PowerPoint Presentation

Homelessness in The Bronx

Definition of HomelessLacks fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residenceHas a primary nighttime residence that is a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter to provide temporary living accommodationsAn institution that provides temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalizedA public or private place not designed or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings

(U.S. Code, title 42, Chapter 119, Subchapter I, Section 11302)

2At risk of being homeless 1)precarious arrangements, attempting to stay in conventional housing, including increasing number of children living in poverty or single-parent families, recent immigrants, those caught in complicated web of urban decay and conflicting housing and social policies2)process of termination of a stay in an institutional setting 3)situations in which they have insufficient prospects or resources)Different states interpret differentlyHomelessness During the Great DepressionGreat Depression Timeline1929 Stock Market crash1930 Unemployment Rate rises from 3.2% - 8.7%1931 Unemployment rises to 15.9%1932 - Unemployment rises to 23.6%1932 FDR defeats Hoover in presidential election1933 Unemployment tops out at 24.9%

Statistics provided by www.hyperhistory.com

Homelessness During the Great DepressionGreat Depression Timeline (cont)1933 Economy turns around; Unemployment drops to 21.7%1935 Social Security Act is passed1939 WWII begins1941 U.S. enters WWII

Statistics provided by www.hyperhistory.com

End of the Great DepressionFDRs New Deal (many programs developed)Inflating the money supplyDeficit SpendingWorld War II (creation of more jobs)

New DealFranklin Roosevelt established programs between 1933-1937 (relief, recovery, and reform)

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) work relief programCivilian Conservation Corps (CCC)Public Works Administration (PWA)Works Progress Administration (WPA)Social Security ActUnemployment InsuranceResettlement Administration & Farm Security Administration relief for rural America

Other ProgramsFood Stamp Program 1st developed in 1939Food Stamp Act 1964 (To be continued)Medicare (To be continued)Medicaid - (To be continued)Head Start (To be continued)Recovery Act of 1983 (To be continued)Hud Reform Act -1989 (To be continued)Many other programs designed to fight poverty and homelessness

Homelessness Today

How homelessness happensHomelessness is something that can happen to anyone and fastGenerally someone is laid off at work and cant pay the bills

Reasons for homelessnessAbuseVietnam war veteransMental illnessesLack of affordable housingWorking families struggle to keep upDeclining federal supportLow profit margins bring neglectFraud and wasteFactors that inhibit construction

Homelessness Today3.5 Million people will experience homelessness in a given year1.35 million children are homeless on any given night41% of children are under the age of 5Families are fastest growing population of homelessness (2000 census 39% of Nations Homelessness)

Additional Problems of Homelessness25% of single adult population of homelessness suffers from persistent mental illnessHomeless spend more time in hospitals and jails than the housed poor lack medical careHomeless children do worse in school (low attendance & learning disabilities)Majority of homeless have experienced hate crime1999-2005 472 acts of violence against homeless (169 murders while in shelter care)

Problems of Homelessness25% of single adult population of homelessness suffers from persistent mental illnessHomeless spend more time in hospitals and jails than the housed poor lack medical careHomeless children do worse in school (low attendance & learning disabilities)Majority of homeless have experienced hate crime1999-2005 472 acts of violence against homeless (169 murders while in shelter care)

Measuring the HomelessPoint in time count counts all people who are homeless on a give day or a given week

Period prevalence counts examines the number of people who are homeless over a given period of time

Hidden Homelessness not counted(59.2% former homeless report periodically living in cars or other homes)

New U.S. ResearchLargest group of homeless 80% transitional

10% stay and return in response to assistance efforts

Third Group chronic homeless

The South BronxDecline began in 1960sRobert Moses seized properties for expressways.Welfare recipients were stuck in the remains.1967 Decade of arsons beganMost buildings were not restored, leaving tracts of rubble300,000 left the neighborhoodRoughly 3/5 of population

Number of Homeless people applying for a shelter in New York

Policies and Laws 1981 Housing and community development AmendmentsRecovery Act of 1983Stewart B. McKinney Homelessness Assistance Act1989 HUD Reform ActSubsidized housing and voucher programsNIMBY (Not in My Back Yard)

