Exploring the Intersections of Public Housing and Homelessness:

Prevention, Support Services and Best Practices

Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentWestern Mass. Regional Network to End Homelessness

May 3, 2012

Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) administer powerful resources for creating housing for homeless and extremely vulnerable populations. Particularly in today’s difficult funding environment, PHA resources, capacity, and experience serving extremely low-income individuals and families make them critical partners in creating new opportunities for supportive housing and ending homelessness. Some PHAs also have development capacity that is otherwise lacking in their communities, and they can be leaders in developing new permanent supportive housing.

Why are PHAs important to efforts to end homelessness?

Up to 20% of EA families are placed through state and federal public housing, Section 8, and the LHA Transitional Housing Program

Springfield Housing Authority's 2007 commitment of 90 project-based vouchers for permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals has been a major contributing factor to the City's 27% decrease in chronic homelessness over a five-year period

DHCD’s HPRP eviction prevention initiatives Work of ICHH Regional Networks

We are already working together to address homelessness

Current snapshot in Western Mass:EA Families in area motels

Housing Authority284 families in motels from

community40% “possibly” meet homeless

preference

Agawam 2 0

Amherst 2 0

Chicopee 29 11

Easthampton 1 0

Greenfield 15 5

Hampden 1 0

Holyoke 38 11

Ludlow 4 1

Montague 1 0

Northampton 3 2

Palmer 1 1

South Hadley 2 2

Southwick 1 1

Springfield 163 70

Ware 3 1

West Springfield 7 2

Westfield 11 4

Totals 284 111

DHCD and LHA Program Models that serve families that are homeless or experiencing housing instability:

LHA Transitional HousingLHA Housing First Homelessness Prevention

DHCD and DTA established THP model in 1992

DHCD currently funds 90 units statewide administered by 8 housing authorities

DHCD funds LHA to pay for a monthly occupancy and administrative fee

DHCD funds case management staff at LHA Families transition to lease upon successful

completion of a transitional service plan 92% graduation rate within 8 months

LHA Transitional Housing Program

DHCD and DTA established Housing First model in 2007

DHCD currently funds 40 units at 3 LHAs Family transition from shelter and begins a

lease in a public housing unit DHCD provides participating LHA with

funding for case management staff and support services

99.99% retention rate

LHA Housing First

State has experience with ICHH and HPRP-funded initiatives with LHAs

State funds Tenancy Preservation Programs (TPP) in several locations, including S-field

Federal funding through McKinney Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and the HEARTH Act◦ Working through Continua of Care across state to bolster

individual rehousing and prevention efforts◦ RFR out now; responses due back May 8th

FY13 Proposed expansion to RAFT Program

Homelessness Prevention

USING STATE (EA) RESOURCES: EA families lease with LHA DHCD pays a monthly fee of $400 to LHA DHCD provides funds for case management

staff and support services at LHA Opportunity for a regional model involving

multiple LHAsUSING FEDERAL RESOURCES: Sponsor-base Section 8 vouchers

Proposal for discussion:LHA Supportive Housing Model

There are many reasons PHAs choose to invest in supportive housing, including:

◦ Mission: Supportive housing complements PHAs’ missions by enhancing their ability to serve low-income households that otherwise struggle in traditional programs.

◦ Partnerships: PHAs that engage in ending homelessness create connections with government and nonprofit leaders that can open doors for other PHA initiatives.

◦ Funding: when PHAs invest in supportive housing, their contributions leverage significant resources for their agencies and their communities. In recent years, the majority of incremental vouchers available to PHAs have had requirements to serve special-needs populations in partnership with service providers, such as HUD-VASH.

Why is supportive housing important to PHAs?