1. Tiny Houses, An Alternative Housing Solution
REALITY AND SOLUTIONS
Tiny Houses, An Alternative Housing Solution

2. Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless (CSAH)
Lead Agency for Homeless Services in Chatham County Founded 1989
Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless (CSAH)

3. What is best practice today?
Housing First
Ending homelessness by providing housing before any attempt at service, case management, or entry into programs.
No barrier shelters
Comprehensive policy and investment on affordable housing
What is best practice today?

7. Why do we have this problem?
Well intended, wrong approach
Entrenched myths about the homeless
Inadequate attention to economics
Short term approaches
5842 on public housing wait list
9752 on housing choice voucher wait list
$12,602 avrg HH income, size 2.2 persons
Why do we have this problem?

8. Why? GA Prison Population
Georgia – 8th highest incarceration rate in U.S.
54,000 inmates in 2014
30% recidivism rate
Why? GA Prison Population

9. Common myths Homeless persons choose this life They are lazy
Camps: down town, 10 south side, 1 eastside, 6 Garden City - Housing
They are lazy
Housing affordability
Criminal background barriers (Crime free hsg)
Mental health, substance abuse, physical limitations
They need to get a job
Hiring barriers, self-care barriers, housing
Common myths

10. Other helpful information
Many homeless individuals have income
A chronic homeless person finds creative ways to survive
Many homeless people struggle with mental illness, substance abuse, physical injury
Veterans may have undiagnosed brain injury
Other helpful information

11. What does our system look like?
Nonprofits
Food, clothing, shelter, legal, job training
Continuum of Care – coordination, HUD $
Government
Sub-contracts with nonprofits
Focus on urgent issues
Law enforcement
Business & citizens – just get rid of it
What does our system look like?

12. What can we do? Embrace Housing First Rethink Our Housing Policy
Ending homelessness by providing long term homeless persons with dignified housing
Rethink Our Housing Policy
Housing is a basic need – remember Maslow
All new housing development serves various incomes
What can we do?

13. What can we do? Recognize that we made missteps
Address the issue as if it is ours – press leaders to embrace proven ways to solve the challenge
Recognize the true costs of doing nothing
Emergency room admissions
Mental health hospital admissions
Environmental impact of garbage build up
What can we do?

14. 75+ COST STUDIES – COUNTERINTUITIVE RESULTS
The American Round Table to Abolish Homelessness
75+ COST STUDIES – COUNTERINTUITIVE RESULTS
Maine
Seattle
Portland
Minnesota
Sioux Falls
Boston
Minneapolis
California
SE CT
Quincy
Santa Clara
New York
Salt Lake City
Chicago
Dayton
Reno
San Francisco
Denver
Indianapolis
Cincinnati
Richmond
Cincinnati
North Carolina
Santa Barbara
Louisville
Asheville, NC
Los Angeles
South Carolina
Dallas
Atlanta
Maricopa County
San Diego
Fort Worth
Jacksonville
Waco
Gainesville
Completed Studies
San Antonio
Lee County
Studies in Australia, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax
Broward County
Key West

15. RESULTS FROM COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS Cost of Random Ricocheting
The American Round Table to Abolish Homelessness
RESULTS FROM COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
Cost of Random Ricocheting
$35,000 - $150,000
Cost of Housing and Services
$13,000 - $25,000

16. What is CSAH Doing? Resisting efforts to over plan
Following a simple strategic plan
Plan simply, invest wisely
Build affordable housing
Strengthen/reduce nonprofit providers
Address public policy change
Lower eviction rates
Provide an interim managed camp ground
All developers pay a small share of affordable housing
What is CSAH Doing?

24. QUESTIONS? Cindy Murphy Kelley ckelley@homelessauthority.org