with residents to make sure my case managers follow through.”
The goals are detailed and quantifiable, measuring everything from increases in literacy to job
placement and retention to the numbers of children enrolled in specific educational programs.
One client is Paulette Davis, whose family has been helped on a number of levels through
the program.
“They helped my daughter with college application fees and helped my oldest daughter get her
GED,” Davis says. “They have helped find summer camps for my grandchildren and summer
jobs for my children.”
“The Plan for Transformation is and always will be dedicated to improving the lives of CHA residents,” says Lewis A. Jordan, CHA CEO. “The multitude of programs and services offered by CHA helps residents along the road to self sufficiency. People have taken these tools and achieved remarkable things, from obtaining their doctorates to starting their own small businesses to buying their first home to earning scholarships to the finest schools in the nation. One of CHA’s biggest measures of success is that the children of today’s public housing families now have options other than asking for their own public housing unit when they turn eighteen.”
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She and her oldest daughter regularly attend CHA-sponsored workshops, including a recent
one on credit score management. They are also both enrolled in a new job training program that
teaches green industry skills.
Some of the CHA Fiscal Year 2010 highlights:
• 12,263 residents were engaged with service providers and there were more than 1,593 job
placements through CHA-funded services.
• 1,735 residents completed job readiness training and 702 residents completed an
employment skills training program.
• CHA’s Transitional Jobs programs resulted in 705 placements in subsidized employment and
888 unsubsidized placements.
• 380 residents were enrolled at City Colleges of Chicago and 219 residents completed
programs.
• In FY2010, 298 positions were filled through CHA’s Section 3 program encouraging
contractors to hire a percentage of CHA public housing residents.
• CHA engagednearly 8,000 youth in recreational, academic, and employment programs and
special events.
• 2,352 youth were placed in summer jobs
The San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) knows exactly what it wants to
accomplish with its new Jobs-Plus program: help residents get and keep jobs.
SAHA is one of two sites to receive a grant from a New York City-run Jobs-
Plus program. It is based on an earlier pilot program that was shown to
have a positive effect on public housing residents’ income.
SAHA will receive up to five years of funding from foundations that
include the Social Innovation Fund, Catholic Charities of San Antonio,
and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. SAHA’s goal is to educate and find
employment for 1,000 residents living at Alazan-Apache Courts and
Mirasol Homes. They will be expanding on components of their current
HUD-funded Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, a voluntary five-year
program that matches residents with a wide-ranging network of agencies
that can provide health, education, skills training, social services, and
other supportive services.
“When you talk about a return on investment, you cannot do better
than providing someone with both a stable place to live and the tools to
succeed,” says Lourdes Castro Ramírez, President and CEO of SAHA. “The
very core of what we do at SAHA is about people—that is why we firmly
believe that to create stronger communities, you must invest in people.”
FSS has proven to be an effective program. A 2011 HUD report found
that program graduates had higher incomes when they enrolled and
when they completed the program.
One example of the kind of resident SAHA intends to reach is Venus
Juarez, who had few prospects before moving with her two daughters into
public housing.
She enrolled in the housing authority’s FSS program, saying she was
determined to “take advantage of every opportunity given to me.”
Ms. Juarez will soon realize her goal of graduating from college—in the
fall of 2011, she’ll earn an associate’s degree in mortuary science from
San Antonio College. She had been interning at a local funeral home,
where she has since been offered a full-time position.
“I want to be a role model for my children, family, and my community. I
redirected all my energy and now I do a lot of community service,” she
says. “I also try to get all my neighbors involved, which is one reason why
I’m part of SAHA’s Resident Ambassador Program.”
The first step for anyone enrolling in the program is identifying a potential
career and the way to get there, says Mary Jane Flores, a SAHA case
manager who worked closely with Ms. Juarez. Services can range from
finding day care to identifying business partners to help with tuition.
The program also includes a proven way for residents to save money to
own a home, which is a key part of the program.
Since public housing rents are income-based, rents increase as a
participant’s income rises. That makes saving money difficult. One answer
is an escrow account for residents. Residents pay the higher rent, but
SAHA matches the difference. “When they are ready to exit the program,
they receive the funds, which many use as a down payment on a home or
to pay off debt,” says Jane Flores. “It’s a graduation gift.”
“Now that I’m almost finished with school, the pressure is on,” Ms. Juarez
says. “But I know there are better things out there for me and my family.”
San Antonio, Texas
Venus Juarez is looking forward to a better life
1 http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/affhsg/eval_fssp.html
Old Town Square and Renaissance North are
two of the new mixed-income developments
part of Chicago’s Plan for Transformation
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Providing tooLs for suCCess
Dallas, Texas
In 2009, the Dallas Housing Authority board decided to increase its focus on the city’s
growing homeless population. Part of the initiative is a joint permanent supportive housing
program that began in 2010 with the Housing Crisis Center’s (HCC) Good Neighbor Project.
For Charissa Buxton, 29, of Dallas, Texas, the program worked. Two years ago, she found
herself stuck with an abusive partner and no way out. She was living in a transitional housing
program also run by the HCC, and was one of the first to receive a voucher through the Good
Neighbor Project.
“It was amazing how quick everything kind of just fell into place,” says Ms. Buxton. “We got
out of our situation and didn’t have to worry about anybody showing up at my doorstep.”
She spent a few days in a shelter while her kids stayed with her parents. Within a week, they
were all moved into an apartment.
“The help with the bills and the rent took a lot of the pressure off me because I was also
going through legal battles with my kids, trying to get full custody and getting visitation rights
taken away from their father,” Ms. Buxton says.
The Good Neighbor Project was named by HCC staff because of their intent to be good
neighbors with the Lake Highlands community. They also did a lot of outreach to win support
for the program from the community. The designated units are scattered throughout a large
apartment complex there.
Ms. Buxton is one of 50 recipients of the project-based vouchers currently in the program.
Johann was laid off and she and her daughter were facing eviction
when she heard about Stable Families, a partnership developed by the
Bridgeport Housing Authority (BHA).
