THE BERGEN COUNTY HOUSING, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CENTERA SHARED PROJECT BETWEEN THE COUNTY OF BERGEN AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF

BERGEN COUNTY “A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO MEETING HUMAN SERVICES NEEDS”

 

 

Bergen County Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness 2008

OPENEDOctober 1, 2009

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

HISTORY: 1985-95

Focus: Provide Emergency Shelter

Background

Kansas Street, churches

Overnight only

Exclusionary and fragmented

Temporary locationBergen County Housing, Health and Human Services

Center

HISTORY: 1995-2005

Focus: Modify the Existing System

The One Stop idea

Build a permanent shelter

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

HISTORY: 2005-10

Focus: Change the System

Federal requirements: Develop 10 year plan to end

homelessness Coordinate and integrate service

delivery

Local direction: Identify and use best practices Develop a collaborative model

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

MISSION

To place individuals who are homeless in permanent housing and provide the support services needed to ensure success in the community.

To serve as a one-stop location and single point of entry for individuals to receive information, care management, health and human services, and financial assistance.

To prevent homelessness using Homelessness Prevention Rapid-Re-Housing stimulus funds.

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

KEY DESIGN CONCEPTS

Objective: End chronic homelessness

Approach: The Housing First Model

Process: Engagement, Collaboration,

Integration

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

KEY DESIGN ELEMENTS

1. Develop a one stop service and support platform, not a

shelter

2. Provide the services needed to accelerate housing placement, independence

3. Engage community decision makers during the design

phase

4. Pilot test the concept

5. Create resource based contractual operating

partnerships

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

KEY DESIGN ELEMENTS cont’d

6. Offer aggressive daytime programming

7. Provide incentives to encourage onsite agency

involvement

8. Provide direct client centered support following placement

9. Partner with community resources: police, hospitals, corrections, business and government

10. Market the program both to its guests and to the

community 

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

BUILDING AMENITIES/SERVICES 27,516 square feet new construction

including:

Nutrition site

Shelter space for up to 90 + 15

individuals

Drop-in Program 365 Days

Wellness Services

Showers, bathrooms and laundry facility

Computers, mail service and telephonesBergen County Housing, Health and Human Services

Center

CONTRACTED PARTNERS

Housing Authority of Bergen

County Christ Church CDC Care Plus, NJ Friendship House

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

HABC Under Shared Services Management and Administration of Center Provide Clinical oversight and care management services Facility Management

Back Office Support

EA billing and interface with BCBSS

Housing specialist to determine eligibility, review documentation and provide voucher issuance 

Administer HPRP, ESG, ESG funds including security deposits

Bergen County Housing, Health and Humans Services Center

HOUSING PLACEMENT AND SUPPORT  Efforts to place clients in permanent rental housing

begin immediately following client assessment. The Center maintains relationships with real estate agents and landlords for placement.

  When a housing placement is arranged a

neighborhood based team provides service coordination and follow-up.

  The Center is establishing relationships with health

and human service agencies to provide financial resources necessary to support housing placement or emergency financial assistance to individuals and families in proximate danger of becoming homeless.

 

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

Bergen County United Way

Advance Housing

Vantage Health Systems

Northeast NJ Legal Services Comprehensive Behavioral

Healthcare

Family Promise (formerly IRF)

Board of Social Services

Hackensack Social Services (GA)

WIB

AA / NA

Bergen Community

College

Bergen County One-Stop NJ Division of Vocational

Rehabilitation Services

Veteran’s Services

Rape Crisis Center

HOPE Ex-Offenders BCCAP Jewish Family ServicesBergen County Housing, Health and Human Services

Center

SOURCES OF FUNDING

Federal Stimulus Funds (HPRP)

BC DHS State SSH Funding

NJ DHS Funding

Federal Funding (CDBG, ESG,

ESG, HOME and FEMA)

Bergen County United Way

Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

OUTCOMES TO DATE (2/1/2013) 410 individuals have been place in permanent

housing

286, 170 meals have been served

4,500 individual have made 100,074 visits to Next Step

105, 912 bed-nights of shelter have been provided at the Center

440 + families and individuals in danger losing their homes were provided prevention and /or rapid re-housing assistance

Less than 5% recidivism rateBergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center

RECOGNITION

NAHRO 2012 National Merit Award for Program Innovation – Residents & Client Services

MARC-NAHRO 2012 Award for Outstanding Achievement

Leading nationally in the 100K Homes Campaign

Bergen County Housing, Health and Humans Services Center