Reversing the Trend
Repurposing Sonoma County’s Homeless Housing
to Reduce Homelessness
August 30, 2011
Sonoma County’s
homeless system of
care can’t keep pace
About 318 new persons become
homeless in Sonoma County every
month. In a typical month, 212 people
exit from local homeless services
programs. Of them an average of 74
(35%) exit to permanent housing.
This chart shows what happens over a
typical 6-month period. Our system is
full, 446 people exit to permanent
housing, and 1500 new people are left
on the street or otherwise unserved.
For several homeless populations,
more people are left unserved every
month than exit to permanent housing,
leaving us with an ever-growing
homeless population. The system as
designed years ago cannot keep pace
with the new wave of homelessness.
1600
1500
1400
1200
1000
800
600
446
400
200
0
Current System
Total PH Placements
Left Unserved Total
The local priority on
families with
children has been a
success.
About half our homeless
housing is dedicated to families
with children – 15% of our
overall homeless population.
1600
1500
1400
1200
1000
800
600
About 25 people in families
enter our system every month.
Over a 6-month period, we are
able to place more than 170
people in families in permanent
housing, leaving virtually no one
on the street and leaving a few
empty beds.
446
400
171
200
0
Curent system - overall
Current System for
-15families
-200
Total PH Placements
Left Unserved Total
The priority on families with
children has been a success.
Since 2007, calculations based on successive Point in Time Counts have
indicated no further need for family shelter or transitional housing – yet
the remaining family housing was overfull to bursting.
We interpreted this situation as a bottleneck in exits to permanent housing.
Homeless Families with
Children
Unmet Housing Need based
on 2011 Count
Emergency Shelter
0 units
Transitional Housing
-16 units
Permanent Supportive
Housing
17 units
500
Past Strategies
For the past decade, our overall
strategy to reduce homelessness has
been to increase homeless-dedicated
housing stock.
429
400
377
300
247
Over 6 months, the additional
housing now in the pipeline will
permanently house 75 more people in
families with children, and 53 more
adults with disabilities. The new
family housing will create excess
capacity totaling ~100 beds, which
could be used for other needs.
200
While the housing in development
will undoubtedly make a big
difference, current economic
circumstances dictate new strategies
that work only with existing
resources.
-100
189
172
136
100
0
Current System for 24 additional PSH Current System for 51 additional PSH
-15
households with
units in
households
units in
children
development
without children
development
-108
-200
Total PH Placements
Left Unserved Total
Questions:
• How can we break the logjam to get people back into
permanent housing more quickly?
• How can we impact increased homelessness with
fewer resources?
• Can we repurpose existing capacity to change the
trajectory without new expense?
• Can we change the trajectory for youth and single
adults without negatively affecting families with
children?
Possible programs to
repurpose
• Key criteria:
• Flexible funding
• Local control
• If tied to facility-based housing, service population
must be changeable and/or regulatory agreements must
allow different use
• Programs fitting this description:
•
•
•
•
Russell family transitional housing
HOME TBA programs
CoC-funded programs (with contract amendment)
Shared family transitional housing programs
300
Changing the use of
the Russell facility
The County’s Russell Avenue
facility is currently being used as
family transitional housing.
250
247
244
200
150
123
100
81
63
By the end of 6 months,
changing Russell’s use to youth
transitional housing would
increase the number of youth
exiting to permanent housing by
21 – while still leaving over 100
beds excess capacity in the
family housing system.
42
50
0
Family system with Family system with Current System for
planned PSH in Russell Family TH
youth
place
changed to Youth
-50
TH
-100
-108
-108
-150
Total PH Placements
Left Unserved Total
Change Russell
Family TH to
Youth TH
HOME Tenant
Based Assistance
The HOME TBA program now provides a
second stage of transitional housing while
families wait for a Section 8 voucher.
Changing HOME TBA’s 84 beds to rapidly
re-house (RRH) homeless families with
few housing barriers, in addition to the
changes in previous slide, would free up
300+ beds for other rental assistance – say,
RRH for non-disabled households without
children.
According to the 2011 Count, about 16%
of single adults fit this description,
justifying 191 slots of RRH.
Over 6 months, 191 RRH beds could
permanently house 287 adults without
children – including former foster youth or
other priority populations – and leave
~100 beds excess capacity in both the
family and single adult systems, for other
needs.
600
500
476
400
377
361
300
244
189
200
100
0
-100
Family system with Family system
System for
HH without
Russell Family TH without Russell but Households without Children + 191 beds
changed to Youth
with 84 beds
Children including
HOME TBATH
HOME TBA to
PSH in
funded RRH
-101
-108
RRH
development
program
-200
-300
-303
-400
Total PH Placements
Left Unserved Total
Summary of proposed changes
 24 family PSH units will come on line in the next year –
freeing up ~100 beds to be used for other needs.
 Change the County’s Russell transitional housing facility to
transitional housing for youth – exiting 21 homeless youth
to permanent housing and leaving ~100 beds for other
needs.
 Over the next two years, reshape the HOME Tenant-Based
Assistance program to create 84 units of Rapid Re-Housing
– freeing ~300 beds for other needs.
 Of the 300 beds of rental assistance, create 191 units of
Rapid Re-Housing to help adults without disabilities – still
leaving ~100 beds for other needs.
Repurposing can Reverse the Trend
Capacity
Considered for
Repurposing
Beds
Repurposed
TH freed up by new family PSH
Russell Facility
becomes youth
TH
30
HOME TBA
becomes family
RRH
84
Balance of HOME
TBA becomes
single adult RRH
191
Total
305
Change in
Number
Permanently
Housed
Change in
Unserved
Capacity
Available for
Repurposing
75
-108
108
18
-42
108
117
-195
303
287
-290
200
422
-527
Other changes to consider
• CoC-funded transitional housing:
• Housing Options – Catholic Charities is
considering changing 26 family TH beds to
provide TH for another population.
• CAP is considering revamping its Caring
Communities supportive services only project as
Rapid Rehousing – possible service match for a
HOME TBA RRH program?
Questions & Discussion
?????