# Presentation: 692013

## Lessons from Columbus, Ohio

- Holly S. Kastan
- Advisory Board
- Community Shelter Board
- Barbara Poppe
- Executive Director
- Community Shelter Board
- bjpoppe@csb.org
- 614.221.9195

## Overview

- CSB model
- Initiatives
- Rebuilding Lives
- Prevention
- Managing for results
- Closing thoughts

## The Community Shelter Board

- The Community Shelter Board was created in 1986 to respond to the growing needs of homelessness in Franklin County.
*"It is unacceptable for anyone in our community to go without food or shelter for even one night."*
- Mel Schottenstein, CSB Founder

## CSB’s Founders

- Public/Private Partnership:
- City of Columbus
- Franklin County Commissioners
- United Way of Franklin County
- Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce
- Metropolitan Area Church Council
- ADAMH Service Board
- Columbus Foundation
- Leo Yassenoff Foundation

## Mission

- CSB, by coordinating community-based efforts, fostering collaboration and funding services, assists families and individuals in Central Ohio to resolve their housing crisis.

## Organizational Methods

- collaboration with other systems
- raise and distribute money
- advocacy
- community education regarding homelessness

- assure accountability
- coordination with partner agencies
- practice fiscal conservancy
- continue research and data analysis for effective planning

## Funders

**Public**
- City of Columbus (40%)
- Franklin County (26%)
- Ohio Housing Trust Fund (5%)
- Other (2%)
- HUD SHP (1%)

**Private**
- Fundraising (13%)
- United Way of Central Ohio (13%)

## Framework

- Prevention
- Diversion
- Minimize shelter stay
- Move to appropriate housing quickly
- Create permanent supportive housing
- Measures results and manage for outcomes

## Initiatives

- Rebuilding Lives
- Prevention

## Rebuilding Lives 

- A new strategy to end homelessness

## Rebuilding Lives

- Rebuilding Lives has two goals:
- To provide long-term, permanent housing solutions to end the cycle of _**long-term**_ homelessness
- To maintain an emergency shelter system for people with short-term crises.

## Rebuilding Lives Results

**Improved safety net**
- 3 new emergency programs
- Resource centers operational in all adult shelters
- Improved coordination among programs
**New housing**
- 372 units of permanent supportive housing
- Serves most **chronically** homeless from streets/shelters
**New thinking**
- _Housing is solution not shelters_

## Supportive Housing Tenant  Profile (7/1/02-6/30/03)

- Where did they come from?
- 100% experienced long-term homelessness
- 44% came from emergency shelter
- 35% came directly from streets
- Who are they?
- 95% male
- 78% 35-54 years
- 65% black; 29% white
- 60% had no income at intake to housing
- 21% Veterans

## Supportive Housing Results (7/1/02-6/30/03)

- Tenants
- 475 housed
- Average cumulative length of stay = 397 days
- > 80% maintained housing for year or more
- Shelters
- Despite economic downturn, shelter utilization has not increased

## Supportive housing is cost-effective

| System | Daily cost |
| --- | --- |
| Supportive housing | $36 |
| Jail | $58 |
| Detox | $191 |
| State psychiatric hospital | $482 |
| Inpatient medical hospital | $1,085 |

*Rebuilding Lives Funder Summit, March 2003*

## Rebuilding Lives PACT Team Initiative (RLPTI)

***Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness***
***Comprehensive approach*** – multi-agency, multi-disciplinary
***Housing First*** – scattered site permanent supportive housing
***Access to Health Care and Income*** – replication of PACT model and Maryland SSI Outreach project

## RLPTI Target Population

- Experienced **chronic **homelessness – living on streets and in shelters
- Serious mental disabilities with co-occurring substance abuse disorders and/or physical disabilities
- Estimate of annual prevalence of target population = 410 persons

## RLPTI Local Collaborative

**System**
- ADAMH Board
- Community Research Partners
- Community Shelter Board
- Continuum of Care Steering Committee
- County Department of Job/Family Services
- Rebuilding Lives Funder Collaborative

**Providers**
- Chalmers P. Wylie VA Outpatient Clinic
- Community Housing Network
- Corporation for Supportive Housing
- Metropolitan Housing Authority
- Neighborhood Health Centers
- Southeast, Inc.

## Replicating Best Practices with a Columbus Twist

- Pathways to Housing
- Low demand, scattered sites rental housing and *public housing*
- Evidence-based practices -- PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) multi-disciplinary treatment team *plus* IDDT (Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment) for persons with dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse
*Multi-Agency* PACT team services which includes VA, Neighborhood Health services, and housing provider

## Replicating Best Practices with a Columbus Twist

- Maryland SSI Outreach Project
- Outreach, record collection, application completion and advocacy
- SSI/SSDI and/or *Veterans* benefits
*County Department of Jobs/Family Services SSI unit* will be benefits coordinator

## Planned RLPTI Client Outcomes

- 156 adults (47 Veterans) participate in initiative {impact = 40% of target pop.}
- 80% remain in housing for 12+ months
- 90% increased income w/in 12 months
- 60% improved behavioral health w/in 12 months

## Planned RLPTI Community Results

- Reduce **chronic** homelessness
- Improved transition of target population from homeless-specific services systems to **mainstream** systems of support
- Improved **collaboration** among housing/service providers and mainstream agencies

## Homelessness Prevention

- Closing the front door to homelessness

## Prevention

- Coordinated services with centralized fiscal agent
- Satellite partners provide housing counseling, landlord advocacy, financial planning, and assistance with applications
- Client financial assistance to avoid eviction or move to more affordable housing

## Prevention Results

**Ends homelessness**
- 95% of households receiving financial assistance resolve crisis.
- 98% do not subsequently enter shelter
**Cost effective**
- $432/hh served

## Managing for Results

## Managing for Results

- Measure progress - HMIS
- Client
- Provider
- Funder
- Community
- Outcomes-based funding
- Leverage community resources
- Communicate the successes

## Benefits of CSB Model	

- Public/private partnership
- Increased system planning, service coordination, accountability
- Ability to establish community-wide policy
- More effective monitoring of programs to ensure high quality services
- More effective communication

## Challenges to ending chronic homelessness 

- Permanent Supportive Housing
- Stable operating subsidies
- Stable services funding
- Capital development grants
- Systems Integrations to Prevent Homelessness
- Cooperation among local, state and federal agencies
- Re-entry policies that prevent discharge to homelessness

## Lessons from Columbus, Ohio

- Holly S. Kastan
- Advisory Board
- Barbara Poppe
- Executive Director