“The philosophy is that a stable tenancy promotes a stable family life, and
that a stable family greatly improves chances that family members will be
able to improve their life circumstances and prospects,” says Kate Kelly,
Director of Resident Services for BHA.
It works. Through the program – the first of its kind in Bridgeport -- the
family was able to stay housed and Johann could focus her attention on
finding work. The support that she received included referrals to the local
food pantry and assistance making utility payments. Her case manager
also worked with school officials to address her daughter’s education.
The Stable Families program office is located in the BHA building. BHA
staff plays a key role in identifying at-risk families, participating in weekly
meetings where they discuss the possible need for interventions. They
look for triggers that left unaddressed could put families at risk of eviction.
For example, listening to a tenant who would not allow maintenance staff
in her apartment, Ms. Kelly realized that it was because of a history of
domestic violence. When the housing authority staff offered to stay with
her while the work was being done, her concerns were addressed.
“We try to get a holistic picture of what is going on with a family that could
become a problem,” Ms. Kelly says. “It could be housekeeping issues. It
might be a child with an untreated mental illness.”
The housing authority chose New Haven Home Recovery (NHHR) to
administer the families’ support services, providing behavioral health
staff to help families stay housed. Ms. Kelly says referring residents to an
independent third party increases trust and is an important part of the
program model.
Kara Capone, NHHR Director of Programs, says Stable Families is
the first program of its kind in Bridgeport and has been welcomed by
the community. She has been surprised by their clientele. “We had
anticipated that we would be serving families with very young children,”
she says. “These families have children in school. We also find that the
problems are not always with the head of the household.”
BHA’s successful combination of housing and services in Stable Families
now serves as a model for building a community-wide safety net. NHHR,
along with the housing authority and other partners, is working to secure
funding for a demonstration project named Stable Communities. The
goal of this project would be to include a network of people -- educators,
health care professionals, business leaders -- who could provide
supportive services for low-income residents, thus increasing community-
wide stability.
“When you work with one family at a time and see the change,” says Ms.
Capone, “you want to take it to a neighborhood level.”
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Ms. Buxton and son enjoying their new home
“We are pleased that we have been able to find a way to serve our residents while being mindful of what our property managers need to do to run our residences,” says Nicholas Calace, Executive Director, BHA. “It is this kind of balanced approach that results in positive outcomes for everyone involved.”
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America is aging. By 2030, the U.S. population will include 72.1 million
people 65 or older, more than twice their number in 2000. They made up
12.4 percent of the population in 2000; it will be 19 percent by 2030.
This population needs significant levels of support. In 62 percent of
elderly HCV households and 44 percent of elderly public housing
households, the elderly head of household or spouse has disabilities.
A recent study2 found that seniors living in public housing are more than
twice as likely to report fair or poor health compared to those with no
public housing experience. But like their peers, these residents prefer
to age in place.
Providing the services necessary to allow them to age in place is also
more cost-effective than relying on institutional care. Per person long-
term care expenditures are five times as high, and national expenditures
three times as high, for nursing home residents as compared to
community residents.3
Housing authorities are creating innovative programs that can serve as
community-focused models for serving seniors.
Aging with Dignity
The public housing and housing choice
voucher (HCV) programs, the largest
federally-funded housing assistance
programs for seniors, together house
more than 740,000 people 62 and older.
Seniors represent 15 percent of public
housing residents and 13 percent of HCV
holders. Fifteen percent of those senior
public housing residents and nine percent
of those senior HCV holders are 82 years
or older.
In 2009, 1.33 million very low-income
senior renters without housing assistance
paid more than half of their incomes for
rent and/or lived in severely inadequate
conditions. Homelessness among the
elderly is increasing at an alarming rate,
with projections expecting it to double
between 2010 and 2050.1
1 http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/2698
1 http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aging_statistics/index.aspx
2 Pamela L. Parsons, Briana Mezuk, Scott Ratliff, and Kate L. Lapane,
Subsidized Housing, not Subsidized Health: Health Status and Fatigue
among Elders in Public Housing and Other Community Settings,
Ethnicity and Disease, Volume 21 (Winter 2010)
3 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20048355
“When we made the decision to focus on homelessness, we knew that permanent supportive housing programs would work for our population, and help people become and remain successful long-term tenants,” says MaryAnn Russ, Executive Director of the Dallas Housing Authority. “It takes a lot more than just affordable housing if people are also struggling with mental health issues or overcoming substance abuse.”
The program targets those who are currently homeless or in a shelter. Clients are expected to
stay with the program and its affiliated support services for as long as they need it. Some go
on to independence. Of those who have left the program, 90 percent of participants are still
living independently six years later.
Good Neighbor practices intensive case management, including random home visits, drug
testing, financial education, and partnerships with child care and mental health providers.
On-site services include two case managers, an after-school program, and Alcoholics
Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
In addition to the housing authority and the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, Ms. Russ credits
the property management company and the effectiveness of the HCC for the success of the
Good Neighbor Project.
Ms. Buxton was working when she entered the program. Between custody-related court
dates, family therapy visits, and other scheduling difficulties, she lost that job, and then
another. Now that things have settled down, she’s searching for a job.
She says being in the program allowed her to take care of her kids, now age 5 and 7, and got
them out of a bad situation.
“It’s opened a lot more doors for me that I didn’t have before because I was constantly having
to look over my shoulder and worry about where’s this coming from and what I need to do
next,” Ms. Buxton says. “It’s made life a lot easier to really concentrate on trying to better my
situation and myself.”
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Aging witH dignityAging witH dignity
New York, New York
At Vladeck Houses, a public housing complex on New York City’s Lower
East Side, the services offered to senior residents have allowed them to
stay in their homes, improve their health, and maintain social connections.
It was the first effort to bring services to a Naturally Occurring Retirement
Community (NORC) in a public housing complex and it has served as a
model. About one-third of its 2,850 residents are seniors .
