# Presentation: 738731

## What Works: Preventing Family Homelessness

- Improving Access to Mainstream Services
- for People Experiencing Homelessness:
- Focus on Homeless Families with Children
*January 27 - 29, 2004*
*Miami, Florida*
- Bill Vanderwall
- Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
- 612.879.5224 telephone
- bvanderwall@lssmn.org
- www.lssmn.org

## What Works: Preventing Family Homelessness

***Background***
- Minnesota homeless statistics
- 1986, 26% of shelter residents were children
- 2001, 47% of shelter residents were children (85% in families)
- 6,724--2001 average number of sheltered individuals nightly
- Strategies employed to assist families
- Shelter System
- Transitional Housing
- Supportive Housing
- Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP)
- Housing First

## What Works: Preventing Family Homelessness

**	****	****	****   ****State of Minnesota **
**Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program**
- Minnesota State funding; $28.75 million, 1993-2001
- Rural, urban, and suburban strategies
- Serves families, youth and limited adults
- Three main goals:
**Prevent homelessness**
**Reduce length of shelter stays**
**Reduce repeat shelter use**

## Housing status at entry
50% were not homeless
45% were homeless
5% were doubled up

- 50% were not homeless
- 45% were homeless
- 5% were doubled up

- Client Statistics

## 2001 Client Household Median Income

**7 County Metro Area **
**$ 7,452**
**Greater Minnesota**
**$ 9,252**

## Household Size

## Household Types 2001

## Household Income Range

- Unknown

## What Works: Preventing Family Homelessness

**Hennepin County (Minneapolis) services include:**
- _Homeless Prevention Services_
- 1170 families, $472/family/95% success rate
- _Rapid Exit Services_
- 1024 families, $93/family/88% success rate
- _Family Transitional Housing_
- 47 families, $3668/family/96% success rate
- _Youth Stabilization programs_
- 366 youth, $158/youth/96 % success rate
- _Adult Prevention_
- 201 adults, $463/adult/96% success rate
- _Adult Rapid Exit_
- 110 adults, $534/adult/75% success rate
**	****Total households served: 5703**
**	****Average cost: $395**

## What Works: Preventing Family Homelessness

**Brainerd HOPE (rural Minnesota) services include:**
- _Homeless Prevention Services_
- 183 families/86% success rate
- _Limited Case Management_ (preventing repeat episodes)
- 23 families/74% success
- _Tenant Education_
- 93 families/100% of financial aid recipients received rental  education within one month
**	****Total households served: 215**
**	****Average cost: $860**

## What Works: Preventing Family Homelessness

**Total Minnesota Family Homeless Prevention:**

**14,898 Households Served**
**68% families with children**
**(23,172 minor children)**
**32% households without children**
**(27% single adult)**

## Cash and Non-Cash Assistance

## FHPAP CASH ASSISTANCE

## What Works: Preventing Family Homelessness

**Housing First Strategies**
- Permanent affordable housing *with* services
- Utilizes existing housing resources
- Builds community
- Residents
- Property owners
- Requires key partnerships
- Cost effective
- Focus on family stability
- Prevents homelessness

## Summary Conclusions

- The greatest proportion of assisted households were single parent families – headed mostly by women
- More than 50% of households were comprised of a race other than white
- Households had extremely low incomes – less than 30% of the state median income

## Summary Conclusions

- FHPAP assisted a large number of households at a relatively low cost per HH
- More than 50% of the households assisted received services only
- The greatest amount of cash assistance went to housing assistance – primarily rent assistance
**Homeless prevention works!**