Agenda - 02-18-2014 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 reliant; program enrollment can be three (3) months to two (2) years. NOTE: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data demonstrates that RRH programs are highly successful and cost effective for ending homelessness and has determined it to be a best practice. Commissioner Pelissier reviewed the findings and recommendations from the report, as listed below: Emergency Shelter (ES) • no beds are needed for families (none currently exist - all IFC ES beds are for individuals) • there is a surplus of 57 beds for individuals (who need TH, RRH or PSH) Transitional Housing (TH) /Rapid Re- Housing (RRH) • there is a surplus of 20 beds for families (who need PSH) • 38 additional beds are needed for individuals (who are currently on the streets or in ES) Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) • 10 additional beds are needed for families (who are currently in ES or TH) • 47 additional beds are needed for individuals (who are currently on the streets, in ES or in TH) The OCPEH will annually conduct its Unmet Need Calculation and use these findings to regularly update the goals and strategies of its Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Recommendations Based on Orange County's Unmet Need Calculation, HEARTH Act goals and evidence -based practices the OCPEH recommends: 1. Our community should increase funding for Rapid Re- Housing (administered by the Department of Social Services) and Permanent Supportive Housing (administered by Cardinal Innovations and the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health) programs, both of which are evidence -based practices for helping people ultimately resolve their homelessness. 2. At present there is no need to invest in Emergency Shelter capacity. Commissioner Pelissier said, per HUD requirements, the County needs to monitor this on a yearly basis. She said the Commissioners will be receiving a full report about the change in the plan, which integrates the housing with the services. She said Jamie Rohe will be out of the Country, and this will delay this a bit. She said it is challenging to talk about some of this without the context of the federal changes, best practices and the plan to end homelessness. She said the summary of the changes centers on solving the problem of homelessness, and ending it, rather than managing it. Jamie Rohe said the evolution of the field of homelessness has really shifted from the immediate emergency response, to longer term shelter, to transitional housing. She said it has now evolved to permanent supportive housing, which is intended to stop the revolving door of people with disabilities coming in and out of shelters, and get them off the street. She said chronic homelessness is a tragic human condition, and it is very expensive for society. She said rapid re- housing is the newest model, and it is seen as a way to end homelessness as quickly as possible, while right sizing the assistance being received. Jamie Rohe said the homelessness housing situation is viewed as a system. She said there will always be a need for emergency shelter, but permanent supportive and rapid re- housing are what is recommended to actually end homelessness.