1. Assessing Housing Barriers Donna Harrison Community Placement Coordinator Virginia Department of Corrections Welcome Home: Addressing Today’s Challenges in Homeless Services June 2, 2009

2. Community Release Unit *Types of Releases *About 14,000 offenders were released last year (2008). *Growing number of GTRD/no parole law cases being released *Increased need for specialized caseloads *Increase in number of homeless offenders being released

3. Who are the homeless ex- offenders? Females/males Females/males Young adults/elderly Young adults/elderly Healthy/physically disabled Healthy/physically disabled Substance Abusers Substance Abusers Mentally ill Mentally ill Developmentally Disabled Developmentally Disabled Non-violent/violent Non-violent/violent Sex offenders Sex offenders

4. Why are ex-offenders homeless? No family support No family support Financial burden for family Financial burden for family Lack of housing for ex-offenders directly from incarceration Lack of housing for ex-offenders directly from incarceration Lack of alternative housing for violent/sex offenders Lack of alternative housing for violent/sex offenders

5. Why are ex-offenders homeless? Limited financial resources to help pay for cost of housing Limited financial resources to help pay for cost of housing Offenders do not qualify for many housing assistance programs or low income housing Offenders do not qualify for many housing assistance programs or low income housing Limited housing resources for medically and/or mentally disabled offenders Limited housing resources for medically and/or mentally disabled offenders

6. Additional Barriers for medically and/or mentally disabled offenders Decrease in assisted living facilities Decrease in assisted living facilities Shrinking number of Medicaid/AG beds in assisted living facilities Shrinking number of Medicaid/AG beds in assisted living facilities Nursing homes moving towards rehab care and private pay Nursing homes moving towards rehab care and private pay Criminal history Criminal history

7. With supportive transitional housing….. Communities are safer Communities are safer Decrease in recidivism Decrease in recidivism Better coordination of medical and/or mental health care Better coordination of medical and/or mental health care Decrease in use of emergency services- hospital/ER visits Decrease in use of emergency services- hospital/ER visits

8. What is DOC doing? ► Education/vocational training ► Treatment programs ► Special transition housing units ► Transition planning programs ► Developing programs that focus on reintegrating families

9. What is DOC doing? ► Separated units in DOC facilities based on special needs populations ► Agreements with other state agencies to apply for identity documents and state and federal benefits pre-release ► Jail re-entry programs ► Specialized caseloads in CRU

10. Successes/Positives Serve as mentors or leaders in re-entry and transitional housing programs, and substance abuse treatment programs Network with employers Utilize job skills Apply education Give back to the community by being successful, active citizens and maintaining a healthy lifestyle

11. Community Collaboration *Shelter Plus program *Partnering with DSS, CSB, shelters, and private mental health providers *Private housing providers partnerships with Probation & Parole Districts

12. Things to Consider Is the community safer if ex-offenders are excluded from housing services? Is the community safer if ex-offenders are excluded from housing services? Can there be a pre-screening system created that will consider ex-offenders on a case-by-case basis? Can there be a pre-screening system created that will consider ex-offenders on a case-by-case basis? Can there be a hotel/motel option? Can there be a hotel/motel option? Is it possible to establish more transitional housing programs for violent and non-violent offenders that are an extension of the shelter program? Is it possible to establish more transitional housing programs for violent and non-violent offenders that are an extension of the shelter program? Can there be replication of successful models of collaboration between DSS, CSB, Health departments, and P&P Districts? Can there be replication of successful models of collaboration between DSS, CSB, Health departments, and P&P Districts?