Articles for the Topic "Housing/Shelter"

A Housing Toolkit: Information To Help the Public Mental Health Community Meet the Housing Needs of People With Mental Illness

2007-06-04T03:09:08

This toolkit provides guidance and hands-on information to public mental health agencies, housing officials, service providers, and families and individuals with mental illnesses who are interested in expanding housing opportunities for people with mental illnesses. The fifteen fact sheets provide detailed information about resources available to finance the creation of new housing and new ways to think about housing options. In addition there are four background briefs to provide a framework for assessing housing needs and housing solutions. These materials are organized so that they can be reviewed as a whole for overall knowledge about housing or individually for information about specific funding programs or housing types. (Authors)

A Story of Success: Housing First Saves Dollars

2009-04-21T02:43:50

New research shows that Housing First saves dollars - $4 million, to be exact. Over the course of twelve months, researchers tracked costs and benefits of the Housing First program at 1811 Eastlake in Seattle, WA. Co-author Bill Hobson shares his perspective on the research and his hopes for the future.

A Workbook for Creating a Housing Trust Fund

2007-08-06T01:23:59

This workbook is written for anyone working to create a housing trust fund. While it is designed for housing advocates, all housing trust funds have required some advocacy. Thus, it should be useful for any effort to create a housing trust fund. It is based on more than 10 years of providing technical assistance to organizations, agencies and governments in how to create and implement housing trust funds. It is not intended to be comprehensive, but to provide guidelines for developing a successful housing trust fund. (Author)

AB2034 Program Experiences in Housing Homeless People With Serious Mental Illness

2007-04-06T11:24:37

In this report, the authors analyze the monthly performance information that Assembly Bill (AB) 2034 programs submitted to the Mental Health Association of Greater Los Angeles (MHA). These program targeted funding to "vulnerable groups who have been inadequately served by existing systems, including people who with serious mental illness who are homeless, insufficiently housed or returning to communities from jail systems." The authors found that "getting consumers into housing is an important step in recovery."

AIDS Housing of Washington

2007-04-06T11:40:59

AIDS Housing of Washington’s mission is to increase and sustain housing and related services for people living with HIV/AIDS or experiencing homelessness. (Authors)

American Housing Survey

2006-12-05T09:47:42

The American Housing Survey (AHS) collects data on the nation's housing, including apartments, single-family homes, mobile homes, vacant housing units, household characteristics, income, housing and neighborhood quality, housing costs, equipment and fuels, size of housing unit, and recent movers. National data are collected in odd numbered years, and data for each of 47 selected Metropolitan Areas are collected currently about every six years. The national sample covers an average 55,000 housing units. Each metropolitan area sample covers 4,100 or more housing units. This website allows users access to current definitions and terms, and a variety of current housing data.

An Integrated Approach To Housing and Services in Philadelphia

2007-05-30T05:09:39

By combining an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team approach with a Housing First model, Horizon House, Inc of Philadelphia, PA has pioneered a program that integrates housing with services to help individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, severe mental illness, and/or co-occurring disorders.

Compendium of Housing Models that Meet the Needs of Persons with Co-Occurring Disorders

2009-04-23T12:01:55

Strategy 5.2 of California’s Action Plan for Co-Occurring Disorders (COD) calls for the development of a compendium of housing models that meet the needs of persons with COD. This draft document reflects the work of the Housing Committee of the Co-Occurring Disorders Joint Action Council (COJAC). There is a growing recognition of the importance of housing among consumers, providers, state and local government officials, and other stakeholders from multiple sectors, including sectors that are primarily focused on mental health, substance abuse, homelessness, health care, criminal justice, child welfare, housing and community development. The purpose of this compendium is to create a common language and a framework that can be used across all of these sectors for considering a range of approaches to meeting the housing needs of persons with co-occurring disorders and their families, regardless of the sector responsible for enacting and implementing policy and funding. (Authors)

Corporation for Supportive Housing

2006-12-28T06:59:44

The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) is a national, nonprofit organization that helps communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness. CSH advances its mission by providing high-quality advice and development expertise, by making loans and grants to supportive housing sponsors, by strengthening the supportive housing industry, and by reforming public policy to make it easier to create and operate supportive housing. CSH delivers its core services primarily through nine program hubs: California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Southern New England (Connecticut, Rhode Island), and Washington, DC. CSH also operates targeted initiatives in Kentucky, Maine, Oregon, and Washington, and reaches many other communities that request assistance through its National Program teams. (Corporation for Supportive Housing)

Developing and Managing Supportive Housing

2007-11-06T04:12:07

This is the third of three related guides for those interested in forming Supportive Housing Consortia and developing projects. This booklet is obviously not intended to teach organizations how to be housing developers, or even to lay out a “model” development plan for supportive housing. Instead, we hope this guide will set out for Supportive Housing Consortia the necessary building-blocks for designing, financing, building, and managing housing for people who need ongoing services. This booklet is therefore meant not only for housing developers and managers, but also for other essential partners — including service providers, public and private funders, and other stakeholders. We hope it will help all participants understand better how services fit with housing to make a complete, effective supportive housing package. (Author)

Fact Checker: Affordable Housing Shortage

2008-01-10T04:41:42

As incomes fail to keep pace with housing costs, Americans face complicated choices: desperately trying to put food on the table, pay for quality healthcare, educate their children, and keep a roof over their head. Those that cannot manage that balancing act become homeless or live on the periphery. (NAEH)

