Rapid Rehousing
Delaware HPC
February 3, 2015
Suzanne Wagner
swagner@housinginnovations.us
Agenda
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Introductions
Policy Context
RR Definitions and Benefits
Progressive Engagement
Housing Planning
Housing Location
Housing Stabiliyu Case Management Support
Community Connections and Supports
Wrap-up and Discussion
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Housing Innovations
• Began in 2009
• Principals: Suzanne Wagner, Andrea White, Howard Burchman
• Senior Associate: Lauren Pareti
• Experience: Columbia University Community Services/CUCS & Burchman Terrio
• Extensive experience in:
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Developing, Operating and Evaluating Housing and Service Programs
Implementing Evidence Based Practices (EBP’s)
CoC Support and System Transformation
Homeless Planning and Community Needs Assessments
Operating Coordinated Access and Assessment Systems
Staff Training
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National Trends and Best Practices
HEARTH – Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to
Housing
Federal Strategic Plan (FSP), Opening Doors
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National Trends
◦ End homelessness as quickly as possible and get people to
permanent housing solutions through outcome driven approach
◦ Use Evidence-Based Practices (EBP’s)
◦ Expand Rapid Re-housing
◦ Target Permanent Supportive Housing for the most disabled
people who have been homeless the longest
◦ Housing First as both a system and program strategy
 Lack of evidence that housing readiness increases chance of housing stability
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National Trends - 2
◦ Preserve intensive interventions for people with highest need
◦ Connect people to work, benefits and mainstream and
community-based services and supports
◦ Transform systems and programs that are not effective and/or
efficient
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“to establish a Federal goal
of ensuring that individuals
and families who become
homeless return to
permanent housing within 30
days”
HEARTH Act Purposes – Sec. 1002(b)
Federal Strategic Plan (FSP) Goal
Transform homeless services to crisis response
systems that prevent homelessness and rapidly
return people who experience homelessness to
stable housing.
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HEARTH Performance Measures
Reduce Overall Homelessness
Reduce the number of people who become homeless
Prevention/
Diversion
Reduce length of homelessness
Rapid Re-Housing /
Housing First
Reduce returns to homelessness
Housing Stabilization
Support
Increase employment and other income
Housing Stabilization
Other accomplishments related to reducing homelessness
Example:
Doubled up
Thoroughness in reaching homeless population
Count well
Ensure all pops served
Rapid Exit and Rehousing
Main Goal – Rapid Access to Housing
Focus on Relocation and Stabilization
CoC funds can be reallocated to RR for Families
Housing
Shelter
Source: NAEH Center for Capacity Building
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Housing First
 Programmatic and systems approach that provides people with
housing quickly and then providing services as needed
 Low barrier entry requirements and service rich environment
Participant have choices about housing and services
Housing is not contingent on compliance with services –
 Participants expected to comply with a standard lease agreement
 Provided with services and supports to help maintain housing
 Services and connections to resources provided post-housing to
promote housing stability, stable tenancy and well-being
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Prevailing Model
Emerging Model
Employment Assistance
Employment Assistance
Day Care
Day Care
Shelter
Housing Stabilization
Shelter
Housing Placement
MH/SA
Services
Family Supt Services
MH/SA Services
Family Supt Services
Turning the Continuum of Care Inside – Out?
Source: Culhane, Homeless Assistance: A Paradigm Shift?
