6.2 Smart Shelter: How Shelters Can Improve Outcomes in Housing First Systems Speaker: Lianna Barbu Having supportive, permanent housing-focused shelters is a crucial piece to any Housing First homeless assistance system. In this workshop, presenters will talk about the key role shelters play in improving system performance on key outcomes and reducing episodes of homelessness in their communities.

1. Smart Shelter: How Shelters
Overview
Can Improve Outcomes in  Overview of CSB
Housing First Systems  Our family system
 Triage and Diversion
 System characteristics
Presented at the
2012 National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness  Performance Measurement
February 09-10, 2012
Los Angeles, California  Reporting
 Performance Based Contracts
Lianna Barbu
Community Shelter Board
www.csb.org
Rebuilding Lives Plan
Overview of CSB
Columbus and Franklin
County, Ohio Point in Time
Trends by Household Type - All
1600
 Population: 1400
Franklin County –
1,163,414
1200
1000
135 131 149 193
Our Family System
sons
Columbus Metropolitan
Total Pers
800
Area – 1,836,536 1089 1120 1104 1081
600
 Point in Time 400
Count: 200
1/25/2011 0
117
2008
108
2009
134
2010
144
2011
1,418 persons
Unsheltered Sheltered Transitional Housing
homeless (144
unsheltered)

2. Franklin County Family Emergency Shelter System
Family system framework
Diversion: Helping families stay in the housing they’re
 Single point of contact
in, with support from community programs, social
service agencies, family and friends, and other
community agencies.
First contact Permanent housing, usually with Transition
 Prevention & diversion
assistance (CSB)
between
YWCA Family
Welcome to the Family Center
Referral to direct housing:
Center and Family Housing Collaborative
(Salvation Army, Homeless Families Foundation,
family:
Permanent housing
Volunteers of America CSB)
America,
e
 Minimize shelter stay/move to appropriate  Triage
 Referral Referral to transitional housing
housing quickly  Assessment
(Amethyst)
 Services
 Guidance Referral to permanent supportive housing
(Community Housing Network, Amethyst, Volunteers of
 Measures results and manage for outcomes America, Maryhaven, Columbus AIDS Task Force)
Treatment programs for severe issues
 Shelters all families (ADAMH agencies)
5/6/10
RA-TA/Program Planning-Development/Family System Planning/Front door slide with provider names 5.6.10
Triage and Diversion
Family contacts the YWCA Family System after 1/1/12
5d
Complete Triage/Diversion; Employment
Enter data in CSP Intake Resource Services
1d Assessment 3d
Family Advocate
1d
Child Advocate
Does family Complete
Is family facing No
have any No Shelter 6-7d 6-7d 6-7d
eviction/ other Intake
foreclosure? option?
Direct Client
Yes Yes Assistance
Intake 14d 14d Intake 14d Intake
(1 month rent +
Assessment Assessment Assessment
Refer to Assist family in security deposit)
Prevention making alternate 3 months rent + 6 month rent + 1 month rent + 4 months rent +
3 months services 6 months services 3 months services 3 months services
Services arrangements 13d
And Services
System characteristics Data Management
 Comprehensive Assessment  The front door (YWCA Family Center) enters
comprehensive data in CSP
 Extensive housing partnerships
 All providers have access to the family’s
p y
 Access to short-term rental assistance CSP data
 Highly collaborative  Next step housing providers update data as
families move through the system
 High accountability & transparency
 Data as strategic tool

