2010 home conference - staying housed
TRANSCRIPT
CHRISTY RESPRESS, MSW
PATHWAYS TO HOUSING DC
Staying in HousingH.O.M.E. ConferenceSeptember 16, 2010
1
Supportive Housing: A Permanent Home
Supportive housing is permanent affordable housing
Supportive housing is high quality subsidized housing that fits well into neighborhoods
Supportive housing units offer features that foster independence and dignity (i.e., kitchen & bath in each unit)
Supportive housing tenants sign and abide by lease agreements, pay rent, and enjoy the same pride in their homes as their neighbors
Supportive housing is linked to high quality and sustainable support services that help people achieve greater levels of self-sufficiency
Who Benefits from PSH?
Several studies show reduced timed spent homeless & housing retention rates of 75-85% for some of the most disabled tenants
Improvements in physical health, mental health and substance abuse recovery
Evidence of superior outcomes in a form of PSH called Housing First.
PSH/Housing First found to increase housing stability and behavioral health outcomes for high need families
Studies also show improved health outcomes for persons living with HIV/AIDS
Supportive Housing Services
Organizes and delivers individually tailored and flexible supportive services linked specifically to supportive housing units.
Leverages community based services to meet tenant’s needs.
Emphasis on long-term services planning to achieve personal life goals.
Develops independent living skills and greater levels of self-sufficiency in gradual steps over time.
Responds to periods of crisis or increased needs immediately.
HOUSING -BASED CASE MANAGEMENT
Basic Service Strategies
Tasks
Educate people about available housing options and expectations of each
Identify skills and supports needed to maintain chosen housing options
Establish housing stability as a service goal
Assist people to secure an income
Tasks
Prepare for the expectations of each housing opportunity
Plan for and assist in maintaining housing (paying rent, apartment maintenance and upkeep, complying with the lease, and accessing aftercare services and supports)
What services do tenants need to help them remain in housing?
Pre-tenancy & Move-in assistance
Employment
Money Management
Activities of Daily Living
Access to Benefits
Providing education about medications and medication management support
Assisting tenants to develop skills needed to live in the community
Services cont’d….
Eviction Prevention
Crisis Intervention Planning
Legal Issues
Credit Issues
Supporting tenants’ recovery from substance abuse
Assisting with socialization and recreational activities
GOAL BASED ASSESSMENT AND SERVICE DELIVERY
Getting & Keeping People Housed
Case Management: Engagement Strategies
Pro-active outreach
Introduce yourself and how you can be helpful
Repeated, predictable, non-intrusive patterns of interaction
Responding to felt needs
Respecting boundaries
Allowing people as much control as possible over interactions
Be patient and persistent
Listen
Goal Based Engagement & Assessment Strategies
Explore what the persons/ family’s choice means
History (i.e. housing, employment)
How person/ family became homeless, lost employment/ income
Preferences
Financial Issues
Implications of disabilities or service needs and how this relates to goal
Long term goals, particularly as relate to children
What Are People Asking For
A Safe Affordable Place To Live
Community
Services Appropriate To Their Needs
Choice
Money Enough To Live On
A Role In The Community And In Their Families
A Chance For Their Children And Themselves To Get
Ahead
Education: Clarify What You Can Offer
Housing Models and Expectations of Each
Expectations of tenancy
Rent payment
Quiet enjoyment
Maintaining apartment
Financial Realities
Application process and timelines
Building Motivation for Change15
Assessment
Stages of change
Intervention
Motivational Interviewing
Negotiation
Harm Reduction Strategies
Stages of Change16
Provides a tool for assessment of where person is in their awareness of problem behavior and desire to change developed by Prochaska, DiClemente and Norcross
Breaks down the process that people typically move through to change a problem behavior
Seen as a wheel and normalizes set backs and repeating the process
Stages of Change17
Precontemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action / Relapse
Maintenance
Differences in the Model18
Most programs are designed for the action stage
Sees cycling through the stages several times as normal, not as failure
Interventions match where person is
Resistance is seen in terms of not understanding where someone is
Workers focused on the process of change
Motivational Interviewing19
Way to work with people in the precontemplation and contemplation stage of change
Helps to resolve ambivalence and get a person moving along the path to change
Client is treated as an ally
Worker serves to persuade rather than coerce
20
Precontemplation…not seriously considering change
There is little or no consideration of change in the foreseeable future.
Ex: “I don’t have a problem- you’re my problem!”
Tasks: Increase awareness of need for change and concern about the current pattern of behavior; envision possibility of change.
Goal: Serious consideration of change for this behavior.
