Homelessness Prevention
This entry has been selected as a finalist in the
Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change. competition.
Our goal is to develop an intervention model that will drastically reduce family homelessness in Vermont through direct financial assistance coupled with follow up services. We created a Housing Resource Center that incorporates community outreach, homelessness prevention strategies, and streamlines a number of effective yet disparate resources in our community.
About You
Section 1: You
First Name
Beth
Last Name
Krueger Hershel
Website URL
Organization
Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)
Country
United States, VT
Section 2: Your Organization
Organization Name
Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)
Organization Website
Organization Phone
802-864-7402
Organization Address
179 South Winooski, Burlington VT 05401
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Organization Country
United States, VT
Your idea
Name Your Project
Homelessness Prevention
Country and state your work focuses on
United States, VT
Describe Your Idea
Our goal is to develop an intervention model that will drastically reduce family homelessness in Vermont through direct financial assistance coupled with follow up services. We created a Housing Resource Center that incorporates community outreach, homelessness prevention strategies, and streamlines a number of effective yet disparate resources in our community.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
Through a centralized housing resource center dedicated to homelessness prevention and housing retention, we can prevent the overwhelming damage to credit that inevitably follows an eviction or foreclosure. We developed prevention strategies to reduce the number of low-income households ending up in emergency shelter due to a contingency often beyond their control, such as an emergency medical bill or major car repair cost. We work to move clients living in shelter out as quickly as possible into sustainable, permanent housing by providing security deposits that otherwise would have taken months for struggling families to save.
Once a family becomes homeless, it will cost as much as $10,000 to shelter each household in one of our emergency shelters, including 80 nights of operating costs and case management at $50 per day. The idea of homelessness prevention and housing retention is not only cost effective but maintains a household’s dignity. At this critical juncture, a number of communities are seeking to expand their emergency shelter capacity. We do not believe that building more shelters is the answer. In Burlington and Chittenden County we hope, instead, to greatly enhance our prevention resources and outreach strategies to thwart the escalation of homelessness during these difficult economic times. The challenge of overcoming damaged credit from an eviction or foreclosure is all but impossible in the best of circumstances. In times like these, it becomes an enduring obstacle that often results in families moving back and forth between emergency motels and shelters for months on end.
As federal funds and new housing programs focus on reducing the number of homeless individuals after they become homeless, COTS is looking for private support to intervene before this happens.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
The HRC’s innovative strategies prevent both the financial devastation of homelessness (which can take years to recover from) and the physical and emotional stress a family endures when losing their housing. Between October 1, 2009 and April 1, 2010: We were able to help 207 households avert homelessness through prevention grants for rental and mortgage arrears. This direct financial assistance, coupled with our follow up services, prevented the overwhelming damage to credit that inevitably follows an eviction or foreclosure. We were able to help 154 households move more quickly from shelter into housing by providing security deposits that otherwise would have taken months for struggling families to save. And we helped 99 low-income households with a comprehensive housing search and connected them with resources like Food Stamps, utility assistance, financial literacy classes, and credit repair programs.
Here is an example of a household we helped this past year:
Chris and his family have lived in an apartment for over two years and Chris has been working for the Flynn Theater in Burlington for 15 years. After the birth of the family’s second child, Chris and his wife, Julie, had to attend many doctor’s appointments for their child and Chris had to miss work, was not paid for the time he had to take off, and fell behind in rent. Through the HRC they were able to repay the rent they owed and are now back on track.
Problem
The standard definition of “affordable” housing is if the household pays no more than 30 percent of its income for rent and utilities or for mort¬gage, taxes and insurance. Because the Fair Market Rent for a modest two bedroom in Chittenden County reached $1,108 in 2009, a household would need an hourly income of $21.46 per hour (or just over $44,000 annually) to afford this rent. Unfortunately, 64% of Vermont’s non-farm employees’ work in occupations with median wages below this amount, and the number of subsidized apartments available to low- and moderate-income renters meets less than half of the current demand in our community. The affordable housing crisis in our state continues to place extraordinary pressure on low-income households whose monthly income barely keeps pace with rising utilities, rents, food, and fuel prices.