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Rapid Rehousing Defined
Goal: Rapidly exit homeless individuals and families into
permanent housing from the homeless system
◦ One-time/time-limited financial help with debts, security costs,
rent and other housing costs
◦ Short term rental assistance up to 24 months – preferably in 3
month increments
◦ Housing location services
◦ Case management focused on increasing income, housing
stabilization, connections to services and supports
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Principles of Rapid Rehousing
Move from homelessness directly to housing
Targeting
“Just enough” Assistance
Landlords are valuable resources
Use case management and mainstream resources to keep tenants
stable
◦ Source: HPRP Promising Practices in Rapid Rehousing – HUD OneCPD
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Benefits of Rapid Rehousing
Cost-effective and proven strategy
Keeps expensive PSH units for the most vulnerable
Reduces the amount of time families remain in crisis of
homelessness (it is trauma-informed)
Helps communities leverage new partners and resources
60-75% of families enter from friends and family;
About 50% return to same place they were before shelter
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RR Benefits - 2
Addresses barriers homeless people face:
◦ The cost of obtaining new rental housing
◦ Landlord discrimination
Obtain permanent housing and stabilize quickly
Change the focus of the emergency system from
emergency placement to rehousing
Open the back door – free up emergency shelter space
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Rapid Rehousing Outcomes
 Effective
for large percentage of families
◦Low cost per outcome
◦High rates of exits to permanent housing
◦Low rates of returns to homelessness
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Exits to Permanent Housing for Households with Children
Source: Data from 14 Continuums in seven states that
prepared Evaluators for NAEH Performance Improvement
Clinics in 2011-2012
Shelter
Transitional
Housing
Rapid
Re-Housing
Rate of Return to Homelessness w/in 12 Mos of Exit
Source: Data from 7 CoCs in 4 states that prepared Evaluators for NAEH in 2012
Singles
People in Families with Children
Average Cost Per Exit for Families with Children
Source: Data from 14 CoCs from NAEH Performance Improvement Clinics in 2011-2012
All Exits
Permanent Housing Exits
Lessons from VA Rapid Rehousing (SSVF)
Small amounts of assistance can be effective:
• Avg cost/household served: $2,410
• Median length of assistance: 90 days
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Only 13% of RRH participants received assistance for >180 days
79% of participants exited to permanent housing
93% of families did not return to VA homeless programs (after one year)
RRH can work for people with barriers to housing stability
• 76% of households had income of less than 30% of AMI
• 55% of Veterans served had a disabling condition
Source: Impact and Performance of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program: Results from the FY 2013 Program Yr
What about TH?
HUD :“Life After Transitional Housing”, Urban Institute, March 2010
http://huduser.org/portal/publications/LifeAfterTransition.pdf
Findings
high and low barrier families did equally well for the most part
More or less rules did not make a difference in outcomes
 What DID make a difference was time spent homeless…
Longer time homeless, less likely to have own housing at exit
HH w/more homeless episodes,  odds of not working and lower wages
Bottom line – end people’s homelessness rapidly
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Implementing RR using Progressive Engagement
Progressive engagement:
• Start with a small amount of assistance for a lot of
people
• Add more as needed
• Rental assistance in 3 month increments
• Re-assess to determine continued need
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What does Progressive Engagement look like?
Provide a minimal amount of assistance to all people
◦ Lists of vacancies, help funding a place to live, small amount of financial assistance
Provide additional assistance as needed by the household
◦ Short term rental assistance, case management
If at risk of losing housing
◦ More rental assistance and/or more CM
If still at risk
◦ Longer tem RA and/or more CM
If still at risk – maybe voucher or PSH
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Example of Progressive Engagement
Housed
Point of
Entry
RRH 1
$
RRH 2
$$
RRH 3
$$$
Source: NAEH Center for Capacity Building
Subsidy/
PSH
$$$$
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Rationale for PE
Nationally recognized practice in addressing homelessness
Provides customized levels of assistance
Preserves the most expensive interventions for households with
demonstrated barriers to housing success
Enables service delivery systems to effectively target resources
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Rationale - 2
Based on research (or lack thereof) that we cannot predict who will
need what type of intervention
◦ No validated predictive assessment instruments except for diversion
