Agenda Packet 10-10-18 Joint Work Session

Home Browse Search

5 recently awarded SAMHSA funds will increase outreach to chronically homeless single adults with SPMI but are unlikely to address the need. TAC also recommends expanding/redesigning street outreach to become a coordinated system- wide approach, connected to coordinated entry. Connecting to coordinated entry will help to place households more quickly, moving them out of homelessness and increasing overall utilization of CoC programs. Program Outreach – Diversion Diversion can assist in addressing inflow. Currently, however, County diversion programs are targeted only to families and youth. TAC recommends that diversion be implemented system- wide and at levels needed to prevent at-risk single adults from entering the homeless system. To implement effective diversion programs, the County will want to hire and train staff dedicated to diverting single adults at the front door through active diversion tactics. The County may also want to consider providing limited financial assistance when needed to divert single individual adults from homelessness. Program Expansion – Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing for Single Adults Currently, there are 407 PSH units in Lane County targeted towards homeless single adults. Recognizing the key role that PSH plays in ending homelessness, the Lane County Poverty and Homelessness Board has set a goal of creating an additional 600 PSH units by 2021. In the past few months, County has received funds for 60 Housing First PSH units and 33 targeted Mainstream Vouchers2. While these awards bring the Board closer to its goal, TAC recommends that the County continue to apply for and/or support developers in applying for these funds as appropriate. HUD will be issuing another significant Mainstream Voucher program NOFA in the near future. As described above, one of the significant subpopulations of unsheltered homeless single adults is veterans. The County has a significant pool of VASH resources specifically targeted to this population. TAC recommends a focus on identifying any barriers to efficient implementation, including project-basing some of the vouchers, and once these are resolved, consider expanding the program. One strategy that many communities are using to decrease homelessness is to increase “flow” and availability of PSH by creating “move-on” units. These are specific units or program/property preferences that allow PSH tenants to move onto other affordable housing options such as the Housing Choice Voucher program, public housing and HUD-assisted housing. TAC estimates that the County can add up to 200 move-on units by using 2-5% of existing affordable housing options that will increase turnover in PSH and reduce bottlenecks in the system. 2 Some of these will divert from homelessness. October 10, 2018, Joint City-County Work Session – Item 1