Actions
COTS Housing Resource Center is implementing the following strategies:
Homelessness Prevention Grants: COTS developed prevention strategies to reduce the number of low-income households ending up in emergency shelter due to a contingency often beyond their control, such as an emergency medical bill or major car repair cost.
Community Collaboration: COTS developed the Chittenden County Continuum of Care, a group of 14 nonprofit and state agencies dedicated to providing housing and support services to homeless and low-income Vermonters. Collaborating with community partners to provide onsite intake and services to low-income families on the verge of eviction expedites the delivery of essential resources.
Risk Guarantee Fund: This pool of money is set aside to help secure housing for the homeless or precariously housed who lack a credit rating to be accepted as tenants by local landlords. This fund helps provide assurance to landlords who are afraid to take a chance on families who have an eviction or foreclosure on their credit reports.
Housing Placement: We use a well-established network of landlords to help low income families transfer into more affordable housing placements.
Results
COTS is taking measures to evaluate these new prevention efforts, specifically evaluating housing retention, by conducting follow-up phone calls to clients who received HRC services to assess whether or not they are living stably in housing and current on their rent or mortgage. In an effort to further increase this retention rate, we are working closely with the Growing Money program which offers free classes for limited income households on saving, asset building, and smart spending. Looking at program data, COTS will highlight key gaps in services and identify benchmarks to evaluate, assess and prioritize new projects, as well as mark year-to-year goals and achievements. Research shows that across the United States, nonprofits and collaborative community groups are developing their own performance management systems tailored to local patterns of homelessness, and to the types of clients most commonly served. Furthermore, COTS and the HRC can use this information as an internal quality measurement for program improvement.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
The next phase of work includes the following goals:
•Evaluate year-to-date data
Collect demographic, housing, and financial data on HRC clients and develop a comprehensive evaluation of our impact with the help of an outside evaluator. COTS is taking measures to evaluate these new prevention efforts, specifically evaluating housing retention and sustainability, by conducting follow-up phone calls to clients who received HRC services. Looking at program data, COTS will be able to highlight key gaps in services and identify benchmarks to evaluate, assess and prioritize new projects, as well as mark year-to-year goals and achievements.
•Create a profile index
Through a centralized housing resource center dedicated to homelessness prevention and housing retention, COTS will reduce family homelessness in our community by 50 percent over the next five years. In order to quantify the top contingencies leading to homelessness, we will use key data for creating a homeless prevention index. Our hope is that the prevention index will pave the way for local and state partners to implement strategies that can reduce the population of homeless families on a large scale.
•Continue outreach and education
Contact Vermont Landlord Association and put HRC staff on a meeting agenda in order to educate and answer questions. Educate daycare centers, hospitals, schools and landlords about why and how to refer people to HRC before they lose housing. Expand community outreach and the recruitment of smaller agencies to pool resources and services at the center (Joint Urban Ministry Project, St. Josephs, Salvation Army, and Mercy Connections).
•Set up a Risk Guarantee Fund
This pool of money is set aside to help secure housing for homeless families and individuals who are staying in COTS shelters but lack the credit rating to be accepted as tenants by local landlords. In a housing market that has a large concentration of college students living off-campus, the vacancy rate in Burlington remains very low. This means that landlords have a wide choice of prospective tenants and they typically choose to lease to those with stellar credit or student whose parents co-sign their leases. The risk guarantee fund will help provide assurance to landlords who are afraid to take a chance on families/individuals who may have an eviction on their record.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
Given the rising unemployment rates across Vermont and a severe shortage of Section 8 vouchers and affordable housing units, the number of people turning to COTS for shelter and rental/mortgage assistance has skyrocketed beyond all precedent. We continue to operate at full capacity with waiting lists at all of our emergency shelters. Possibly the most alarming challenges we are facing are the effects of state funding cuts to emergency assistance. The reality is that human service nonprofits (case managers, shelters, and offices) are now absorbing the fallout. As our most vulnerable community members continue to feel the pressure of high housing costs and few job opportunities, the demand for help continues to grow. We are concerned that the amount of funding needed to maintain our infrastructure, staffing, and overall resources may not be available.
