www'stpsf'org 4152524788

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• www.stp-sf.org 415-252-4788

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Providing a Continuum of Care

• Through integrated case management and the direct
  services, Swords to Plowshares provides veterans
  the tools they need to escape poverty, increase
  stability, mitigate poor health conditions, and
  attain self-sufficiency, dignity, and
  independence.
• We operate under the philosophy that addressing
  all areas of need housing, employment, primary
  and mental health care, substance abuse
  treatment, social and income supports, works to
  stabilize those we serve and address the issues
  that contribute to the risks of homelessness.

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Services for Veterans at Swords

• Health and Human Services a drop in,
  peer-model, mental health case management clinic,
  also providing Social Security claims assistance,
  emergency housing, housing placement,
  homelessness prevention, food boxes, phone and
  mail delivery services
• Employment Training services
• Legal Services for VA claims
• Enhanced Transitional and
• Permanent Supportive Housing
• Iraq Veteran Project

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Supportive Housing

• Since 1988, Swords to Plowshares has successfully
  housed and treated hundreds of homeless veterans.
  What started with 12 beds in a residential hotel
  for homeless veterans released from psychiatric
  and drug treatment programs at VA hospitals, has
  grown to serve 183 once-homeless veterans at any
  given time.
• After about 10 years of providing transitional
  housing only, it became apparent that some
  veterans were unable to maintain the success that
  they achieved in the transitional program.
  Others would repeatedly drop out of the
  transitional program, unable to tolerate the
  restrictive nature of an abstinence-based
  program.
• We came to understand that permanent supportive
  housing, utilizing a harm reduction model, was
  needed if we were to break cyclical homelessness
  for this segment of the homeless veteran
  population.
• Our first PSH project, The Veterans Academy,
  opened it doors in July of 2000.

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The Veterans Academy

• The Veterans Academy opened in 2000 to provide
  permanent housing for formerly homeless disabled
  veterans.
• 102 veterans are currently living at the Academy,
  located in the Presidio of San Francisco, a
  former Army base converted to a national park.
• The facility is under 20 year lease through the
  Presidio Trust. Rehab financing was obtained
  from local affordable housing bond funds and the
  San Francisco Mayors Office of Housing.

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The Veterans Academy

• Operating/rent subsidies from 100 project-based
  section 8 Mod Rehab units and 2 HUD VASH housing
  choice vouchers.
• Services funding from HUD SHP grant.

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Resident Profile Veterans Academy

• DISABILITY PROFILE Current Residents
• Physical Disability 50/49
• Mental Health 65/64
• ETOH abuse/dependence 63/62
• Drug abuse/dependence 57/56
• HIV/AIDS 8/8
• Dual morbidities 74/73
• including triple morbidities 61/60

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Resident Profile Veterans Academy

• INCOME PROFILE Current Residents
• 2,000 6
• 1,501 to 2,000 7
• 1,001 to 1,500 13
• 750 to 1,000 55
• 500 to 749 5
• lt 500 13
• 28 RESIDENTS HAVE HAD SOME MANNER OF EMPLOYMENT
  OVER THE PRIOR YEAR, MOSTLY PART-TIME.
• 53 RESIDENTS PERFORM SOME MANNER OF VOLUNTEERISM
  WITHIN THE GREATER COMMUNITY.

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Resident Profile Veterans Academy

• RESIDENTIAL STABILITY
• Any Permanent Supportive Housing program should
  be judged on how well it achieves residential
  stability for the population or, in short,
  reduces recidivism into homelessness. Since
  opening in 2000, the Academy has been home to 232
  veterans.
• Of those that moved in during the first month,
  22 remain.
• Of the130 that have left, their circumstances
  are broken down as follows
• Moved to other permanent housing 64/49
• Death 24/18
• Abandoned/unknown 22/17
• Higher level of care 12/9
• Incarceration 8/6

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Resident Profile Veterans Academy

• RESIDENTIAL STABILITY, cont.
• Although it is not too uncommon for the program
  to institute legal proceedings for serious
  nonpayment and behavioral issues, since inception
  only one eviction proceeding has gone to legal
  fruition, i.e. formal eviction by law
  enforcement. All others have been adequately
  addressed via stipulated judgments or when,
  through case management and negotiation, the
  veteran changes their behavior or decides to move
  on voluntarily and avoid damaging her or his
  rental history.

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The Veterans Academy

• What weve learned
• Offering an array of activities, such as on site
  computer instruction, meditation yoga classes,
  nature walks, group attendance at sporting and
  cultural events, holiday celebrations, and
  volunteer opportunities is required to get many
  veterans engaged with staff and the community.

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The Veterans Academy

• What weve learned
• It takes time and effort to build a healthy
  community a critical mass of engaged residents.
• Assertive case management is required. Engage the
  residents where you can In the chow hall,
  laundry, courtyard.

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Services and Operating Budget
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Veterans Commons, est. opening 2012

• Building made available by the City County of
  San Francisco through its surplus properties
  program
• Our successful bid for building calls for 76
  efficiency apartments for chronically homeless
  and homeless senior veterans (age 55)
• Pre-development funding from SF Mayors Office,
  Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and
  Corporation for Supportive Housing

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Veterans Commons

• Projected Operating Subsidies
• HUD-VASH
• Shelter Plus Care
• Potential Services Funding
• VA Services in Supportive Housing?
• SAMSHA
• Local Services subsidy program

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Swords to Plowshares

• For more information, questions, site tours
  please contact
• Leon Winston, Chief Operating Officer
• Swords to Plowshares
• 1060 Howard Street
• San Francisco, CA 94103
• Phone [phone] direct line
• Email lwinston_at_stp-sf.org