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APPENDIX D: RESEARCH ON NATIONAL EMERGING AND PROMISING PRACTICES IN
<br />EMERGENCY SHELTER
<br />The recommended emergency shelter model components are based on the work TAC completed to date with Lane County; analysis of
<br />data and stakeholder interviews, creation of a map of the system, analysis of currently funded programs’ utilization and performance as
<br />well as their demand, availability, and need. In addition, TAC researched emerging trends and promising practices with experts in the field,
<br />National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), as well as communities who have very recently designed, implemented, and conducted early
<br />evaluations on new emergency shelter models. Examples of this include emergency shelter design and components, as well as some early
<br />recommendations, based on four communities: San Francisco Navigation Center- Mission Navigation Center, Seattle Navigation Center,
<br />Los Angeles- A Bridge Home, Berkeley Navigation Center- STAIR. Details of the recommendations provided for these communities are
<br />outlined below.
<br />San Francisco, CA
<br />In March 2015, the San Francisco Navigation Center launched a pilot program to respond to homeless encampments, long-term and
<br />extremely vulnerable people living on the streets who are not able or willing to access traditional shelters. The Navigation Center was
<br />a partnership among the Mayor’s Office of Housing Opportunity; Partnerships; and Engagement; the Human Services Agency; and the
<br />Department of Public Health; Episcopal Community Services (lead service provider); and a non-profit partner. There are currently five
<br />Navigation Centers in San Francisco, the Mission Navigation Center is the model highlighted in this paragraph. The navigation center is
<br />designed to shelter and rapidly house a difficult-to-serve population; through a referral process and intense case management, it is able
<br />to connect them to stable income, public benefits, and permanent housing. The Center serves 75 people a given time, and includes meals,
<br />a common courtyard, storage for belongings, showers, laundry, and dormitory accommodations for couples, pets, and possessions, on a
<br />24-hour basis. After eight months of Navigation Center operations, the Controller’s Office conducted several evaluations and created the
<br />following recommendations to improve the Navigation Center going forward:
<br />• Create clear policies and procedures for referral decisions; all stakeholders should be clear and agree on criteria to determine which
<br />clients are referred
<br />• Establish performance measurements related to housing outcomes and appropriate service populations; the city must establish
<br />performance metrics, set targets, and then regularly assess whether the model meets those targets
<br />• Improve benefits retention; analysis needs to be completed to understand why some clients lost benefit connections
<br />• Spread lessons learned from the Navigation Center throughout the shelter system; city leaders and service providers explore policy
<br />changes that will help make traditional shelters similarly welcoming for clients, and foster a sense of working together toward
<br />tangible goals
<br />• Expand Homeward Bound data collection; the human service agency should institute broader data collection practices related to the
<br />housing resources, including tracking successful versus unsuccessful referrals for all program participants
<br />Los Angeles, CA
<br />In September 2018, the City of Los Angeles opened its first- of a total of 12 sites to serve 1,500 people- new emergency shelters through
<br />the initiative “A Bridge Home.” The title reflects how the shelters will operate as an emergency bridge to permanent housing for people
<br />who are living unsheltered on the streets in encampments, and are extremely vulnerable. The fist site, El Pueblo, serves 45 people, 30 men
<br />and 15 women, at any given point in time. The structure consists of several subdivision trailers built into living facilitates, stitched together
<br />with an outdoor deck which providers communal space. The shelter is open/accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is open to partners
<br />and pets, and will store possessions people arrive with. Clients also have access to showers, medical care, and intensive services to provide
<br />connections to first permanent housing, as well as mainstream benefit, health care, and pet services. As this site implements the navigation
<br />center model, as well as opens additional sites, evaluations will be conducted to measure outcomes and make recommendations.
<br />Seattle, WA
<br />In 2017, the Seattle Navigation Center opened. The City of Seattle Human Services Department made available $1.67 million, open to non-
<br />profits or federally recognized Indian tribes eligible to apply. The local non-profit, DESC, is the lead agency for the Navigation Center. The
<br />Navigation Center is a low-barrier, service-enriched shelter targeting high-needs homeless adults with high vulnerabilities living unsheltered
<br />in encampments. On-site services include hygiene facilities, 24/7 staffing, and intensive case management that includes development of
<br />pathways to permanent housing, income, health care, and stability. People are welcomed as singles, pairs, or groups; with pets; and with
<br />access to secure storage for their belongings. The dormitory-style facility has no curfew and provides shower, bathroom, and laundry
<br />facilities, as well as comprehensive case management, behavioral health services, meal services through a partnership with OSL, and
<br />connections to benefit programs and housing. The Navigation Center can accommodate up to 85 guests at a time.
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<br />January 22, 2019, Joint Work Session - Item 1
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