MetroWest ICHH Regional Network Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness Site Visit January 25, 2010

Introduction To The MetroWest Regional Network  The United Way of Tri-County (UWTC) and South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) are committed to working together to develop and manage a robust regional network to address homelessness for families and individuals in MetroWest.  In developing an ICHH network for MetroWest, the UWTC recognized that SMOC had already begun to develop a supported housing network approach to address homelessness.  SMOC is the primary provider of shelter and supportive services for homeless families and individuals within the region. The Agency operates a comprehensive triage and referral process for homeless single adults and last year provided these services for over 1200 individuals. The SMOC system for homeless families includes congregate and scattered site shelter for up to 108 families making the agency’s shelter capacity among the highest in the state.  SMOC also operates a wide array of supportive services for single adults and families. These include WIC, Fuel Assistance, a Rental Assistance Program, Behavioral Health Services, a domestic violence program, specialized housing and employment search for homeless individuals and families, HeadStart and Childcare, a Career Center, a Young Parent’s program, a variety of financial assistance programs and over 800 units of housing across the state.

MetroWest Regional Network Goals  To reduce homelessness throughout the region through collaboration and innovative planning.  To enhance and solidify efforts already underway to convert a shelter-based model of care to one based on triage, prevention, diversion and rapid rehousing.  To develop and enhance outreach and triage services for unaccompanied adults that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.  To enhance stabilization services for recently housed individuals and families to preserve tanancies and increase self-sufficiency.  To prevent homelessness for individuals and families through short-term rental assistance and the provision of case management services designed to link people to community based resources and services.

MetroWest Regional Network Structure Organizational Chart (Jim to do)

MetroWest Regional Network Structure Leadership Council  Description of Leadership council

MetroWest Regional Network Structure Network Working Groups  Working Groups include: Reaching Treatment Resistance Homeless Individuals How to Address Families that are “Doubled- Up” and not receiving services Foreclosure Prevention Tenancy Preservation Marketing

PROFILE OF THE REGION  Documenting homelessness in the Region is complicated as we serve overlapping towns that are part of various catchment areas including the Balance Of State CoC, Worcester CoC, Framingham and Milford DTA areas, and the HCEC/Section 8 service area, that includes part of Norfolk County and Blackstone Valley.  The principle towns comprising the the MetroWest region have a total combined population of more than 513,000 people and cover a over 524 square miles  Major barriers to housing stability include affordability, short- term situational crisis, domestic abuse, substance abuse, and disability.  Unemployment has skyrocketed to over 8% in the past year  Cost of living is about 133% of the national average  In Framingham the income needed to afford a 2 bedroom apartment is $50,000 per year or $24.00 per hour.

The Towns We Serve  Confusion about the towns we serve. We proposed to serve these towns….  The new map shows these towns in addtion:  We ar concerned about our limited capacity to serve additional towns since we gave a titak if 108,500 in client assistance, 1 outreach worker and 1 diversion worker and a ….

POINT OF ENTRY Housing Services Center 300 Howard Street, Framingham, MA  Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC)- providing a broad range of landlord/tenant information and assistance.  Foreclosure Prevention Center- providing specialized foreclosure prevention counseling and advocacy to homeowners at risk of foreclosure.  Emergency Housing Programs- Capacity for 108 homeless families referred through the Department of Housing and Community Development. Intensive housing search, placement and stabilization services are included.  Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA)- providing specialized housing search for people living with HIV/AIDS.  Marlboro and Milford Resource Centers- Providing access to services including limited financial assistance and fuel assistance in local communities.

POINT OF ENTRY Common Ground Resource Center 300 Howard Street, Framingham, MA The CGRC is the single point of entry for all Emergency, Transitional, and Sober Housing for single adults in SMOC’s Metrowest Continuum of housing and services. The CGRC is structured to provide a full integration of housing and services for single adults. Staff from Behavioral Health Services, SMOC Housing, Mobile Resource Team, Voices Against Violence, Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS all have regularly scheduled meetings at the CGRC. This team approach ensures coordinated services and enhanced case management services for clients in all of our emergency, transitional, and sober housing.

OTHER POINTS OF ENTRY  Department of Transitional Assistance Framingham and Milford Offices SMOC ICHH Funded Diversion Worker Screens and Assesses families with the Universal Assessment Tool Prevents and Diverts families from entering shelters with Flex- Funding, HPRP, and ICHH funding  United Way of Tri-County 211 Call Center For the general public Provides Information and Referral Open 24 hours/day, 7 days/week

Key Strategies and Interventions For Individuals:  Triage  Trauma-Informed Services - Target housing and services to people with chronic substance abuse and mental health issues.  Housing First Model  Outreach  Rapid Re-Housing  Homeless Prevention/Stabilization Services For Families:  Homeless Prevention  Regional Diversion System – Access to Subsidies  Eviction and Preservation of Tenancy  Rapid Re-Housing – Housing for Homeless Families  Diversion from Shelter  Stabilization Services

Map

MetroWest Innovations  ICHH Funded Diversion Worker - Diversion from Shelter at Framingham and Milford DTA Offices  Rapid Re-housing with Flexible Funding  Prevention Services at Local Housing Authorities  Financial Assistance to Prevent Homelessness in non-EA families  HCEC Role in Prevention and Client Assistance  Stabilization Services to increase housing stability  Community Partnerships regarding hard to house individuals  Housing First for Individuals

Use of Network Funds  Funding of Diversion Worker co- located at Framingham DTA Area Office  Financial Assistant for up to 2 months to Families to prevent homelessness (rent, mortgage, utility arrearages)  Rapid Re-housing Assistance for Individuals for up to 3 months

How to Build and Sustain Our Network  Engage stakeholders and build investment in the Network  Utilize the Leadership Council and Network Groups to develop meaningful projects and innovations to benefit the community at large  Enhance Communications by developing an improved system to access Network information through the web  Target towns throughout the region  Serve Diverse Linguistic Populations  Utilize the media and press to get our message out