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Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness. Regional Network Innovations to End Homelessness Lt. Governor Timothy Murray, Chair. Recent History of Massachusetts Homeless Initiatives.

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Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

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  1. Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness Regional Network Innovations to End Homelessness Lt. Governor Timothy Murray, Chair

  2. Recent History ofMassachusetts Homeless Initiatives • July 2007 - A Legislative Commission to End Homelessness is established chaired by Rep. Byron Rushing and DHCD Undersecretary Tina Brooks and produces a Five Year Plan. • Nov. 2007 - Governor Deval Patrick signed an Executive Order to reconstitute the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness (ICHH) chaired by Lt. Governor Timothy Murray to be charged with the overseeing the implementation of the Commission’s Plan. • July 2008 – The Commonwealth appropriates $8.25M for the ICHH to develop regional networks across the state. • July 2008 - MassHousing invests $7M over four years to support a DTA~DHCD housing initiative called the Moving to Economic Opportunity Pilot. • July 2008 – The ICHH convenes over 200 state employees to work across departments on Housing Needs & Supply, Uniform Assessment, Policy & Regulations, Civic Engagement, Asset Development, Homelessness Prevention Resources, and Housing Stabilization Services. • December 2008 – Lt. Gov. Tim Murray announces 8 regional network awards. • April 2009 – The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Foundation commits $1.3M to support the work of the ICHH including the development of two additional networks.

  3. Regional Network Regional networks must reflect a broad-based cross-sector partnership that is responsible for demonstrating how greater coordination and local innovations can improve the Commonwealth’s ability to eradicate homelessness. Regional Networks will: • Test best practices through flexible housing resources and innovative services. • Develop a Leadership Council and name a Convening Agency • Build upon existing networks, associations and regional planning processes • Work from a Plan to End Homelessness that has a regional approach • Develop clear decision making process and a governance structure that builds trust and is conducive to regional collaboration

  4. Regional Network Goals Goal: Decrease the Need for Shelter Goal: Achieve Housing Placement Outcomes Goal: Collect Data and Measure Impacts Goal: Create Opportunities for Broad-Based Discussion with Diverse Stakeholders Goal: Implement a Regional System that is a Model for Accountability and Transparency to Consumers and the Public Goal: Implement Systems Change to Create Sustainability

  5. ICHH Regional Networks

  6. Key Innovations • Permanent Supportive Housing • Flexible Subsidies • Triage and Assessment • Housing First/Low Threshold Housing • Coordinated Case Management • Early Warning Systems

  7. Innovations Boston Early Warning Rapid Stabilization System Goal: Create an alert system based on rent payment and other behaviors while implementing stabilization teams who offer rapid on-site case management and access to emergency referrals. [Prevention] Rapid Re-Housing and Diversion Goal: Tie-in immediate housing access with a 12-18 month self-sufficiency plan by addressing employment and service needs. Families will be assisted in accelerating employment plans and in building up savings to eventually exit RRP. [Diversion]

  8. Innovations Boston Enhancing Economic Self-Sufficiency Goal: Increase availability of affordable housing for homeless families (a minimum of 20% of City development units reserved for homeless) and provide families with services (e.g. job training, educational programs, employment counseling and escrow accounts). [Stabilization]

  9. Innovations Cape & Islands Client Coordinating Council (CCC) Goal: Develop a responsible and flexible system of early warning, uniform assessment and decision making that will effectively target appropriate resources, while encouraging public feedback and transparency of the system. [Prevention & Diversion] Centralized Triage Phone Intake System Goal: Quick connection to a system of support, providing uniform assessment and timely response, accessible across the region 24/7 to families, individuals, agencies and the public. [Prevention & Diversion]

  10. Innovations Merrimack Valley Representative Payee Program Goal: An agent manages the client’s finances, rent, utilities and other expenses for the first 6 months without a fee. Program is phased out after 18 months, at which point the client will begin to pay a fee. [Prevention & Stabilization] Real Estate Services Goal: Increase access to affordable market rate rental housing through the use non profit real estate brokerages[Prevention]

  11. Innovations Merrimack Valley Client Screening Goal:Pilot – Implement a prevention screening program with DHCD to identify families at immediate risk of homelessness. Families between 100% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Line referred to the regional pilot Flexible Fund Program. [Diversion]

  12. Innovations Metro Boston Diversion from Shelter at Malden & Revere Offices ICHH-Funded Partners: CAPIC & Community Service Network, together with DHCD Homeless Coordinators plan a staff rotation and referral system to the appropriate network partner serving each community. Prevention at Local Housing Authorities: Pilots at Brookline, Everett, Malden, Somerville & Woburn LHAs Goals: Identify families at risk of eviction and help them maintain tenancy through intervention, mediation services, case management, access to flexible funds, and stabilization.