◦ Alameda County – similar outcomes for high and low barrier
households
◦ People are resilient
Resources are limited
More information about barriers to housing stability when we see
people in “real” housing
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A word about Transitions……
New start
Involve both loss and gain
 Stressful
Can increase depression/substance use
Unknown/uncertainty leads to fear
Require re-alignment of daily schedule
Trigger fears of failure
Require support
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Rapid Rehousing Activities and Services
Housing Planning
Housing Location
Case Management and Housing/Tenancy Support
Community Connections and Supports
Layers other Evidence-Based and Promising Practices: Critical Time
Intervention, Housing First, Person Centered Planning, Trauma-Informed Care
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Housing Planning
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Housing Planning
• Assessment of Housing and Homeless History
• Assessment of Strengths and Barriers to Housing Stability
• Education on Tenancy Role and Housing Options
• Connection to Resources
• Core Concepts in Housing Planning
• Using Shared Decision Making Model
• Components of a Housing Plan
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Assess Housing and Homeless History
Past housing experiences
Current housing goals
Experience as a leaseholder
What they liked/didn’t like about previous housing
How person/family became homeless
Barriers to access and sustainability
Ability to complete paperwork, view apartments, handle interviews
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Assessment Domains
•Demographic Information
•Education History
•Housing and Homelessness
•Family, Friends and Supports
•Employment History
•Physical and Behavioral Health
•Income, Benefits, Debts
•Life Skills
•Legal
• Summary: Barriers & Strengths
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Education on Tenancy
 Rights AND Responsibilities
 The lease lays out the structure to maintain tenancy
 In order to follow commitments people have to understand them
 Knowing what is expected allows people to plan
 The lease should be reviewed early and often
 Catching lease violations early will avoid a crisis
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Expectations of Tenancy
Paying Rent
• Income, Financial Management, Subsidy Administration
• Logistics: check or money order, timeliness
Maintaining Apartment
• Understanding and Meeting Cleanliness Standard, Managing Repairs
• Inspections
Allowing Others the Peaceful Enjoyment of Their Homes
• Getting along with neighbors, Visitors
• Following rules re noise etc.
Occupancy
• Only people on the lease live there
Connection to Resources
• Connect with Resources needed to maintain housing
• Financial resources and plan to meet needs
• Services including children’s
• Supports both existing and new and plan to maintain housing and
use of time
• Role of case management
• Accompany to resources including housing
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Focused Service Planning
Limit the areas of
intervention
Focus on the most
pressing needs that
impact community
stability
Usually not be a
linear process
Relate all
interventions to
long term goals
Help people
move-away from
crisis-driven lives
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Practice of Shared Decision Making
Recognize a decision needs to be made
Identify the participants as equals
View options without judgment
Explore understanding and expectations
Identify preferences
Negotiate
Share the decision
Evaluate outcomes
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Case management role in SDM
Structure regular care planning meetings
Support/assist individuals to negotiate their needs
Fully embrace strengths-based approach
Assist person to identify his/her personal medicine
Participate in evaluation of the outcomes
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Components of the Plan - Goals
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Goals set as a team of family and worker
Focus on the issues that affect stability in the community – base
on the current crisis and previous episodes of community
instability
Immediate and longer term goals clear
• Use the plan for the intervention
Steps to reach goal clearly defined and measurable
Longer term needs require connections to other resources.
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Components of the Housing Plan
Participant/Tenant and Worker Role
• Designs plans for at least monthly in housing access phase and
every month for the first months in housing
• Reflects areas of the assessment
• Prioritizes areas for work
• Sets time frames for work to be accomplished
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Components of the Housing Plan
Resource Identification
• Clearly defines resources needed to access and/or maintain
housing including:
• Income, credit repair, legal services, employment
assistance/support, financial planning and management,
medical services, child care, educational support, access to
community based services such mental health, substance
abuse, recreation/socialization etc.
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Evaluating the Plan
Measure Success
• Uses documented steps to reach goal and benchmarks set
• Uses phases to gauge expectations and progress
• Identifies need to renegotiate goals and resources
•Reframe setbacks as learning opportunities
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Housing Location
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Housing Location
• Assessment of Needs and Preferences
• Barriers to Housing Access
• Connections to Landlords
• Negotiating Barriers and Preferences
• Financial Requirements
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Housing Needs and Preferences
Location
Access to Transportation
Proximity to Significant Others
Proximity to Services and Community Resources
Unit Size and Housing Density
Amenities
Special accommodations
Pets
Ideal v. acceptable, negotiable/non-negotiable
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Financial Needs/Requirements
UP FRONT NEEDS
ONGOING NEEDS
Security Deposit
First months Rent
Utility
Moving costs
Furniture
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Barriers to Securing Housing
Person’s ability to negotiate and complete process
Locating acceptable housing
Transportation
Background checks conducted by landlords
• Credit
• Criminal background
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Negotiating Preferences And Background
Issues
Preferences
◦ Identify what is negotiable and what is not
◦ Let people dream a bit – what is their ideal, what do they have
now, what would they accept
◦ See option available as step towards goal
Background Problems
◦ Identify what is different now from when issue occurred
◦ Plan for not happening again
◦ Line up supports
◦ Practice discussing with potential landlords
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Engaging Landlords
Landlord Goals
Regular rent payment
No problems
Low turnover
Explain support that case manager can provide
Ask landlords for other landlords they know
Be responsive
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Housing and Tenancy Support
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Housing Retention
• Re-Assessment
• Identifying Preferences: what is working, what is not?
• Any new needs and/or goals?
• Re-Education
• Assertive Outreach and Engagement by Worker
• Work with Landlords and Resources to Address Barriers to Housing
Retention
• Case Study: Develop a plan
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Re Assessment and Education
Re-assessment: needs, preferences and goals change once in
housing
◦ Assessments evolve over time
◦ Home visits will provide additional information
Link assessment to the lease and goal of housing retention
Verify the information: check in with landlords on lease
complaisance
Review Obligations of Tenancy
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Base for Communication
A thorough housing and
homeless history
A plan as to how each tenant
will meet tenancy
obligations
Knowledge of tenants rights
and responsibilities
Resources to help address
tenancy barriers
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Working with Landlords
• Landlords and property managers establish tenancy obligations and
enforce them.
• Set up communication structure and arrange for early warnings of any
issues – reach out monthly
• Focus on eviction prevention and use the structure of the lease to
guide your interventions
• Negotiate a head of time a clear understanding of landlord process
• Visit the home often
• Probe for any threats to tenancy to prevent eviction
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Tenants Rights and Responsibilities
Know tenant’s and landlord rights and responsibilities
State of Delaware Landlord Tenant Code:
http://legis.delaware.gov/Legislature.nsf/1688f230b96d580f85256ae2
0071717e/1f058f9cecf0e1bd85256f7000607756/$FILE/lanten.pdf
 Brochure – Delaware Landlord Tenant Code, Delaware Attorney
General
Landlord Tenant Code brochure.pdf
http://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/documents/brochures/2013/La
ndlord%20Tenant%20Code.pdf
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Connect to Resources
Based on the assessment, identify new resources needed
Engage tenants in a discussion as to whether current resources are
working/not working
Be in regular contact with resources to assess progress
Identify new resources needed based on revised or new goals or
barriers to retention
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Example: Retention Plan
Mary and her children have been in housing for a month. On a home visit
you notice that the other tenants are giving Mary the stink-eye. Mary has
done well in housing and has been paying the rent. She struggles some
with money but has been able to get resources to help. You worry about
this new development. Mary explains sometimes she lets the children play
in the hallway. They are noisy and too cooped up in the apartment. She
knows it bothers some of the cranky neighbors but the landlord has not
complained. What else is she supposed to do?
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Worker Role
Providing assistance to help participants develop structure and
purpose in their lives.
• Something to do during the day provides a framework and creates
expectations
• Behaviors that interfere with housing decrease
• This gives another early warning system to prevent crisis
Coordinate closely with resources
• Checking in with landlord, and all services and supports to ensure it is
working and identifying glitches
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Worker Role
Eviction Prevention
The eviction process can be a process to preserve tenancy
Negotiate with landlords before the eviction notice
• Landlords do not want to evict it is expensive
• See if they will accept payment plans
• If they will let you know about lease violations
• How much time will they give the tenant to correct
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Harm Reduction
Plan: Risk
Options
Factors in favor
Harm
Reduction
Plan
Eviction: tenant
• Go to friends
• Solve landlord
has ‘guests’ in
apartment,
disturbing other
tenants
house
issue
• Meet goal to
see friends
Non-negotiable
Factors against
factors
• Transportation • Disruption
issues
must stop
• Find another
location to
socialize
• Would reduce
impact on
neighbors
• Would cost
• Drinking,
something Not
smoking may
welcomed
not be
permitted
• Find a time to
socialize that is
less disruptive
to neighbors
• Could have
• ‘Friends’ aren’t • Must always
reduced impact
up and don’t
allow
on neighbors
want to
neighbors
socialize
‘peaceful
earlier
enjoyment’
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Community Resources
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Involving Community Agencies
You need all resources available to support tenancy
• Tenant Lawyers:
• Train tenants and staff on tenants rights.
