Supportive Housing: Community and Economic Impacts Zoe LeBeau, President; LeBeau Development 1
Supportive Housing:Community and Economic
Impacts
Zoe LeBeau, President; LeBeau Development
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Supportive Housing
A combination of affordable housing and services intended as a cost-effective way to help people live more stable,
productive lives. Permanent supportive housing is intended to be a pragmatic solution for assisting individuals and
families to increase quality of life while reducing, to the extent feasible, the
overall cost of care.
Supportive Housing
Is widely believed to work well for households who have very low
incomes and/or serious, persistent issues that may include substance abuse, addiction, mental illness, or
other challenges toward obtaining/maintaining stable housing.
Permanent Supportive Housing
Enables families and individuals to live independently, with improved health and greater participation in work and community.
Saves the tribe/community money by shifting resources from costly emergency services toward cost-effective, long-term solutions.
Reduces stress caused by doubled-up and overcrowding
Reduces use of crisis and institutional services
Significantly reduces recidivism rates
Ends cycles of homelessness
Why Supportive Housing
Produces better outcomes than the more expensive crisis care system
Who Lives Here?
Families and Individuals who:
Are homeless, including those previously living on the streets and in shelters
Are living in overcrowded conditions and/or couch-hopping
Are being discharged from prison or other systems of care
Are living in places not meant for human habitation, i.e., cars, garages, abandoned buildings, etc.
Target Populations• Homeless
• Long Term Homeless/chronic homeless
• Difficult criminal backgrounds• Fleeing domestic violence• Under educated• Mental and developmental
disabilities• Generational poverty and
homelessness• Chronic alcoholic and/or chemical
use issues• Multiple detox admits• Several failed treatment attempts• Often been civilly committed• Dual diagnosis• Vulnerable 7
Desired Outcomes
Reduces use of crisis and institutional services
Produce better outcomes than the more expensive crisis management system
Reduces recidivism ratesReduces stress caused by doubled-up
and overcrowdingEnds cycle of homelessness and
increase housing stability
Benefits of Supportive Housing
Reduces stress caused by doubled-up and overcrowding
Reduces use of crisis and institutional services
Produces better outcomes than the more expensive crisis care system
Significantly reduces recidivism rates
Ends cycles of homelessness
Supportive Housing Improves Lives
http://www.csh.org/supportive-housing-facts/evidence/
Research has shown permanent supportive housing has a positive effect on:
School Attendance Employment Retention Improved Physical & Mental Health Housing Stability Reduced Substance Use
Benefits of Supportive Housing
Affordable housing providers benefit lessening wear on housing stock, and creating opportunities for people
Human service providers benefit because clients have stable housing, increasing retention and efficiency for accessing/delivery of services
Local Government benefits because they increase housing stock and can save money by decreasing utilization of expensive crisis services
Supportive Housing Generates Significant Cost Savings to Public
Systems
Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research. Apr2010, Vol. 37 Issue 2, p213-225. 13p. 1 Chart.
http://www.csh.org/supportive-housing-facts/evidence/
Increasing research including 6 different states and cities has shown PSH associated with reductions in:
Emergency Shelter Use Hospitalization Incarceration Other Social Costs (detox, policing,
courts, emergency/crisis services, etc.)
Studies & Cost Savings Osceola County Florida: 37 homeless individuals were
incarcerated for 61,896 nights. Costing $6,417,905 over 10 years. Jail is not an affordable housing plan (2014, AHAR to Congress)
PSH saved over $15,000 per housed homeless person (2006, Denver Road Home)
PSH reduces annual cost of homelessness from $40,000.00 to $14,000.00 per year. (HUD, 2014)
One 85 unit “Moore Place” PSH in Charlotte, NC saves the community 1.8 million annually due to 447 fewer ER visits and 372 fewer nights spent in the hospital. (UNC, 2009)
In Santa Clara, CA $43,706 is estimated to be saved annually by housing the most chronically homeless individuals. These are the people with the most pressing health needs. (EconomicRoundtable.org, 2015)
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Cost of Serving the Homeless Declines in Permanent Supportive Housing
(2005-2008)
14USICH.GOV, Opening Doors, 2010
Chart created from estimates located at:
http://www.csh.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Cost-Effectiveness-FAQ.pdf
Per-Person Annualized Cost of Public Services Before and After Entering PSH
Cost of Doing Nothing is not Nothing…
Nightly Cost Estimates – High/ Medium/Low
*Based on analysis across 9 cities
Permanent Supportive Housing ER visits reduced 57%Emergency detox services down 85%Incarceration rates down 50%50% Increase in earned income of
residents40% Rise in rate of employment among
tenants when employment services are provided
More than 80% of residents stay housed for at least one year
…and it saves money 32% Reduction in service costs by providing
Permanent Supportive Housing to people with disabilities who are experiencing homelessness in rural areas
57% Reduction on expenditures for Mental Health Services, illustrating a shift away from expensive inpatient care to less expensive community-based services
Permanent Supportive Housing placements reduced service costs: Shelters by 99%, Emergency Rooms by 14%, Incarceration by 95%, & Ambulance Transportation by 32%
Housing First: New model designed to end chronic homelessness.
1) People do not need to be “housing ready” in order to move and live successfully in housing.
2) Housing is a right. No one should be denied housing for any period of time because they did not meet pre-determined clinical goals or did not choose to participate in services.
3) Homelessness is a terrible treatment plan, whatever alcohol and drugs make bad – homelessness makes worse.
4) People who are homeless, who use drugs/alcohol and or who may have a mental illness can successfully keep and maintain housing.
5) Housing should never be used to coerce people into services they would otherwise not choose.
6) Housing and services are two separate areas with separate criteria for operation and evaluation.
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Questions????
Thank You !!!
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