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), in partnership with the
New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA), the United Hospital
Fund, and local community service providers, has embraced the concept,
identifying NORCs in 12 public housing communities.
“Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities are a replicable model of
service delivery that have proven their effectiveness over the years,” says
John Rhea, Chairman, NYCHA. “They provide an environment where the
medical, social, cultural, and recreational needs of senior residents can be
met through a unique partnership between public and private agencies.”
Each NORC is operated by a local community service partner and offers
senior residents health screenings, in-home assessments, transportation
services, financial management services, and housekeeping services.
Support groups, intergenerational activities, wellness programs, and
recreational programs are also available.
“The goal of a NORC is to empower people to age in place and make
decisions about their own life. No one wants to go off to a nursing home
or end up in a hospital. The NORC concept allows them to remain in the
community by bringing the needed services to them,” says Janet Fischer,
Chief Administrator of Senior Services for Henry Street Settlement, the
organization that operates the NORC at Vladeck Houses. These services
include access to social workers, nursing services, and individualized
case management.
Nathalie Manovich is 82 and has lived at Vladeck Houses since 1983. She
says she has found the social workers’ help invaluable in dealing with day-
to-day issues, including helping her navigate the bureaucracies of a new
prescription drug plan. They also recently provided her with coupons to a
city vegetable market, and helped her get her phone in working order.
“All my friends, they are the same age or older than me,” Ms. Manovich
says. “It’s impossible for us to live here without the help of this program.”
“Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities are a replicable model of service delivery that have proven their effectiveness over the years,” says John Rhea, Chairman, NYCHA. “They provide an environment where the medical, social, cultural, and recreational needs of senior residents can be met through a unique partnership between public and private agencies.”
Ted Bergh, Interim Executive Director of the Cincinnati Metropolitan
Housing Authority (CMHA), knows the demand for affordable housing
for seniors in his area is only going to increase. Already, 37 percent of
CMHA’s residents are elderly.
“With the economy the way it is, seniors are going to outlive their
retirement,” he says.
The good news is that the communities
CMHA serves are eager for the authority to
build housing targeted to seniors.
“It is a lot easier when you are on good
terms,” Mr. Bergh says. “It saves time and
effort when communities invite us in.”
That was certainly the case with Baldwin Grove, the first new CMHA
building outside the city of Cincinnati itself. (CMHA covers all of
Hamilton County.)
CMHA relied on collaboration with the city of Springdale to avoid
costly delays with permitting. Baldwin Grove was also the agency’s first
building that included “green” design and has been deemed an Energy
Star building, among the first of its kind in Ohio.
The financing came from several sources including Low-Income
Housing Tax Credits and public housing capital and replacement
housing factor funds.
The 100-unit, two-story building opened in 2007. It was designed
specifically to meet the needs of seniors: there are laundry appliances in
each of the units, ample common areas and meeting rooms on both floors,
easily accessible elevators, and parking with convenient building entrances.
Jacqueline Pennington has lived there for several years. It’s the first
senior complex she’s lived in. She says it is easier and safer than the
family complex where she lived previously with her family.
“I used to joke that my next move would probably be to a seniors’
place,” says Ms. Pennington. “But now that I’m here, I love it.”
There are a range of on- and off-site services that
make life easier. A nurse periodically stops by for blood
pressure checkups. Residents have been connected to
the Council on Aging of Southwest Ohio and many have
chosen individually to utilize their services. Residents
also take advantage of services provided across the
street at Maple Knoll Village, a large nonprofit senior
services provider. It includes a cafeteria open to the public. The
demand for units is high, and occupancy hovers around 99 percent.
Mr. Bergh conducts tours for other municipal officials to demonstrate the
success of the development, and CMHA is already working to meet another
community’s request for a senior development modeled on Baldwin Grove.
Using Neighborhood Stabilization Program money, the authority will replace
15 deteriorating four-family homes in the Mount Healthy community. It will
serve as its own developer for replacement housing, The Reserve on South
Martin, which will add 60 units for seniors.
“I used to joke that my next move would probably be to a seniors’ place, but now that I’m here, I love it.”
Cincinnati, Ohio
Resident talks with visiting nurse – photo credit
Baldwin Groves resident Doreen Vincent Nathalie Manovich finds supportive services invaluable
Aging witH dignity Providing tooLs for suCCessProviding tooLs for suCCess
The Jeltz Senior Center was established in 1978 as public housing for
low-income seniors. About three years ago, when the Oklahoma City
Housing Authority (OCHA) became concerned about services for its
residents, they partnered with Baptist Village Communities and Daily
Living Centers to help the residents stay in their homes rather than having
to move prematurely to a nursing home.
“What started all this was we were seeing our residents failing,” says
Barbie Baker, Senior Asset Manager for OCHA. “They couldn’t get all
the services they needed. They were really sacrificing meals to pay for
medication. Many were so frail they couldn’t keep up their homes. They
were just really struggling to maintain their independence.”
Baptist Village Communities is a nonprofit organization that manages
senior communities and provides health services through its home health
agency, Entrusted Hearts. A nurse visits the center twice a week.
“People were not able to visit doctors’ offices for appointments,” says
Rebecca Harvey, RN, Director of Entrusted Hearts. “Some didn’t even
have doctors. They weren’t seeing that there was going to be a difference
in their lives if certain proactive measures were taken,”
The visiting nurse provides blood pressure readings, blood sugar
monitoring, and health education. These efforts have been so well
received that residents started a contest among themselves to monitor
blood sugar.
In some cases, a visit by the nurse has had an even more immediate effect.
“The nurse has sent certain individuals to the hospital, and as a result
has helped to save their lives,” says Ms. Harvey. “Several were having
chest pain or similar symptoms, and by the time they made it to the
hospital, they had to have immediate surgery. ”
An adult day center run by Daily Living Centers is another key component
of the collaboration. Versie McGlory , a resident of the Jeltz Center for 19
years, finds friends and activities at the center.
“The people are nice and I enjoy going there,” she says.
