June 2011

Half way through 2011, a lot is in motion in our efforts to end homelessness.

• Mid-Plan Review

  In May, we completed our Mid-Plan Review, available at http://cehkc.org/Mid-PlanReviewReport.pdf. The review showed that we have accomplished a lot, including, as just a few examples:

  • Funding of over 4,500 units of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) through a cross-jurisdictional coordinated funding process
  • Coordinated entry to newly created PSH units for vulnerable, homeless individuals
  • Implementation of a Landlord Liaison Project that has substantially increased access to private market rentals
  • Diversion programs that interrupt the institutional circuit of jails and psychiatric hospitals
  • A highly functional Funder’s Group that issues a consolidated Notice of Funding Availability which, in 2010, included 22 different resources totaling $56 million.
  
  At the same time, however, the report recognizes that we need to address a number of issues to increase our effectiveness. Those issues fall into three groups: overarching priorities; federal opportunities; and local system changes.
  
  The Overarching Priorities are maintaining the pace of production, establishing performance measures and accountability and increasing political will. All three are interrelated, as our ability to show our effectiveness through performance measures is essential to maintaining the political will that has allowed our robust production of housing.
  
  The Federal Opportunities include the National Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, the HEARTH Act, the Five Year Plan to End Veterans Homelessness, and health care reform. Of these, health care reform is potentially the most important development, as it will create coverage for people who are homeless and, if providers have incentives to reduce costs, we have proven that housing for people who are homeless is perhaps the most effective way to reduce their health care costs (citing the $4 million cost reduction at the 75 bed 1811 Eastlake project).
  
  Local System Changes are: the Homeless Families Initiative, including region-wide coordinated entry and assessment; revising the emergency shelter system for single adults; addressing youth and young adults; better serving immigrants and refugees; and system-level prevention. On system-level prevention, work includes an effort to coordinate short-term housing assistance among all funders across King County to create uniform standards and better track results.
  
  The Funders Group is currently working on establishing work plans and task forces to implement these initiatives, and will be working with the Interagency Council and the Consumer Advisory Council to complete that process in time for review and approval by the Governing Board at its July 27 meeting.



• Legislative Session

  Even as we embark on new and revised initiatives for our local efforts, we are taking stock of changes in the state and federal landscape. The state legislative session was quite troubling, as massive budget cuts saw a freezing of enrollment in the Basic Health Plan, the elimination of cash benefits for Disability Lifeline – Unemployable, cuts in Medicaid and non-Medicaid mental health funding, reduction in food assistance, and on and on. One bright spot was the funding of the Washington State Housing Trust Fund at $50 million, down substantially from the $200 million at its high water mark, but better than had been proposed by the Governor or the Senate. Federal supports are seeing similar cuts, with the one bright spot being the likely funding of additional vouchers for homeless veterans.