In This Update . . .
Inaugural National Housing First Conference Affirms Innovation in Ending Homelessness Massachusetts Models Innovations to End Chronic Homelessness: Using Medicaid Resources for Services in Housing First Housing First and Cost Studies are Central
to Ending Chronic Homelessness as Washington County, Oregon Moves Forward with Ten Year Plan Implementation Massachusetts Models Innovations to End Chronic Homelessness: Social Impact Bonds Move Forward to End Chronic Homelessness An Encounter
with Simone Weil
|
|
|
|
|
INAUGURAL NATIONAL HOUSING FIRST CONFERENCE AFFIRMS INNOVATION IN ENDING HOMELESSNESS
Housing First, now the internationally accepted strategy to end chronic homelessness, was the focus of a first-ever national conference convened in New Orleans last week with over 650 attendees. Dr. Sam Tsemberis, Founder
and CEO, Pathways to Housing and Bill Hobson, Executive Director, DESC in Seattle co-convened the event.
Joseph Finn, President of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) and Tracy Palandjian, CEO of Social Finance, each of whom responded to the recent Massachusetts RFR for Social Impact Bonds on chronic homelessness, provided attendees with their insights into the potential of Social Impact Bonds/Pay for Success as a financing model.
Round Table President Philip Mangano introduced Finn at a session focused on Housing First partnerships and the merits of Massachusetts' Social Impact Bonds initiative in ending chronic homelessness. Finn provided attendees with the latest results from MHSA's pioneering partnership initiatives of Home & Healthy for Good (HHG), CSPECH, a Medicaid-funded support for formerly chronically homeless individuals in Housing First, and HUES, a housing solution targeted to high utilizers (see related story). Throughout its history, MHSA has conceptualized, implemented, and evaluated a number of innovative evidence-based programs to end homelessness. Mangano and Finn briefed attendees on Massachusetts' leadership initiative on the innovation of Social Impact Bonds. The Commonwealth is currently considering responses to its recent RFR on the use of Social Impact Bonds to end chronic homelessness and intervene in the juvenile justice population (see related story).
Mangano, in his previous role as Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH)(2002-2009), brought the evidence-based innovation of Housing First to state and local jurisdictional partners across the U.S. and encouraged its adoption in their Ten Year Plans.
The first new initiative at USICH was an unprecedented $55 million 4-agency federal partnership to end the homelessness of chronically homeless individuals. More than one hundred local partners sought awards under this program, which emphasized the Housing First strategy and spread the innovation across the country. In this federal collaborative initiative, which achieved more than 85% housing retention in 11 programs across the country in cities large and small, the more than 625 individuals who left the streets represented an average of 8 ½ years of prior homelessness or more than 5,200 years of cumulative homelessness, uncountable public costs, and untold suffering.
Mangano has partnered with government peers in Canada and the U.K. to share "what works" to end chronic homelessness. He was invited to speak in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Denmark, at United Nations and European Union sponsored events and at other international national meetings on homelessness where he encouraged the use of Ten Year Plans and Housing First.
|
|
MASSACHUSETTS MODELS INNOVATIONS TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS: USING MEDICAID RESOURCES FOR SERVICES IN HOUSING FIRST
Since its creation in 1990, the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA), a statewide advocacy organization of more than 90 member agencies across the Commonwealth, has established numerous results-oriented partnerships with state government and initiated nationally recognized innovative strategies to end homelessness. Under the leadership of Executive Director Joe Finn, MHSA has written another chapter in MHSA's unique story of relentless and effective advocacy for those experiencing the long misery of homelessness.
MHSA's most recent venture with state and local partners in health and behavioral health care, Medicaid, and housing agencies has piloted and proven three innovative models of intervention that end homelessness for the costly population of chronically homeless individuals. MHSA's strategies and partnership were recognized with the 2010 Better Government Award of the Pioneer Institute in Massachusetts.
Home & Healthy for Good (HHG), designed and administered by MHSA, invests in permanent supportive housing and services for targeted individuals meeting the definition of chronic homelessness. Federal, state, and other local resources are leveraged to finance additional services. MHSA member agencies collect data to measure outcomes for the more than 515 individuals housed in 12 regional projects, with a focus on the cost per participant and projected cost savings in state-funded programs. With a housing retention rate of 82%, HHG was recognized in 2010 as a Root Cause Social Innovator.
CSPECH (Community Support Program for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness)is a proven strategy that provides Medicaid reimbursement for community-based support services for chronically homeless individuals who are placed in permanent housing. CSPECH defined an innovative non-clinical health care worker who provides Medicaid-reimbursed support to individuals. An estimated savings of over $3 million in Medicaid costs has been achieved for over 370 individuals. MHSA partners in CSPECH with the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP), the state's for-profit private managed care organization (MCO) providing behavioral health services to Medicaid recipients.
High Utilizers of Emergency Services (HUES) to Home is a new MHSA initiative in partnership with Boston Medical Center (BMC), Boston Health Care for the Homeless (BHCHP), Boston Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Boston Police Department (BPD), and Citizens Bank Foundation. HUES to Home targets chronically homeless frequent users of the Boston Medical Center (BMC) emergency room for permanent supportive housing. With the launch of this Housing First initiative, Boston is the first city nationwide to house chronically homeless individuals directly from a hospital emergency department with the goal of ending their homelessness.
The new Medicaid innovations to end chronic homelessness draw on a history of entrepreneurial partnership in MHSA's advocacy over the last two decades, including 15 years of collaboration initiated by Founding Executive Director Philip Mangano with the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP) on behalf of chronically homeless individuals. The partnership has relied on MHSA's mission-driven initiatives and the Commonwealth's expansion of Medicaid to cover virtually all homeless individuals.
|
 HOUSING FIRST AND COST STUDIES ARE CENTRAL TO ENDING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS AS WASHINGTON COUNTY, OREGON MOVES FORWARD WITH TEN YEAR PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Washington County, Oregon and its principal cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Tigard are moving forward with new energy to implement their Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, first adopted in 2008, after an action-packed week in which they convened the annual Key Leaders Breakfast, conducted their Point in Time count, and welcomed homeless neighbors for their 6th Project Homeless Connect. Round Table President Philip Mangano visited Washington County to focus on the business case for ending chronic homelessness, the importance of cost studies, and Housing First. Beaverton City Council Member Betty Bode invited Mangano, who was hosted for two days of events by private and public sector partners. Karin Kelley-Torregroza of Washington County's Vision Action Network, which organized the many events, was key to the success of the visit and is leading followup in initiating a cost study for the area. She noted about the events, "Philip Mangano's visit was exactly the shot in the arm that Washington County needed to propel our work around ending homelessness forward!
There is renewed energy around the issue, and, as a result of his conversations with key public and private sector leaders, a paradigm shift is beginning to occur in how we look at the issue of homelessness and how we approach funding."
 Mangano addressed the annual Key Leaders Breakfast of the Westside Economic Alliance whose Executive Director, Jonathan Schlueter, welcomed Mangano (pictured here).
"Our efforts are now fueled by the economics of homelessness," Mangano told local leaders. "We've learned through cost studies lessons that inform our approach, but much more importantly drive a sustained political will. Rather than thinking of homeless people as not expensive to the public purse - after all, that person lying on the streets or languishing in the shelter, how expensive could they be - we've learned how expensive homeless people are to the public purse. "
"In 65 cost studies from across the country, the findings are the same. There are enormous costs in emergency rooms of hospitals, ambulances, police interventions, courts, and acute mental health and addiction treatment. Counterintuitive as that seems, cost studies across the nation indicate the high cost of managing and shuffling homelessness in those ad hoc, uncoordinated crisis interventions."
Mangano further indicated that, in all 65 cost studies, the costs of maintaining a person in homelessness were shown to be more expensive than solving the problem. The range across the country is $35,000 to $150,000 for random ricocheting through expensive health and law enforcement systems. The cost of a place to live and the needed support services ranges from $13,000 to $25,000 per person, per year. These studies have driven more political and civic will than any other effort, he noted.
Also attending the event were Janice Burger, Administrator, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center; Sanford Inouye, VP of Government Affairs, Comcast; Roserria Roberts, Community Investment Manager, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette; and Stephanie Stokamer, Director, Center for Civic Engagement, Pacific University.
Government leaders in attendance were Mayors Tim Knapp of Wilsonville, Jerry Willey of Hillsboro, Lou Ogden of Tualatin, Craig Dirksen of Tigard, Pete Truax of Forest Grove, and Denny Doyle of Beaverton, Washington County Commissioners Andy Duyck (Chair), Greg Malinowski, and Dick Schouten, and Clackamas County Commissioner Ann Lininger, State legislators Margaret Doherty and Julie Parrish, Metro President Tom Hughes, Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett, Beaverton Police Chief Geoff Spalding, Beaverton City Councilors Marc San Soucie, Cathy Stanton, and Betty Bode, and Tigard City Councilor Marland Henderson, Beaverton Municipal Court Judge John T. Mercer.
While in Washington County, Mangano met personally with Chair Andy Duyck, Washington County Board of Commissioners and also with Washington County Mayors, the Washington County Board of Commissioners, and other key public sector leaders to discuss in detail how local government can invest in Housing First. In attendance were Andy Duyck, Chair, Washington County Board of Commissioners; Dick Schouten, Commissioner, Washington County; Greg Malinowski, Commissioner, Washington County; Bob Davis, Administrator, Washington County; Denny Doyle, Mayor, City of Beaverton; Betty Bode, City Councilor, City of Beaverton; Sherilyn Lombos, City Manager, City of Tualatin; Marty Wine, City Manager, Tigard; and Michael Brown, City Manager, City of Hillsboro.
Mangano visited the Providence St. Vincent Hospital, where he met with the ED Nurse Supervisor and staff to discuss their daily experiences with people who are homeless and the cost to the hospital. With Beaverton Councilor Betty Bode, he rode with local police officers to visit encampments in the area.
