1. Rapid Re-Housing Models and Practices: Progressive Engagement and Related Approaches Washington Low Income Housing Alliance Conference on Ending Homelessness
Katharine Gale May 21, 2014

2. Core components of Rapid Re-Housing
Housing Identification
Recruit landlords to provide housing opportunities for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
Rent and Move-In Assistance (Financial)
Provide assistance to cover move-in costs, deposits, and the rental and/or utility assistance (typically six months or less) necessary to allow individuals and families to move immediately out of homelessness and to stabilize in permanent housing.
From NAEH in collaboration with, and endorsed by, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

3. Core components of Rapid Re-Housing
Services to help secure housing:
Help individuals and households:
Identify and select from permanent housing options based on unique needs, preferences, and financial resources.
Address issues that may impede access to housing (e.g. credit history, arrears, and legal issues).
Negotiate manageable and appropriate lease agreements with landlords.
Services to help maintain housing:
Appropriate and time-limited services and supports to stabilize quickly in permanent housing.
Monitor housing stability
Be available to resolve crises, at a minimum during the time rapid re-housing assistance is provided.

4. Core components of Rapid Re-Housing
Connections to community-based services
Provide or assist with connections to resources that improve safety and well-being and help achieve long-term goals, as needed, e.g. benefits, employment and community-based services.
Manner of delivery
Ensure that services are client-directed, respectful of individuals’ right to self-determination, and voluntary.
Unless basic, program-related case management is required by statute or regulation, participation in services should not be required to receive rapid re-housing assistance
From NAEH in collaboration with, and endorsed by, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

5. How do we define success?
Households that have no housing get housed, and do not return to homelessness in a defined time period
Don’t expect 100% ...
But so far better than everything else we do, except permanent subsidies (i.e. shelter, transitional, services only, even some PSH)

6. How can it work??
> 95% of people in poverty are housed at a point in time – how do they do it?
Very low income families typically rent- burdened. Most pay > 30% and many pay > 50% of income for housing but remain housed.
Our families typically have incomes at 10-15% of median - not going to live in median cost housing

7. Rapid re-housing's potential is great
Based on typical costs, we can successfully rehouse five times as many people with rapid rehousing as with transitional housing, with equal or better outcomes

8. Design questions: how much is enough?
Programs of varying length and depth have had similar success rates
Longer stays look good, especially for income changes, but shorter stays look good too, especially on housing stability
Shorter stays let us help more households with the same amount of resources

9. What about assessment? But:
Assessment is critical: need knowledge of client’s relevant history, current plans and desires
Understand housing barriers to assist, not to refuse assistance
Develop realistic approach to finding landlords and housing situations
Ability to link clients to supports in the community
But:
Assessment up front may not be a good way to size the financial assistance or length of time services are offered
Example: Let’s all go on a job hunt…

10. Progressive Engagement
Lightest touch possible first, leaving open potential for more
- or -
“you can always add more, but you can’t take it away” 19

11. Progressive Engagement approach
Independently Housed
PSH $$$$
Point of Entry
RRH 1 $
RRH 2 $$
RRH 3
$$$
*[Graphic from National Alliance to End Homelessness]

12. A change in philosophy and culture
Take as the goal ending the housing crisis
Idea of doing the least necessary
Believing people can make it without us, but being there if they cannot
Getting rewarded by seeing people leave, and helping more

13. How do you structure it??
Use different resources in tandem, based on their requirements and strengths, for different levels or phases of assistance
TANF $
ESG $$
HOME TBRA
$$$
Example:
Use one resource with regular reassessments and adjustments
Example: ESG alone, SSVF, local Child Welfare dollars

14. Resource Model from The Road Home
REFERRAL
DEPOSIT ASSISTANCE
SHORT TERM RENTAL ASSISTANCE
TBRA
TRH TRANS HOUSING
COC LEASING
SHELTER PLUS CARE
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
200 families
300 families
75 families (typically, a subset of 300 families served)
 No Financial
Support
ESG, TANF
City TBRA, County TBRA, WVCTBRA
Sandy Duplex, Sandy Condo, Sandy House, 5100 West, Highwood, Wenco, Riverside
Scattered
County SPC
City SPC
Sponsor Based SPC, PBS8, Project Based SPC
Assistance with applications and movement to S8, PH, Mod Rehab, other subsidy through local housing authorities, move out on their own
Includes deposit, prorated rent and first month’s rent
Includes deposit, prorated and first month’s rent. Ongoing subsidy approved for 3 months.
Rental assistance from County TBRA, WVC TBRA, City TBRA
Traditional Transitional housing managed by The Road Home.
Unit is Master Leased by TRH. Tenant signs Occupancy Agreement
Scattered Site Apartments, Tenant Signs Lease with PM
Frontier Apartments, Permanent Disabled Apartments, Palmer Court. Permanent housing for people with disabilities.
No CM
Includes light case management geared toward employment and stabilization in housing.
Includes customized supportive services geared toward self-sufficiency in housing.
Tailored supportive services geared toward barrier elimination and obtaining stable housing.
Intensive customized supportive services geared toward self-sufficiency in housing.

