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Orange County’s Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness

Karen Roper, DirectorOC Housing & Community Services

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Why OC Created a Ten-Year Plan• OC needed to develop a more strategic, focused effort to OC needed to develop a more strategic, focused effort to

end homelessness. end homelessness.

• To remain competitive for Federal Homeless Assistance funding (successfully secured over $155.7 million in Continuum of Care Funding since 1996)

• OC’s TOC’s Ten-Year Plan has contributed to positive, systemic changes in the way we address homelessness.

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What Makes a Successful Plan?• Broad community participation

• Getting the right leaders at the table (not just homeless/housing providers)

• Development of goals and strategies that support best practices and models to end (not manage) homelessness

• Measurable Outcomes

• Vision, patience, and courage

• Believe and Dream!

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Overcoming Barriers AssociatedWith Philosophical Differences Between Providers• Community-Based versus Faith-Based• Low Threshold versus High Threshold• Zero Tolerance versus Harm Reduction• Government versus Private Funding• Housing First/Rapid Rehousing versus Traditional Continuum of Care Progression• Conservative versus Liberal

THERE IS COMMON GROUND!

• CPR (Connecting People with Resources)• Serving People/Ending Homelessness• Positively Contributing to an Effort Much Bigger Than You!• Improving the Quality of Life• Saving Tax Payer Dollars• One Size Does Not Fit All

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Overview of Planning Structure• Working Group (Appointed by Continuum)

• Stakeholder Comment Groups (Continuum)

• Expert Implementation Groups (Universities/Data Gurus)

• OC Homelessness Planning Group (Appointed by County CEO)

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10 Year Plan Working Group Members• Pam Allison OC Project Hope School• Bonnie Birnbaum OC Health Care Agency• Helen Cameron HOMES, Inc.• Bob Cerince City of Anaheim• Lucy Dunn OC Business Council• Kim Goll OC Children and Families Commission• Larry Haynes Mercy House• Lacy Kelly OC League of Cities• Scott Larson HomeAid OC • Dawn Lee OC Partnership• Jennifer Lee-Anderson CLA & Associates• Carolyn McInerney OC County Executive Office• Cathleen Murphy American Family Housing• Theresa Murphy Precious Life Shelter• Karen Roper OC Housing & Community Services• Margie Wakeham Families Forward

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OC Point In Time Count DataOC Point In Time Count Data

Census Component 2009 2011 Net Change Percent Change

Unsheltered projection 5,724 4,272 -1,452 -25%Shelter enumeration 2,609 2,667 58 2%Point-in-time count 8,333 6,939 -1,394 -17%Annual Estimate 21,479 18,325 -3,154 -15%

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Goals to End Homelessness• Goal 1: Prevent homelessness to ensure that no

one in our community becomes homeless.

• Goal 2: Outreach to those who are homeless and at risk of homelessness.

• Goal 3: Improve the efficacy of the emergency shelter and access system.

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Goals to End Homelessness• Goal 4: Make strategic improvements in the

transitional housing system.

• Goal 5: Develop permanent housing options linked to a range of supportive services.

• Goal 6: Ensure that people have the right resources, programs, and services to remain housed.

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Goals to End Homelessness• Goal 7: Improve data systems to accurately define

the need for housing and related services and to measure outcomes.

• Goal 8: Develop the systems and organizational structures to provide oversight and accountability.

• Goal 9: Advocate for community support, social policy, and systemic changes necessary to succeed.

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Blended Model

Prevention

Access Centers/

Multi-Service Centers

Homeless/At Risk

Residential S

ervices

Emergency Shelters/

Year-Round Armory

Transitional (Rapid or

Long Term)

Conventional Process

Permanent Housing

TYPES:

•Supportive with

Services

•Affordable (income- restricted)

•Section 8

•Market Rate

Outreac

h

Rapid Re-Housing

Process

Building Political Will &Getting the Right People At The Table

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• Strategic Messaging– Cost Benefit Analysis

• Parks• Libraries• Emergency Rooms• Jails• Fire Departments• Police Departments

– Healthier Communities– Putting a face on the issue (includes families with children, seniors, victims

of domestic violence, etc.)