3. Performance Measurement
Goals
 Implementation of Housing First principles
Performance Measurement  Long-term family stability
 Low recidivism
 Increased accountability
 Achievement of community-wide goals
Performance Measures Performance Measures
Measurement Annual Metrics
 System and Program Benchmarks set by
Households served (#) Set based on prior year(s) attainment, fair share of system
demand, facility capacity, and funds available to program.
CSB Board of Trustees, HUD and local • tracks trending in need for shelter
Successful housing Obtain housing at standard below or greater if prior year(s)
CoC outcomes (%) achievement was greater: at least 70% for family shelter
 Annual Program Outcomes Plan (POP) Successful housing
• tracks exits to permanent housing settings only
Calculated based on the Successful housing outcomes %
 Negotiated with agencies during annual “Gateway”
Gateway outcomes (#) measurement.
process Usage of CSB Direct Client % of households that receive CSB DCA will be consistent
Assistance (%) with prior performance and /or program design.
 Attached to annual partnership agreement
• tracks usage of financial assistance that in general shows
 Includes quarterly, semi-annual, annual goals faster exit from shelter and stabilization in housing
 Goals set based on benchmarks or prior performance Usage of CSB Direct Client # of households that receive CSB DCA will be consistent
Assistance (#) with prior performance and /or program design.
 System goals based on historical numbers,
demand and available capacity
Performance Measures Performance Measures
Measurement Annual Metrics
Measurement Annual Metrics
Successful diversion At least 30% will be diverted to other community resources.
Cost per household Cost per household will be consistent with budget.
outcome (%) • tracks if shelter is used as a last resort option
• tracks program efficiency
Average length of stay Not to exceed standard or average for prior year(s) if less
Cost per successful Cost per successful housing outcome will be consistent
than standard: 20 days for family shelter
housing outcome with budget.
• tracks length of stay in shelter, shorter lengths of stay are
• tracks program efficiency
desired
Pass program certification Provide access to resources and services to end
Average Transition Time
g Not to exceed standard based on the policies and
p
homelessness.
procedures (less or equal to 7 days)
• tracks time it takes for the shelter to make a housing • tracks program’s success in following program, data,
program referral; shorter times are desired financial and administrative standards
Recidivism <5% of those who obtain housing will return to shelter.
• tracks households who return to shelter after a successful
exit
Diversion Recidivism (%) <5% of those diverted will enter shelter.
• tracks households who return to shelter after a successful
diversion

4. Key Shelter Outcomes Key Shelter Outcomes
 Successful Diversion Outcome (%) Day 1 Day 5 Day 7 Day 20
 Average Length of Stay (days) Shelter
Entry
Date Referral
to Direct
 Average Transition Time (days) Housing Entry into
Direct
Successful Housing
 Successful Housing Outcome (%) Diversion Shelter
Outcome Exit
Date
Average Transition Time Average Length of Stay (direct housing)
Average Length of Stay (shelter)
Successful Housing
Outcome
Successful Diversion Outcome Average Length of Stay
˂ Purpose: A reasonably short LOS indicates the program’s success in rapid re-housing. It can
˂ Purpose: Indicates program’s success in ending homelessness by also indicate efficiency related to turnover of beds which is essential to meet system demand
for emergency shelter.
linking households to appropriate community resources and not admitting
˂ Definition:
them into shelter. A higher number and rate are considered positive. - Emergency Shelter: The average cumulative number of days households receive shelter as
˂ Definition: The number of distinct households that are diverted to other measured from shelter entry to exit or last day of report period.
community resources at their contact with the emergency shelter and the - Direct Housing and Rapid Re-housing: The average number of days households receive
percentage this represents of total distinct households that contact the services as measured from the point of entry in the direct housing/rapid re-housing
program to the exit date from the emergency shelter. Measure applies only to households
emergency shelter during the report period. that had an entry date in the direct housing/rapid re-housing program within the report
˂ Goal-setting methodology: Meet or exceed CSB Board Ends Policy. period. N
i d Note: h households who h d a di
h ld h had direct h housing/rapid re-housing entry d
i / id h i date after their
f h i
emergency shelter exit date are excluded from this calculation.
˂ Reporting methodology: Calculate the total number of distinct household ˂ Goal-setting methodology: Meet or below CSB Board Ends Policy. An average LOS less than
contacts and the total number of diversions that are considered Ends goal is considered to be the desired direction.
successful. Divide the number of successful diversion outcomes by the ˂ Reporting methodology:
number of total contacts during the report period. - Emergency Shelter: Σ(Exit date or report end date – Entry date) / the number of total
distinct households served within the report period.
- Direct Housing and Rapid Re-housing: Σ(shelter exit date – direct housing/rapid re-
housing entry date) / the number of total distinct households served with an entry date in
the direct housing/rapid re-housing program within the report period.
Average Transition Time Successful Housing Outcome
˂ Purpose: A reasonably short ATT indicates the program’s success in rapid ˂ Purpose: Indicates program’s success in ending homelessness. A higher
re-housing. It can also indicate efficiency related to turnover of beds which is number and rate are considered positive. Indicates program’s success in
essential to meet system demand for emergency shelter. linking households to appropriate next step housing which includes direct
housing/rapid re-housing, transitional and permanent housing.
˂ Definition: The average number of days households receive shelter ˂ Definition: The number of distinct households that exit (i.e., latest exit for
services as measured from shelter entry to entry/enrollment into the direct households with multiple stays during report period) to successful housing
housing/rapid re-housing program. Measure applies only to households that as defined in Table 1 and the percentage this represents of total distinct
had an entry date in the direct housing/rapid re-housing program within the households exited during the report period.
period
report period. ˂ Goal-setting methodology: Meet or exceed CSB Board Ends Policy,
HUD Standards or prior performance. Number of successful housing
˂ Goal-setting methodology: Meet the direct housing/rapid re-housing outcomes equals rate times number of exits.
policies and procedures.
˂ Reporting methodology: The total number of distinct household exits
˂ Reporting methodology: Σ(direct housing/rapid re-housing program and the total number of destinations that are considered successful
entry/enrollment date – YWCA Family Center entry date) / the number of total housing outcomes. Divide the number of successful housing outcomes by
distinct households served with an entry date in the direct housing/rapid re- the number of total exits during the report period.
housing program within the report period.

