MA Emergency Assistance (EA) Sheltering Program for Homeless Families

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MA Emergency Assistance (EA) Sheltering Program
for Homeless Families

• John A. Wagner, Commissioner
• MA Department of Transitional Assistance
• National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference
• February 8, 2007
• Oakland, CA

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Topics

• Where Were At
• Where Were Going
• Questions
• In 2003 Is our system currently set up in the
  best way to effectively combat family
  homelessness?
• Future investments should address this

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Where Were At

• State (DTA) Shelter
• FY07 Family Shelter 74M
• FY07 Individual Shelter 35M
• Family Shelter Growth
• FY99 37M and 850 Families
• FY07 74M and 1700 Families
• Expanded Eligibility FY06
• 100 FPL to 130 FPL and others

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(No Transcript)
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Where Were Going

• Began Some Reforms in 2004-2005 informed by
  front-line staff, promising practices, with focus
  on eliminating hotel placements
• Assessment Pilot
• Intensive Case Management
• 207 S2H Payments
• LHA/THP in Collaboration with DHCD
• FY06 and FY07 Expanding Shelter Capacity
• Ahead? Back to the Future/Issues
• Informal Advisory Group (United Way, Prof.
  Culhane, One Family Inc., state ICHH)
• Public Stakeholder Meetings
• Expired Procurement

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Where Were Going, cont.

• Research helpful in informing system redesign
• Culhanes Review of 494 entrants from Dec.
  03-Feb-04 in MA, and other locations
• Data match across agencies (MH, SA, CW)
• Additional study of exiters (DTA, Weinreb/Rog)
• Additional research (TBF and others)
• Move System More Towards Families Needs (how
  utilized)

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Where Were At, cont.(N494 entrants from Dec.
03-Feb. 04)
Transitional Stayers Episodic Stayers Long Stayers
Percentage of Caseload 74 6 20
Percentage of nights used 44 (avg105) 7 (avg195) 50 (avg444)
Service History 34 40 26
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Where Were Going, cont.(Early Thinking/Lessons)

• Maintain a safety net (shelter), but invest in
  housing options. gt200 days of emergency shelter
  is not emergency shelter
• Assessments helpful up-front. Once someone is
  served in shelter, fiscally hard to then fund
  other options Also AZ data on homeless shows gt90
  days decompensate
• Changing systems is difficult, but even more
  challenging when have to keep current system an
  option

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Where Were Going(Early Thinking/Lessons, cont.)

• Prevention important, but research does not show
  11 impact on shelter
• Solutions always tied to local (MA) housing
  market (DTA study of exits showing 40 are going
  into unsubsidized units, 1310/mth income
  paying average rent of 333
• Consequently, system must also leverage workforce
  development resources/ solutions to ensure longer
  term housing affordability
• Shelter cannot be magnet for housing benefits.