view the media coverage here

 Learn more about csh charrettes throughout the country

Q:

 Q: What excites you the most about CSH’s work in supportive housing?
Over the years a growing body of evidence has accumulated that makes it clear that permanent housing with access to voluntary services is the most effective tool for ending homelessness for persons with an array of special needs.  CSH has been the leader in creatively taking that knowledge and implementing housing models based on the lessons learned.  So it is exciting to be able to be part of the forward-thinking and creative culture that CSH represents as we continue to refine approaches to addressing the challenges faced by homeless persons.  For example, as a person who has relatively recently come to the health care world from the human services and housing worlds, it is exciting to see the work CSH is doing to find ways to better connect housing and health care for the benefit of residents of supportive housing.

Q:  What do you see as the most important innovation in supportive housing?
In my opinion the recognition that permanent housing can be the platform to address an array of other pressing needs is supportive housing’s most important innovation.  It is clear that there are many positive outcomes that accrue from connecting a stable living environment to training and employment opportunities, quality health care, and needed human services.   The challenge continues to be how to scale up the many individual successes in integrating housing, health care, and human services so that systems are in place that make it common practice to create environments that seamlessly meet the multiple needs of homeless persons.

Q: Where do you see the industry in 10 years?
I would love to see the supportive housing industry moving to serving elders and persons with disabilities who are not homeless because of the vacancies resulting from the end of homelessness!!  Hopefully that will happen, but in the interim, I do think that pursuing a larger model, beyond homelessness, is important for the industry.  In my mind that involves creating supportive housing models that meet the needs of the various populations who would benefit from permanent housing with facilitated access to voluntary services.  I also see the form of supportive housing changing as more mixed-population and scattered site models respond to the desire of many individuals with special needs to live in more integrated community settings.

We are pleased to share the results of the Hilton Foundation’s investment to ending chronic homelessness in Los Angeles County over a six year period.  Their partnership with  CSH in Los Angeles in addressing the most  needed systems change began in 2004 with approximately $8 million in grant and loan funds.

The most notable result is the amount of open and occupied supoprtive housing which has nearly doubled as a result of this strategic investment.

read THE FULL REPORT TO learn more about the progress made between 2004-2012

Over 120 people attended these meetings and excellent input was shared by a diverse array of stakeholders, including funders, social service providers, people who have faced homelessness, and others.

The Charrette process will take place in Lafayette the week of June 11, and more details will follow.

View LOCAL MEdia COVERAGE OF THIS EVENT here

Nancy McGraw, CSH Chief Development Officer, accepted the award along with Indiana staff members Lori Phillips -Steele (Program Director) and Stephanie Sideman (Program Manager).

With the grant, the Indiana office plans to (1) offer a Dimensions of Quality seminar in Indianapolis, (2) work with providers who are opening new supportive housing developments to strategize around issues such as creative engagement and eviction prevention, (3) and will work with providers and property managers to increase integrated housing in the community. Some of this work will focus primarily on medically vulnerable individuals and families.

"The administration should be credited for highlighting the need for communities and funders to better target supportive housing toward the men, women and children who need it most," said DeSantis. "By exploring ways the administration can collaborate to provide the necessary tools, we get closer to ending chronic homelessness once and for all. I appreciated the opportunity to participate."

READ the COMPLETE USICH recap herE

Topics discussed included:

• Can a Transition in Place model serve homeless people with high service needs?
• How do providers decide who will be best served in this model? What tools exist to help make these decisions?
• What considerations regarding housing stock and single vs. scattered-site models are most important? What other community resources are needed to successfully implement TIP?
• What are the most important aspects of the VA’s NOFA that applicants need to consider?

Moderated by:
Jordan Press - Director of Federal Policy, CSH

Presenters included:
Jeffery L. Quarles MRC, LICDC -  Director, GPD National Program Office, US Department of Veterans Affairs along with Chelsea Watson, MSPH, Deputy Director

Maura McCauley - Senior Director – Housing, Heartland Human Care Services, Inc.

view the recorded webinar now

In communities like Denver, Bridgeport, Minneapolis, San Diego and many more, our Frequent Users Systems Engagement (FUSE) programs are integrating the policies and resources of the criminal justice, behavioral health and housing systems, and are partnering with providers in the community to reduce the criminalization of homelessness and end homelessness.

