Summary Sheet- 3B. JANUARY 2024 HOMELESS SOLUTIONS UPDATE MEMO.DOCX
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MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and Council THRU: Tim Burch, Director of Community Health and Human Services (CHHS) FROM: Jessica Wright, CHHS Homeless Solutions Manager DATE: January 11, 2024 SUBJECT: January 2024 Homeless Solutions Update Purpose The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update to Mayor and Council regarding Homeless Solutions efforts in the City of Tempe, including updates on the HOPE team, collaborative efforts, and Tempe Works. City Council Strategic Priority Quality of Life: Ending Homelessness – 3.28 Quality of Life: Community Health and Well-Being – 3.34 Data Trends Over the past fiscal year, there have been indicators of a reduction in homelessness in Tempe via two distinct data sources. The number of unduplicated Tempeans served by navigation and/or case management reduced from 1,861 individuals in FY22 to 1,257 individuals in FY23, which is a 32.5% reduction1. This aligns closely with the Tempe Point in Time (PIT) Count reduction. In Summer of 2022, there was a PIT count of 515 individuals and in Summer 2023 there was a PIT count of 355 individuals. This is an overall 31.1% reduction. These indicators also align with findings specific to the number of chronically homeless people2 served. The number of chronically homeless individuals served in Tempe went from 861 in FY22 to 522 in FY23. This is a reduction of 39.4%. National Trends The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) State of Homelessness: 2023 Edition describes the challenges of the population of individuals currently experiencing homelessness. USICH reports approximately 25% of people experiencing homelessness have a mental health condition and roughly 35% have a substance use disorder. For the first time since data collection began, more individuals experiencing homelessness in the U.S. are unsheltered than sheltered. USICH identifies many shelters are full or deny entry to people who are struggling with a mental health condition and/ or who have a substance use disorder, have criminal records, live with a disability or chronic condition, 1 Data Source – Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) 2 The federal definition of chronic homelessness describes the experience of those who have been homeless while struggling with a serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability. These individuals live in impermanent and inhabitable places, and have been unhoused for at least a year, or four episodes over the last three years. Homelessness is an issue that is costly in lives, health, and safety for those who experience it. https://community.solutions/what-is-chronic-homelessness/ identify as LGBTQ and people who have disabilities, pets, partners, or older children (especially male teenagers) have fewer options for sheltering together. In addition, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) reports in their State of Homelessness: 2023 Edition a national increase in bed availability from 2019 to 2022. However, their report also states that despite more beds, fewer people are staying in shelter. NAEH reports that there was a 6.9% reduction in shelter utilization from 2021 to 2022. Tempe Innovation The intent is to provide an update to the current operating processes of our HOPE team. Multiple adaptations to operations occurred in August 2022 including implementing the CARE & HOPE line (480- 350-8004), creating an encampment reporting tool, and an update to HOPE’s hours to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. HOPE currently responds to citizen-generated requests through these applications as well as requests to the hope@tempe.gov email address. In addition, HOPE staff proactively provide outreach services daily on Mill Avenue as well as at top tier parks. These parks have been identified as high needs through collaboration with the Tempe Police Department’s Office of Community Policing. On average, HOPE conducts between 100 to 150 engagements per week, typically resulting in on average a third of those individuals’ accepting services. Further, approximately 30 to 38% of the accepted services on average, are directly related to a shelter or diversion housing opportunity. The City’s bridge shelter program is currently transitioning to two City owned bridge shelter facilities. The City-leased shelter contract for the Super 8 bridge shelter was completed on December 31st, 2023. In preparation of this contract completion, CHHS Housing Services is negotiating the purchase of a second facility, like Sue’s Espacio, that will replace the leased Super 8 bridge shelter program. To ensure continuity of services, Sue’s Espacio has converted all its rooms to support double occupancy, including locking storage cabinets and refrigerators. To enhance HOPE’s capacity for service, Mercy House was contracted and onboarded October 16th, 2023 to provide case management in our City bridge shelters. These service enhancements support the reallocation of four HOPE team members to move from case management in the shelters to street outreach. The goal is to provide additional proactive outreach throughout the City. Outreach Engagement Success HOPE outreach has had significant success in individuals accepting services and housing. Since data collection methods were adapted with the HOPE engagement application in April 2022, there have been a total of 16,132 individual engagements between HOPE team members and individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Tempe. Of those engagements, 5,033 (31.2%) resulted in the acceptance of service that is a step towards ending their homelessness. Of those 5,033 accepted services, 1,268 (25.2%) of those services were either accepting shelter, reconnecting with a support system, or moving into their own housing. In the previous month alone (December 2023) there have been a total of 349 individual engagements between HOPE team members and individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Tempe. Of those engagements, 134 (38.4%) resulted in the acceptance of service that is a step towards ending their homelessness. Of those 134 accepted services, 43 (32.1%) of those services were either accepting shelter, reconnecting with a support system, or moving into their own housing. HOPE Hiring Thirteen of the 15 homeless outreach specialist positions are currently filled or processing offers with HOPE. In the past month, HOPE onboarded 3 new HOPE team members and have 2 candidates going through the HR process. CHHS is actively interviewing for the remaining 2 positions. Meanwhile, HOPE team members are utilizing overtime to cover vacancies, HOPE continues to utilize community volunteers to provide service alongside staff, we are actively working with ASU to offer paid internship opportunities as well, while continuing to offer unpaid internship availability. 