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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