Housing First Implementation
January 24, 2017
Michael Gause, SCCDC
CoC Board Meeting
Overview
 CoC-funded agencies required by HUD to implement Housing First
 SB 1380 in California mandates Housing First for agencies receiving state funding.
Need to redesign our system to shift in that direction.
 Scoring for CoC projects will place a greater emphasis on Housing First in 2017 for
rating and ranking
 What does fidelity to Housing First mean?
 Collaboration between agencies to place Housing First on Upstream Portfolio
Housing First Principles
Quickly and successfully connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness to
appropriate permanent housing without preconditions and barriers to entry (such as
sobriety, treatment and service participation, etc) in order to maximize housing stability
and prevent returns to homelessness as opposed to addressing predetermined Tx goals
prior to permanent housing entry:
 Everyone is housing ready; programs must be consumer ready
 Right to self determination
 Exact configuration of housing and services depends upon needs and preferences
of population
Core Components
 Few to no programmatic prerequisites to housing entry and no requirement for TH first
 Low barrier admissions (screen-in rather than screen-out) and prioritize most vulnerable
 Rapid placement
 Voluntary services with harm reduction and motivational intervewiing
 Full tenant rights and protections
 Practices and policies to prevent lease violations and evictions
 Applicable in variety of housing models (single site, scattered site, etc)
SB 1380
Governor shall create a Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council; the council
will also create a statewide data system that collects data through HMIS. 15 members
of the council; core components of Housing First match the national core
components.
Agencies and departments administering state programs created on or after 7/1/17
shall collaborate with the coordinating council to adopt guidelines and regulations to
incorporate core components of Housing First
By 7/1/19, agencies and departments administering state programs in existence prior
to 7/1/17 shall collaborate with the coordinating council to revise or adopt guidelines
that incorporate core components of Housing First
Fidelity – 7 Dimensions
Dimensions:
 Choice of Housing
 Separation of Housing and Services
 Decent, safe, affordable housing
 Housing Integration
 Rights of tenancy
 Access to housing
 Flexible, voluntary services
Fidelity
# of contacts with case manager within 90 days
# of housing units passing Housing Quality Standards
# of units meeting standard of integration
# of units which tenants have legal rights
# of people entering housing with no demonstration of
readiness
# of people paying 30% or less of income plus utilities
Current Practices in Sonoma County – What
are our Technical Assistance needs?
How are providers currently implementing Housing First?
What barriers are agencies facing in implementing Housing First?
How are agencies assisting tenants with choice and how are agencies assisting
with tenant rights?
Division between property management and supportive services?
Selection of tenants for permanent supportive housing?
Future engagement with Coordinated Entry