FUNCTIONAL ZERO National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Annual Conference Washington DC May 31st 2018 Presenters Bridget S Kennedy Director of Social Work Services Doug Breen Veteran Services Coordinator ID: 681875
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ACHIEVING & MAINTAININGFUNCTIONAL ZERO
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.May 31st, 2018
Presenters:
Bridget S. Kennedy, Director of Social Work Services
Doug Breen, Veteran Services Coordinator
Henry Busby, Veterans Housing Specialist
Middlesex County (NJ) Department of Community Services
Office of Human ServicesSlide2
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Introductions
Workshop Participants - Please give us:
Your Name City/County/Region & its Relative Size
Organization State
What is your status vis-à-vis FUNCTIONAL ZERO?
Achieved Not Started Working on Other Beginning
Presenters: Bridget, Doug, & HenrySlide3
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The Middlesex County (NJ) Story
Middlesex County Homeless Trust Fund
Freeholder Director’s Commitment: Our Hero
Uniqueness
Established Late 2012; Kicked into gear August 2013
The Veterans Housing Assistance Program (VHAP)
Emergency Fund held by local VFW Post: Another Hero
Began partnerships with the 2 SSVF Providers serving our County
Morphed into Functional ZeroSlide4
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Uniqueness
Serve all veterans, including National Guard & Reservists, regardless of where they served.
Flexibility
Creativity
Veteran-centered
Believe in Prevention Housing Locator Services
Insist on Veteran’s Sustainability, including not aiding any veteran with a rental subsidy expect under extraordinary circumstances
Not Case Managers (CMs), but have local resource knowledge to aid veteran’s SSVF or HUD-VASH CMsSlide5
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Functional Zero
Several Examples of Definitions:
Community Solutions:
easily digestible definition of functional zero: At any point in time, the number of veterans experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in a community will be no greater than the average monthly housing placement rate for veterans experiencing homelessness in that community.
1st heard of it here 3 years ago; and knew it was BIG! What does it mean to you?Slide6
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Functional Zero
Several Examples of Definitions:
HUD Supported Zero 16:
functional zero is reached when the number of veterans experiencing homelessness within a community is less than the average number of veterans being connected with permanent housing each month. In achieving this measure, a community has demonstrated the system and capacity to quickly and efficiently connect people with housing and ensure that veteran homelessness within the community will be rare, brief, and non-recurring.Slide7
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Functional Zero
Several Examples of Definitions:
Collins Dictionary, New Word Suggestion:
Functional zero recognizes that there will always be people or veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, but as long as these people can be identified and re-housed quickly and effectively, the homeless rate will be effectively or functionally zero.
Submitted By:
RobertG - 01/03/2017 Slide8
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Functional Zero
Confusion, Controversy, Scariness
What it really means—applying the KISS PrincipleSlide9
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
1. Get State & Local Leaders to Publicly Commit to and Coordinate Efforts on Ending Homelessness
Find a “Hero” or “Heroine”
2. Implement a Housing First System Orientation and Response
Substance use, criminal history, or motivation should not be obstacles in successful tenancy
With the correct case management/engagementSlide10
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
3. Implement a Coordinated Entry System
A common assessment process performed consistently across partners
A data-driven approach to prioritizing people with the most significant needs
Provide assistance with paperwork, identifications, appointments, and other critical steps to get into housingSlide11
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
4. Set and Meet Short and Long-Term Goals by Using all Available Resources Effectively
The efficient deployment and full utilization of targets programs, i.e. HUD-VASH and SSVF and ensure they are participating in the community’s coordinated entry system
Disseminate best practices and remove barriers throughout the system
Identify resources to serve Veterans who cannot be served through these targeted programs
Push systems to perform with maximum efficiencySlide12
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
5. Improve transitional housing performance and consider adopting different models and/or converting or reallocating resources into supportive housing
Provide permanent housing opportunities to people as quickly as possible
Transitional housing should only be used as a “bridge” to permanent housing
Communities should seek to help Veterans currently residing in transitional housing move rapidly into permanent housingSlide13
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
6. Engage and Support Private Landlords as Partners
Partnerships with private market landlords is critical
In high-cost, low-vacancy markets, the challenge of finding available rental units is great.
