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THE 10-YEAR PLANNING PROCESS TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS IN YOUR COMMUNITY A Step-by-Step Guide United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Federal Center SW 409 Third Street SW, Suite 310 Washington, DC 20024 Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] www.usich.gov Fax: [PHONE REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- “The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports the 10-year planning process and strongly encourages cities to create and implement… strategic plans to end chronic homelessness in 10 years.” – Resolution passed unanimously by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, June 2003 “We have to do more than just manage homelessness. Our objective [is] to prevent homelessness, and ultimately end it. [That is the] intent of this plan.” – Mayor Richard Daley, on Chicago’s 10-Year Plan “Five years ago the notion of cities having 10-year plans to end homelessness was naïve and risky. No one thought it was possible. But the new research and new technologies have created such movement and innovation on this issue that it may now be naïve and risky not to have such a plan.” – Executive Director Philip Mangano, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness i JURISDICTIONAL SUPPORT FOR 10-YEAR PLANS “NACo endorses the Bush Administration’s national goal of ending chronic homelessness in ten years…NACo encourages counties to develop 10-Year Plans incorporating the latest research…to prevent and end chronic homelessness.” – Resolution adopted by the National Association of Counties, July 15, 2003 “The National League of Cities (NLC) supports the Bush Administration’s goal to end chronic homelessness in the United States in 10 years and will help advance the planning process set forth by the Administration.” - Resolution adopted by the National League of Cities, December 2003 "The Governors support the goal of ending chronic homelessness and recognize the shared responsibility that local, state, and federal governments have in combating this social problem . . . and for ensuring that the state government is coordinating its efforts effectively with the federal government and with local efforts including 10-year planning efforts to end chronic homelessness.” - Policy Statement adopted by the National Governors Association, March 2005 ---PAGE BREAK--- The United States Interagency Council supports and encourages the development of local 10-year plans to end chronic homelessness. Planning to end homelessness – not to manage or maintenance – is new. Inspired by the President’s call to end this profile of homelessness and by city and county 10-year plans that have been developed across our country, these planning processes have offered new resources, new collaborations, and new energy to create solutions. By mid-2006, over 215 cities and counties had committed to such 10-year plans. The Council’s work with federal departments and agencies promises new collaborative approaches and new funding opportunities at the national level. Our encouragement of Governors to create state interagency councils on homelessness will create new state level opportunities. Again, by 2006, 53 Governors had made such a commitment. Most importantly, the new research and new technologies offer performance based, results oriented strategies to reduce and end homelessness. We have prioritized people on the streets and in long term stays in shelters, those experiencing “chronic homelessness.” They are the most vulnerable, visible, and costly. This document is designed to guide your community through the steps of developing and implementing a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness. We are indebted to the U.S. Conference of Mayors for their assistance in creating this document, to the National Alliance to End Homelessness for their innovative work in developing the 10-year planning template, and to HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson and his staff for their support in endorsing and promoting 10-year plans. Homelessness is a national problem with local solutions. Working together, we can end this national disgrace. All the best, Philip F. Mangano Executive Director U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness ii ---PAGE BREAK--- TABLE OF CONTENTS What Is Chronic Homelessness? What Are Characteristics of Individuals Experiencing Chronic Homelessness? Why Focus on Chronic Homelessness? Why Focus on Chronic Homelessness Now? How Can You End Chronic Homelessness In Your Community? What Are the Elements of a Successful 10-Year Plan? What Results Can Your Community Expect? Where Can You Find Additional 10-Year Planning Resources? 1 2 3 5 6 18 19 20 iii ---PAGE BREAK--- WHAT IS CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS? • The most visible form of homelessness; often people on the streets of our neighborhoods and communities • Experienced by 150,000 Americans each year • A subgroup that constitutes 10% of the homeless population • A condition found in counties, cities, suburbs, and rural areas 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- WHAT ARE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS? • Unaccompanied individuals • Homeless for a year or more or multiple times over a several year period • Disabled by addiction, mental illness, chronic physical illness or disability, or developmental disability • Frequent histories of hospitalization, unstable employment, and incarceration • Average age in the early 40s 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- WHY FOCUS ON CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS? Chronic Homelessness This group consumes a disproportionate amount of costly resources.