• Building Relationships and Leadership Support

• Securing Strategic Stakeholder Appointments for Leadership Structure

OC Commission to End Homelessness Board Roster

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• Chairman John Moorlach OC Board of Supervisors• Tom Burnham OC Business Council• Bob Dunek OC City Manager’s Association• Bill Ford OC Business Council• Sister Regina Fox OC Funder’s Roundtable • Goll Kim OC Funder’s Roundtable• Don Hansen OC League of Cities• Larry Haynes HomeAid OC• Kathryn McCullough OC League of Cities

OC Commission to End Homelessness Board Roster

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• Wolfgang Knabe OC Fire Chief’s Association• Barbara Jennings HomeAid OC• Scott Larson Housing Commission• Jim Palmer Housing Commission• Allan Roeder OC City Manager’s Association• Paul Walters OC Police Chief’s Association• Carolyn McInerney County Executive Office• Mark Refowitz OC Health Care Agency• Steve Kight Executive Director

Ten-Year PlanImplementation Groups

• Group One – Prevent Homelessness/Outreach Larry Haynes, Chair to At-Risk and Homeless

• Group Two – Improve Emergency Shelter Scott Larson, Chair System/Improve Transitional Housing System

• Group Three – Develop Permanent Housing Allan Roeder, Chair Options/Resources to Remain Housed

• Group Four – Improve Data and Advocate Jim Palmer, Chair for Community Support/Social Policy/Systemic Change

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Ending Homelessness RequiresChange and Courage

Definition of Courage: Quality of mind or spirit that enablesa person to face difficulty, danger (and change) withoutfear!

Positive systemic change takes courage, time andperseverance.

It takes courage to strategically align resources to a TenYear Plan!

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Ending Homelessness RequiresChange and Courage

• Change will require us to be open to new ideas, philosophies, and program models.

• We have to think about the big picture and what is best for those we serve.

• Blessed are the flexible!

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Practice What We Preach!Since January 2010 when the Board of

Supervisors approved the draft Ten-Year Plan, OC Housing & Community Services has been aligning multiple funding resources to support

ending homelessness in Orange County!

OC Housing & Community Services

DirectorKaren Roper

Executive SecretaryNorma Dickerson

Community Investment &

OC Workforce Investment Board

Andrew Munoz

OC Housing & Community

Development/Homeless Prevention

Julia Bidwell

OC Housing Authority

John HambuchOC Office on Aging

Sylvia Mann

OC Veterans Service OfficeJohn Parent

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Resource Alignment Examples• Orange County Housing Authority Project-Based

Vouchers for special needs affordable housing development.

• Orange County Housing Authority Shelter Plus Care Vouchers for special needs homeless.

• Orange County Housing Authority VASH Vouchers for homeless Veterans.

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Resource Alignment Examples• Economic Stimulus Homeless Prevention/Rapid

Rehousing– Mobile Multi-Service Center– Post Hospital Recuperative Care Program– Homeless Prevention Assistance– Rapid Rehousing Assistance– Centralized Intake

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Resource Alignment Examples• Economic Stimulus Funding/Neighborhood Stabilization Program

affordable rental housing for homeless and special needs populations.

• Veterans Service Office VetConnect Project– Onsite behavioral health services

– Subsidized employment for Veterans

– Housing, Transportation and Other Supportive Services

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Building Strategic Funding Partners• OC Children & Families Commission• OC Health Care Agency• OC Social Services Agency• OC Cities • OC Funders Roundtable• HomeAid OC • Emergency Food & Shelter Program Board• Emergency Housing Assistance Program DLB

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Transforming Tragedies Into Hope for the Future

Kelly ThomasApril 5, 1974 – July 10, 2011

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Transforming Tragedies Into Hope for the Future

Police at the scene of a homeless slaying in Anaheim, California

Iraq War Veteran in California is

suspected homeless serial killer

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Ending Homelessness Through Servant Leadership

• The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.

• The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types.

• The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.

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Questions?