At 89, she’s able to live independently because of the services. “There’s
a measure of security. I just like it very much. It’s the very place for me at
this time in my life.”
Other services include a well-used computer lab, a mini-library stocked
and staffed by the Metropolitan library system, and transportation to
shopping and medical appointments.
A regional food bank comes once month with staples for any resident who
needs them. They also bring fresh fruits and vegetables to set up a no-cost
store, particularly helpful for residents who can no longer run errands.
“As a housing authority, we see every day the struggles our residents can
have,” says OCHA Deputy Director Mark Gillet. “It is deeply rewarding to
be able to step in and have such a tremendous impact on people’s lives.”
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
People with disabilities seeking rental housing face both a limited
availability of accessible units and discrimination by landlords. (HUD
reports that since discrimination against people with disabilities was
added to the Fair Housing Act, allegations of disability discrimination have
been the most common fair housing complaint.)
Housing assistance programs have been proven to succeed with this
population. Renter households that include people with disabilities are
twice as likely to receive housing assistance as those that do not. This is
considered a key reason that the 13 percent rise in worst-case housing
needs for this population from 2007 to 2009 was substantially below the
20 percent increase for the population as a whole. Linking services to
housing is vital to allowing people with disabilities to live independently
and remain part of their communities. It is also cost effective.
In 1990, New York State and New York City entered into what came to
be called the New York/New York Agreement to House the Homeless
Mentally Ill, jointly funding and developing 3,600 community-based
permanent supportive housing units for people with severe mental
illness. Studies showing the decrease in emergency services usage by
participants in comparison to a control group showed an annualized
savings of $16,281 (in 1999 dollars) for public services per unit.
Cost savings due to reduced emergency room visits has also been
documented in a California initiative, which found that the average
number of emergency room visits per participant decreased 61 percent
over two years, with average emergency room charges decreasing from
$11,388 to $4,697
The housing authority partnerships profiled here are examples of how
these agencies are leading the way in creating targeted programs to
meet the needs of the members of their local population with mental
and physical challenges.
1 Dennis Culhane, Stephen Metraux, and Trevor Hadley, Public Service Reductions Associated with Placing Homeless
Persons with Severe Mental Illness in Supportive Housing, Housing Policy Debate, Vol. 13, Issue 1, 2002, pp. 107-163.)
Supporting Independent Living
In 2009, almost one million households
with non-elderly people with disabilities
confronted worst case housing needs,
meaning they were low-income renters
receiving no housing assistance and
paying more than one-half of their
income for rent and/or living in severely
inadequate conditions.
These households represented 38
percent of all very low-income households
with someone with a disability. Among
the entire population of renters, those
households including non-elderly people
with disabilities are more likely to have
worst- case housing needs.
Versie McGlory, Jeltz Senior Center resident
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suPPorting indePendent Living suPPorting indePendent Living
King County, Washington
Clara McGowen’s job is to help house people with disabilities. She’s
Program Manager at the YWCA for the Housing Access and Services
Program (HASP), which channels Section 8 vouchers to disabled
households through a consortium of service providers. The King County
Housing Authority (KCHA) established the consortium and the contract
with the YWCA to oversee the program administration.
With disabilities including mental illness, developmental disabilities,
and physical ailments, clients face barriers both before and after getting
housing. They may have a poor rental history or none at all. Many
struggle with substance abuse; some have felonies in their past. Some
don’t even have any formal identification.
The program awarded its first vouchers in 2000. Today, about 1,800
vouchers are under lease, making it one of the largest programs of its
kind in the country.
Once a client has housing, HASP’s primary goal is to help them keep it.
That might mean intervening with a landlord when there’s an issue. It
might mean gently explaining why they can’t let their homeless friends
move in with them. Or it might mean recruiting a team of volunteers to
clean out a hoarder’s place so they can pass the annual inspection—
sometimes repeatedly.
“This program is a great example of how housing and services can partner to successfully house our most vulnerable residents,” says Stephen Norman, Executive Director of KCHA. “Secure and affordable housing is the essential starting point for dealing with everything else. This program literally saves lives.”
Ms. McGowen describes one challenging case. The client, a woman with severe mental
health issues, had stayed in a run-down motel for 10 years. All her money, including
donations begged from nearby churches, went to paying for the motel.
Because of her illness, if she forgot to take her medicine with her when she left, she would
throw it away when she returned, fearing someone had tampered with it. She had many
requirements that made it difficult for her to find housing—no connecting walls, for instance.
It took a year to find a place, but she’s been there for two years.
“And I tell you every day, it’s just amazing that she is still housed,” McGowen says. “She still has
to take all of her food with her every time she leaves, so that she’ll have food, because if not, she’s
going to throw it away. If it wasn’t for this program, she would not be housed today, period.”
Another client, John Allen, is a disabled vet who has been housed since 2000. Before that,
he had his own place, and was working and paying the rent. When he was injured and lost
his job, the rent was too high for him to keep up.
What he appreciates most is having someone to advocate for him — for instance, helping
him work out an agreement with a landlord after a dispute over damages. Right now, Mr.
Allen is going through chemo treatments. He takes 15 pills a day and has lost 28 pounds.
The side effects are rough, but he’s optimistic.
“I’m going to face life,” he says. “I’m a survivor; I’m a success.”
Quinton Jimerson, living independently in Kent, Washington,
thanks to a HASP voucher
16 17
suPPorting indePendent Living suPPorting indePendent Living
Newark, New Jersey
The grand opening of Millennium Way marked a milestone in Newark. A partnership between
the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-University Behavioral HealthCare
(UMDNJ-UBHC) and the Newark Housing Authority (NHA), the 56-unit development
provides 15 permanent supportive housing units for people the university identifies as
qualifying for special needs housing. The partnership grew out of the university president’s
desire to partner with the Newark Housing Authority, says Karen Torian, Chief of Preservation
& Development for the housing authority.
