10-Year Homeless Action Plan2014 UPDATE

Why a Plan Update?

1) Great Recession reversed progress made under the 2007 Plan

2) Depressed housing industry & loss of affordable housing funding rendered some strategies obsolete;

3) HEARTH Act of 2009 gave rise to the first Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

4) Upstream and Health Action “collective impact” efforts

One of the nation’s least affordable housing markets

Sonoma County

Washington DC

San Francisco Los Angeles New York City

83%78%

59%56%

43%

Residents spending >45% of income for Housing + Transporta-tion

Homelessness in Sonoma County

4,280 homeless people on any given night

Estimated 9,749 residents experience homelessness every year

Regional homelessness rate is almost four times the national rate.

2012 United States 2013 Comparable California Counties

2013 Sonoma County0

2

4

6

8

2.1

5.4

7.7

3 Key Strategies

Housing+ Health

+ Income

4,128 units of Permanent Affordable

Housing

1,015 units affordable to 30% of Area Median Income (no services)

2,154 Permanent Supportive Housing (long-term services)

330 facility-based SROs via acquisition/conversion

389 set-asides in affordable housing developments

330 master-leased units in existing housing

1,105 units in existing housing created with rental assistance

Permanent Housing vs. Costs of Chronic Homelessness

Supporti

ve Housin

g

Residential S

ubstance

Abuse Tre

atment

Detox

Jail Booking (

incl. office

r time)

Avera

ge Hosp

ital E

mergency

Room Visit

$31 $76 $117 $340

$4,500

4,128 units of Permanent Affordable Housing

959 units of Rapid Re-Housing (with short-to-medium term case management)—rental assistance in existing housing

Focus on what’s needed to END homelessness

Acknowledges short-term need for emergency measures

Recommends research, planning, & aligning these measures with the Plan

Suggests some shelters & transitional housing eventually be converted to permanent facilities

4,128 units of Permanent Affordable Housing

Existing housing (rental assistance & master-leasing): 2,394 units

New Construction (set-asides & conversions): 1,734 units

1,404 new units @ $350,000 = $491.4 million

330 acquisition/conversion @ $200,000 each =$66 million.

Total construction cost $557.4 million

Local investment needed = $167.2 million

Health

Enroll homeless persons in health coverage

Establish primary care

Ensure access to mental health and substance abuse treatment (parity)

Income Offsets Housing Costs

Economic Wellness: bundled benefits, financial education, asset-building

Disability Benefits Initiative for half of homeless adults presumed eligible

National best practices to increase first-time approval rates

Work-Readiness Initiative for half of homeless adults who are not disabled

At $9 min. wage + bundled benefits, a person can be self-sufficient in housing

Employment Alone $18,720

Employment + Sup-ports ($25,960)

Salary $18,720 $18,720

CalFresh $-NaN $2,700

Earned Income Tax Credit

$-NaN $4,000

Rental Assis-tance

$-NaN $540

$2,500

$7,500

$12,500

$17,500

$22,500

$18,720 $18,720

$2,700

$4,000

$540

Build the Capacity to Scale Up

Evidence-based practices

Put EBPs in use onto Upstream Portfolio, especially Housing First, Rapid Re-Housing

Use opportunities presented by Affordable Care Act

System-Wide Coordinated Intake

Match with street outreach & homeless prevention services

http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Sonoma+County%E2%80%99s+10-Year+Homeless+Action+Plan

Jenny Abramson, 565-7548, jenny.abramson@sonoma-county.org