# Presentation: 087722

## HOMELESS PREVENTION

**Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor**

**Carol L. Adams, Ph.D., Secretary**

**Illinois Department of Human Services **

**Notes:**
Carol L. Adams, Ph.D., Secretary

Linda Reneé Baker, Secretary

SSSS

## History of Legislation and Advocacy – Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

- History of Legislation and Advocacy – Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

## State-wide Coalition
Four Initiatives-Prevention and Permanent Housing
Homelessness prevention
Mortgage foreclosure prevention
Rental subsidy
Capital funds

- Four Initiatives-Prevention and Permanent Housing
- Homelessness prevention
- Mortgage foreclosure prevention
- Rental subsidy
- Capital funds

##        Developing Legislation

- Amended existing law that was never implemented
- Minnesota model
- Maximum flexibility for localities
- No income limit
- No maximum amount of assistance
- Broad definition of uses of funds
- Worked within continuum framework
- Subject to appropriation

## 		    Bill Passage

- Passed unanimously in both houses in spring of 1999
- No funding allocated in the budget
- Mayor’s office and Governor’s Task Force on the Status of Women assisted in advocating for funding
- $1 million allocated by Governor later in fiscal year 2000

## Advocating for Increased Funding	

- Using media-Homelessness Prevention Week
- Rallies in Springfield
- Personal stories-people who have been homeless and people helped by funds
- TANF funds and other unspent dollars used for increases

## In January 2000, IDHS established
what is now known as the
Illinois Homeless Prevention Program.

- what is now known as the
**Illinois Homeless Prevention Program**.

## IDHS’ Bureau of Homeless Services
and Supportive Housing is
responsible for performing all fiscal,
programmatic and monitoring
functions related to administering
funds

- and Supportive Housing is
- responsible for performing all fiscal,
- programmatic and monitoring
- functions related to administering
- funds

## The Goals of theHomeless Prevention Program:

- Stabilize individuals and families in their existing homes
- Shorten the time individuals and families stay in shelters
- Help individuals andfamilies secureaffordable housing

## Services Offered by theHomeless Prevention Program

- Rental assistance
- Utility assistance
- Security deposit assistance
- Supportive services directly related to the prevention of homelessness or repeated episodes of homelessness

## Allowable Costs ForHomeless Prevention

- Payments cannot exceed three months of rental arrears
- Payments cannot exceed two months of rent
- Payment of rental deposit or security deposit, as identified in the lease
- Payments of utility bills and arrearage.

## Households in imminent danger of eviction

Households in imminent danger of foreclosure

Households in imminent danger of homelessness

Households that are currently homeless

- Households in imminent danger of eviction
- Households in imminent danger of foreclosure
- Households in imminent danger of homelessness
- Households that are currently homeless

- Persons who may be eligible for this assistance
- include:

## The household must document a
temporary economic crisis beyond
its control, evidenced by at least
one of the following conditions:

- The household must document a
- temporary economic crisis beyond
- its control, evidenced by at least
- one of the following conditions:

## Loss of employment

Medical disability or emergency

Loss or delay of some form of public benefit

Natural disaster

Substantial change in household composition

Victimization by criminal activity

Illegal action by a landlord

Displacement by a government or private action

Other conditions constituting hardship comparable to conditions enumerated above

- Medical disability or emergency
- Loss or delay of some form of public benefit
- Natural disaster
- Substantial change in household composition
- Victimization by criminal activity
- Illegal action by a landlord
- Displacement by a government or private action
- Other conditions constituting hardship comparable to conditions enumerated above

- Eligibility For Assistance

## The household also must also be able to
demonstrate an ability to meet its future
rental/utility obligations after assistance
has been granted, based on current or
anticipated income

- demonstrate an ability to meet its future
- rental/utility obligations after assistance
- has been granted, based on current or
- anticipated income

- Eligibility for Assistance

## Documentation

**Rental Assistance/Arrearage** (e.g.: eviction notice, landlord agreement)
**Security Deposit Assistance** (lease)
**Utility Assistance/Arrearage**
- (shutoff notice)

## Referrals to Services

- Providers who offer in-house services or who
- network with other services outside of their
- agency should refer customers to services
- such as:
- Alcohol abuse services
- Mental health services
- Vocational training
- Health/dental services
- Adult basic education
- English as a second language
- Child care

