Hearth Outreach ProgramSocial Innovation ForumJune 16, 2009

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Homelessness is a Prevalent Problem

Source: National Alliance to End Homelessness and the City of Boston

• 670,000 homeless in the US• 15,000 in Massachusetts • 3,800 in Boston

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% of Homeless Elders Has Tripled Since 1990

Source: Journal of Internal Medicine and the City of Boston

10%

20%

30%

40%

1990-1994 1996-1997 1999-2000 2003

% of Homeless 50 Years+ in Five Major Metropolitan Areas across the US

A third of Boston’s homeless adult shelter population is over 50 years old.

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Boston Housing is Expensive

FROM US CENSUS

ANNUAL MEDIAN HOUSING COSTS

ANNUAL MEDIAN INCOME FOR ELDERS 65+ DIFFERENCE

US $11,000 $19,000 +$8,000

Boston $16,000 $13,000 -$3,000

Source: US Census, American Community Survey, and the Employment Benefit Research Institute

• In Boston, 1 in every 5 elders lives below the poverty line

• Many elders earn less than the annual cost of housing

• 32% of US retirees have less than $10,000 in savings

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Many Problems Lead to Chronic Elder Homelessness

Source: Hearth Outreach

Bed line at Woods-Mullen Shelter (April 2009)

• Financial problems

• Debilitating health issues that prevent a return to work

• Estrangement from, or no, family connections or social networks

• Other older life crises, such as the death of a spouse

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Traditional Solutions Do Not Work for Elder Homeless

Hearth OutreachHearth Housing & Services

7 sites, 136 units1,000 elders placed

3,000 served (capacity to help 250

elders annually)

• Assorted Social Service Agency Partners

COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS

• Homeless Shelters

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Hearth Outreach Focuses on Elders & Their Unique Needs

Elder-specific supportive services

Connectinghomeless elders

Permanent elderly/disabledhousing

Social Security

Veteran’s Benefits

Geriatric Health Care

Medicaid/Medicare

food income insurance health care mental health substance abuse financial assistance legal socialization stress management crisis services food income insurance health care mental health

HOUSING SEARCH andCASE MANAGEMENT

PLACEMENT andSTABILIZATION

HEARTH OUTREACH OPERATING MODELC

ON

NEC

TIO

N

Homeless Elders 50+ Safe, Affordable

Permanent Housing

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1. Connection (~2 months)

Four Outreach case managers visit 10 Boston shelter programs

weekly

Each case manager manages a caseload of ~50 individuals

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2. Housing Search and Customized Case ManagementJane will edit and make less wordy. Words on this slide will become her talking points.

Case managers help their clientsnavigate the housing application process

Customized case management helps elders obtain needed social support services

2. Housing Search and Customized Case Management (~14 months)

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3. Placement and Stabilization (~6-8 months)

Case managers assist clients with their move into housing

They continue to check in regularly to make sure they have social services and community support

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Hearth Outreach Team Has Demonstrated Success

• Works with over 250 elders annually who seek permanent housing

• Placed nearly 1,000 and assisted over 3,000 elders since 1995

• Over 96% of homeless elders placed in housing maintain their housing for at least a year, surpassing HUD’s benchmark retention rate of 71% over six months

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Two-Year Goals

• Grow the program to serve 350-400 elders annually while maintaining high quality

• Improve process for collecting, managing, and interpreting internal data

• Document the causes and demographics of elder homelessness in Massachusetts

• Develop a strategy to scale Outreach’s impact, by sharing its expertise in ending elder homelessness with others

Two-year investment: $370,000

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Financial Sustainability

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

2007 2008 2009 2010E 2011E

Sources of Revenue

Government Grants Philanthropic Funding Contribution from Parent Organization

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Ways to Invest: Financial Support

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

$1,500 1 laptop computer

$5,000 One-time move-in costs (to purchase basic necessities) for 20 elders

$40,000 1 additional case manager

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Ways to Invest: In-Kind

IN-KIND SUPPORT

• Additional Outreach board members

• Cell phones and monthly cell phone service for outreach workers

• IT support to enhance existing data management system

• Outreach office space in Boston’s South End

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Ending Elder Homelessness One Person at a Time

Insert video here

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Questions?

• Jane EricksonDirector of Outreachjerickson@hearth-home.org

• Annie GarmeyDirector of Institutional Advancementagarmey@hearth-home.org