Developing a Coordinated System for Homeless Families in LA County

Libby Boyce, LCSW

eboyce@dhs.lacounty.gov

February

2015

Political Landscape

• Los Angeles County – 10,000,000 residents, 4,000 square miles, 88 cities

• 5 Supervisorial Districts that oversee health and human service departments

• Funding and service decisions must be vetted through all 5 Board offices

• 1 homeless coordinator based at Chief Executive Office to propose funding/service recommendations

• LAHSA - CoC lead agency - LA City/County Joint Powers Authority and administrator of HUD and other homeless assistance funds

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Why Coordinate Services? • Multiple programs serving homeless families

• Experience of HPRP

• Desire to scale-up rapid rehousing

• Need a more regional approach

• Continued concentration of families in Skid Row

• Homeless families using the adult shelter system during winter months

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Setting the Stage for Change • 2011 – convening of homeless family

providers

• Winters 2011/2012 – LAHSA implemented Family Transition Project to test regional coordination of services

• HPRP ended – City/County pooled ESG rapid rehousing to establish 6 Family Solution Centers

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Solidifying the Transition to a Coordinated System of Care

• Community advocates and homeless family providers began to lobby the 5 Supervisors/staff in support of scaling up and allocating additional/existing funding

• 2 Board offices held a meeting with executive staff from LAHSA, DPSS, DMH, DCFS

• Result was assigning the homeless coordinator to lead a workgroup to review all programs and integrate them accordingly

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Creating Common Vision

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Principle Goal

Coordinated System of Care

A region-based program for homeless families that provides rapid rehousing and ongoing case management for community reintegration and stabilization.

Coordinated Entry Streamlined assessment and triage to housing and resources for homeless families.

Regional Collaboration Partnerships across public and private entities that ensure homeless families are fully supported and connected to permanent housing and services within their respective community.

Building Economic and Housing Stability

To facilitate connections to income, employment, and education that provide the financial resources to achieve long-term housing stability.

Targeted Interventions Individualized housing and services assistance based on each homeless family’s ability to obtain and maintain permanent housing stability.

Combining of 3 Programs

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Homeless Family Program Services Provided

Population Served

Homeless CalWORKs Families Project (TANF/DPSS Funded)

Transportation Emergency Shelter/Motel Vouchers Access to Transitional Housing

Case Management Mental Health Assessments Assistance w/permanent housing location

CalWORKs – WtW Homeless families

w/mental health concerns

Emergency Services Solutions (TANF/DPSS Funded)

120-day emergency shelter Case Management

CalWORKs – WtW Homeless Families

Family Solutions Centers (County/City Funded)

Standardized Assessments Permanent Housing and Supportive Service Plans Interim Housing and Rental Assistance Case Management Housing Location/Retention Linkage to community-based supportive services

Homeless Families

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Homeless Family Solutions System (HFSS)

Overview: HFSS combines multiple funding sources and creates one coordinated, community-based, crisis response system for homeless families.

Key Objectives: To reduce the length of time a family is homeless and to work towards

permanent housing and targeted interventions such as rapid rehousing and progressive case management based on the families particular needs.

To build upon existing community-based infrastructure and to leverage resources to provide more cost-effective interventions.

Goal: Implement a regional approach to permanently rehouse homeless families quickly and efficiently while connecting them to supportive services within their own communities.

Establishing Board Support and Final Approval of HFSS

• Blood, sweat, tears, gray hairs

• 3 rounds of Board Deputy meetings

• Ongoing questions regarding funding, staffing and operationalizing the system prior to implementation

• Board office champions

• Significant community advocacy

– Service providers and Shelter Partnership

– Staff at DPSS (local TANF)

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Family Solutions Centers

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Enhancement Why

Combining of funding Maximizes resources, streamlines efforts and reduces service duplication.

Families are permanently housed in their own community

Leverage existing community-based infrastructures to develop and maintain connections to support systems within their own communities.

Regional and coordinated access to housing and services.

Ensures that homeless families do not have to go to multiple agencies to obtain housing and services assistance.

Targeted Interventions. Ensures that families are provided with the intervention that best meets their specific needs.

At least one DPSS Homeless Case Manager out stationed at each Family Solution Center.

Quick linkage to DPSS benefits and housing services

Substance abuse counselor/mental health clinician at each Family Solution Center

Maximizes housing stability and well-being.

Subsidized employment Promotes long-term family stability and self-sufficiency.

Results

Family Experience Before/After The burden shifts from the family to the service providers and

funding administrators

Before After

Multiple places for needs-all over County 1 agency coordinates the care

Duplication of assessments/services 1 agency – 1 assessment-comprehensive set of services

Reliance on scarce Section 8 resources for permanent housing

Goal is permanent housing with a range of options

Program eligibility based on targets that don’t fit i.e. mental health, citizenship, etc.

All homeless families eligible

All families offered same resources regardless of acuity of needs

Housing and services are targeted based on family needs

Families receiving appropriate services was a lucky break

Appropriate services are standard

No coherent vision to end family homelessness

A comprehensive and coordinated system

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Funding

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New Developments

• Additional State Funding for CalWORKs families - $3.5M

• Additional CoC funding - $1.4M

• Additional one-time County general funding - $2.3

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Q & A