The Leadership to End Homelessness Audio Conference Seriesis a monthly series of national conference calls focusing on the leading strategies that states, local jurisdictions, and nonprofit organizations have employed to end homelessness. The series is sponsored by the Council of State Community Development Agencies, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the National Council of State Housing Agencies, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Using HMIS for Annual Point in Time Counts

Data is an essential tool for formulating plans to end homelessness, evaluating programs, assessing cost- effectiveness, and efficiently targeting scarce resources. It takes a lot of work to collect data, but some investment on the front end can make data collection easier over the long term. Learn how communities are using HMIS to gather data for annual point in time counts. This conference featured technical assistance providers and program planners talking about how to prepare and plan for using HMIS in your community’s point in time counts.

Audio Files

Presenters
WMA | MP3

Q & A  
WMA | MP3

Service Enriched Housing

The July audio conference focused on service enriched housing models. Affordable housing developers are increasingly incorporating residential services for their tenants in housing developments. Services are typically designed to promote the social and economic well-being of tenants (and on occasion nearby residents) by offering education, child care, recreation, employment programs, and social activities. Service coordinators may be on-site or off-site and provide crisis intervention, help negotiate delivery of services by mainstream providers, and help families access more specialized services from community providers. While not typically targeted to families or individuals that have experienced homelessness, service enriched housing can be an effective tool to prevent homelessness. Further, families exiting homeless shelters may benefit from residing in a housing development that offers support and enriching services for all family members.  This Audio Conference explored the growth of resident services in affordable housing developments and the potential for collaboration between service- enriched housing models, homeless providers, and advocates to prevent and end homelessness.

Audio Files

Presenters
WMA | MP3

Q & A  
WMA | MP3

Innovative Housing Subsidies

The June audio conference focused on state and locally funded housing subsidies that help families transition out of homelessness and explored state and local rent subsidy programs, including an examination of funding constraints and other considerations that influenced the design of the subsidies. With a shortage of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, some state and local governments have designed housing assistance subsidies that help families meet their housing needs. Such rental assistance programs vary widely in design. Some communities provide short-term rent assistance (lasting 3-4 months) while others allow housing counselors to set the amount of financial assistance per family that can be used flexibly (as short-term or shallow subsidy), allowing the intervention to be tailored to families’ needs. New York City is piloting Housing Stability Plus, a program that provides all eligible families in shelter a welfare funded housing supplement that gradually declines over a five year period.

Audio Files

Presenters
WMA | MP3

Q & A  
WMA | MP3

Hospital Discharge: How Partnership Can End Homelessness

The May Leadership to End Homelessness Audio Conference Series will focus on how housing and services for homeless individuals benefit homeless individuals as well as the health care industry’s bottom-line.  People living on the street frequently do not receive the medical care they need and their poor health condition is exacerbated by not having adequate shelter. All too often those experiencing homelessness are hospitalized for treatment and then discharged into unsuitable accommodations or back into homelessness. Hospitals, along with the rest of the health care industry, are beginning to acknowledge that addressing clients’ lack of housing is in their best interests. There is a revolving door between the street and the hospital that can be stopped if individuals are housed. Addressing these individuals’ needs can also improve a hospital’s bottom-line because homeless individuals and families are often uninsured and are not able to pay medical bills.

It is essential that there are strong links between hospitals, the local homeless service providers, and other social service agencies to ensure that people are not discharged into homelessness.

Audio Files

Presenters
WMA | MP3

Q & A  
WMA | MP3

Chattanooga's Efforts in Housing Chronically Homeless Individuals

The April Leadership to End Homelessness Audio Conference Series featured strategies to house chronically homeless individuals. A partnership of providers in Chattanooga Tennessee received a Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness grant from the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs. The partnership is using the grant to provide scattered site housing with assertive community treatment teams. The audio conference will focus on how the professionals in Chattanooga formed their partnership and the lessons they’ve learned during implementation.

Audio Files

Presenters
WMA | MP3

Q & A  
WMA | MP3

Federal Funding for Youth Housing Programs

Housing models for youth who experience homelessness should balance stability, safety, and affordability with continuous preparation for future independent housing. A number of different housing models in the youth housing continuum, including supportive housing, community-based group homes, and supervised or scattered site apartments, among others were discussed. Although scarce, dedicated resources for affordable housing that target homeless youth were identified.

Audio Files

Presenters
WMA | MP3

Q & A  
WMA | MP3

Converting Tenant-Based Vouchers to Project-Based Vouchers

HUD recently finalized the rule for project basing housing vouchers. Under a law passed in 1998 and reformed in 2000, Public Housing Agencies (PHA) can convert up to 20 percent of their tenant-based voucher programs (Section 8 or Housing Choice Vouchers) for project-based vouchers. The February audio conference focused on how communities can take advantage of new rules about converting tenant-based housing vouchers into project based vouchers. Many communities have used this method to create supportive housing for homeless families and individuals.  Jim Yates from the Technical Assistance Collaborative provided a brief overview of project-basing with specific examples.  Debbie Thiele from the King County (Washington) Housing Authority described the role of Public Housing Authorities and how homeless assistance providers can partner with their local Housing Authority.

Audio Files

Presenters
WMA | MP3

Q & A  
WMA | MP3

Using a Neighborhood-Based Strategy to Prevent Homelessness in New York City

The January call highlighted New York City’s HomeBase program, which targets neighborhoods where high numbers of households enter the shelter system.  Six community-based organizations have adopted strategies to help families in those neighborhoods retain housing.  The organizations also help doubled-up families access new housing, thus averting shelter stays. The organizations are provided a great deal of flexibility in how financial and service resources are utilized to help families to facilitate innovation and on-the-ground problem-solving.  While the HomeBase program is still new, outcomes appear promising. The number of families entering the shelter system from the HomeBase neighborhoods declined by 14 percent in the first nine months of 2005 compared to same period the prior year. This decrease surpassed trends in the rest of the city, which experienced a 9 percent decline.

Audio Files

Presenters
WMA | MP3

Q & A  
WMA | MP3

The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program is pleased to provide access to this program about services to persons who experience homelessness, many of whom have serious mental illnesses.  However, the views, opinions and content of these presentations, its host organization, or sponsors do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or policies of CMHS, SAMHSA, or DHHS.