Working with someone in Precontemplation Stage
Ask them about their life goals and point out that having good health may help them reach those goals (ex. Need to take care of your feet if you want a job where you may be standing all day)
Provide them information about other people living with that challenge (ex. Diabetes, high blood pressure, overweight)
Provide education on health related topics
Instill hope and listen
22
Contemplation…thinking about change
The stage where the person examines their patterns of behavior and the potential for change in a risk-reward analysis.
Ex: “I know that I shouldn’t smoke cigarettes, but I’ve tried to stop before and I always start smoking again. I don’t think I can do it”.
Tasks: Analysis of the pros and cons of the current behavior and the costs and benefits of change.
Goal: A considered evaluation that leads to a decision to change.
Working with someone in Contemplation Stage
The worker can say “yes, I know it’s hard to quit smoking. What difficult things have you accomplished in the past?”.
What do you think is getting in the way of stopping smoking now?
How would your health change if you quit smoking?
Ask, “Given everything else in your life, how important is it to you that you stop smoking on a scale of 1 to 10?”.
Resolution24
Recognizing change is ideal outcome but accepting alternatives to reduce harm
Providing user friendly services including low barriers for participation, informal atmospheres, flexible hours and locations.
Offering services to people where ever they are
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TENANCY
Maximizing Housing Retention
Tenant Selection
Know Fair Housing Laws
Pre Application
PSH Eligibility
Credit Check?
Criminal Background Check?
Reasonable Accommodation?
Family Size
Reasonable Accommodation
If you have a disability that interferes with your ability to access or use housing your landlord may not:
Refuse to let you make reasonable modifications to your dwelling or common use areas, at your expense, if necessary for the disabled person to use the housing. (Where reasonable, the landlord may permit changes only if you agree to restore the property to its original condition when you move.)
Refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services if necessary for the disabled person to use the housing.
Eviction Prevention
Reasons: Lease Based
Timeframe
Process
Communication
Appeal
Prevention
Maintenance and Repairs
Landlords responsibility
Painting
Plumbing
Electrical
Cable ?
Appliances ?
Timeframe for Repairs
Cleaning Schedule (what is covered)
Expectations for Up-keep
What is covered (unit, garage, yard, etc)
Unit Maintenance
Fire Safety
Maintaining Appliances
Inspections
Hording
Storage
Quiet Enjoyment
Tenants have the right to enjoy their homes
The right not to be disturbed without causeNotice of RepairsNotice of Inspections
Reasonable protections from noise
Reasonable protection from criminal activitiesSafe
Tenant can not interfere with others rights and can not be interfered with
Rent Payment
Rent is due on the 1st (?) of the month
Notice of non-payment is sent on? Communication Structure
Available resources to pay back rent
Payment Plan is possible but not assumed
Eviction Process in Court Timeframe
Building Amenities
What is included (pool, lawns, driveways, common areas, security)
Rules for Use
Policy on Guests
Tenants can not be excluded from Building amenities
Rules may apply
Appeals
People have the right to contact a lawyer
People can appeal to the courts, HUD (fair housing), government
People have a right to a lease which spells out all the rights and obligations of tenancy
People have a right to all tenant selection decisions in writing as well as eviction notification.
WORKING WITH LANDLORDS AND
MANAGING AGENTS
Maximizing Housing Retention
Working with Landlords
Engagement
Pro-active outreach
Introduce yourself and how you can be helpful
Be persistent and reachable
Know fair housing law
Responding to needs
Recognize that they own the property
Be patient and persistent
Working with Landlords
Assessment of what is needed
Eligibility Standards
Rent payment
Maintaining apartment
Allowing quiet enjoyment
Keeping apartments filled
Assistance with problem tenants
Working with Landlords
Provide Education
What services do you have available
Knowledge of tenancy expectations
Positive experiences with other projects
Make a plan
Try starting slowly
Re-evaluate
Defining Expectations
How often will you talk?
How will you know when there is a problem?
What are the expectations for common problems?
What is the communication process to tenants / service provider
How can you negotiate this without seeming too much of a social worker?
Common Issues
Rent Delays
Frequent Visitors / People Moving In
Suspected Criminal Activity
Problems with Neighbors
Frequent Repair Requests
Hoarding / Problems Maintaining Apartment
911 calls
Strategies
Educate tenants on their rights and responsibilities
Ensure all tenants understand the lease
Be familiar with the eviction protocol
Check in with the landlord regularly
Visit tenants in their apartment as much as possible
Ensure resources are available when needed
Establish a communication structure
Ensure all roles are clear: Tenant; Landlord; and Service Provider
Final Thoughts
Maintaining housing is a primary goal.
Many people may not make it in their first apartment. Use this as an opportunity for learning.
Get creative in your interventions!
Contact Information
Christy Respress
Pathways to Housing DC
www.pathwaystohousing.org
202-529-2972, xt. 120