Key Concepts and Considerations in Increasing Affordable Housing for the Re-Entry Population
Re-Entry populations have incomes at or below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI). They are extremely low income (ELI) households; 1-person households earn less than $22,000 per year. Generally, a housing unit is considered affordable if the monthly rent is equal to or less than 30% of a household’s monthly income, although many households have higher rent burdens.
Concept
1. Affordability
2. Availability
Barriers


Insufficient units with rents restricted at
ELI levels

Insufficient income to pay rent or to qualify for units
Competition: Units occupied by other ELI,
VLI, LI households

Individual barriers: criminal backgrounds, poor credit, bad tenant history
Remedies

Buy

Build/Rehab

Tenant-based subsidies

Capitalized subsidies

Direct access (direct referrals)

Specialized access
(target population)

Assistance
3. Prioritization: Cost, Risk (CAIS), Severity (Difficulty to House), Supervision Strategy.
4. Types of Housing Assistance a. Is the goal economic self sufficiency or ongoing support? b. Duration: emergency/interim, transitional, permanent c. Intensity: One-Time, shallow, deep subsidy with cap, deep subsidy
5. Sub-Populations: Women, women with children, etc.
6. In direct support of operations, mutually reinforcing of other programs, priorities and activities.
7. Coordinating roles for different parts of the community/system – e.g. Faith Collaborative and low – risk offenders.
Workgroup Goals
I. Remove any barrier to affordable housing a. Individual barriers – Availability b. System barriers to building or creating affordable units accessible by target population
II. Offer Peer-driven case management support to facilitate transition process – Develop appropriate models to support specific housing programs. a. Transition to what? b. When and for whom is peer-driven case management appropriate?
III. Discharge Planning
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Performance Measures / Program Goals
Program Type
Housing
Self-Sufficiency
Transitional Housing
Time to Move-In
Housing Retention
Obtain permanent affordable housing
Permanent Supportive Housing
Time to Move-In
Housing Retention
Retention of permanent affordable housing
Attain available benefits Attain available benefits
Completion of educational, vocational, employment program
Increase and maintain earned income
Recovery / Health Access to health insurance and benefits
Access to behavioral health services
Access to health insurance and benefits
Assignment to a medical home
Connection to specialty services
Care coordination
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