5. Reporting Schedule
 Monthly Indicator Reports
 By the 16th of the next month, minimal data
Reporting
p g  System and Program Indicator Reports
 Quarterly, semi-annually and annually 60 days after
the quarter-end
 Annual Program Evaluation
 Annually using 6 months worth of data, very
detailed
Front Door Data Points YWCA Outcomes
CY2009 CY2010 CY2011
Households Served (#) Successful Housing
Families Served 817 1,198 1,364 900 833 Outcomes(%)
800 696 701 726 688 74%
653 80% 68% 72% 68%
Female HoH 90% 89% 90% 700 66%
600 57%
60%
500
Male HoH 10% 11% 10% 400 40%
300
Single Adult Headed HHd 71% 72% 73% 200 20%
100
0%
New Households 75% 70% 61% 0
FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011
FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011
Contact Resolution
Nightly Occupancy Recidivism (%)
Diverted 37% 26% 30% 70
6%
60 5% 5% 5% 5% 5%
Admitted 43% 56% 44% 58 5%
50 4%
47
Other (appeals, etc) 20% 18% 26% 40
44 44
39
4%
38
3%
New and Diverted 42% 28% 32% 30
20 2%
Contact Type 10 1%
Phone 63% 62% 65% 0
FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011
0%
FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010
Walk-in 34% 36% 33%
YWCA Outcomes
Average Length of (shelter)
Stay
30
25 26
23 23 24
20
22 21
Performance Based
15
10
5
0 Average Transition Time
FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011
20
18
16
19
16
Contracts
14 14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
FY2009 FY2010 FY2011

6. Performance Based Performance Based
Contracts Contracts
 Encourages high level of performance  CSB “purchases” outcomes or outputs
 Meets system needs  Monthly payments for the previous month’s
 Applied to emergency shelter and direct performance
housing programs  Agencies may have
 Focused on:  Base contract amount
 Serving more households  Performance based contract amount
 Shortening length of stay  “Above and beyond” performance based
 Increasing volume of positive exits (successful contract amount (caped)
housing outcomes)  Merit incentives (based on program rating)
Performance Based Contracts Performance Based Contracts
Program Action Required Contract Amount Soft Projection
$XXX per successful
housing outcome for Estimated Average
XXX number of Number of Successful Program Action Required Contract Amount Soft Projection
Emergency Successful Housing successful housing Housing Outcomes $XXX per new
Shelter Outcomes outcomes. CSB will per Month: XXX household served/ Estimated Average new
pay the same rate for (based on annual Direct New Households up to XXX. CSB will household served: XXX
an additional XXX projection of XXX) Housing
H i Served
S d pay th same rate for (b
the t f (based on annuall
d
outcomes. an additional XXX projection of XXX)
outcomes.
Final FY11 Monthly Successful Housing Outcomes
Jul-11 Aug-11 Sep-11 Oct-11 Nov-11 Dec-11
9 7 10 8 9 5
 December Performance Amount: 5 x $XXX
Changes Driven by Data
Analysis
 Improved outcomes because of performance
measurement
 Overflow management handled by front door provider
 Manual to capture roles of each partner
Questions?
 System redesign with direct housing focus
www.csb.org
 Streamlined next step housing practices lbarbu@csb.org
 Performance-based contracting