15. How do you structure it?? What do you need to know?
Funding Available/Budget
Rules of the funding – what can it pay for and for whom
The population you will serve and their housing barriers
Trends for lengths of stay and exits
Community partners
If we’re not going to provide the service, who can?
Projecting the overall program size – knowing how to budget and staff

16. How do you structure it?? ?

17. The Road Home: January 1 2013 – 119 Families in Shelter

19. Checking the assumptions
Road Home Projected Annual – 500 families
Actual Cohort – 119 Families
No Financial Assistance
Rapid Rehousing Assistance
PSH
200
300
75 (of the 300)
40%
60%
25% of RRH and 15% of total
No Financial Assistance
Light RRH ( </= 5 months)
Deeper RRH (Interim)
PSH 60 59 18 25 16
50%
30% of RRH
42% of RRH
27% of RRH and 13% of total

20. Using data to adjust Unacceptable losses or rates of return?
Resize, assist longer, check-in more, develop new partnerships
Everybody sticks? Trying giving less support
Some succeed and some don't? What factors can we look at: e.g. family size, income source, histories of homelessness, the staff person or staffing?

21. Closing thoughts
We should be at least as concerned of failing by inaction as we are of failing by our actions.
We have the data now to monitor progress as we go; if something's not working we can change it, but if we never try, we’ll never know.
Always keep the next household that needs help in mind.

22. For more information
National Alliance to End Homelessness
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
Focus Strategies
Contact us:

23. PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT… HOW IT WORKS ON THE GROUND?
Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
Conference on Ending Homelessness
May 21, 2014
Vivian Wan, MSW
Associate Director
How much… how long... for whom?
Design & Implementation
Mechanics of Creativity…what tools do you need?
Letting go sooner end homelessness for people

24. Abode Services = Housing First
Started as a “shelter provider”
Adopted Housing First in 2005
30 Housing Programs- 940 HH/ night
Employees 15 Housing Specialists & 4 Housing Managers
Housing “Soup to Nuts”
First time homelessness – outreach, shelter, diversion, Rapid Rehousing
Episodic- outreach, shelter, diversion, prevention, RRH, transition in place
Chronic- outreach, shelter, long-term supportive housing, RRH as bridge

25. Bypassing Shelter= Better Outcomes
Outcomes of Winter Relief Program
-Permanent Housing <30%,
-Length of Stay > 9 months
Compared to success of RRH %
Putting $$ behind outcomes- funders
Creatively moving money around
-Kick off with HPRP, replace with HOME, ESG, General Fund, Probation, Child Welfare, and yes… even HUD CoC!!

26. WHO? “BUT THIS FAMILY NEEDS MORE…”
ONE REAL ASSESSMENT QUESTION!!! Does this family have a desire and ability to increase their household income to pay for housing through…. $$$ benefits acquisition $$$ earned income $$$ changing household comp OR…. In geography?

27. Beyond Assessment FLEXIBILITY Very BASIC Assessment Housing Stability
Financial Assistance?
Service Coordination
Community/ Informal Support
Ongoing eligibility/ graduation assessments

28. Tools- Referral

29. The Application- 1 page Are they eligible?

30. HOW MUCH….HOW LONG?
Designed for singles, families, veterans, first time homeless, and episodic homeless.
Those who have some desire & ability to increase income.
Flexibility is key!!
Phase 1 – 0-3 Months – 40% of adjusted income
Phase 2 – 3-6 Months – 30% of rent
Phase 3 – 6-9 Months – 50% of rent
Phase 4 – 9-12 Months -70% of rent
3 month reassessments
Funding set-aside for “prevention”
Say yes, we can do that…

31. HOW IT WORKS….
Example 1: Household enters program with $600/month (adjusted). Rent for unit is $1,000
Phase 1:
Months 1-3
Phase 2:
Months 4-6
Phase 3:
Months 7-9
Phase 4:
Months 10-12
40% of adjusted income
30% of contract rent
50% of contract rent
70% of contract rent
Tenant Contribution
$240
$300
$500
$700
Example 2: Household enters program with $1,100/month (adjusted). Rent for unit is $925. .
Phase 1:
Months 1-3
Skip this phase
Phase 2:
Months 4-6
Phase 3:
Months 7-9
40% of adjusted income
30% of contract rent
50% of contract rent
70% of contract rent
Tenant Contribution
$440
$278*
$463
$648

32. Tools to help Case managers

33. Why it works? Ending Homelessness- Not poverty
95% of people living in poverty are not homeless
People who have a home fight to keep it
Expect high rent “burdens”- as high as 85%
People can “return” if they need help
Helps staff and participants
Uses Time and Resources wisely
Traditionally we spend time on those who often need the least help
Can DOUBLE or even TRIPLE numbers served- most will achieve housing stability
Less than 5% returns to homelessness

34. Innovation Programs that give 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances
Housing ENDS Homelessness
Programs that support moves
Programs that give 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances
Value Outcomes– not perfection
Take chances-- fail- learn
Support “different” housing options- “Say Yes”

35. Progressive Engagement- Work On the Ground
If you would like more information, you can contact:
Vivian Wan, Associate Director
(510) x 212