Sexual offenders shatter lives.Drug abuse, pregnancy, and suicide are often symptomatic of
sexual abuse (Berger, 2008). Victims may become abusers(Barbaree &Marshall).Victims carry shame, self-doubt, and fear with them for years, decades , lifetimes. Victims often have relationship, and intimacy issues that can affect not only themselves also their families.The offender's sentence is comparatively short. The emotion and sensationalism that sex crimes
evoke cause strong reaction, perhaps over-riding action. Improving laws, initiating preventions,
and finding effective methods rehabilitation are all areas that need to be addressed. In the meantime, there are 400 registered sex offenders in King County. There are 3 registered sex offenders within blocks of where I reside. These 3 happen to be young adults. They would not be distinguishable in a crowd. Sex offenders come in in all ages, sizes, ethnicity and personality. There is no type. They have some of the same general needs as the rest of the population. Food, shelter, safety are basic human needs. The right to housing for registered sex offenders must be reconciled with the right to safe housing for families and other individuals.
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Children ,Youth and Families records over 70,000 substantiated victims of sex abuse in 2005. The largest percentage of the were very young teens, 12-15 years olds. Another 20,00 are 8-11 years old.
The perpetrator is likely not a stranger. More often, the offender is a family member or close friend. There is no question that the damage done to individuals and communities by sexual abuse is insidious and far reaching.
The subject of sexual offenders is highly charged. Many people have been abused or seen the effects of abuse. Parents of children are frightened if they lose sight of a child on a playground or in a mall. Fear and disgust, while valid, may actually impede investigating possible solutions.
Therapeutic treatment for sexual offenders is relatively new and sparsely available. Reports of it's effectiveness are varied. Some report, high success. An example of this is Missouri where the
report is 94 percent with no repeat offence up to 10 years after completion of treatment.
http://www.ky3.com/news/specialreports/10803431.html. However that percentage only reflects only those who complete the program, many do not. Other programs ,reports and analysis show little, if any effect. Recidivism with or without treatment is lower than may be expected. Re-offence rate averages 13 percent at 5 years. That is less than the recidivism rate for general criminal offences. There is authoritative agreement that little reliable evidence is currently available proving any specific treatment as effective, nor any that proves it not effective.
Less than 2 decades ago legislation passed that addressed housing as an equal opportunity.
America does not officially sanction discrimination. In this county safe housing is a right. Their are no legal sanctions against any particular groups right to housing. There are restrictions, however that severely impair access by certain groups . Having a past felony will severely limit housing options. Public housing, for the most part is closed to the registered sex offender. Reasonably, sex offenders may not locate near parks, school or other concentrations of children.
Unfortunately, lack of houses choices translates to many sex offenders being homeless. Sex offenders living few blocks away does not make me feel terrible secure, yet,there is some relief knowing they are likely home asleep as I write this. I would be tenfold more disconcerted if they were sleeping in a doorway, driveway or alley or behind a fence near near here.There are over 400 registered sex offenders without homes in King County. I believe for sex offenders housing gives motivation , accountability and something to lose. It provides a certain measure of public safety. It may be that segregated housing for sex offenders is a viable option. Clean and sober housing for alcoholic/addicts is an example of what might be an option for sex offenders. Requiring this kind of transitional housing after incarceration might be a way of accessing where a person is at on there ability to safely integrate into society. This would seem to be simply prudent, given what is at stake.
Resources:
U.S Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration on Youth and Families, 2006
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , Predicting Relapse, A meta-analysis of sex offender recidivism studies, Hanson & Bussiere 1998
The Developing Person Through the Lifespan, Berger, Worth Publishing New York, 2008
The Juvenile Offender, Barbaree & Marshall, Guilford Press New York 2006
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
DOORS (Final Draft)
I remember when major mental health and social service institutions slammed shut. It was like a floodgate opened. The streets of Seattle swarmed with people trapped in their heads, yelling, and having altercations with thin air. In the early 1980's, I navigated my young children downtown, through an entourage representing various mental health and addiction issues. I gave the children the mom look that warned them not to stare or comment. They did anyway. Of course, the animation, pacing, gesturing and ranting grabbed their attention. I really thought that this phenomenon would pass. There would be an election. The doors from whence they came would open back up and they would go back. Someone would step up and do something. It's not polite to look. I looked away.
It was decades before I looked again. The problem did not go away. I had little information on the nature, the scope or the true cost of this evolved climate of homelessness. The topic of homelessness can be overwhelming. Conversations often highlight frustrations and are less apt to focus on solutions. I mistrusted the opinions I formed from my car window. I felt, like I think a lot of people feel, that my opinions were impotent anyway. The cardboard brandishing "panhandler" bears witness that the spider web of shelter and human service systems have been unable to put a noticeable dent in the homeless problem. This illustrates my belief that current methods of managing homelessness are ineffective and should be rethought.
