Campaign to End Homelessness

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Campaign to End Homelessness

• Wexford Missaukee Counties
• Homeless Prevention Coalition

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Background

• Presidents call to action to end homelessness
• (US Mayors, Dec 2002)
• US Interagency Council on Homelessness
• 10 Year Plan cities across the US
• 60 local plans in Michigan

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Local Initiative
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Recent History of Local Homeless Prevention
Efforts

• OASIS Shelter
• Love, In the Name of Christ
• Shepherds Table
• New Hope Shelter
• Friends Ministry
• Lighthouse Café
• Family Shelters
• Continuum of Care
• Staircase Homeless Program for Youth
• Homeless Prevention Coordinator
• Projects to Assist in the Transition from
  Homelessness (PATH) for persons with Mental
  Illness (with or without substance abuse issue)
• Domestic Violence Transitional Supportive Housing
• Supportive Housing Program (Mental Illness)

• 1984
• 1991
• 1991
• 1992
• 1994
• 1998
• 2000
• 2000
• 2001
• 2001
• 2002
• 2004
• 2005

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Current History - Milestones

• Housing First
• Transitional Supportive Housing Leasing
  Assistance Program (TSHLAP)
• Interagency Support Team

• 2005
• 2006
• 2006

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• Ending homelessness must begin with the
  understanding that people who are or have been
  homeless are our neighbors and members of our
  community.
• National Coalition for the Homeless

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Who is homeless in Wexford Missaukee Counties?

• a woman with two young children who has been in
  the shelter 4 times in the past 18 months. Her
  children have been removed and are now in foster
  care. She has a long history of substance abuse.

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Who is homeless in Wexford Missaukee Counties?

• a single older woman sleeping in her car in the
  hospital parking lot because she thinks it is safe

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Who is homeless in Wexford Missaukee Counties?

• a middle aged man with a mental illness who
  gathers at the New Hope Shelter in the evening,
  but hits the streets in the morning looking for
  returnables and congregates with his peers at
  the library in the afternoon

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Who is homeless in Wexford Missaukee Counties?

• a young woman with children who got in a fight
  with her last boyfriend and fled domestic
  violence to stay at the OASIS shelter

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Who is homeless in Wexford Missaukee Counties?

• a teenage boy who doesnt get along at home
  anymore because his mom is in a new relationship
  and her boyfriend hates me

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Who is homeless in Wexford Missaukee Counties?

• a family of four whose father became unemployed.
  They are unable to keep up mortgage payments and
  become evicted

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Who is homeless in Wexford Missaukee Counties?
Families with Children
Youth
Women fleeing domestic violence
Substance abuse
Persons with mental illness
Just out of jail or prison
Senior Citizen
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Vision
Homelessness in Wexford and Missaukee counties
is a rare and brief occurrence.
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Definitions (HUD)

• Homeless
• Persons living in
• Emergency shelters
• Motels
• Sleeping in places not meant for human habitation
• Streets
• Parks, woods
• Cemeteries

• At Risk of Becoming Homeless
• Persons living
• In doubled up, overcrowded, or substandard
  housing
• With eviction or foreclosure notice
• With utilities shut off (or notices)

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On any given day
Population estimate 47,200
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2 Main Types of Homelessness

• Episodic
• Chronically Homeless

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Region 2 HMIS Data

• Disabilities
• 35 homeless show a disability
• Most common disability is mental illness,
• 37 of disabilities are physical

Working Poor 42 of homeless families are employed
Successes 62 of homeless exit into housing
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Services Infrastructure

• Human Services Leadership Council (community
  collaborative)
• Continuum Of Care
• Affordable Housing
• Campaign to End Homelessness
• Interagency Services Team

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C O L L A B O R A T I O N

• Community Collaborative
• Coordination and support
• Faith based
• Local foundation - trustees
• Hospital
• Businesses
• Civic organizations

Collaboration is the key!
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Guiding Principles

• All individuals and families should have safe,
  affordable housing
• Prevention plays a critical role in closing the
  front door into homelessness
• Mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and social
  needs
• Empowerment through education, skill building,
  identification of strengths, and relationships
  built on trust

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Our Plan to End Homelessness

• Closing the front door
• Opening the back door
• Working together as a community

How many people are just one pay check away from
becoming homeless?
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10 Year Plan Addresses Subpopulations

• Chronically homeless
• Youth
• Families with Children
• Domestic Violence
• Seniors

Faith-based initiatives
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General Prevention Strategies

• Early identification referral
• Creative community based solutions
• Housing First
• Build and improve relationships with landlords
  and management companies
• Homeless priority for Section 8
• Increase affordable housing
• Sustainability of Homeless Prevention Coordinator

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Accomplishments

• IST up and running for more than 1 year
• Permanent Supportive Housing DV Supportive
  Housing
• Increased transitional supportive housing
• Brought in TBRAs for youth and families with
  children
• HARP vouchers
• Stabilized homeless prevention coordinator and
  gained one
• Continuing to build relationships within homeless
  service community schools and others
• Youth subcommittee youth help card
• National Conference

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New Programs
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Permanent Supportive Housing
Domestic Violence Cadillac (4 units)
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8 Units Permanent Supportive Housing
NEW!
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Maggie and daughter living in (and loving)
brand new accessible apartment
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Next Steps

• Continue to improve data collection
• All agencies, all information
• Accurate homeless counts
• Accurately reflect progress on outcomes
• Permanent housing (for people coming off
  vouchers) increase HARP vouchers, investigate
  chronic homeless initiative
• More organized listing of lifeskills classes to
  plug people in more easily
• More prevention
• Outreach and engagement for chronically homeless
• Operationalizing current resources / initiatives
  (build and improve capacity)

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Next Steps

• Wraparound model transportation, employment and
  training, life skills education, literacy,
  financial management, substance abuse and family
  counseling
• Mentoring
• Home repair / maintenance
• Basic needs fund for homeless prevention
• Youth drop-in center

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Cost of HomelessnessHuman Costs

• 4 X mortality
• Cost to children
• Cost to psyche

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Homeless Children

• Critical red flag
• Schools and agency workers see it every day
• Multiple school attendance
• Lack of stability
• Inadequate shelters for families
• Increasing number of PS cases

In rural areas with poor economy - we are
seeing an increase in the number of families that
are doubled up.
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Cost of HomelessnessSociety (taxpayer) cost

• Medical
• Mental Health / Substance Abuse
• Law Enforcement
• Shelter

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Cost of HomelessnessHousing First

• Success Rates
• Cost vs Shelter

• What is Housing First?
• Approach that provides homeless people with
  housing quickly, then provides needed services
• Immediate and primary focus on quickly accessing
  and sustaining permanent housing
• Significantly reduces the amount of time people
  are homeless
• Significantly prevents further episodes of
  homelessness

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HOMELESS?
It happens. We can help. Wexford-Missaukee
Homeless Prevention Coalition
1-800-443-2297