* Chronic homelessness has a visible impact on your community’s safety and attractiveness. This group is in great need of assistance and special services. It is a finite problem that can be solved. Addressing the needs of this group will free up resources for other homeless groups, including youth / families. * Described in more detail on following page 3 Effective new technologies exist to engage and house this population. ---PAGE BREAK--- 90% 50% 10% 50% Population Resources Chronically homeless Other homeless subpopulations INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS CONSUME A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES 10% of the homeless population consumes over 50% of the resources • Emergency medical services • treatment • Detox facilities • Shelters • Law Enforcement / Corrections Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness are heavy users of costly public resources, including : 4 Burt, Martha Laudan Y. Aron and Edgar Lee. 2001. Helping America's Homeless: Emergency Shelter or Affordable Housing? Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press. Kuhn, R. & Culhane, D.P. (1998). Applying cluster analysis to test of a typology of homelessness: Results from the analysis of administrative data. The American Journal of Community 17 23-43. Community Shelter Board. Rebuilding Lives: A New Strategy to House Homeless Men. Columbus, OH: Emergency Food and Shelter Board. ---PAGE BREAK--- WHY FOCUS ON CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS NOW? New technologies exist to move people off the streets and keep them housed Housing First Strategies, Assertive Community Treatment) A new spirit of partnership on this issue that trumps partisanship New federal investment A new commitment by the President and his Administration to end chronic homelessness 5 Solution-oriented strategies offer alternative to expensive police/court interventions ---PAGE BREAK--- HOW CAN YOU END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS IN YOUR COMMUNITY? Step 1: Commit the Jurisdiction to Developing a 10-Year Plan Step 2: Identify Stakeholders Step 3: Convene a Working Group Step 4: Gather Research and Data on Homelessness Step 5: Define Your Community’s Homeless Problem Step 6: Develop Strategies to Address these Problems Step 7: Solicit Stakeholder Feedback and Finalize Strategic Plan Step 8: Create an Action Plan to Implement Strategies Step 9: Announce and Publicize the Plan Step 10: Implement the Plan 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 1: COMMIT TO DEVELOPING A 10-YEAR PLAN A strong commitment from the Mayor or County Executive is critical, although many parties can initiate the process The 10-Year Planning Process Requires: • Long-term commitment from the first planning steps to full implementation • Staff time and energy • Willingness to engage diverse stakeholders and forge new partnerships • Ability to think creatively about old problems and existing resources 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- General Public Agency / Department Heads Housing Developers & Service Providers Business & Civic Leaders Mayor/ County Executive Non-profits / foundations Individuals experiencing Chronic Homelessness Faith-based Organizations Law Enforcement Officials United Way/ Chambers of Commerce Hospital Administrators Academia STEP 2: IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS The most successful efforts have broad support and participation from the public, private, and non-profit sectors Libraries ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 3: CONVENE A WORKING GROUP The working group coordinates the planning process and should include representation from different stakeholders • The working group should create forums to facilitate broader community input and participation throughout the process • Individuals chosen for the working group should: - Have authority to make funding and resource decisions - Have relevant expertise or experience - Be committed to the planning process - Be well respected by stakeholders and the larger community • Chair and co-chair should report directly and regularly to Mayor or County Executive 9 ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 4: GATHER RESEARCH AND DATA ON HOMELESSNESS Accurate, timely data and research will create a solid foundation for your community’s plan PLAN • Existing research on homelessness (local/national) • Local homeless counts • Service and housing capacity • 10-Year Plans from other communities • Availability of funding resources 10 ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 5: DEFINE YOUR COMMUNITY’S HOMELESS PROBLEM Identify and assess the root causes of chronic homelessness in your community • Difficulties in engaging this population • Inadequate service capacity • Lack of appropriate supported, permanent housing • Poor discharge planning from public systems • Inaccessibility of mainstream resources • Fragmented systems of care • Historical leadership vacuum on issue • Investment in stop-gap measures rather than permanent solutions Problems identified by other communities include: 11 ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 6: DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS PREVENTION “Close the Front Door” Reduce the number of people who become chronically homeless CLOSED INTERVENTION “Open the Back Door” Increase placement into supported housing of people who are currently experiencing homelessness Strategies to end chronic homelessness fall into two major categories: Prevention and Intervention 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 6: DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS (continued) PREVENTION “Close the Front Door” INTERVENTION “Open the Back Door” Effective strategies used by other communities can help guide and inform your community’s approach 13 • Centralization of funding and service delivery to increase