Last year I had the good fortune to work an outreach program that increased my exposure to housing and homeless issues. I got to see first hand what worked and did not work. The myths I held about homelessness crumbled. I served individuals that were 60+ years old and adults with disabilities. It was surprising and disheartening for me to see "grandma and grandpa " on the streets; but they are there. They have mental health challenges. They have disabilities. They have addictions. Once someone is homeless, it is difficult to co-ordinate services. The shelters have daily intakes, late arrival times, and early release times. They also require sobriety and civility. Most of the time homeless are on the move. They do not have personal calendars, cell phones or bus passes. When there are resources, scheduling and keeping appointments are problematic. I was just as likely to find a client in the hospital as anywhere else. It was my experience that housing was a huge predictor of the success of other services.
The Washington State Housing Committee and The Committee to End Homelessness-King County published some enlightening statistics. The number of persons who are homeless on any given night in King County is 8,000. The Emergency Shelter Assistance Program in Washington State provides a place to sleep for more than 45,000 individuals a year. In another context those numbers would be dubbed a national disaster. In 2003, 42 people died out-of doors and homeless in King County. That’s an average of one person dying almost every week and this is a normal year. These deaths occur in rural as well as urban areas.
Housing First Programs purpose that a productive way to address homelessness is to provide housing for the homeless. This may seem simplistic, ridiculously naive and cost prohibitive. However this approach is proving to be quite viable and cost efficient. One of the factors is that homelessness cause increased use of high cost services. The cost of housing is offset by reducing the use of high cost services. High cost services include: 911, emergency rooms, mental health hospitalizations, detoxification, inpatient programs, child protective services and incarceration. A report on children in homeless shelters, published in Pediatrics Vol.192 No3. revealed that sheltered children used emergency room visits 2-3 times more than did their housed peers. They found that being homeless is an independent predictor of poor health in children. The UCLA Dept. of Family Medicine reported their sampling of homeless adults found that 37 percent had visual impairment, 36 percent had skin/leg/foot/conditions and 31 percent had a positive TB test.
Reduction in health costs alone, would justify providing housing. The Washington State Housing Finance Committee reported on a Plymouth Housing Group’s project. PHG's "Begin at Home" housed 20 hardest-to-reach, chronically homeless individuals. The project’s outcomes after 1 year showed a 75 percent reduction in medical costs. That translates to 1.2 million dollars. Another project,The Sound Families Initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda gates Foundation, provided housing for over 1,400 families. Approximately 85 percent of these were single parent households. The project's evaluation by the University of Washington School of Social Work showed that the housing was instrumental in stabilizing the children's education. The vast majority of these families were able to procure permanent housing.
People involved with other target populations are turning their attention to housing also. Programs for foster children who "age out" now consider housing crucial in preventing further costs in dollars and quality of life. Correction facilities look at housing as an important component of reentry programs as they now know that housing is a correlate of recidivism. The work and positive outcomes of The Plymouth Housing Group, the Committee to End Homelessness - King County, the Sound Family Initiative and other housing first models are changing thoughts about homelessness. They are turning the conversation away from one of managing homelessness and to one of ending homelessness. I believe that the ability and resources to accomplish this exist. I feel that not only is it possible, but quite feasible, that homelessness can be essentially resolved in this lifetime. The benefits would be far reaching.
Sources:
A Roof Over Every Bed in King County, Our Community's Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Seattle: The Committee to End Homelessness - King County, 2005. 1-6.
Herman, Kim. "The Commitment Continues: Washington State's Efforts to End Homelessness." My View Feb. 2008.
The Evaluation of the Sound Families Initiative. NW Childrens Institute. Seattle: University of Washington School of Social Work, 2007.
Miller, Daniel S., and Elizabeth Lin. "Children in Sheltered Homeless Families: Reported Health Status and Use of Health Services." PEDIATRICS 81 (1988): 668-673. 4 July 2008 .
http://www.pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/5/668
Gelberg, L, R M. Andersen, and B
D. Leake. "The Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations: Application to Medical Care Use and Outcomes for Homeless People." Health Services Research 34 (2000): 1273-1302. 4 July 2008 . http://www.pubmedcentral.hih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1089079
It was decades before I looked again. The problem did not go away. I had little information on the nature, the scope or the true cost of this evolved climate of homelessness. The topic of homelessness can be overwhelming. Conversations often highlight frustrations and are less apt to focus on solutions. I mistrusted the opinions I formed from my car window. I felt, like I think a lot of people feel, that my opinions were impotent anyway. The cardboard brandishing "panhandler" bears witness that the spider web of shelter and human service systems have been unable to put a noticeable dent in the homeless problem. This illustrates my belief that current methods of managing homelessness are ineffective and should be rethought.
