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Home Again

Home Again. A 10-year plan to end homelessness in Portland and Multnomah County. 10-year planning, Housing First, and homeless encampments COSCDA Conference September 17, 2007. Portland Demographics. 513,627 in Portland 2,063,277 in Metro Area Median age - 36.4

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Home Again

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  1. Home Again A 10-year plan to end homelessness in Portland and Multnomah County 10-year planning,Housing First, and homeless encampments COSCDA Conference September 17, 2007

  2. Portland Demographics • 513,627 in Portland • 2,063,277 in Metro Area • Median age - 36.4 • Median household income - $42,287 • Percent below poverty level – 17.8 (compared to 13.3 nationally). • Fair Market Rent for 1 BR - $638/month

  3. Portland’s Homeless Demographics Annual 19,200 served in FY 05-06: 10,936 adults w/out children (4% less than 04-05) 7,865 persons in families (5% more than 04-05) 384 homeless youth(12% less than 04-05) Point in time 1,438 unduplicated “street count” 3,018 unduplicated in “shelter count” (inc. vouchers, rent assistance, trans. hsg.) 48.5% individuals in families with children

  4. Facing facts... • Culhane research supported PSH as a response to adult chronic homelessness • We have invested millions of dollars, but have not ended homelessness • To end homelessness, we need to do business differently

  5. Determination/preparation • Hit the trifecta of awards - $9.8 million • $625,000 from CSH for Taking Health Care Home • $3,430,440 ICH collaborative • $5,741,900 HUD/DOL • Money and projects spurred planning based in actual activities and outcomes

  6. 10-year plan: 3 principles • Focus on the most chronically homeless populations • Streamline access to existing services to prevent and reduce other homelessness • Concentrate resources on programs that offer measurable results

  7. Nine Action Steps • Move people into housing first • Stop discharging people into homelessness • Improve outreach to homeless people • Emphasize permanent solutions • Increase supply of permanent supportive housing

  8. Nine Action Steps, cont. • Create innovative new partnerships to end homelessness • Make rent assistance system more effective • Increase economic opportunity for homeless people • Implement new data collection technology

  9. One of the most successful tools to end and prevent homelessness: Short and long-term rent assistance

  10. New programs, shifted resources • Women’s Emergency Housing: Shifted use of $164k/year from a women’s night shelter to a new 4 agency housing collaborative • Key Not a Card: City general funds ($2.4 M) to move people from the street  housing • Short-term Rent Assistance (STRA) combines funds from City, County, PHA into one fund

  11. Goals/outcomes: After 2 years

  12. Street Count OutcomesJanuary 23, 2007 3000 2500 2355 2005 2000 -39% 1500 2007 1438 1284 1000 -70% 500 386 0 Overall Chronic

  13. Reduced Use of Emergency Systems (Central City Concern’s Community Engagement Program) CEP saves 35.7% ($15,006 per person) in resources for chronically homeless people.

  14. What makes a 10YP successful • Identify your community’s challenges & opportunities • Seek commitment and creativity at the political, bureaucratic, and provider level • Hire dedicated staff to lead the planning and implementation effort • Follow a clearly defined goal of ending and preventing various types of homelessness

  15. What makes a 10YP successful, cont. • Replicate best practices from other Cities and Jurisdictions • Engage the most vocal critics • Simplicity and flexibility allow for change down the road • Celebrate successes!

  16. Short & long-term problems: • What if you don’t have enough emergency shelter or housing? • While your state/community implements a long-term housing and service plan, how do you solve immediate needs of people sleeping outside?

  17. Short & long-term solutions • Build affordable housing and permanent supportive housing • Locally funded short-term rent assistance • Purchase a motel/apartments, operated by nonprofit (ex. Seattle’s Aloha Inn, Alaska’s Safe Harbor Inn) • Identify “low-impact” camping areas

  18. Portland’s Dignity Village • Formed in 2002 • State statute permits a jurisdiction to designate emergency camps if housing emergency exists • On City land, with management agreement • Became nonprofit org. • 60-person capacity

  19. Remote location, few neighbors

  20. Semi-permanent structures, recycled materials: cob, straw bale, wood

  21. Why residents like living at Dignity Village: pets…

  22. …a sense of community

  23. …safety, security…

  24. Resources • Portland’s 10-year plan and outcome reports: www.portlandonline.com/bhcd • Nonprofit motel: Safe Harbor Inn, Alaska www.safeharborinn.org • Homeless-run communities: • Dignity Village, Portland, OR: www.dignityvillage.org • Aloha Inn, Seattle, WA: www.alohainn.org Sally Erickson, Ending Homelessness Team City of Portland, Oregon, Bureau of Housing & Community Development serickson@ci.portland.or.us 503-823-0883

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