coordination [Community Shelter Board, Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio] • Dedicated resources to house individuals discharged from care institutions [Special Initiative to House the Homeless Mentally Ill, State of Massachusetts] • Discharge planning protocols that prevent homelessness • Assertive Community Treatment (ACT): multi-disciplinary, clinically- based teams that engage people experiencing chronic homelessness on the streets and in shelters • Permanent supported housing with low threshold access for homeless mentally ill people [Pathways to Housing, New York City] • Direct access to permanent supported housing for frequent users of acute health systems [Direct Access to Housing, San Francisco] ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 7: SOLICIT STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK AND FINALIZE STRATEGIC PLAN DRAFT PLAN Input from stakeholders is particularly critical at this point to ensure support for and consensus on the final plan 14 ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 8: CREATE AN ACTION PLAN TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES Translate high-level strategies and goals into concrete, actionable steps to achieve them The Action Plan Should Include: • Specific activities and the parties responsible for executing them • Costs and funding sources • Timelines/Benchmarks • Performance metrics 15 ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 9: ANNOUNCE AND PUBLICIZE THE PLAN Plans should be publicly endorsed and announced by the Mayor / County Executive to ensure maximum visibility • Host a special press conference where Mayor/County Executive announces 10-year plan • Leverage print, TV, and radio media to maximize press coverage • Encourage participating stakeholders and organizations to actively promote plan • Enlist the support of community leaders and local celebrities to spread the word 16 ---PAGE BREAK--- STEP 10: IMPLEMENT THE PLAN The final step is to execute the identified strategies and action steps to begin ending chronic homelessness in your community • Use the plan to guide your activities, but recognize that it is a living document and should be updated as situations change • Regularly track your community’s progress using the identified metrics • Continue to innovate and stay informed of activities in other communities • Encourage ongoing stakeholder and community input • Continue to build new partnerships 17 ---PAGE BREAK--- WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL 10-YEAR PLAN? 1. Collaborative Planning Process 2. Research and Data-Driven Approach 3. Performance and Outcome Orientation 4. Innovation and Creativity 5. Endorsement by Top City / County Officials 6. Involvement of Stakeholders In Resource Enhancement 7. Planful Implementation Strategy 18 ---PAGE BREAK--- WHAT RESULTS CAN YOUR COMMUNITY EXPECT? Significant savings in public systems from reduced use of services including hospital emergency rooms, ambulances, and EMT services (San Diego, Seattle, Boston, and other studies) Savings in other service systems, including homeless shelters, acute services, and corrections can result from placement of individuals into supportive housing (Culhane et al.) Enhancement of quality of life for both those who are housed and homeless Supported housing retention rates of 80% or greater More resources to address other homeless subpopulations, including youth and families Inspiration and energy from working together to help your neediest neighbors 19 ---PAGE BREAK--- WHERE CAN YOU FIND ADDITIONAL 10-YEAR PLANNING RESOURCES? United States Interagency Council on Homelessness • USICH Regional Coordinators have specific local expertise and are based nationwide – call us for more information • USICH Website (www.usich.gov) has links to 10-Year Plans and information on interagency and agency-specific activities and funding opportunities • USICH’s weekly e-newsletter headlines new developments, innovations, partnerships, and resources focused on ending chronic homelessness: subscribe at www.usich.gov National Alliance to End Homelessness • Website (www.endhomelessness.org) • “Ten Essentials Toolkit” – comprehensive set of resources to help communities prevent and end homelessness United Way (http://national.unitedway.org/) Foundations and Non-Profits 20 ---PAGE BREAK--- 25 UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS The 10 Federal Regions are served by the Council The 10 Federal Regions are served by the Council’s Regional Coordinators in the field. s Regional Coordinators in the field. This map displays the organization of the Federal Regions used b This map displays the organization of the Federal Regions used by the Council. y the Council. Please contact the Council or visit our web site to identify cov Please contact the Council or visit our web site to identify coverage for your state. erage for your state. San Francisco AZ NV CA PACIFIC/HAWAII AR LA SOUTHWEST Houston NM TX OK ID OR NORTHWEST/ALASKA Seattle WA Boston ME NH MA CT NEW ENGLAND RI VT Atlanta FL KY NC TN SC AL MS GA SOUTHEAST/CARIBBEAN MI OH IN IL MN WI MIDWEST Denver SD ND MT WY CO UT ROCKY MOUNTAINS Philadelphia PA VA WV MD DE MID-ATLANTIC NY NJ New York City NEW YORK/ NEW JERSEY Kansas City KS NE MO IA GREAT PLAINS X IX VIII V I II III IV VII HI San Juan, PR (CARIBBEAN OFFICE) Region VI Region IX Region II Region I Region X Region V Region IV Region III VI AK Chicago Region VIII For more information, contact the Council at 202/708-4663 or visit our web site at: www.usich.gov Region VII ---PAGE BREAK--- The federal United States Interagency Council on Homelessness develops and implements comprehensive national strategies in state and local partnership to end chronic homelessness through interagency, intergovernmental, and intercommunity collaborations. www.usich.gov