CSH is also working at the national and federal levels with the Department of Justice, HUD, USICH, and other stakeholders to promote policies and direct resources to support efforts that end the cycle of homelessness and incarceration.

To learn more, read our report on emerging evidence and lessons learned.

PHA’s administer a powerful resource for creating supportive housing for homeless and extremely vulnerable populations –through Section 8 vouchers and their public housing stock. Particularly in today’s difficult funding environment, public housing authorities’ resources, capacity, and experience serving extremely low-income individuals and families, make them critical partners in our efforts to create supportive housing and end homelessness.

• Toolkit:  CSH, with assistance from the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, is developing a new resource for Public Housing Authorities and their partners to improve housing opportunities for homeless households. The CSH PHA Toolkit will give local PHAs and their partners concrete examples and tools for beginning or expanding upon their work in supportive housing. The toolkit will include information about why PHAs and supportive housing are important to each other and background on supportive housing.  We expect the Toolkit to launch in July. See a preview here.
• Proposal to Sponsor-base Section 8 vouchers: The President’s FY13 HUD budget request included a proposal to allow PHAs to “sponsor-base” Section 8 vouchers for the purpose of combining housing and supportive services for homeless families. CSH has played a central role in working with the Administration to refine this excellent proposal and advance it with partners and Congress.  Currently Section 8 rental assistance is tied either to the tenant (tenant-based) or to a specific housing unit or building (project-based). In a sponsor-based program, a non-profit organization that works with homeless people in the community and helps them access crucial supportive services holds the voucher and is able to either lease a unit on behalf of the tenant or work directly with them and the landlord to help facilitate lease-up. As the proposal is improved and advances with Congress CSH will post updates on our blog The Pipeline.  
• Advocating for PHAs: While CSH has always advocated for the resources that PHAs use to house low-income families, such as Section 8 and CDBG, for the first time in 2012 we are also calling on Congress to provide PHAs with sufficient Administrative funding so they can commit staff resources to address the special needs of homeless persons. Despite the very difficult budget environment, signs are positive as both the President and the Senate T-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee have proposed increased Admin funding. 
• Knowledge exchange at PHA Convenings: CSH has been thrilled to work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to help plan convenings for PHAs and their community partners to report on best practices, discuss barriers to success and exchange knowledge and tips on how PHAs can expand their work and partnership to end homelessness.  Many PHAs have reported that their biggest barrier to better serving the homeless was simply a matter of capacity and knowing how to better serve this population. These events are energizing and educating PHAs and their partners about the important role they can play. 

The Subcommittee passed the proposal by a vote of 15-1.  View the Subcommittee's report.

• The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program is proposed to be funded at $2.15 billion. The increase of $245 million above last year’s level will help more fully implement the HEARTH Act, allow communities to continue to build new supportive housing, and more strongly support rapid re-housing programs within the Emergency Solutions Grant program.
• $75 million for a new round of 10,000 HUD-VA supportive housing vouchers (HUD-VASH) for homeless veterans is proposed. Earlier this year a HUD report indicated that Congress’ support for VASH and other programs benefiting homeless veterans led to a 12% drop in veterans’ homelessness in just one year. We are grateful for the Subcommittee’s continued support for the VASH program.
• Overall Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance was increased by $482 million and we are pleased to see a significant increase in administrative fees paid to Public Housing Authorities. PHAs are important partners in ending homelessness but they need to be properly funded to support more innovative programs to address special needs populations.
• The Subcommittee also proposed a small increase to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program – total funding of $3.1 billion, which if $152 million above FY12.

Unfortunately the Subcommittee did not reverse course in underfunding the HOME program. One billion dollars is proposed for HOME, the same as in FY12 and an extremely deep cut from previous funding levels. CSH estimates HOME funds are used in approximately 80% of supportive housing projects and is particularly important as a gap-filler as permanent financing sources are being assembled.

Still, CSH applauds the Subcommittee’s allocations for programs that help create supportive housing and end homelessness, especially given the tough budgetary times. We invite you to express appreciation to Subcommittee members and urge other Senators to support the proposal and increases to homeless programs whenever possible.