safe sites for all        showers and day centers        overnight shelter        coordinated entry locations  

Presentation Minutes

Rapid Rehousing Panel – Some questions

  • Moderator- Debra Grant, Metropolitan Development Council - dgrant@mdc-hope.org
  • The Panel
    • Fernando Ruiz, Catholic Community Services, Family Housing Network
    • Peter Benjamin, Associated Ministries
    • Kelsey Johnson, Associated Ministries
    • Clara Lee, Metropolitan Development Council
  • All Rapid Rehousing comes through Coordinated Entry – you have to go through the Diversion Conversation and such to get access to Rapid Rehousing
  • Eligibility Criteria – you must be literally homeless – homeless the night before actual program enrollment, and meet the income criteria (HUD definition of literally homeless at https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HomelessDefinition_RecordkeepingRequirementsandCriteria.pdf -ed.)
  • Debra - Who is eligible? (somehow I missed the question Debra asked, but I think this was it)
    • Kelsey - – most vulnerable – youth, families, veterans, individuals – we serve everyone.  Work on client voice, and client choice – each person is different and each plan is different. 
    • Clara – We can see someone up to 7 months – or just one or two months.  Eligibility - we accept all criminal backgrounds – but sometimes have to switch funding to what work for them (the limitations certain funders put on who the program can help and how the program can help requires lots of juggling of funding streams –ed.)
    • Fernando – Our main funding is the Tacoma Housing Authority – so some criminal backgrounds – sex offender, arson conviction or meth manufacturing conviction disqualifies someone.  Tacoma Housing Authority also requires a minor  in household.  Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG) funds we can serve single adults – they take everyone.
    • Peter – We serve individuals and youth, but mostly families. 
  • Debra – something about what services they provide… (Again I didn’t write the question down – like, you’d think that would be a priority for my taking notes – writing down what people say – but apparently not in this case.  –ed). 
    • Peter – I work to get to know folks, find out their goals and barriers – it isn’t directed by us – rather by the clients.  We want to know what they want to do – but often what we hear are all the things that have traumatized them.  We want to help them get housing in what they want.  Housing is the first thing we work on – the stability of a roof and a bed is what makes a difference
    • Kelsey – we connect folks with employment specialists – also have a renters readiness program – which helps them learn to build relationships with landlords, be a good renter, and utilize community resources.
    • Clara – we don’t dictate to folks on how they should get their housing – the client has a voice in their journey to overcome homelessness.  We build their goals together.  We work on how we can overcome these barriers.  We want to help them be in places that are good for them – help them integrate in their community
    • Fernando – focus on client driven – and the clients’ goals.  We try to use their strengths to help them complete their plans – so they develop their stability through their own strengths.  With nudges from case managers from time to time.
  • Debra – they are talking about the services they provide.  It is a service program, and not really a subsidy program.  (I need to say this every day before I come to work – focus on the services we provide, stop thinking of these as just financial subsidy programs. Because the service connections  is where the magic is.  As Jessie J. and B.o.B. so eloquently put it, it’s “not about the money, money, money” –ed) We help with their costs and move them in housing, but it isn’t a voucher - we cannot pay rent forever.  It is about helping them be self-sufficient - able to pay their own rent.  These guys are about supporting folks goals.
  • Debra - What happens if someone fails, can they come back again.?
    • Fernando – it depends on the length they’ve been in the program.  If, 3 weeks after exit, they lose housing, we can try to re-engage and support.  We do still try to clean up any consequences as soon as possible, we want the client to not have an eviction or money owed, and we want to maintain the relationship with the landlord.
    • Peter – we try to reduce harm.  We will still always engage with folks, even if they’ve exited.  Had a couple that were coming into the fold of institutions – were 24 and had their first job.  Ended program after a year, and were exited.   They had some trouble, and we supported them for one more month.    
    • Kelsey – we try not to exit to homelessness.  We work, even after an exit, to support.
    • Clara – if someone was exited 2 years ago and they are back on the priority pool and put back in our program, we can accept them.  Some funding streams prevent us from paying a second deposit, though. 
    • Debra – the client can go back in the priority pool if they become homeless.  We don’t exit folks immediately when financial services stop.  We can continue to support them. 
  • Debra - The rules of the program are varied.  Can you serve folks who haven’t had a housing unit in their own name before
    • Clara – I’ve helped with clients with no rental history, no income.  We work to find the Cinderella shoe (but not like in the Grimm Stories where they cut off a toe or a heel to make the foot fit, I’m hoping.  Say what you will about the Disney version of stories, there is always a more gruesome version out there somewhere.  You’d think Hans Christian Andersen could have come up with a better ending than killing off the mermaid.  I’ll take the Disney version any day – especially Sebastian’s musical numbers. –ed.)  - that being a landlord willing to work with them
    • Kelsey – I work with the client’s strengths and the we provide a letter explaining what the program will provide.
  • Debra - what is the work you do to educate landlords – especially around people of color and homelessness
    • Fernando – we are lucky to have the Landlord Liaison Program team.  Before the Landlord Liaison Program, we worked with landlords on basic trauma informed care for our clients – especially for domestic violence survivors – how not to re-traumatize them.  For instance –knocking on a client’s door every day isn’t maybe right for a client.  We’ll coach the landlord to contact us to arrange a discussion with the client.