Undertaking landlord engagement strategies, e.g. recruitment campaigns and risk mitigation, are importantSlide14
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
7. Identify and be accountable to all veterans experiencing homelessness (or who might become homeless in the future)
Locate and identify EVERY Veteran or Veteran family in need of assistance, and track their progress from initial engagement to housing placement in real time.
Create a MASTER LIST! (We’ll have whole separate discussion on this.)
Track person-level data to better monitor progress and be accountable to housing outcomes.Slide15
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
8. Conduct Coordinated Outreach and Engagement Efforts
Ensure that outreach efforts are comprehensive and cover a full geographic area & multiple settings within it.
Coordinate with other systems, e.g. law enforcement, hospitals & emergency departments, prisons & jails, libraries, job centers, etc.
Partner with Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) and Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homeless (PATH) grantees to improve care coordination and optimize resources.
All outreach should be person-centered and emphasize building rapport and trust as a means of helping people obtain housing with appropriate services.Slide16
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
9. Increase Connections to Employment
Collaborate with Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to provide seamless referrals between the
CoC
, VA medical Center, and workforce systems.
Some communities have projects funded by the Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment & Training Service (DOL-VETS), a Homeless Veteran’s Reintegration Program, or a generic Re-entry Program for those returning from a correctional setting.Communities should also work directly with employers to encourage them to hire Veterans who have experienced homelessness.Slide17
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
10. Coordinate With Legal Services Organizations To Solve Legal Needs
Veterans experiencing homelessness often have unmet legal needs, e.g. preventing avoidable evictions, navigating outstanding warrants, expunging criminal records, securing targeted and mainstream benefits, high garnered child support payments, etc.
Community should coordinate with legal services to address individual and systemic legal needs.Slide18
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
11. Direct Veterans to Resources Which Assist With Other Possible Veteran Benefits
Maintain working relationship with VA Healthcare and Benefits Personnel.
Maintain a database of VA Forms for Distribution.
Apply online for Military Personnel Records
Assist in upgrading Character of Services; increasing VA Benefits, etc.
Our Two Additional StrategiesSlide19
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Strategies to End Veteran Homelessness
12. Use of SOAR to help those veterans who might qualify for SSI/SSDI
Have in-house SOAR Leader to evaluate Veterans who might be eligible for SSI/SSDI Benefits.
Maintain a list of local SOAR Trained Representative to Assist with Applications
Our Two Additional StrategiesSlide20
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Criteria for Achieving Functional Zero
The community has identified all veterans experiencing homelessness
The community provides shelter immediately to any veteran experiencing unsheltered homelessness who wants it
The community only provides service-intensive transitional housing in limited instances
The community has capacity to assist veterans to swiftly move into permanent housing
The community has resources, plans, and system capacity in place should any veteran become homeless or be at risk of homelessness in the futureSlide21
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Criteria for Achieving Functional Zero
Some communities have been able to create housing assistance delivery systems for Veterans so effective that the average length of time from homelessness to permanent housing is as short as 30 days.
We recognize that this length of time may be challenging for other communities, particularly in more competitive and higher cost rental housing markets. We believe that a benchmark achievable by most communities for the average time from the identification of Veterans’ homelessness to permanent housing entry is 90 days or less.
Veterans have quick access to permanent housingSlide22
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Criteria for Achieving Functional Zero
A community must have an active list (commonly referred to as a “by-name” list) that identifies all homeless Veterans, including those who are unsheltered, as well as, in sheltered locations e.g., transitional housing, emergency shelter, etc. The community must be able to demonstrate the list is updated or refreshed at least monthly. The list may be populated by other data sources, such as HOMES, HMIS, or other comparable databases. This list is also updated at least monthly to reflect accurate status if verification shows that a person on the active list is not a Veteran.
