Housing and Tenancy Support LEAG Feedback

The following are specific insights from LEAG members that inform the report and can be considered by providers and communities. Some ideas could be put into action immediately, while others might take broader planning, funding and implementation. This is not an exhaustive list of ideas, but these specific ideas and comments did emerge through facilitated conversations with LEAG.

Empower: Elevate people experiencing homelessness to identify gaps and implement solutions to lead personal, local and systemic change.

• I would like to see direct cash assistance, rental assistance, and offering free classes and life coaching. A lot of people can self-navigate with the right services.
• Talk to people that have been through the process and see what agencies that helped them to see if they can go get the same help as they did from the agency. Different agencies can also ‘host’ talking circles, where housed folks and navigators are available to answer questions in an open forum. Agencies from housing, healthcare and senior services, for example.
• I recommend having a specific case worker assigned to a person in transition who is willing to help answer questions quickly, as needed. It's important to have an accessible advocate who can help navigate people through the housing process as they encounter questions spontaneously throughout the process. Reasonable caseloads would help.
• Set realistic expectations of the housing process. It can be both a long wait and time crunch. Once you finally get a voucher, it does not automatically come with an apartment. There are challenges in securing a unit. Be very clear communicating about what type of financial assistance the client has (Prevention, Rapid Rehousing). Housing helping roles need to ensure that their clients understand the terms of their assistance (time length), mandatory processes like reporting income, criminal background checks, general rules of the tenancy (unauthorized guests), etc.
• It is not helpful to be handed an overly general, outdated or inaccurate list of apartments that are supposedly friendly with programs for people experiencing homelessness. Make sure lists are up-to-date and targeted to welcoming places.
• A consistent and general on-site Housing Navigator at shelters and outreach events can help review apartment listings, answer technical questions, make calls, prepare appointments, and provide letters of reference.
• Practice cultural competence and be mindful of language barriers, preferred languages, employment, transportation, education level, and any other conditions that could impact one’s long-term tenancy or good locations to be housed. We want to match clients to the right opportunities and communities that increase their ability to thrive, not set them up to fail. And, the same can be said about helping with educational and employment opportunities.
• Waiting is a large part of what you and your clients will be doing in regard to housing. Use the time wisely. Go over the skills and knowledge required to stay housed. Talk to them about how they're going to handle the obligations they might feel toward their unhoused friends who will be remaining unhoused.
• More specific supports are needed to support sobriety in housing and sober living. 

Engage: Collaborate with community partners and stakeholders to enhance ESG programs and access to ESG solutions.

• How can we encourage communities to take responsibility for not only providing adequate and safe shelter but also deeply affordable housing and culturally-supportive services to ensure housing stability for all people in communities? Work together to destigmatize homelessness and take responsibility for changing the housing system.
• Turn empty hotels/motels into subsidized housing.
• Apply as much Medicaid-paid services as possible.
• Supportive volunteer and employment opportunities are a great way to get people back into the mindset of getting and maintaining housing. Find good partners for supportive volunteering or employment.
• Explore renting or purchase of neighborhood homes to Master Lease in RRH programs.
• Explore landlord or host home programs that would support rehousing a RRH client in a rented room versus the whole house.
• A community-supported, flexible housing fund can help with the costs that add up, including applications, background checks, furniture and delivery assistance.
• Sponsor or pay agencies doing the rehousing work well to train others. Allow staff to shadow staff in other agencies. Share forms and paperwork templates, etc.
• Identify partners with a specialty in addiction, mental health and sober living to assist recently housed folks with ongoing sobriety.

Evaluate: Target ESG data collection, communications, training and investments to drive specific program and system improvements and accountability, and evaluate impact.

• The most important fact is rehousing is taking too long and people are experiencing harmful trauma and health impacts in the meantime -especially among the most vulnerable. Figure out how to make the process from shelter and street contact, to a safe place of your own, go faster.
• Create a ‘first-time homeless’/‘Are you suddenly homeless?’ primer on first steps of what to do to assist people who are in shock and crisis. Provide the basic first steps in a flyer.
• Cultural sensitivity is critical to reach all. All sector staff should be adequately trained on special population needs and unique services: BIPOC; LGBTQIA+; persons fleeing violence; persons with cognitive disabilities; seniors, persons whose first language is not English, etc. Resources and supports unique to these groups should be available to all participants and staff. Partnerships are key to inform this work.
• Monitor inequity among specific target groups.
• Target staff roles focused on intervention at critical points when one may consider housing: exiting jail, hospital, detox, relationship break-up, etc.
• Data to track: 1. People still unhoused. 2. Number of people housed. 3. Follow ups to determine how long housing was sustained. 4. If housing wasn't sustained, why? 5. What needs to be addressed so a person's housing can be sustained? Track rates of Housing Retention after 1, 2, and 3 years and ask what matters.
• Potential community data points: Number of affordable units available. Number of vouchers available. Landlords who take vouchers.