Innovative Rent Assistance Preventing & Ending Homelessness Replicable Models National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference July 2006 City of Portland Bureau of Housing & Community Development

Heather Lyons City of Portland, Bureau of Housing and Community Development 421 SW 6th Ave., Suite 1100 Portland, OR Evaluator: Transitions to Housing Program Thomas L. Moore, Ph.D. Herbert & Louis, LLC PO Box 304 Wilsonville, OR

Portland’s Experience Advocates push for rent assistance Transitions to Housing (T2H) Program Outcomes bring $ and support Short Term Rent Assistance Redesign (STRA) Adapting the Model for Chronically Homeless: Key Not A Card - Fall 2005

Flexibility Key to Model Collaborative decisions on core elements (eligibility, subsidy limits & options, follow-up, outcome measures and data design) Support independence of agencies Outcomes = Funding Adapt as needed

To provide flexible and outcome focused rent assistance to use as a “tool” to: 1) Prevent families and individuals from experiencing homelessness AND 2)End the experience of homeless by placing people quickly into permanent housing T2H - Purpose

Diverse partnering agencies Flexibility and timeliness of assistance & service package Standardized evaluation protocol, outcome goals and follow-up intervals Limited regulations and prompts to spend more and help out for more time Adapts to fit agency mission & capacity T2H - Project Features

Homeless, or at an immediate risk of being homeless, or living in unsafe conditions Gross family income 20% (now 30%) or less than Area Median Income Residing or planning to reside within a geographic limit Currently not residing in subsidized housing T2H - Eligibility

T2H - How it works Application & move-in fees Security deposits Rent/Mortgage subsidy (lump sum, tiered, tapered, or constant) Payment of housing-related debt to eliminate barriers to permanent housing Generous Max subsidies by unit size

Common dataset across all agencies with ongoing group evaluation meetings Enrollment; six, twelve, and eighteen-month follow-up; and case closing data collected by providers Follow-up waves based on date of enrollment Case closing based on final payment of rent assistance T2H - Evaluation Protocol

1749 households enrolled since inception of program through June 30, % adult households; 27% families with kids 25% of the primary “clients” have a past felony conviction or they were on parole or probation at enrollment $1,250 average expenditure per HH T2H - Findings

80% permanent housed at 6 months 73% permanent housed at 12 months 65% permanent housed at 18 months T2H - Findings - Overall Outcomes as of June 30, 2005

Data captured in evaluation provides information on housing instability and secures future funding Flexibility with Accountability is key Homeless Prevention and “Housing First” model is cost effective and works for multiple populations & agencies Collaboration across diverse agencies provides learning opportunities for all T2H - Lessons Learned

Adapting the Model Short-term rent assistance redesign (STRA) & “Key Not A Card” rent assistance to help end chronic homelessness

STRA - Challenge 28 different agencies, 6 different funding sources, 3 jurisdictions, and 1 housing authority Contradictory eligibility criteria and program design Multiple administrators and processes

STRA - Process Part of 10 Year Plan – Systems change activities 6 month long community based process 6 month long jurisdictional negotiations Final selection of administrative entity and approval by City Council and County Board of Commissioners

STRA - Process Community and Jurisdictional process led to agreement on: Program Model Outcomes, Evaluation and Data Collection System Supports (i.e., services) Allocations Formula Unified System and Administrator

Key Not A Card - KNAC Focus on moving chronically homeless people off the street and into housing Up to 18 months of rent assistance with average aid of $8,000 per household Flexibility for providers – within a “Housing First” framework Outcome Focused - 12 month follow-up after end of subsidy Started October 1, 2005

KNAC Funding Recipients Shelter agency to assist 25 CH women Street engagement agency to assist 25 CH high- profile street dwellers identified by police Multi-service agency to assist 22 CH adults. Police select out of the 35 homeless adults with highest arrest rate Collaborative of 8 agencies to assist 20 CH families with kids.

KNAC - Demographics Male - 55% Female - 45% % % % % White - 61% African-Am - 25% Asian - 3% Native-Am - 10% Latino - 1% 16 children under age were employed at entry 8 veterans

KNAC - Outcomes 144 people in 119 households have been housed (1 project starts with transitional housing) of these, 99 people in 74 households have moved into permanent housing 98.5% remained in stable permanent housing

Eviction Courts Restraining Order Programs Corrections - to support families after head of household is incarcerated Mental Health - outreach/residential programs Hospitals Community Crisis Lines Apartment Associations Government Programs (TANF, SSI/D, Unemployment) Housing Authorities Employers Substance Abuse Programs - outpatient/residential programs Foster Care System Head Start programs and Public Schools And on, and on, and on Where else could this work?

Thank You Copies of the Transitions to Housing final evaluation and “Home Again: A 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in Portland and Multnomah County are available online at: For specific information to help replicate or adapt T2H, STRA, or KNAC - please contact Heather Lyons or Liora Berry