“There is a real challenge providing consistent behavioral care services to people who are
homeless,” says Rosemarie Rosati, Vice President for Outpatient Services at the behavioral
health center. “This housing has been a godsend.”
Eugene was one of the first residents referred by the behavioral health care center. Having
housing, he says, “means independence. I can be responsible and take care of myself.”
“This partnership has yielded something quite unique, quite special,” UMDNJ-UBHC
President and CEO Chris Kosseff says. “We are setting a national example of how we treat
people suffering from serious mental illness so they can stay stable and remain members of
our community.”
Another key partner was the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA).
Although they have funds earmarked toward special needs housing, it could not be used for
services. The partnership enabled the agency to support a public housing program for the
first time.
Part of the challenge, says Ms. Rosati, is aligning the financing for housing with service
funding. “We were very fortunate in this initiative to be able to bring together the Newark
Housing Authority, HMFA’s special needs housing financing, and support for UBHC services
through the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.”
Avis Scott oversees the services provided to Eugene. “In shelters, you have no place to put
your medication,” she says, noting that shelter residents have to sleep “with one eye open.”
“If it wasn’t for them,” Eugene says, “I don’t know where I would be.”
“Millennium Way is a perfect example of taking a modest project of 56 affordable units and leveraging it through partnerships to have a larger impact on the community as a whole,” Says Keith Kinard, Newark Housing Authority Executive.
Mayor Cory Booker and Keith Kinard at Millennium Way grand opening
Eugene, a Millenium Way resident
Providing tooLs for suCCess serving tHose wHo served
Veteran homelessness, like all homelessness, is caused by a complex
interaction of economic and personal factors. Nearly 500,000 veterans
pay more than half of their income for rent. More than half of those
have incomes below the poverty line. Ten percent of veterans in poverty
become homeless at some point during the year, compared to just over
five percent of adults in poverty. Multiple and extended deployments
may increase social isolation, which is associated with a higher risk
of homelessness. Their rates of mental illness, substance abuse, and
serious health problems are higher than those of other homeless adults.
Many suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other
combat-related injuries. Veterans are also more likely to be unsheltered,
living outdoors, and experiencing chronic homelessness. Although the
vast majority of homeless veterans –96 percent -- are men, the number
of homeless women veterans caring for children is growing.
Both Congress and our Federal Executive Agencies are determined
to address this crisis. In appropriations for FY2008, Congress funded
the first new Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs
Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers in 14 years. The bipartisan
Congressional support for expanding this program to meet the
tremendous need has been unrelenting, and new HUD-VASH vouchers
have been funded each year since. Both HUD and the VA have the
reduction of veterans’ homelessness as one of their five High Priority
Performance Goals.
In 2010’s Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness,
the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, of which both HUD
and the VA are members, set a goal of ending veteran homelessness
within five years. The executive agencies are working towards the vision
of President Obama, who has repeatedly expressed zero tolerance
for veteran homelessness. Housing authorities have played a key role
overcoming institutional obstacles and making the program a success
for the approximately 38,000 HUD-VASH voucher holders.
Serving Those Who Served
El Paso, Texas
Matching homeless veterans with housing is not always easy.
“These are very proud men and women,” says Gerald Cichon, CEO
of the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso. (HACEP). “It is an
embarrassment for them to ask for help. We can’t sit here and wait for
them to come to us.”
So when the housing authority has vouchers to use, they do more than
issue a press release and post the information on their website.
“We put up flyers. The VA promotes it, and we partner with all the
shelters,” says Lorena Rivera, Director of HACEP’s Housing Choice
Voucher Program. “We go to all of the shelters with VA staff looking for
potential applicants.”
They are also helped by residents like Larry Lochala, a formerly homeless
veteran participating in the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
(HUD-VASH) program.
“When someone like Larry gets out and talks about this, it has a huge
effect on the population we are trying to reach,” Mr. Cichon says.
El Paso is home to the second-largest military installation in the U.S., and
is expected to be home to 37,000 troops and 53,000 family members by
2012. According to the El Paso Coalition for the Homeless, there are over
160 homeless veterans living on the streets of El Paso on any given day.
Mr. Lochala certainly considers himself a success story. He has taken it
upon himself to become an “ambassador” to homeless veterans. “I find
them every day,” he says. “I know a homeless guy when I see one, and I
know how to approach them. Some are ready, some are not.”
He also speaks whenever possible about the issue of homelessness and
the importance of finding ways to address it. “So many people think it can
never happen to them.”
The entry to the program begins at the El Paso Veterans Affairs Health
Care System. If a veteran is homeless and eligible for VA medical care,
they are referred to HACEP. But their relationship with the VA does not
end there.
“They have to need and want case management,” says Joel Arrigucci,
who coordinates homeless programs for the VA. “They must have a
plan that includes self sufficiency. We make sure they have a hobby or
volunteer somewhere. They can stay as long as they need, but the goal is
that through employment or benefits they can rent without assistance.”
There are hurdles. Although VASH voucher holders cannot be screened
for a criminal record, not all landlords will accept tenants with a record.
And the voucher can only be used for rent – other resources have to be
found to pay deposits and utility bills and buy furnishings.
The housing authority’s proactive partnership with the El Paso VA and
their outreach to the homeless population has made the VASH program
extremely successful here; it is why the authority was recently awarded an
additional 25 vouchers for a total of 95 vouchers.
On a single night in January
2010, 61,011 veterans were
homeless. At that point, 9
percent of people experiencing
homelessness identified as a
veteran; an estimated 136,334
veterans spent at least one night
in a shelter or transitional housing
program during 2009.
(left) Larry Lochala with Major Myles B. Caggins III, Public Affairs Officer for Fort Bliss
Larry Lochala (far right) with El Paso CEP Gerald Cichon
18 19
Providing tooLs for suCCess Providing tooLs for suCCess
20 21
serving tHose wHo servedserving tHose wHo served
Washington, D.C.
In the nation’s capital, the Vietnam and Korean memorials give haunting testimony to those who
gave everything in service of their country. It’s a sad irony that not far away, survivors of those
and other military conflicts are struggling with homelessness.