20Origins: NYCs Homeless Services New York State has a Right to ShelterNYC has developed an extensive shelter system administered by the Department of Homeless ServicesMultiple city agencies & non-profits offer transitional housing, rental assistance, eviction prevention, aftercareSeries of studies conducted on homeless services in NYCSpecial Masters Panel: Family Homelessness Prevention (2003)NYCs 5 year plan Uniting for Solutions Beyond Shelter (2004)Vera Institute: Understanding Family Homelessness in NYC (2005)

20The genesis of HomeBase is DHS 1st strategic plan and the Mayors 5 year plan to end homelessness Uniting for Solutions Beyond Shelter, which calls for a 2/3 reduction in homelessness in 5 years through prevention, improved shelter services, permanency, and accountability.

As a marquee initiative in Mayor Bloombergs 5 year plan to end chronic homelessness, HomeBase was established to signal a willingness on the part of the administration to take risks and invest in new strategies to overcome the status quo of mass homelessness in New York City.

Historically, both locally and nationally, homelessness prevention programs have only been made available at the onset of a housing crisis, such as at the point of eviction, or after households have presented themselves for shelter.

The key innovation embedded in HomeBase is that it brings together data analysis to proactively identify clients, community-based providers, and flexible servicesall of which allow us to intervene before the onset of a housing crisis and, often, before a household knows to ask for help.

21Origins: RecommendationsAffordable Housing and Rental Subsidies help prevent homelessness

Early Identification: Identify precipitating factors; high-risk populationsIdentify prior housing sources, conditions and precipitating events that lead to family homelessnessIncidents of Prior Homelessness, Areas of high receipt of public assistanceDoubled up households, Young head of householdFamilies at risk may not be help-seeking: need for Outreach, Community Education

21What makes the HomeBase approach different is that the design of the programboth the use community-based services and the flexible program designare informed by DHS and outside research. DHS worked extensively with the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera), an action research organization, and partner city agencies to obtain statistics on family homelessness. The final report, published by Vera, examines a range of events that families experienced in the five years prior to their entry into shelter, as well as the degree to which respondents felt these events contributed to their homelessness. Vera also used event history analysis to find out which life events increase the likelihood of a family entering shelter in any given month.

Furthermore, HomeBase incorporates real-time learning with a structured, data-driven approach in program implementation and agency accountability.

HomeBase is implemented through performance-based contracts, holding providers accountable for clearly defined outcomes, and enforcing those expectations through rate changes. The rate changes provide bonuses for performance above target and reductions for programs falling short of their established goals. This structure follows the same format successfully employed by DHS for shelter service providers three years ago.We have taken the accountability to new levels for HomeBase providers. Providers are held accountable not only for producing positive outcomes for their clients (i.e. the portion of those served who avoid a shelter stay), but for the community as well (i.e. the amount of homelessness in this community compared to others). This shift depends on the investment the providers have in the entire community while reinforcing the importance of accurate targeting. Serving clients well is not enough. Finding the right clients those who without our intervention would end up in shelter is the goal. Our providers say that this process is not like finding a needle in the haystack, but finding a particular piece of hay.

Targets:Client outcomes (30 points) 92% of those served do not enter shelterShelter demand (50 points) reduction of x-y% over previous years entrantsProcess indicators (20 points) average age, secondary tenant, clients served, timely reporting, complete database reporting, pending cases, timely service plan review.

22Origins: RecommendationsPrevention Services must be Data-Driven, Targeted NYC develops geo-coded agency tracking systemIncludes data matches with multiple city agenciesGeographic AnalysisPatterns of shelter entry, poverty, public assistancePrevention services must be community-based, provide a range of interventions in a variety of settingsCross-agency coordination is essential; need exists to tie together a range of services provided through a variety of sourcesProgram design must be flexible and timelyLegal (anti-eviction) services must be includedShort-term financial assistance is key

Has Anything Changed?

Video Linkshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O114S_a6cNU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXtEQaArXqw