2007 CASE to Care Conference on Homelessness

2007 CASE to Care Conference on Homelessness

Where have we been, where are we now, and where are we going?

Matt White, CoC Consultant

Carlin Abbott, HMIS System Director

2007 CASE to Care Annual Meeting 2

Updated Needs Assessment: An Overview

Review of 2004 and 2007 Needs Assessment processes

Understanding the data – what do we know now?

Consideration of model programs and emerging research on homeless program design and effectiveness


Needs Assessment Context

2004 Needs Assessment Goals: Collect qualitative and quantitative data Assess effectiveness of services Target chronically homeless Recommend solutions for improving service

coordination and reducing homelessness

2007 Updated Needs Assessment Goals: Confirm our understanding of the needs of

homeless persons and extent of the problem


Needs Assessment Data Sources

2004Survey of homeless individuals (n=117)Focus groupsCoC application data

2007HMIS data (participation rates over 75%)AHAR ReportCoC application data


Annual Prevalence of Total Homeless Population

2004 NA Estimate

2007 AHAR Estimate

Total number of unique individuals experiencing homelessness

2,275 – 3,300 3,467

What do we know: Initial 2004 estimate was accurate Homelessness has increased 5% since 2004


Annual Prevalence by Subpopulation

2004 NA Estimate

2007 AHAR Estimate

Adult Men 1,310 – 1,500 (47%) 1,852 (53%)

Adult Women 635 – 700 (29%) 828 (24%)

Children in Families 725 – 860 (24%) 774 (22%)

What do we know: Increase in homelessness is concentrated in

single adult male subpopulation Other subpopulations have remained constant


Annual Prevalence by Household

2004 NA Estimate

2007 AHAR Estimate

Individual Adult Men 1,310 – 1,500 (57%) 1,774 (64%)

Individual Adult Women 335 – 400 (15%) 493 (18%)

Households with Children 435 – 520 (19%) 413 (15%)

Unaccompanied Youth 140 – 165 (9%) 63 (2%)

What do we know: Family households have not increased as much

as single adult male households Is this a factor of demand or accessibility?


General Homeless Demographic Profile

NA Men NA Women NA Families AHAR

Median Age 38 35 25 31 - 50

High School graduate 66% 32% 58% -

High School graduate – AHAR 27% 28% 28% -

African-American 44% 49% 55% 47%

Veteran 67% 0% 8% 13%

Avg. Monthly Income $358 $450 $528 -

Avg. Monthly Income w/ $0 - AHAR $104 $293 $199 -

Avg. Monthly Income w/out $0 - AHAR $508 $619 $616 -

Avg. Number of Children - - 2.3 1.7

First Time Homeless 44% 32% 63% -

First Time Homeless – AHAR 56% 59% 54% -

More than 2 x homeless 33% 61% 11% -

Ethnicity – Hispanic - - - 7%

Disabled 56% 46% 54% 44%


Inventory of CoC BedsBeds 2004 2007 % ∆

Men – Emergency Shelter 116 139 +20%

Men – Transitional Housing 98 91 -7%

Men – Permanent Housing 188 62 -67%

Men - TOTAL 401 292 -27%

Women – Emergency Shelter 42 45 +7%

Women – Transitional Housing 85 97 +14%

Women – Permanent Housing 46 20 -57%

Women - TOTAL 173 162 -6%

Families – Emergency Shelter 193 197 +2%

Families – Transitional Housing 261 160 -39%

Families – Permanent Housing 166 65 -61%

Families - TOTAL 620 422 -32%


Inventory of CoC Beds

The way in which permanent beds are classified has changed from 2004 to 2007

Is the current inventory the right configuration to meet the need?

Does future growth in inventory need to be targeted to permanent beds for single adult men?