  13. Innovations Metro Boston Prevention by Large Property Owners & Managers: Two Pilots: Peabody Properties and Somerville Community Corp. Goals: At Peabody Properties, a resident services coordinator will work with families at risk of eviction to maintain tenancy through intervention, income maximization, mediation services, case management, hoarding services, access to flexible funds, and stabilization. In Somerville, staff rotation to provide mix of needed services, flexible funds and stabilization. Success: Reduce eviction rates at large properties. Transfer model to other large property owners and managers.

  14. Innovations Metro Boston Prevention at district courts: Pilots: Cambridge, Chelsea, Malden & Somerville district courts Goals: Test whether linking mediation and legal services to case management, income maximization, and stabilization improves long-term housing stability. Success: Work within housing and district courts with families to reduce eviction rates and preserve tenancies.

  15. Innovations Metro Boston Housing First [Rapid Rehousing] ICHH-Funded Pilot 1: Heading Home (families) Goal: LinkingHousing First for families with employment first, credit repair, case management, budgeting, income maximization, child care, asset development, soft skills training, access to community colleges. Success: Stabilization in permanent housing, improvement in income and earnings potential, reestablish credit, move toward self-sufficiency. ICHH-Funded Pilot 2: HomeStart (individuals) Goal: Seek to translate successful model of Housing First services for individuals from cities to suburban towns. Success: Housing First best practices and collaborative networks established and working in select towns.

  16. Innovations North Shore Network Early Warning System (NEWS) Goal: Collaborate with DHCD Homeless Coordinators to train volunteers and staff members of tertiary access points such as schools, health centers, unemployment offices and faith communities about early warning signs of homelessness to create seamless access points. Goal: Encourage agencies throughout the region to enter their program information into the North Shore Portal, which provides easy access to resources such as housing and flexible funds throughout the region. [Prevention]

  17. Innovations North Shore Housing Law and Tenancy Preservation Goal: Prevent family homelessness by working with households and providing funds when they are at imminent risk of homelessness in order to preserve tenancy

  18. Innovations South Shore Triage Model for Homeless Individuals Goal: Convert the single adult shelters in region to triage model: assess all those who enter shelter, redirect to state systems of care for discharged individuals or create a housing and services plan for chronically homeless adults. The Front Door Goal:Pilot – Lead partners work closely with local DHCD offices on joint assessment and EA intake and collaboratively with the region’s family shelter providers in order to divert families from shelter and triage those that must enter. [Prevention and Diversion]

  19. Innovations South Shore Seamless Access Points Goal: Lead partner staff will be trained to assess for risk indicators and to make early referrals to pilot staff, directing clients to the most feasible and appropriate service. [Prevention]

  20. Innovations Western Mass Regional Engagement and Assessment of Chronically Homeless (REACH) Housing Program Goal: Mobile outreach teams will travel to meet with individual clients and connect the client to housing. Once housing is secured, the outreach team’s role transfers to a stabilization team, ensuring continuity of services. Uniform Assessments and Tailoring of Services Goal: Uniform assessment will help determine whether Tier levels can translate across environments (rural, urban) and the tailoring of services to these environments. [Diversion & Re-housing] Sub-Regional Housing Meetings Goal: Bring field workers and housing providers together from 4 sub- regions in order to update the region on new housing openings and opportunities for the chronically homeless.

  21. Innovations Western Mass Western MA Regional Blog Goal: Provide an accessible and easy to view online tool that allows members of the network to communicate and post relevant news and updates. View the blog at: http://westernmassrcn.wordpress.com/

  22. Innovations Worcester Prevention, Diversion, and Rapid Re-Housing of Families Goal: Develop a community wide early warning system with critical access points and community gatekeepers such as service providers and area congregations for early prevention to stabilize households. Goal: Place Diversion/Prevention workers with DHCD Homeless Coordinators to divert families from shelter to permanent housing for EA eligible households. Goal: Leverage flexible resources to provide expanded stabilization services.

  23. Innovations Worcester Housing First Model and Case Management for Homeless Individuals Goal: Move from an Emergency Shelter model for Homeless Individuals to an Assessment Center with multiple services housed under one roof to rapidly house single adults through short-term subsidies and effective management of placements into HUD Continuum of Care Permanent Housing slots. Expansion of case management and stabilization staff is critical to the initiative’s housing-based case management success. [Prevention, Diversion, Stabilization]

  24. ICHH Contact Information Laila Bernstein ICHH Coordinator 100 Cambridge Street Suite 400 Boston, MA 02114 Laila.bernstein@massmail.state.ma.us (617) 573-1367 (office) (617) 645-6005 (cell)

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