    • Kelsey – we let landlords know about the background  of clients – and how society discriminates against people of color. 
  • Debra - What if you can’t find someone you get a referral for?
    • Clara – we make at least 10 tries to get ahold of a client. We can see phone numbers and e-mails in HMIS, calling, messaging, contacting Coordinated Entry to see what the last communication was.
    • Peter – partner with our shelters – if we know they are staying in a shelter will work through the shelter to contact them
  • Debra – do people always qualify for the program when they get a Coordinated Entry referral?
    • Peter – sometimes folks are not literally homeless anymore, or have too high of income, so we can’t enroll them.
  • Debra – how do you partner for success for your clients
    • Peter – we talk about the various resources in the community, and use examples of other clients who have accessed services in the community.  We work with VADIS and Hire253 and other job programs.  Also work with mental health program in the community.  We assess needs at intake and at the 90 day review, which often helps us to know what is needed.  Our biggest needs are cell phones and transportation
  • Are there consistencies among providers?
    • Kelsey – there are, because we are all following our organizations mission – which is client focused. 
    • Fernando – a lot of the inconsistencies you hear about  has to do with how we are client-based.  We do different things for each client, and those messages get out in the community. 
    • Peter – there is a lot of misinformation, and the program model has changed since program inceptions a decade ago.  Rapid Rehousing changes over time.  Communicating that to the community is challenging.
  • What is your typical case load.
    • Clara We don’t have higher than  20 households – doing about 15 right now
    • Fernando – around 15 or 16 per Case Manager (I know you shouldn’t capitalize job titles, but it just seems clearer that way.  You’re not my boss, MLA. –ed)
    • Peter – all our clients have different needs, and we stagger our openings depending on our workloads.  I’m looking for housing for 5 households, and working on services and stability for 12 other households.  I try to meet folks once per month and have time to intervene in issues landlords bring.  We use a trauma informed, harm reduction model (have you even given the harm amplification model a try?  I’d be happy to connect you to my Aunt Betty, an expert on turning any situation into an emotional volcano… –ed).  Our time and efforts are flexible because of those things
  • Scenario – a landlord calls about a concern with a current housed client.  Like hoarding and getting evicted
    • Clara - we try to prevent things like hoarding, and discuss how we need to have water and power on.  We try to not get to a point with hoarding.  We’ll discuss a plan with the client and the landlord that will work for everyone
    • Kelsey – would work to make sure there is no harm coming from the hoarding, and that the landlords needs are met.   
  • Debra – take a look at Pierce County policies and procedures around Rapid Rehousing (https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/25349/Homeless-Policies-07-2014-update2?bidId= -ed).  We are tied in to how we use our funding
  • Marybeth – what is renter readiness?  Peter – it was created internally, but we are partnered with Landlord Liaison Program to provide it to clients community-wide.  We want to make sure folks have the skills so they are able to successfully rent – so they know what their rights and responsibilities are around 10 day notices or 3 day pay or vacate.  Also covers how to use a credit card.  Financial counseling is a big part of getting some skills to stay housed.  Can connect to other resources, too.  They exit with a certificate. 
  • Al – What services do you provide to people with felonies or sex offenders.  Kelsey – it is what the client asks for.  We’ll do what we can.  Peter – we work with them no matter what – While being a sex offender can be a barrier to our clients, they shouldn’t be a barrier for us.  Debra – luckily we have a diversity of funding sources in the community, and we work to serve people with criminal backgrounds. 
  • Theresa – so you referred to the fact that rents have gone up in pierce county.  You have a maximum for rent – what you are looking for is something they can pay for when the subsidy ends.  How does that affect how you house people.  Fernando – that is where creativity comes into play.  When I house a client with no income, I look for a unit with below Fair Market Rent.  If I put someone in a place they can’t afford the rent, if all they have is Supplemental Security Income (SSI), they need a place they could afford.  There are some places we can rent to.  Debra – our goal is not housing being 30% of rent – we work on budgeting, but we work within the realities of what the market has to offer.  Kelsey – we work on other resources that might help them
  • Questions - How long does the referral stay open?  Where does the referral actually come from?  Fernando – we have an open referral for 7-10 business days, if no contact, I’ll close the referral back.  If the client does call 2 weeks after, we’ll bring the client into the program.  the referrals come based on the case load.  I open referrals when I need them.  Peter – it also depends a bit on funding – we may not open referrals if we are low on funding. 
  • Question – is there a current HUD program available that we can take over an apartment building with?  Peter – it is possible perhaps. 
  • Question – can you partner?  Peter – yes
  • Question – I like that you advocate for the client with the landlord.  Do you advocate for clients in the workforce as well?  MDC – I haven’t done that in the past, but if our clients wanted us to, we would.  We try to refer clients to employment providers – MDC has those resources.  Peter – while we would, that is not usually the case.  We are on the background working on job coaching, applications, and job hunting.  There is a gap where landlords are contracted through landlord liaison, but we don’t have as many employers to go through that process. 
  • Debra - Send any questions to Gerrit and he’ll get them to us– we don’t have a magic want to provide affordable housing for our clients, but we are a support system that advocates for our clients and works with them and their strengths, but we are working on being realistic.
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