A partnership between the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA), the VA hospital
system, and the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) attacks that problem head on,
awarding HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers to veterans and
moving them off the streets and into their own homes.
DCHA Executive Director Adrianne Todman says the partnership has been successful at
housing more than 150 clients since 2010, with about 50 more in process. DCHA has received
a total of 490 vouchers for veterans since Congress reinvigorated the program three years ago.
She attributes the success to the good working relationship the housing authority had already
built with DHS. They provided the city with 350 vouchers for the hard-to-house homeless, and
developed a streamlined approach.
“The two-track process we developed working with DHS on Housing First allowed us to move much
faster in identifying, processing, and housing veterans and getting them into case management,”
says Ms. Todman. “We went from a normal timeline of six months down to one month.”
Originally, a client had to return to DCHA four or five times, having their eligibility determined,
bringing in landlord paperwork, an inspection report, and more.
Now, a DHS case worker works with the applicant to gather all the necessary documentation
and identifies a potential unit. The housing authority then determines the rent reasonableness,
inspects the unit and makes any needed repairs. After clients find a unit from the pool of those
available, they make their only trip to DCHA to be briefed, sign the lease, and pick up the key.
“Our veterans represent a far larger percentage of our homeless population than they should,”says Adrianne Todman, Executive Director of the DCHA. “Serving this population is something I place a high value on in terms of the service that they gave to us.”
Of the 175 vouchers DCHA received in 2010, the VA agreed to fund DHS as the case-manager
for 110 vouchers, and maintained the traditional VA process for 70 of the vouchers. “It served
as a experiment, providing a control group against which to judge the new process. It was
successful,” Ms. Todman adds.
One of the program’s first participants was Anthony Taylor, 53. Things have gone so well for him
that he recently met with members of Congress to speak about the VASH program. He also acts
as a mentor for those who have just begun the process.
“I have an opportunity to be an example for others,” he says. “I try to do that.”
He came into the program after years of homelessness and a life derailed by a heroin addiction.
Though he was able to kick the heroin long ago, he still struggled to rebuild his life.
“The program has given me a lot of comfort—the fact that I have my own home.…You feel like
you’re a regular person, not something less,” he says. “You feel like the person you were put
here to be. It’s been a blessing for me, it really has.”
Dallas Williams, Manager of Homeless Services at DHS, says the case management model lets
them offer services to those who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Their caseloads are
also kept low, about 20 clients each.
Mr. Williams says clients at times have to work through the initial distrust of any type of
government agency.
“They’ve been promised a lot of things over the years and most of the time it’s never
materialized. This is what most of them have shared with us,” says Mr. Williams.
This time, the housing authority was able to deliver on the promise.
Anthony Taylor
22 23
serving tHose wHo served serving tHose wHo served
“VASH has provided veterans in our county with the means of accessing vital services such as housing and medical assistance,” says Susan Benner, HACSB’s Executive Director. “Through our strong partnership with the local VA hospital we hope to continue to serve more veterans, as more VASH vouchers become available, and continue to showcase success stories such as Ms. Watson’s. The program works.”
Kathleen Watson is a U.S. Air Force veteran. After serving as a medical technician during
Vietnam, she earned a criminal justice degree, took a job with the County Probation
Department, and bought a house.
But she lost her job and consequently her home, and lived in temporary shelters until she
entered the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. VASH combines
rental assistance with intensive case management that connects clients with a range of
services, including help finding an apartment, mental health and substance abuse treatment,
and legal and financial counseling.
The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) partners with the local VA
hospital—the Loma Linda Medical Center—to match homeless veterans with housing and
social services.
As a result, Kathleen was able to lease an apartment near the hospital where she has access to
medical care.
“VASH has taken me out of the street and lifted me up from the very bottom,” she says. “It has
helped turn my life around.”
Case managers work closely with residents to establish personal goals and to access services
they need. There are monthly in-home and medical center visits.
“This is a resource for them given that they have served their country,” says Enid Reece, a
social worker with the program. “We definitely try to remind them that this is not a handout, this
is something that is available to them because of what they have done for the country.”
San Bernardino, California
The costs of homelessness – in lives and in dollars – are staggering.
The chronically homeless, who have no health care and whose health
conditions are made worse by living on the streets, face serious illness
and death. They also make extensive use of the most expensive municipal
services, such as emergency rooms and inpatient hospital care.
Yet the percentage of the homeless population considered chronically
homeless – 17 percent in 2009 – was a decrease of more than 40
percent from 2006. The drop was driven in large part by the dramatic
rise in permanent supportive housing offered under the Housing First
model. This approach first houses people, then incorporates services that
address obstacles to housing stability—mental health, physical health,
substance abuse, or lack of employment. Housing First is becoming
increasingly prevalent because of the significant savings, in people’s lives
and to municipalities.
Unfortunately, while the chronically homeless population is declining,
other homeless populations are growing. Since economic factors are
the major causes of homelessness, the recession is pushing increasing
numbers of people out of their homes and placing many others at risk.
According to a January 2009 report based on estimates of the depth likely
to be reached by the current recession, 1.5 million additional Americans
are likely to experience homelessness over the next two years.1
They have few options. Nationally, subsidized housing resources have
long served only one-quarter of those who are eligible. Many waiting lists
are closed and have been for years; even when they are opened, the wait
can take years. In addition, the struggle to find a job and regain economic
stability is even more difficult without a home.
But housing authorities are working within their communities to identify
strategies that make the most of scarce resources to rapidly re-house
people, and provide services that can quickly get people back on their feet.
1 Estimates based on Pathways’ Housing First Model – http://www.pathwaystohousing.org
Everyone Deserves a Home
Housing First Potential Cost Savings
An analysis of data from the 2009
American Community Survey found that
72 percent of households at or below
the federal poverty line are severely
housing cost burdened, spending over
50 percent of their income on rent. When
housing accounts for such a significant
percentage of a household’s resources,
any unexpected financial crisis could lead
to homelessness.