Maintaining an active list (Master list)Slide23
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Our Achievements & Components
On October 24, 2016, Freeholder Director Ronald Rios received a letter from then First Lady Michelle Obama congratulating “Middlesex County on the extraordinary achievement of ending veteran homelessness.” [Note the misnomer.]Slide24
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Our Achievements & Components
Had & continue to have Local Government Support (both theoretically & monetarily).
Partnerships:
SSVF Providers
VA Health & Homeless Services
Middlesex County Veterans Advisory Council (MCVAC)
Local VFW Posts, American Legion Posts, & other Veteran groups
Community, in general
Middlesex County Housing Continuum of Care Committee (MCHC3), our local Continuum of Care (
CoC
)
Cadre of local Realtors & Landlords (especially those interested in assisting Veterans)
Mainstream Resource Providers, including SOAR-trained staffSlide25
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Our Achievements & Components
Required Documentation:
DD214/Veteran Verification
Release of Information: general & for HMIS
Income Verification & Need
Personal History, especially Housing, Employment, & Health Status (latter to ascertain if have an eligible disability)HMIS Information & VHAP Application
Landlord Information & Documents
Coordinated Assessment for both Sheltering & Permanent Supportive HousingSlide26
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Our Achievements & Components
Typical Homeless Vet Scenario
Typical Prevention Scenario
Monthly Case Conference CallsSlide27
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Our Achievements & Components
Importance of Case Management:
Absolutely necessary!
Doug & Henry are not Case Managers (so we depend on SSVF & HUD-VASH Case Managers, but also offer them advice from time to time).
Why BSK is the “Queen of Mean” when it comes to Vets with VouchersSlide28
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Functional Zero: Our Progress to Date
Since December 6, 2013 238 veterans have been permanently housed through our program. An additional 203 veterans have been prevented from homelessness within the same timeframe. There are also 12 veterans who refused housing, moved out of county or choose to reside in a transitional housing setting.
Average length of time to house a homeless veteran: 22 days
Median length of time to house a homeless veteran: 10 daysSlide29
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Maintenance, Difficulties and
Overcoming Barriers
Master List (Pros, Cons, Fusions)
Adding/Deleting, Maintaining & Coordinating with Partners in an Ever-Shifting Environment
Relationship & Coordination with Your
CoCCommunity Case Management/Service NavigationAbsolutely necessary, but woefully inadequate from our experience (Ex: HUD-VASH clients behind in rent)Slide30
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Maintenance, Difficulties and
Overcoming Barriers
Case Conferencing
Data Collection & Interface
Landlord EngagementSlide31
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Maintenance, Difficulties and
Overcoming Barriers
Dearth of Affordable Housing (in certain areas/regions)
Importance of Landlord Engagement, especially in this environment
Veteran Preferences: how to avoid “pit falls”
Utilization of Vouchers (national, state, and local), including creation of Past Credit History, Criminal Background, Lack of Income
Shared Living OpportunitiesSlide32
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Maintenance, Difficulties and
Overcoming Barriers
Sustainability
Emergency Housing Opportunities
Understanding & Adapting to Changes
Thinking Outside the BoxTreat each Case IndividuallySynthesizing, While Staying True…Slide33
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Questions and AnswersSlide34
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Mantras
“We will have your back, but we will not carry your pack!”
“Semper Gumby”
“Rare, brief, and one time: That’s the vision that is driving our work…And that’s for everyone. For Veterans. For families with children. For people with disabilities. For youth and young adults. For single adults.” -
Matthew Doherty, USICH Executive Director, March 3, 2018, NAEH’s National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness in Los Angeles.Slide35
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RESOURCES for your Tool Box
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), whose conference this is.
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) (usually includes links to all Federal Departments, e.g. VA, HUD, HHS, Labor, etc.)Slide36
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Doug Breen:
Email: doug.breen@co.middlesex.nj.us
Phone: 732-745-4051
Henry Busby:
Email: henry.busby@co.middlesex.nj.us Phone: 732-745-5918
Bridget S. Kennedy, MSW:
Email: bridget.kennedy@co.middlesex.nj.us
Phone: 732-745-4228