• Will provide support to tenants in the eviction process
• May assist to address debts interfering with housing
• Landlords:
• Assertive property management making the lease and enforcement
clear
• Sending notices early and connecting with services
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Involving Community Agencies
Treatment Resources:
• Having emergency treatment available in a timely manner
• Easy access to treatment on demand
• High quality, sustainable and flexible
• Provides consultation to staff on planning
Family and Friends
• Often provides motivation for keeping the apartment
• May provide support to person addressing issue and barriers
• Provides a role for person in the community
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Involving Community Agencies
Benefits providers:
• Increasing income
• May provide some emergency resources for rent arrears or utilities,
damages
Employment:
• May provide motivation to address barriers to tenancy
• Gives structure and purpose, role
• Provides income
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Building Skills
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Educating on rights and responsibilities
Focusing on skills for adulthood for Children
Modeling for each person/family to negotiate for services
Trying it out and debrief
Establishing regular check-ins to see if it is working
Review cost and benefits – critical thinking
Recognizing strong partners and good skills
Renegotiate the relationship as necessary
Reach for feedback on the RRH orker - opportunity to practice
Changing Expectations
Moving from crisis to planning
• May be from immediate to 15 minutes from now
Critical thinking
• Using strategies and resources that work best for each person
Structure and purpose
• Developing a structure and purpose to days outside the hospital
Developing new or changed life roles
• From patient to tenant, family member, student, worker, advocate,
artist
Crisis Planning
At a moment of calm it is often helpful to develop a crisis plan
with individuals:
• Standard Crisis: Fire, Evacuation, Injury or Medical Emergency.
• Individual based on patterns:
• Psychiatric, Medical, Substance, Money, Conflict, Threat to
tenancy
What is the structure?
What would work best in this situation?
Who should be involved?
Supervisory Support
Communication with Supervisors
• Regularly scheduled meeting (preferably weekly)
• Review all people on caseload at least monthly
• Discuss participants that are at risk
• Lease violations or barriers to accessing housing
• People who have difficulty engaging
• Behaviors that interfere with housing and goals – brewing
• Identify behaviors that are not clear:
• Seems engaged but disappears, landlord complaining but do not see
the behavior
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Supervisory Support
Identify things that have gone well
• Participant who negotiated a payment plan
• Someone who responded to landlord notice and accepted help in
cleaning apartment
• Get support with landlords
• Landlord does not enforce the lease
• Landlord is overinvolved
• Get support with resources
• What is working and not working
•Seek out support in addition to meetings if needed
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Connection to CTI
Needs Assessment and Re-Assessment
Focused Housing Planning
Intensive in the First 3 months (BCTI)
Connection to Resources
Connection with Landlords
Skill development
Structure and Purpose
Moving from Crisis
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Measures of Success
• Maintaining housing and not returning to homelessness
• Increase income
• Network of supports
• Less emergency interventions: ER visits, hospitalization,
incarceration, removal of children, school truancy
• Structure, role and purpose in each person’s life
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Closing
◦ Connect housing stability to person’s aspirations and goals
◦ Assist with transition to new role
◦ Build skills and knowledge in meeting lease obligations
◦ Help people move away from crisis - Crisis Prevention orientation
◦ Regularly probe for threats to housing and intervene early
◦ Maintain contacts with resources
◦ Build competence and confidence
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Closing and Discussion
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