Comparing costs for chronically homeless care
Psychiatric hospital
Emergency room
Jail ShelterHousing
First2
Municipal cost per night
$1,185 $519 $164 $73 $57
24 25
everyone deserves A Home Providing tooLs for suCCesseveryone deserves A Home
San Diego, California
Amanda and Will had been living on the streets of San Diego off and on
for the past several years. Will was working in construction, but lost his
job during the recession. Amanda has a disability and her lone income
comes from Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Both entered San
Diego’s Emergency Winter Shelter for homeless adults shortly after it
opened for the season in December 2010.
“I don’t know if you guys know how hard it is to find a job when you’re
living on the streets,” says Will. “No legitimate employer, other than
day labor companies, will employ you when you’re on the streets.” He
says having an address and a place to take care of himself makes a
tremendous difference.
In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created the
Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). The
program focuses on minimizing the experience of homelessness, either
by its prevention or with rapid re-housing. As part of the Recovery Act,
HPRP was envisioned to be a tool for helping those impacted by the
recession to re-stabilize their lives and concentrate on reentering the
workforce and attaining self-sufficiency. In short, it was just the program
to assist someone like Will.
The San Diego Housing Commission, which manages the seasonal winter
shelter for the city, received HPRP funds and designed a local strategy for
their use in which qualifying persons residing at the adult shelter could
receive up to 12 months of housing assistance. They hired Townspeople,
a local nonprofit, to screen residents interested in the program; after final
evaluation by the Housing Commission, 102 were approved.
The housing assistance offered to those eligible participants included
direct payments to landlords for security deposits and a portion of the
monthly rent. After approval, participants had 30 days to find housing.
Amanda and Will heard about the HPRP program after landing at the
shelter. They attended an orientation session in early January, were
approved shortly thereafter, and moved into Studio 15, a downtown rental
complex, in March.
Finding participating landlords is one of the program’s most challenging
components, because participating individuals can have problematic
financial and credit histories, along with lacking documents like
Social Security cards. The program also helps residents track down
documentation.
Still, some landlords are more than willing to participate. Anna Scott is
the Project Manager for the Affirmed Housing Group, the developer and
landlord of Studio 15, where Will and Amanda now live. “We saw this
as the perfect opportunity to be part of a solution for people who are in
transition,” she says.
Of the 102 people approved for HPRP, 90 found housing before the
shelter closed, moving to a variety of settings, including single room
occupancy hotels and Housing Commission-owned units for elderly and
disabled tenants.
HPRP was not the Housing Commission’s first foray into working to
house homeless individuals. The Commission created a Special Housing
Initiatives Unit in 2009 in order to facilitate initiatives targeted to people
experiencing homelessness. Because of the Unit’s successful track
record, the City of San Diego asked the agency to serve as the new
manager for its two winter shelters.
Derek Williams was a forklift operator—
and a good one, he says. But an
accident in the late nineties left him with
seizures. Without health insurance, he
couldn’t afford medication. Untreated,
his condition cost him three jobs and
ultimately his home.
A cooperative partnership between the
Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA)
and the United Way of Hudson County changed that.
“These programs allow us to help people who would not ordinarily get
help,” says Patty Ramirez, Director of JCHA’s Housing Choice Voucher
program. “Ordinarily these families are not on any waiting list.”
She says it works because “we confine our efforts to our areas of
expertise.” The housing authority recruits landlords to take part in the
program, conducts inspections, and helps people search for housing.
“I don’t know where I would be without this program,” says Mr. Williams.
“I can’t be happier.” His sons and grandchildren pay regular visits. He
has also become part of the community at his building, helping set up
and clean up for holiday celebrations.
His situation demonstrates how the two agencies mesh to serve
someone’s needs. Mr. Williams has a case manager provided by the
United Way who helps him with his budget and makes sure he takes his
medication and keeps doctor appointments. His housing is covered by
the Collaborative Solutions program, a HUD-funded Housing First model
with a grant from HUD.
Kareem Jeter was working, but was
not making enough to find a place
to live. He was staying with relatives,
where his two-year-old daughter was
sleeping on a couch. “This has put a
roof over my daughter’s head and given
me the opportunity to look for better
employment.” He is housed through the
Homelessness Prevention and Rapid
Re-housing program that was part of the 2009 Recovery Act.
His case manager helped him with his resume and a year after he
entered the program, continues to stay in touch.
“Our long-standing collaboration with the United Way of Hudson County
shows how well two very different operations can combine forces,” says
Maria Maio, JCHA Executive Director. “Our residents will be successful
because we help them find more than just housing.”
They are looking at an even more ambitious joint program, developing 21
special needs housing units at the United Way building, with project-
based vouchers from the housing authority.
Everyone involved considers the current partnership an unqualified
success. Says United Way director Carmel Galasso, “We can’t do this
without JCHA.”
Jersey City, New Jersey
“Our long-standing collaboration with the United Way of Hudson County shows how well two very different operations can combine forces,” says Maria Maio, JCHA Executive Director. “Our residents will be successful because we help them find more than just housing.”
Jacqueline Suarez, JCHA, Housing Assistant Tech, Kareem Jeter, Resident, Derrick Williams,
Resident, Patricia Ramirez, Director of the Housing Choice Voucher program for JCHA
Will and Amanda are getting back on their feet
“We have been on the streets for about seven years,” says Will. “It is truly a blessing that through this program we were able get into an apartment.”
“The San Diego Housing Commission has created a bridge to housing for over a hundred formerly homeless persons,” says Rick Gentry, President & CEO of the housing commission. “Those who want to truly benefit must now cross that bridge, take the reins, and guide their future.”
26 27
everyone deserves A Home everyone deserves A Home
“More than 96 percent of the resi-dents in this program are still with us after two years in our housing, which is one of the best retention rates in the country for programs helping people out of homelessness,” says Home Forward Executive Director Steve Rudman. “Our strong site presence, made possible by support we receive from the City of Portland, ensures that partners know when to connect with their clients to help them be success-ful as tenants.”