Bed Utilization Rates

Emergency Shelter -Families

Emergency Shelter - Individuals

Transitional Housing - Families

Transitional Housing - Individuals

% of Beds Utilized on an Avg. Night

51% 93% 102% 79%

What do we know: Family shelter is under-utilized Transitional housing for families operates over

capacity


Length of Stay

Emergency Shelter - Families

Emergency Shelter - Individuals

Transitional Housing - Families

Transitional Housing - Individuals

Avg. Length of Stay 74 days 54 days 338 days 172 days

% of Clients who Stayed > 180 Nights

0 1% N/A N/A

What do we know: Shelter stays are within national averages Very few long term stayers (chronic)


Sheltered Population Compared to US and Poverty Populations

Persons by Household Type

% of Toledo Sheltered Homeless

Population

% of Sheltered Homeless

Population

% of US Poverty

Population

% of US Population

Adult Men 64% 66% 45% 52%

Adult Women 18% 16% 25% 26%

Households with Children

15% 13% 20.4% 23%

Unaccompanied Youth

2% 1% 0% 0%

What do we know: Toledo population is in line with national rates


HMIS Demographics

See handouts from Carlin… What do we know:

Gender, age, race, and ethnicity rates in Toledo are consistent with US sheltered population and US poverty population

Mental health, substance abuse, and inadequate living condition continue to be primary reasons for homelessness

Chronic or long-term homelessness represents a small percentage of homeless clients, but those clients use a disproportionate amount of resources


Gender(Change: Female increase as % of Total)

58%

42%

Male Female

2003-2006 2007 YTD (Oct)

53%47%

Male Female


Age Range(Change: 0-18 yrs increase as % of total, 46-64 yrs decrease as % of total)

20%

29%23%

27%

1%

0-18 19-35 36-45

46-64 65+

2003-2006 2007 YTD (Oct)

25%

33%

21%

20%1%

0-18 19-35 36-45

46-64 65+


Primary Race(Change: White pop increase as % of total, Black pop decrease as % of

total)

54%39%

6%1%

Black WhiteMulti-Racial Other

2003-2006 2007 YTD (Oct)

49%

44%

6%1%

Black WhiteMulti-Racial Other


Ethnicity(Change: Hispanic decrease as % of Total)

7%

93%

Hispanic Non-Hispanic

2003-2006 2007 YTD (Oct)

4%

96%

Hispanic Non-Hispanic


Primary Reason for Homelessness(Change: Mental Health increased as % of total)

15%

14%

14%

13%11%

9%

8%

6%

10%

Mental HealthSubstance AbuseInappropriate Living ConditionsRelease from institutionLow IncomeLoss of JobEvictionNo affordable housingOther

2003-2006 2007 YTD (Oct)

22%

16%

17%

14%

9%

5%

6%

4%

7%

Mental HealthSubstance AbuseInappropriate Living ConditionsRelease from institutionLow IncomeLoss of JobEvictionNo affordable housingOther


Extent of Homelessness(Change: First Time Homeless increase as % of total, Long Term and Chronic

range from 12%-20% of total)

43%

36%

11%

10%

First Time Homeless1-2 times in pastLong Term: 2 Yrs or MoreChronic: 4 times in past 3 years

2003-2006 2007 YTD (Oct)

56%32%

6%6%

First Time Homeless1-2 times in pastLong Term: 2 Yrs or MoreChronic: 4 times in past 3 years


Emerging Homeless Policy Issues:

Typology study of homeless families:80% short-term stayers; 20% long-termFamilies with long stays are no more likely

to have intensive behavioral health issues, to be disabled, or to be unemployed.

Policy and program factors, rather than family characteristics, are responsible for long shelter stays among families

Culhane, Housing Policy Debate, 2007



Causes of family homelessness:Families paying more than half their income

for rent or living in severely substandard housing represent the most reliable indicator of future homelessness (not mental illness, substance abuse, or disability)

US Dept. of HUD, Affordable Housing Needs 2005



Families at risk of homelessness can avoid homelessness by using housing vouchers

For families who become homeless, vouchers are the most effective way of leaving homelessness

Mills, Effects of Housing Choice Vouchers on Welfare Families, 2007



The current voucher program, growing by 100,000 units annually, will still not provide enough affordable housing to prevent all families from experiencing homelessness.

Targeted case management programs should target those families that have difficulty using vouchers (past evictions from PHA, criminal records)



Housing First is increasingly replacing transitional housing as an effective model for serving homeless families and moving them to permanent housing quicker and more successfully.

National Alliance to End Homelessness, Housing First for Families, 2005



Programs that focus on increasing income and employment are most successful in ending homelessness for single adults.

A range of employment options is needed.

Rog, Reconnecting Homeless Individuals to the Community, 2004


CASE to Care Annual Community Meeting

Questions?

Documents

2007 CASE to Care Conference on Homelessness