Mangano met at the Sonrise Church in Hillsboro with the Homeless Plan Advisory Committee (HPAC) to focus on Housing First and challenges identified to date in implementing solutions. Attending this event were Adolph 'Val' Valfre, Jr., Executive Director, Housing Authority of Washington County; Patrick Garrett, Sheriff, Washington County Sheriff's Office; Reed Ritchey, Director, Washington County Community Corrections; Robin Shultz, Self-Sufficiency Manager, Oregon Department of Human Services; Janice L. Burger, Administrator, Providence Health System; Michelle Johnson, MSW, Tuality Community Hospital; Eric Canon, Chair, Interfaith Committee on Homelessness; and consumers.
 Mangano toured the SOS Shelter, site of the Project Homeless Connect where he addressed the more than 200 volunteers before the site opened for more than 670 homeless neighbors (pictured here). Services offered included medical, vision, and dental services, transportation, housing, veterans, welfare, food stamps, vocational rehabilitation, DMV, and employment referrals, haircuts, showers, library services, and bus passes. Pictured here are (left to right): Karin Kelley-Torregroza of Vision Action Network, Beaverton Councilor Betty Bode, Philip Mangano, and Kim Marshall, Project Homeless Connect Coordinator.
|
|
MASSACHUSETTS MODELS INNOVATIONS TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS: SOCIAL IMPACT BONDS MOVE FORWARD TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
What if there were now an investment idea to end chronic homelessness that is counter-intuitive in revealing that it is cheaper to solve homelessness than to service it? What if the private sector held the resources to end chronic homelessness? What if there was an innovative idea that took the insights of cost studies and cost benefit analysis to induce private capital investment to end chronic homelessness?
That's what is happening right now. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has just ended an RFR process seeking responses to address chronic homelessness and the juvenile justice population. The RFR on chronic homelessness included separate responses for intermediary entities and direct service providers. The Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) partnered with the Corporation for Supportive Housing, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and Third Sector Capital Partners to respond. Social Finance, the U.S. entity of the Social Finance organization which is a partner to the U.K. Social Impact Bond initiative on recidivism, also partnered with several non-profit entities to respond.
The new idea is to induce private investment to scale the housing needed to end chronic homelessness through the application of the financing model known as Social Impact Bonds.
What government and philanthropy couldn't and can't do, private capital will step in to accomplish, using basic business principles and practices like performance, innovation, outcomes and, most importantly, Return On Investment (ROI).
The idea, Social Impact Bonds, combines private investment/risk, innovative/cost effective solutions, and government as guarantor only if success is achieved.
The "partnership" includes government and providers, a "tipping point" realization that the most expensive and disabled yield the most savings, shrewd business people, and homeless people who finally get private capital anticipatory of outcomes and consumer satisfaction.
Other jurisdictions in the U.S. and internationally are adopting the strategy, including those in which Round Table President Mangano worked while Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Building on success in ending rough sleeping, including initiatives launched by the Blair government which provided essential insights and partnership for the Bush Administration's initiative to end chronic homelessness, the U.K. Housing Ministry and City of London this week announced a new "payment by results" strategy to tackle persistent rough sleepers. The New South Wales government in Australia has launched an initiative focused on averting foster care. Canada's national government is considering the model.
Social Impact Bond/Pay for Success initiatives were identified in the President's proposed 2012 budget. Federal officials recently announced that the U.S. Departments of Justice and Labor will support Pay for Success pilots through 2012 funding competitions. The Department of Justice plans to give priority funding consideration in 2012 Second Chance Act grant solicitations to highly qualified applicants who incorporate a Pay for Success model in their program design. The Department of Labor will launch Pay for Success funding opportunities through the Workforce Innovation Fund by early spring, making up to $20 million available for programs that focus on employment and training outcomes. Federal agencies will be releasing more information on these, and potentially other, opportunities in the coming weeks and months.
|
|
AN ENCOUNTER WITH SIMONE WEIL
 Last week in New York City, Round Table President Philip Mangano addressed attendees at a screening of the new documentary film, An Encounter with Simone Weil. The new film by Julia Haslett of Line Street Productions is a highly personal look at the French philosopher, activist, and mystic, Simone Weil (1909-1943). Weil was called "the only great spirit of our time" by the philosopher Albert Camus, who meditated in Weil's room before receiving the Nobel Prize. Mangano is a longtime student of Weil, her spirituality, and her bond with those who are suffering.
The film was awarded the Special Founder's Prize by filmmaker Michael Moore at the Traverse City Film Festival. Stated Moore, "Julia Haslett has made a profound and moving film on a woman who continues to speak to all of us. Few Americans know of Simone Weil, but this deeply affecting documentary will make you want to know more. An Encounter with Simone Weil challenges all of us not to look the other way when we see the suffering of others . . . "
An Encounter with Simone Weil had its World Premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in November 2010. It has played at film festivals around the world including Full Frame, DokuFest Kosovo, and San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.
The film is screening daily [1:00pm, 3:00pm, 5:15pm, 7:00pm, 9:30pm] through March 29 at the Quad Cinema in Manhattan. More information is at
|
|
|