The first thing Steven Keenan does when he comes to work at the NorthWest Towers is make
the community coffee pot. As the Resident and Community Services Coordinator for Home
Forward1, that may be the only constant in his day.
He plays a crucial role in a pilot program of the city’s Key Not a Card project. The name is
meant to demonstrate that outreach workers offer the chronically homeless more than just their
business card. It is one of several partnerships the housing agency has with the city that are
specifically targeted towards the chronically homeless
Home Forward has dedicated 30 units in two buildings; full-time service managers in each are a
central reason for the program’s high retention rate.
Three community partners—JOIN, Catholic Charities Housing Transitions Program, and Human
Solutions—can refer clients to the program. Once accepted, they receive an orientation, a
calendar of events and workshops, and an open door to the services staff on-site for help with
anything needed to ensure tenancy.
During Mr. Keenan’s work day, he may hand out food or hygiene supplies, meet with a resident
about noise levels, or just be there for someone to talk to.
“We have one program goal—to help people keep their housing,” he says.
One person he talks to often is David, who lost his home following a divorce.
“They found me living under a bridge,” he says. When his case worker saw he had too much
time on his hands, she convinced him to volunteer at a soup kitchen.
Portland, Oregon
David says he would be living under a bridge if not for the program
1 Formerly the Housing Authority of Portland
“I think it’s great,” he says of the program. “I wouldn’t be inside without it.”
The pilot program is funded by the city, which pays for on-site staff. Their goal is to connect
residents to their neighbors, and help them get used to living in a setting other than the
outdoors or a shelter. Any time there is an issue regarding behavior, the staff is informed; 100
percent of all notices are mitigated within 24 hours of the issuance of that notice.
Tomi Rene left Michigan when the recession hit and came back to Portland where she’d lived
while earning a culinary degree.
She arrived broke and homeless. She lived first in a tent in a friend’s backyard, then in their
basement. She found part-time work, but lost the job due to health issues when her precarious
housing situation made it impossible to keep her medication at the required temperature.
“This been a huge benefit,” she says. “It has been a springboard for the next part of my life.”
At first, she says, she lived “like a hermit.” Her resident and community services coordinator
worked to draw her out and eventually helped her find a few day-long jobs in the building,
including getting units ready for inspection. Gradually, her health and confidence returned. She
now works as a full-time caregiver for another resident.
Rosanne Marmor, Home Forward’s Resident Services Program Manager, says keeping close
tabs on clients stops problems that threaten their success before they become too big to
handle. She says the biggest surprise they found was that it was not as difficult as they had
anticipated. “Keeping someone in housing doesn’t take as much as we expected.”
Tomi Rene says the program has been a springboard for her life
Statistics:
Chronically homeless people—those
who have been homeless a year or
more—consume about half of the total
resources spent on all homeless programs
in Portland and Multnomah County, even
though they represent only 10 percent of
the total homeless population.
A Portland State University study found
that homeless people spend 65 percent
less time in hospitals and 51 percent less
time in emergency rooms when they have
permanent supportive housing.
28 29
everyone deserves A Home everyone deserves A Home
When Baltimore began its 10-year Plan to End Homelessness in 2008, the Housing Authority
of Baltimore City (HABC) worked with the city to distribute 378 Housing Choice Vouchers using
the Housing First philosophy.
“Homeless people need housing first, so you put them in a permanent housing unit first, and
then you bring the services,” says Kate Briddell, the Director of the Homeless Services Program,
a division of the Mayor’s Office of Human Services. “Usually there’s really intensive case
management at the beginning.”
The program uses the Vulnerability Index, a tool for identifying and prioritizing the street
homeless population for housing according to the fragility of their health. It was developed by
Common Ground as part of research by Boston’s Healthcare for the Homeless. The Boston
research identified the specific health conditions that cause homeless individuals to be most at
risk for dying on the street.
The approach is working. After 18 months, 83 percent of the participants are still housed.
Support services can include dealing with mental health issues, tackling drug and alcohol
abuse, finding transportation, even budgeting.
Jack Amato, 64, says the program has turned things around for him. Six years ago, he lost has
job as a construction supervisor. Unable to make his car and rent payments and struggling with
a heroin addiction, things quickly spiraled down for him.
“I wound up in a shelter,” he says. “First time in my life—it was just horrendous. I didn’t know
what to do, where to go.”
Eventually, he started applying for help, and within a few months—on his birthday in February
2010—he moved into an apartment in Cedonia in northeast Baltimore City.
Baltimore, Maryland
“I’ve got my Social Security and my handicapped apartment here and I’m
just doing so great,” he says. “I have wonderful neighbors here. I mean,
you couldn’t ask for anyplace better.”
The community benefits as well. Three encampments of homeless people
in the city have been downsized or are gone. Hundreds of people are off
the streets.
He also notes that the lack of funding for the 2011 calendar year meant
the agency had to stop issuing new vouchers, using its limited funds to
meet ongoing commitments.
“We’re pleased that we could offer vouchers to over 350 chronically homeless Baltimore residents,” says Paul Graziano, Baltimore Housing Commissioner, who also runs HABC. “With the combination of stable, long-term housing and intensive wrap-around support services, we have helped folks such as Mr. Amato reclaim their lives.”
Jack Amato credits the program with turning his life around
Council of Large Public Housing Authorities455 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Suite 425
Washington, DC 20001
202.638.1300 www.clpha.org
CLPHA
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit
organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing
through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education.
CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in
the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing
program; administer 26 percent of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and
operate a wide array of other housing programs.
As a multi-billion dollar asset, public housing is the cornerstone of affordable
housing and community development. CLPHA:
• Advocates for adequate public housing funding and policies that support local
management and accountability.
• Develops and analyzes policies impacting the public housing community.
• Educates policymakers and the public about the critical role public housing
plays in meeting affordable housing needs.