## Working with IDHS Local Offices - Family Community Resource Centers

- Providers frequently serve customers who would benefit from other services offered through IDHS Local Offices.  These Local Offices are now called “Family Community Resource Centers”
- Customers may access the following major programs:
- TANF Cash Assistance for Needy Families
- Food stamps
- Medical cards to access medical services

## Illinois Homeless ServicesContinuum of Care System

- <date/time>

- Illinois Homeless ServicesContinuum of Care System

- Every Continuum of Care should include:
- Plan for addressing chronic homelessness
- Prevention
- Outreach and assessment
- Emergency shelter
- Transitional housing
- Permanent supportive housing
- Affordable housing and supportive services

- A Continuum of Care System helps people who are or have been homeless, or who are at imminent risk of homelessness

## Slide 20

## The Continuum of Care approach allows
more people to receive a greater number
of services and participate in better
coordinated programs by integrating all
available funding and services to address
homelessness

- more people to receive a greater number
- of services and participate in better
- coordinated programs by integrating all
- available funding and services to address
- homelessness

- Illinois Homeless ServicesContinuum of Care System

## How Much Money Is Available?

- How Much Money Is Available?

- For FY05 approximately $5 Million is allocated,  $3 Million in General Revenue and $2 Million in TANF funds
- An estimated 10,000 households will receive *prevention services* to enable those households to remain housed or obtain permanent housing

## Source of Funds

**TANF Prevention Funds**
- TANF funds are federal funds to be used for
- families who meet the following conditions:
- Adult head-of-household with a dependent child or children age 18 or under
- Income at or below 200% of poverty

## Source of Funds

- Continuum Prevention Funds
- State dollars are allocated from General
- Revenue funds. These funds may be
- used to serve all eligible households
- without regard to household
- composition

## Prevention Outcomes

- Prevention has left fewer people homeless
- In FY04, there were 10,720 households that either retained or obtained housing through the Homeless Prevention Program

## The Homeless Prevention Programserves an average of 510 households per continuum, and the program spendsan average of $507 per household

It is estimated that for every $1 million in homeless prevention funding, approximately 2,500 households are served

- The Homeless Prevention Programserves an average of 510 households per continuum, and the program spendsan average of $507 per household
- It is estimated that for every $1 million in homeless prevention funding, approximately 2,500 households are served

- Prevention Outcomes

- Prevention has been cost-effective

## On average, 75% of participating households are able to retain their current housing. 
27% are able to move into otherpermanent housing.

6% are able to move from shelters into permanent housing.

- On average, 75% of participating households are able to retain their current housing.
- 27% are able to move into otherpermanent housing.
- 6% are able to move from shelters into permanent housing.

- Prevention Outcomes

- Prevention has promoted permanent
- housing options.

## Overall, families constitute 83% of households served through the Homeless Prevention Program

Females with children constituted more than half (57%) of all households served and 69% of all at-risk households with children

- Overall, families constitute 83% of households served through the Homeless Prevention Program
- Females with children constituted more than half (57%) of all households served and 69% of all at-risk households with children

- Prevention Outcomes

- Prevention has kept families intact

## Followup 
is very
IMPORTANT!

**is very**
**IMPORTANT!**

## Six months after the end of each fiscal
Year, providers will attempt to contact 
every household that received assistance
through the Homeless Prevention
Program in that previous fiscal year to
see if they remained housed for at least
six months

- Six months after the end of each fiscal
- Year, providers will attempt to contact
- every household that received assistance
- through the Homeless Prevention
- Program in that previous fiscal year to
- see if they remained housed for at least
- six months

**How Does Followup Work?**

## 	Challenges for Providers

- Funding for case management
- Serving families with no income
- Funding restrictions from TANF funds
- Volume of calls
- Developing followup strategy

## 			Successes  

- Increased coordination
- Packaging resources from different sources
- Identifying new resources
- Flexibility

## Stories of People Assisted	

- L.A. is a 33 year-old single mother with seven boys
- She works as a security guard at the airport
- She received notice that her building was sold and had to move immediately
- No money for security deposit
- Homeless Prevention funds assisted her

## 	 Stories of People Assisted

- P.R. lives in Naperville, a wealthy suburb of Chicago
- After working her whole life, she became disabled after a fall and ended up unable to work with $100,000 in hospital bills
- Filed for bankruptcy, but it cost $1,100 which meant she couldn’t pay her rent one month
- Homeless prevention funds kept her from becoming homeless

## Slide 35