San Diego “Crosswalk”
Process for Permanent
Supportive Housing
Tricia Tasto Levien
Senior Program Manager
Corporation for Supportive Housing
March 9, 2011
www.csh.org
San Diego County MHSA
Housing Program Background
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$33 million dollars ($22 capital/$11 operating)
Full Service Partnerships
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Community Research Foundation
Mental Health Systems, Inc.
Heritage Clinic
Providence Community Services
Target Populations
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Adults
Older Adults
Adults (justice system)
Transition Age Youth
San Diego County MHSA
Housing Program Background
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Goals: Develop 241 units of housing; Lease 115
units of housing
Current Status: 190 units in development pipeline;
421 clients are in leased housing being subsidized by
local County MHSA dollars.
One development is currently leased-up Townspeople, Inc. 34th Street Apartments.
Two other developments will open by end of 2011 –
Squier Properties/REOM’s Cedar Gateway and
Father Joe’s Villages’ 15th and Commercial.
San Diego “Crosswalk”
Committees
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The County of San Diego Mental Health Services
Administration recognized the need for a high
level of coordination between all involved parties
in order to ensure effective MHSA housing
program implementation.
The Crosswalk Committees have been meeting
regularly since fall 2010 to plan and discuss
issues related to successful lease-up and
operations of MHSA permanent supportive
housing developments.
San Diego “Crosswalk”
Committees
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The “Crosswalk” Committees, much like a pedestrian
crosswalk, were originally formed with the intention of
assisting developers and service providers as they
transition clients from their current living situations to
permanent supportive housing.
Over time, the Committees have expanded to focus
on all aspects of preparing for lease-up.
The Committees meet on a monthly basis and
include representation from developer; service
provider; property management; and County and
their technical housing consultant the Corporation for
Supportive Housing.
San Diego “Crosswalk
Committees”
There are currently three Crosswalk Committees
underway
Name
Developer
MHSA
Units
Total
Units
Target
Population
Expected
Opening
34th Street
Townspeople
5
34
Homeless Adults December
with HIV/AIDS
2010
Cedar
Gateway
Squier
Properties/
ROEM
23
65
Adults/Older
Adults
October
2011
15th and
Commercial
Father Joe’s
Villages
25
65
Adults/Older
Adults
December
2011
San Diego Crosswalk Meeting
Topics
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Meeting topics include, but are not limited to, the following
areas:
– Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
– Tenant Selection and Screening
– Planning for Services
– Community Building
– Marketing and Communications
– Capitalized Operating Subsidy Process
– Community Art
– Grand Opening
– Retail Space (for those w/ retail)
– Community Outreach
– Client/Tenant Input
As we identify other topic areas, we add it to the list of topic
areas.
San Diego Crosswalk Meeting
Topics
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The meetings are approximately 1 ½ hours in
length. Each month’s meeting focuses on one or
two main topic areas.
Topic areas are discussed in order of importance
related to timelines.
– MOA – 120 days prior to lease-up
– Supportive Services Budget – 120 days prior to
lease-up
– Marketing – 90 days prior to lease-up
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At the end of each meeting, we discuss follow-up
and topic(s) for next month’s meeting.
San Diego Crosswalk Committee
Meetings – Work Plan Matrix
 A work plan matrix has been designed that
includes topic areas, meeting dates, and
important timelines.
 Matrix also includes a section on follow-up
items and a “parking lot” section.
 The parking lot section is used as a way to
note questions or discussions that are
important but are tabled for discussion at a
later date.
San Diego Crosswalk Committee
Meetings – Work Plan Matrix
KeyTask/ Meeting 1/11
Focus Area
2/11
3/11
Memorandum of
Agreement
All parties to
review MOA;
Provide
feedback
Incorporate
feedback. Finalize
MOA
Send to County
Counsel; execute
MOA
Tenant Selection
and Screening
PM to share
draft tenant
screening
process
FSPs to bring
information on
clients criminal
histories
Finalize tenant
screening process
Planning for
Services
Review draft
supportive services
budget
Marketing and
Communications
Review draft
marketing flyer
Follow-up Items
Parking Lot
Crosswalk Committee Meeting
Binders
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Contact List
Meeting Agendas
Meeting Notes
Memorandum of Agreement
Work Plan Planning Matrix
Tenant Certification and Referral Process
Tenant Screening and Selection
Tenant Screening Matrix
Tenant Screening Matrix
Client Criminal
Rental
Notes
Preliminary
Screening
#1
Felony drug charge
in 1999. Client’s
guilty plea was
changed to a
dismissal in 2002
Resides at ABC
apartments
since 2008
Pays rent on
time.
Would like to
return to the
downtown area
Yes, b/c it was
dismissed
#2
Two felony drug
Resides at DEF
convictions (1992 & apartment since
1993); two
2010.
misdemeanor
convictions (2005 &
2006)
Clean and sober
for 5+ years.
Volunteers for
Narcotics
Anonymous.
Would need a
reasonable
accommodatio
n for one of
the
misdemeanor
convictions.
#3
Federal conviction
Resides at GEH Drug and alcohol No, due to
of drug trafficking in SRO since
free for last five
drug trafficking
1996
2007
years. Held job
conviction
for last 9 months.
Crosswalk Meeting Benefits
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Create atmosphere of collaboration early-on.
Develop policies and procedures together
Manage workload over time.
Prioritize tasks in order of importance.
Anticipate potential issues earlier in the process
Establish tasks and delineate responsibilities.
Share workload amongst all parties (Developer,
FSPs, PM, County, etc.).
Establish common “vision” for development (esp.
important for mixed-tenancy developments).
Lessons Learned
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You can never begin planning early enough.
Focus on meeting topic. As other items arise,
table for future discussion.
Prioritize what needs to happen first in order to
meet established timeframes.
Important to have management input and
approval at the beginning.
Take meeting notes and summarize follow-up for
everyone.
Establish deadlines and accountability to meet
those deadlines.
San Diego MHSA Housing
Program
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For more information,
http://www.sandiego.networkofcare.org/mh/Count
yContent/San-Diego/Housing.cfm.
San Diego County Mental Health Services
Administration, Kevine Ky, Administrative Analyst
to Dr. Piedad Garcia, (619) 563-2703,
Kevine.Ky@sdcounty.ca.gov.
CSH San Diego – Tricia Tasto Levien, (619) 2321982, tricia.levien@csh.org.