Homeless Turn Foreclosures into Shelters

2009-01-15T10:44:48

It is no longer a strange sight to see boarded up homes as foreclosures continue to increase. For some, it is a question of morality: Do we let these vacant homes remain empty while so many people continue to face the difficulties of life on the streets? This article provides insight into innovative ways to help stabilize the lives of those in need. (HRC)

Homelessness in the United States and the Human Right to Housing

2007-09-27T12:55:47

Homelessness, and the shortage of affordable housing that is its leading cause, are growing crises in the United States. They threaten and indeed violate basic human rights of the poorest and most vulnerable Americans. (Authors)

Housing and Mental Illness: A Critical Review of the Literature

2007-11-25T07:01:20

Roughly three-fourths of persons with severe mental illness live most of their lives in community residence. While most available research has focused on services and treatment interventions that may be required for community living, only a small body of research considers the housing setting itself. This report presents a critical review of the last 25 years of research on the role of housing and neighborhoods in the lives of the mentally ill, identifies initial findings, and finally suggests a research agenda. (Author)

Housing First: A Special Report

2007-03-28T02:38:38

Housing First is a yearlong special reporting project by a team of NPR News radio and Web journalists. Through extensive coverage on-air and online, Housing First will explore why it's so difficult for Americans with special needs to find good housing -- and how the lack of housing often stymies their efforts to join, and flourish in, the mainstream of society. (Authors)

Making the Transition to Permanent Housing

2007-07-20T12:41:21

PURPOSE AND GOALS: This six-hour training is for staff assisting residents of transitional housing to prepare, move into and maintain permanent supportive housing. At the end of this training, participants will be better able to conduct a thorough assessment of residents for housing placement, match residents to appropriate housing, develop housing plans, prepare residents for the transition as well as identify and address obstacles for the individual to access housing. (HUD)

National Low Income Housing Coalition

2006-12-28T06:59:44

The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) is a national organization consisting of individuals and organizations who educate, advocate, and organize for affordable housing for low-income people. It publishes a weekly Memo to Members of current housing information, distributed via fax or e-mail, as well as studies of housing dynamics. NLIHC’s current number one priority is the establishment of a National Housing Trust Fund that would provide communities with funds to help build, rehab, and preserve 1.5 million homes for people with the lowest incomes.

Permanent Supportive Housing: A Proven Solution to Homelessness

2007-10-02T10:56:18

Contains statistics and policy suggestions concerning homelessness in the United States, which impacts many people with disabilities. Drawing on data from the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients, this article advocates for ending chronic homelessness by creating 150,000 new units of permanent supportive housing. The need for partnerships and federal funding is stressed, including McKinney/Vento, HOME, Section 8 and 811, and a National Housing Trust Fund. (Author)

SAMHSA’s Services in Supportive Housing Initiative Kicks Off!

2008-01-22T06:08:55

Services in Supportive Housing developed to meet the needs of individuals finding themselves housed after an extended period of time on the streets. This program offers wrap around services to help keep these individuals on the path of recovery and remain in housing.

Supportive Housing as a Cost-Effective Way to Reduce Homeless Shelter Capacity

2007-07-06T08:43:46

This briefing paper outlines a strategy for reducing shelter capacity through targeted investments in supportive housing. The paper discusses the following: 1. Trends in adult shelter use 2. Comparative costs of supportive housing and shelter 3. The experience of the New York/New York Agreement 4. The plan to close the 30th Street shelter 5. Strategy for reducing shelter capacity through supportive housing investments (Authors)

Supportive Housing Training Series

2007-01-19T04:17:12

The Supportive Housing Training Series includes eleven curricula providing best practices and guidance on supportive housing development, operation and services. Each curriculum provides a one-day training for enriching the skills of supportive housing developers and providers.

The Mystery of Joseph’s House

2009-04-21T02:42:55

Patty Wudell, Director of Joseph’s House in Washington, DC, describes the place as “always gently moving.” Here, people who are formerly homeless and dying of HIV/AIDS can come to live and receive compassionate care. HRC’s Wendy Grace Evans spoke with Patty and learned about the beauty and the mystery of Joseph’s House.

The State of the Nation's Housing 2007

2007-07-02T03:40:21

The length and depth of the current correction will depend on the course of employment growth and interest rates, as well as the speed with which builders pare down excess supply. But the longer term outlook for housing is more upbeat. Thanks in large part to recent immigrants and their native-born children, household growth between 2005 and 2015 should exceed the strong 12.6 million net increase in 1995–2005 by some 2.0 million. Together with the enormous increase in household wealth over the past 20 years, healthy income growth will help propel residential spending to new heights. But housing affordability remains a pervasive problem. In just one year, the number of households with housing cost burdens in excess of 30 percent of income climbed by 2.3 million, hitting a record 37.3 million in 2005. Making real headway against this disturbing trend requires an unlikely combination of structural and public policy shifts—that state and local governments ease development regulations that drive up production costs, the federal government adds meaningfully to already significant expenditures aimed at relieving heavy housing cost burdens, and economic growth dramatically lifts the real incomes and wealth of the bottom quarter of households. (Joint Center)

The State of the Nation's Housing 2008

2008-07-12T03:21:49

By early 2008, housing market problems had spread to the rest of the economy. The sharp drop in home building, the turmoil in the credit and stock markets, and the impact of falling home prices on borrowing and consumer spending all contributed to the slowdown. Mounting job losses in the first quarter of 2008 added to the misery, raising the risks of even sharper price declines and higher delinquencies ahead. (Authors)