This document discusses the Housing First model and West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency's transition from traditional housing assistance programs to Housing First. It provides an overview of the Housing First philosophy which focuses on immediate access to housing without preconditions, and the services offered by West CAP including housing, food assistance, transportation, and skills training programs across 7 counties. It then contrasts the traditional approach of requiring people to demonstrate housing readiness with the Housing First model of providing housing as a basic right. The document addresses how to implement Housing First including changing staff roles, securing landlord buy-in, addressing potential financial and operational impacts, and ensuring broad organizational support for the transition.

1. Housing First
A Home for Everyone Conference
July 16th and 17th, 2014

2. To take action against poverty by
developing the social and economic
assets of low-income families and their
communities and by working to create a
more just and sustainable society.
West Central Wisconsin Community
Action Agency, Inc.
M
I
S
S
I
O
N

3. Serving 7 Wisconsin Counties
Barron
Chippewa
Dunn
Pepin
Pierce
Polk
St. Croix

4. What services are
provided?
 Housing
◦ Apartment Rentals
◦ Homeless Prevention
◦ Homeownership
◦ Weatherization
◦ Energy Assistance
 Food (Access & Resources)
 Transportation (JumpStart)
 Skills Enhancement
 Literacy

5. Housing Assistance
 Homeless Prevention Program
 Tenant Based Rental Assistance
 Rapid Re-Housing
 Transitional Housing
 Permanent Supportive Housing
 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Dunn, Pierce, and
St. Croix Counties
 Homebuyer Education and Assistance
 Foreclosure Intervention Counseling and Assistance
Housing counseling and financial assistance for homeless
persons, renters, and homeowners

6. The Old Way vs. The New
Way

7. Are you “ready” for housing?
 Are you compliant with shelter staff?
 Are you employable?
 Do you have a serious mental illness
or substance use disorder?
 Do you have a history of violent
criminal charges?
 Do we think you have a high chance
of success?

8. So Why Change?
 Most vulnerable not being helped
 Continued utilization of other
community resources (ER, CPS,
Crisis line, Shelter)
 Homeless numbers not declining
 Research based evidence for Housing
First model
◦ Better housing retention
◦ Lower rate of return to homelessness

9. What is Housing First?
 Philosophy of providing housing
◦ Housing is a right, not a reward
◦ Housing provides stable environment to
address other issues
 Program Model
◦ Immediate focus on housing
◦ Minimal barriers to obtaining housing
◦ Targets the most vulnerable
◦ Supportive services offered, not required

10. Housing First Model in Practice
 Program Entry
◦ VI-SPDAT to prioritize most vulnerable
◦ Participant understanding of program
model
◦ Finding housing
 Working with landlords
 In-home case management
 Be up front about participant barriers

11. Housing First Model in Practice
 Program Participation
◦ Supportive services offered, but not
required
 PSH v. RRH v. TH
◦ Regular home visits are an expectation
◦ Harm reduction approach
◦ Program moves with the client if an
eviction occurs
◦ Program termination is rare

12. Housing First Model in Practice
 Case Management
◦ Initial focus: overcoming housing barriers and
finding safe, appropriate housing
◦ Once housed: focus on long term goals, support
to maintain housing, and connection to
community resources
◦ Goals are developed by the participant, NOT
case manager

13. So how do we
make the
change?

15. Getting Everyone on
Board
 Board of Directors
◦ What is their role in your agency?
 Program Staff
◦ A paradigm shift in program philosophy and
service provision
 Local CoC members
◦ This changes how referrals will be made
 Landlords
◦ Developing new and deeper relationships

16. Impact on Case
Managers
 Paradigm Shift
◦ Housing Stability v. Rules
◦ Harm Reduction v. Abstinence
 New role as Team Leader
◦ Coordinating participant, therapists, sponsors,
psychiatrists, family, and many more supports
 Morale may be affected
◦ Feeling unskilled/unprepared
◦ Ethical dilemmas

17. Financial Impact of
Change
 Planning for supportive services
◦ High barriers, low community connection
 Plan for moving costs
◦ Security deposits, cleaning, damages
 Training costs for staff
◦ Mental health interventions, crisis intervention,
Motivational Interviewing, trauma-informed
services, Wellness Recovery Action Plans, harm
reduction

18. Impact on Management
 Clinical Supervision
◦ Manager
◦ Contract with mental health professional
 Weekly Staffings
◦ Help clarify roles
◦ Help staff recognize housing problems as
symptoms of the clinical issue
 Address Morale Issues
◦ Reframing situations
◦ Addressing compassion fatigue

19. Questions?

20. RESOURCES
Back to Basics: What Exactly Is Housing First & Rapid Re-Housing?
(OrgCode Consulting)
http://www.orgcode.com/2012/05/15/back-to-basics-what-exactly-is-
housing-first-rapid-re-housing/
The Applicability of Housing First Models to Homeless Persons with Serious
Mental Illness (HUD)
http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/hsgfirst.pdf
VI SPDAT (100,000 Homes Campaign)
http://100khomes.org/resources/the-vi-spdat
Affordable and Supportive Housing Research (USICH)
http://usich.gov/usich_resources/research_and_evaluation/affordable_and_
supportive_housing_research/
Pathways to Housing
http://pathwaystohousing.org/

21. Contact Information
Robyn Thibado
Associate Director
West CAP
rthibado@wcap.org
Corin Tubridy
Homeless Prevention Programs Manager
West CAP
ctubridy@wcap.org