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Linda Kaufman
Community Solutions
Built for Zero
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Housing First
Nuts and Bolts
1. History
2. Success
3. First time you heard of Housing First
2
Why Housing First….?
What is Housing First?
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A mental health and housing services program
based on the philosophy of consumer choice that
offers people who are homeless and who have
psychiatric disabilities immediate access to an
apartment of their own, without “readiness
requirements”.
Underlying program philosophy:
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Consumer Choice
Housing is a basic human right
Recovery is possible
Integration into community
CHOICE A
CHOICE B
Housing First…levels the steps
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Outreach Permanent Housing
and Support Services
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Requirements for permanent housing
Most programs mandate abstinence from drugs and alcohol to obtain/maintain housing.
Most also mandate psychiatric treatment.
Some people can achieve this, but many others (especially those who are dually diagnosed) remain homeless.
Essential Elements of
Housing First
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1. Consumer Choice
2. Separation of Housing and Services
3. Recovery Orientation
4. Community Integration
#1. Choice: What do consumers want?
Housing, first!
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When asked, almost every person who is homeless (with or
without mental illness) says they want housing first
Will accept housing and services on own terms
Very effective with so called ‘hard to house’ or ‘treatment
resistant’. Truth: we have not presented the acceptable
solution yet.
Consumer choice as a continuous process
in Housing First programs
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People continue to choose the type and sequence of services once housed.
Choices include the right to risk; people make mistakes and learn from that experience, dignity of failure
Continued practice in making choices leads to making the right choices and the experience of success
LIMITS to consumer choice:
practical and clinically informed
not absolute
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There are clinical and legal limits to choice:
1) Danger to self or others2) Any agreements from the subsidy- ex:
monthly HVR.3) Others (abuse, violence, legal issues, etc.)
#2: Separation of Housing and
Support Services
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1. Housing: Scattered site independent apartments rented from community landlords or site-based programs
2. Treatment: Treatment and support services provided using Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams, Housing Support Teams, Case Management, or other off site services
#3. Recovery focused services…
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Convey hope, offer choice after choice
Are respectful, patient, nurturing,
compassionate
Seek to discover capabilities
Create new possibilities
#4. Community Integration
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Housing that is normal housing- not program housing
Housing where the services can walk away from
the person who no longer needs them (or return
if necessary)
What Are People Asking For?
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A safe affordable place to live
Community
Services appropriate to their needs
Choice
Money enough to live on
A role in the community and in their families
A chance for their children and themselves to get ahead
Housing is a powerful engagement tool!
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Relationship building.
Establishing a trust/belief that housing will
happen.
Many promises made, many promises broken.
Build a relationship of trust so that we can
conduct assessment and develop a plan.
DESC – 76 units
Assessing Housing Needs
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Demographics - Singles v. Families, Age, Subpopulations
Income History
Education and Employment History
History of Paying Rent and Holding a Lease
History of Maintaining an Apartment or a House
Homelessness History
Family Size and Special Needs of Children
Level of Engagement in Criminal and Other Anti-social Behaviors
Ability to Negotiate Systems, Solve Problems and Access Services
Assessing Preferences
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Location
Costs
Safety
Privacy
Amenities
Housing and Program Requirements
Pets, Visitors and Other Rules
Proximity to Social, Family and Community Supports
Tenants’ Rights
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Eviction is a legal process.Discrimination and ADA. Accommodation Reasonable accommodations.Guests – based on lease/tenant law, not program
rules Length of stay Activities: legal vs. illegal Keys
Right to accept/refuse services
Responsibilities in
Leased Based Housing
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Expectations of tenancy
Rent payment
Quiet enjoyment (both tenant and their
neighbors)
Maintaining apartment (HQS)
Financial Realities- planning/budgeting
Application process and timelines
Common challenges to maintaining tenancy
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Drug related activity impacting other tenants.
Rent payment: process for dealing with problems
Damaging the apartment.
Tenant unable to keep apartment habitable: Excessive trash Hoarding Cigarette burns in carpets/floors
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Partners in Housing
Landlords Medical providers PO Family Landlord Housing Authority Police Friends Landlords
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Think about
Locksmith Handy person Notary public Cleaning service Peer advocates/friends/mentors Home Health aides Transportation Friends Groceries
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What People Need: Skills
Cleaning Planning social outings Meal planning Grocery shopping Laundry Budgeting Apartment maintenance What goes down the toilet/sink/disposal
Motivation to stay housed
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Hope you took Motivational Interviewing
Hardest work you ever love
Hiring folks:
clean toilets
Stages of interviewing: screen, team, shadowing
Probationary period
Philosophical challenges
Wrap-up and Questions
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Contact Information:
Linda Kaufman
202-425-0611