2024 Point in Time Count The Point in Time (PIT) Homelessness Count is an annual street and shelter count that is part of a national effort to identify the extent of homelessness in cities throughout the country. The City of Tempe and municipalities in Maricopa County participate in an annual PIT count, which is coordinated through Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). This event will take place January 23rd, 2024 and coordination efforts are in effect for this HOPE team-led event. Data and outcomes from this event are released regionally in late March to early April each year. Point in Time Unsheltered Street Count Winter 2020 2021 Winter 2022 Summer 2022 Winter 2023 Summer 2023 Tempe 396 No Regional PIT (pandemic) 383 515 406 355 Bridge Shelter Collaboration As mentioned above, staff have partnered with Mercy House to transition all bridge shelter residents from the Super 8 to Sue’s Espacio by December 31st, 2023 as well as remain the entry point to the shelter. This transition is an ideal example of collaboration between CHHS Housing Services, Homeless Solutions, and Mercy House toward greater support and services for our community. The City of Tempe renewed our agreement with Tempe Community Action Agency for the Step into Housing pilot. This program is designed to make the most effective use of shelter-related programs for individuals experiencing homelessness through a transitioned stay between TCAA’s I-HELP shelter and City shelter spaces with a goal of increasing the number of people served and reducing the length of time from homelessness to housed. In the first 9 months of the pilot 22 out of 23 (95.7%) participating individuals were successfully housed in stable, long term housing. Finally, HOPE and Tempe Works have increased partnerships with landlords and providers for housing solutions including shared living, senior homes, transitional housing, and weekly rentals. Regional Collaboration CHHS plays a large role partnering in regional collaborative efforts through a multitude of partnerships. We participate in initiatives led by MAG including the Local Jurisdiction Committee, Continuum of Care Board, Emergency Shelter Workgroup, Outreach Collaborative, Lived Experience Committee, and Heat Relief. Homeless Solutions Manager, Jessica Wright, was just elected in the past month to serve a two- year term as co-chair for MAG’s Local Jurisdiction Committee. In addition to MAG initiatives, staff participate in multiple interagency collaborative efforts including the Cities-Counties Coordination for Homelessness workgroup, Homelessness to Housing Roundtable, and we participate as our City’s representative for all regional case conferencing and coordinated entry for both singles and families. A new evaluation tool for regional housing and shelter opportunities is replacing the previously used F-SPDAT, which HOPE was one of the first regional workgroups to volunteer to be trained to utilize in December 2023. This new evaluation will prioritize individuals needing services based more highly on acuity and chronicity of homelessness when matching people experiencing homelessness to regional housing programs accessed through the coordinated entry and case conferencing system. City of Tempe Homeless Outreach Collaborative In October 2023, the Homeless Solutions Manager established the City of Tempe Homeless Outreach Collaborative. The purpose is to bring partnering nonprofit homeless outreach agencies and the City together to create and implement collaborative responses to challenges and trends in street outreach to address individuals experiencing homelessness in Tempe. This is currently led by our City’s HOPE team but also includes representatives from Care 7, Office of Community Policing, Native American Connections, OneNTen, Phoenix Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, Homeless Youth Connection, Circle the City, Arizona State University, Maricopa County Constable, Intensive Treatment Systems of AZ, and the Human Services Campus. This collaborative is a force multiplier toward increased access to services for our community. Tempe Works Updates in Tempe Works include 5 new graduates in quarter one (July 1st 2023-September 30th 2023) of FY24. This brings the total number of graduates to 24. In August 2023, we held our first Tempe Works graduation celebration at the Workforce Readiness and Livable Communities Council Meeting. Tempe Works has developed new hiring partnerships. These include Tempe Elementary School District for positions such as crossing guard and instructional assistants, and Arizona Faith Network for Heat Relief Center staff members this past heat relief season. In addition, Tempe Works continues to partner with Maricopa County AZ@Work to offer both Career Skills Readiness classes for participants seeking employment as well as Financial Lunch & Learn classes for participants employed in our Tempe Works’ City positions. Healthy Giving “Real Change, Not Spare Change” As we partner with local businesses through Tempe Works, individuals can also get involved in making homelessness rare, brief, and one time in Tempe. Interests in volunteering with our HOPE team can be directed to email hope@tempe.gov, and if someone is interested in donating, they can do so by going to www.tempe.gov/healthygiving to learn how to be a part of our Tempe Community Council’s Real Change, not Spare Change initiative. Here every $1 goes directly to support a wide variety of services that truly change lives. Here donations maximize giving, support a person’s long-term needs, and contribute organizations working hand in hand with those in need.