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$50 - 100
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States, VT
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
Yes
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Often times, low-income households are unaware of community resources until its too late, such as Vermont’s childhood health insurance, fuel assistance programs, or how to apply for unemployment income. Collaborating with community partners to provide onsite intake and services to low-income families on the verge of eviction, expedites the delivery of essential resources and helps lift the financial burden. This collaboration will also lead to further development of innovative affordable, housing opportunities. COTS took the lead in developing and organizing the Chittenden County Continuum of Care, a group of 14 nonprofit and state agencies dedicated to providing housing and support services to homeless and low-income Vermonters. The Continuum, as a committee of agencies, is built on the idea that the local community can best determine the needs and gaps in the region and this group works collaboratively to develop new strategies for alleviating homelessness. Equally important, this group consistently joins together to ensure there is no overlap or duplication of services when new initiatives are launched.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
The most important actions needed to help grow our homelessness prevention initiative are largely based on broad public policy changes (listed below). But it is important to note: an overall commitment from community members, private businesses, and government officials will be vital to our success.
1. Create more affordable housing:
Homelessness is the result of several factors, but the common denominator is the high cost of housing. An estimated 62% of lower income Vermont renter households (27,000 households) lack housing they can afford without spending more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities. (Vermont Housing Finance Agency, 2010). The number of subsidized apartments available to low- and moderate-income renters meets less than half of the current demand in our community. In addition, low-income households are in competition with the over 6,000 college students in the Burlington area.
2. Restore and maintain job opportunities; improve wages:
Unfortunately, more than half of Vermont's workforce is employed in occupations with median wages that fall below the income necessary to afford housing here (Vermont State Housing Agency, 2009). Additionally, the current unemployment rate, although improving is 6.5% and the state lost jobs at an alarming rate over the past few years. According to the Public Assets Institute (2009), almost 5,000 jobs disappeared in December 2008 alone, Vermont’s biggest monthly loss in nearly 20 years.
3. Support weatherization, energy efficiency improvements, and lead paint removal in Vermont’s housing stock:
According to Vermont’s Housing Needs Assessment, a significant portion of Vermont’s housing stock is comprised of older homes, with 33% built before 1950. Among rental homes, this percentage is even higher at 43% (Vermont Housing Finance Agency, 2010). This creates a number of problems for low income renters and homeowners in our area: high energy costs; lead paint hazards; and substandard housing conditions.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
Between 2000 and 2005, the number of homeless families, parents, children, and individuals, requesting COTS services dramatically increased. And more recently, as the affordable housing market squeezed even tighter the number of families we were able to serve decreased because the length of stay in emergency shelter went from an average of 30 to 90 days. Once in shelter, households become trapped because of a lack of housing resources and denials from landlords not willing to take a risk on a homeless household with a negative credit report. Seventy percent of our families were in permanent housing prior to homelessness and more than half had one employed parent.
COTS was determined to do something that would keep families in their homes without in order to stop not only the financial devastation of homelessness but also the debilitating emotional and physical stress.
While we commend nationally recognized housing models, like Housing First, they address the problem of homelessness only after a family has lost everything and damaged their credit. Unless something is done to address the factors that precipitate homelessness, families will continue to be the fastest growing population of homeless people.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
This idea is really a community effort that came about when COTS brought a number of like minded nonprofits and state agencies together to address the growing homeless population, including Champlain Valley Office of Economic Services, Vermont Agency of Human Services, Burlington Housing Authority, and private landlords. Rita Markley, COTS Executive Director who spearheaded the project, has been an outspoken advocate for those without homes for almost 20 years when she started working at COTS as a volunteer. As a successful advocate for affordable housing and this prevention program, she consistently links demographic data and program outcomes to broader policy. She is proud to live in Vermont and work for an organization that believes first and foremost in the value of dignity of everyone in our community.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Through another organization or company
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
 | 101 weeks agoMohenna Sarkar said: On May 27, 2010 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change. ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 102 weeks agoHomelessness Prevention has been chosen as a finalist in Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change.. |
| 109 weeks agoRita Markley said: That is a fantastic question. Marketing for homeless prevention is truly a collaborative effort among all service agencies in our ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 109 weeks agoAlexis Ditkowsky said: Hi Rita, I really appreciated reading about Committee on Temporary Shelter's comprehensive homelessness prevention services and was ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 110 weeks agoRita Markley updated this Competition Entry. |
| 114 weeks agoRita Markley submitted this idea. |
