Dr. Dennis Culhane's presentation on homelessness at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy Donor Education Seminar.

1. A Prevention-Centered
Homelessness Assistance System:
A Paradigm Shift?
Dennis Culhane,
Stephen Metraux and
Thomas Byrne

2. Typology of Single Adult Homelessness
(Philadelphia)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Transitional Episodic Chronic
% of Persons % Days Used
 Transitionals:
 1.19 stays
 20.4 days
 Episodics:
 3.84 stays
 72.8 days
 Chronics:
 1.53 stays
 252.4 days

3. Disability Rates
(Single Adults in Philadelphia)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Mental Illness Physical Substance
Abuse
Any One
Transitional Episodic Chronic

4. Implications
 Transitionally Homeless: Prevention and
Relocation Assistance
 Episodically Homeless: Low Demand Residences
(Safe Havens), Harm Reduction, Transitional
Housing, Residential Treatment
 Chronically Homeless: Permanent Supportive
Housing

5. What has been done?:
Chronic Homeless Initiative
Congress and Bush/Obama have increased
funding $600 million since 2003; 45%
increase
80,000 units created
HUD reported a 30% decline in CH from 05
to 09

6. Typology of Family Homelessness
(Massachusetts)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Transitional Episodic Long-stayers
% of Persons % Days Used
 Transitionals:
 1.0 stays
 105 days
 Episodics:
 2.0 stays
 195 days
 Long-Stayers:
 1.0 stays
 444 days

7. Intensive Service Histories of
Families
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Child Welfare
Placement
Inpt MH Inpt SA Any one
Transitional Episodic Long-Term

8. Income Sources
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Earned Income SSI
Transitional Episodic Long-Term (n=99)

9. The Average Cost of
Shelter Stays by Type
(Massachusetts)
Transitional $11,550
Episodic $21,450
Long-term $48,440
Does not include McKinney-Vento funding or non-DTA public service contracts.

10. Conclusions
 Policies and programs driving long stays
 Characteristics of “graduates” may reflect
selection effects of policies and programs
 Most costly service users are not differentially
service-needy
 Need for reform

11. V
o
l
u
m
e
Cost per Case
Model Service System
for Addressing Housing Emergencies
Prevention Supportive
Housing
Shelter Admission
Diversion,
Relocation, and
Emergency Rental
Assistance
Mainstream systems
Community-
Based programs

12. Shelter
Day Care
Employment
Assistance
Housing
Placement
Family Supt
Services
MH/SA
Services
Prevailing Model Emerging Model
Housing
Stabilization
Day Care
Employment
Assistance
Shelter
Family Supt
Services
MH/SA
Services
Turning the Continuum of Care Inside – Out?

13. Target Population Prevention Objective
Most At – Risk Protocols for Institutional
Discharges
Imminently Homeless Crisis Intervention and
Tenancy Preservation
(Shelter Diversion)
Homeless Emergency Shelter and Rapid
Rehousing

14. Most At-Risk
 Prisoners awaiting discharge
 Patients Exiting Hospital or Detoxification
 Youth Exiting from FC
 Domestic Violence Victims
 Formerly Homeless
Protocols Needed with Standard Screening for Risk,
Tenancy Preservation, and Rehousing Plans

15. Imminently Homelessness
(HH w/ Eviction Notice, Shelter Requestors)
 For Primary Tenants – Landlord Tenant Mediation
and Relocation Grant (if necessary)
 For Those Leaving Family/Friends:
 Home visits
 “Options” counseling
 Family mediation
 Transition planning
 Flexible emergency cash assistance
 Employment coaching

16. Homeless
 Crisis Intervention (same as for “imminently
homeless”) for newly homeless to restore prior
tenancy or provide relocation grant
 At some threshold (3-4 weeks): Rehousing Plan
 Deeper Assessment and Services Screen
 Service Coordination – referral until “touch” is made
 Relocation
 Emergency Assistance - flexible cash assistance, can
provide shallow rent supports, with six month review

17. Shelter admission
Community-
based
Prevention
(Diversion and
Stabilization)
Rapid
Exit:
Relocation
Up to 2-4
weeks
shelter
Housing
Stabilization
Service I
Relocation,
Critical Time
Intervention
CM, Temp
Rental Ass.
1 year shallow
rental subsidy
Housing
Stabilization
Service II
More
intensive
services, 1
more year of
Temp Rent
Ass.
Shelter exit
Transition
to
mainstream
systems
Long-Term
Subsidy and
Service
Engagement
“Progressive Engagement” Approach

18. The English Experience:
Prevention Oriented System
Funded in 2003
 New Ethos: All Cases Can Be Prevented/Rehoused
 50% Decline in Homelessness from 2003-2006
 Keys to Success:
 Flexible resources that could be tailored to client
 Strong agency collaborations with mainstream systems
 Timeliness – intervening as early and quickly as
possible

19. Systems Transformation
 From “the Continuum” to “the Network”
 Creating a New Field of Practice: Housing
Stabilization
 New Service Priorities:
 Tenancy Sustainment
 Service Coordinators
 Benefits Counselors
 Housing Relocation Specialists
 Family Mediation
 Home Visitors

20. Challenges
 Engaging Human Services Systems: Prevention
Concept has to be embraced across systems
 Local Housing Authority Participation – Need for
some permanent subsidies for households with
long-term needs
 New Data Collection and Performance Standards
Needed

21. Issues for Philanthropy
 Engaging and convening community stakeholders
 Supporting “systems change” and “culture
change” activities
 Mobilizing private sector participation into a
housing and jobs network: landlords, legal
services, employers
 “Home” programs – move-in assistance, house-
starter kits, furniture banks, etc.

22. Suggested web resources
 National Alliance to End Homelessness web site:
HPRP Resources section, includes “guides for
good practice”
 Funders Together to End Homelessness:
http://funderstogether.org/