Last year I had the good fortune to work an outreach program that increased my exposure to housing and homeless issues. I got to see first hand what worked and did not work. The myths I held about homelessness crumbled. I served individuals that were 60+ years old and adults with disabilities. It was surprising and disheartening for me to see "grandma and grandpa " on the streets; but they are there. They have mental health challenges. They have disabilities. They have addictions. Once someone is homeless, it is difficult to co-ordinate services. The shelters have daily intakes, late arrival times, and early release times. They also require sobriety and civility. Most of the time homeless are on the move. They do not have personal calendars, cell phones or bus passes. When there are resources, scheduling and keeping appointments are problematic. I was just as likely to find a client in the hospital as anywhere else. It was my experience that housing was a huge predictor of the success of other services.
The Washington State Housing Committee and The Committee to End Homelessness-King County published some enlightening statistics. The number of persons who are homeless on any given night in King County is 8,000. The Emergency Shelter Assistance Program in Washington State provides a place to sleep for more than 45,000 individuals a year. In another context those numbers would be dubbed a national disaster. In 2003, 42 people died out-of doors and homeless in King County. That’s an average of one person dying almost every week and this is a normal year. These deaths occur in rural as well as urban areas.
Housing First Programs purpose that a productive way to address homelessness is to provide housing for the homeless. This may seem simplistic, ridiculously naive and cost prohibitive. However this approach is proving to be quite viable and cost efficient. One of the factors is that homelessness cause increased use of high cost services. The cost of housing is offset by reducing the use of high cost services. High cost services include: 911, emergency rooms, mental health hospitalizations, detoxification, inpatient programs, child protective services and incarceration. A report on children in homeless shelters, published in Pediatrics Vol.192 No3. revealed that sheltered children used emergency room visits 2-3 times more than did their housed peers. They found that being homeless is an independent predictor of poor health in children. The UCLA Dept. of Family Medicine reported their sampling of homeless adults found that 37 percent had visual impairment, 36 percent had skin/leg/foot/conditions and 31 percent had a positive TB test.
Reduction in health costs alone, would justify providing housing. The Washington State Housing Finance Committee reported on a Plymouth Housing Group’s project. PHG's "Begin at Home" housed 20 hardest-to-reach, chronically homeless individuals. The project’s outcomes after 1 year showed a 75 percent reduction in medical costs. That translates to 1.2 million dollars. Another project,The Sound Families Initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda gates Foundation, provided housing for over 1,400 families. Approximately 85 percent of these were single parent households. The project's evaluation by the University of Washington School of Social Work showed that the housing was instrumental in stabilizing the children's education. The vast majority of these families were able to procure permanent housing.
People involved with other target populations are turning their attention to housing also. Programs for foster children who "age out" now consider housing crucial in preventing further costs in dollars and quality of life. Correction facilities look at housing as an important component of reentry programs as they now know that housing is a correlate of recidivism. The work and positive outcomes of The Plymouth Housing Group, the Committee to End Homelessness - King County, the Sound Family Initiative and other housing first models are changing thoughts about homelessness. They are turning the conversation away from one of managing homelessness and to one of ending homelessness. I believe that the ability and resources to accomplish this exist. I feel that not only is it possible, but quite feasible, that homelessness can be essentially resolved in this lifetime. The benefits would be far reaching.
Sources:
A Roof Over Every Bed in King County, Our Community's Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Seattle: The Committee to End Homelessness - King County, 2005. 1-6.
Herman, Kim. "The Commitment Continues: Washington State's Efforts to End Homelessness." My View Feb. 2008.
The Evaluation of the Sound Families Initiative. NW Childrens Institute. Seattle: University of Washington School of Social Work, 2007.
Miller, Daniel S., and Elizabeth Lin. "Children in Sheltered Homeless Families: Reported Health Status and Use of Health Services." PEDIATRICS 81 (1988): 668-673. 4 July 2008 .
http://www.pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/5/668
Gelberg, L, R M. Andersen, and B
D. Leake. "The Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations: Application to Medical Care Use and Outcomes for Homeless People." Health Services Research 34 (2000): 1273-1302. 4 July 2008 . http://www.pubmedcentral.hih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1089079
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Bandaids vs Solutions
Many people find the issues surrounding homelessness overwhelming.Often people have little information on the scope, the nature or the true cost of homelessness.Conversations reflect that people believe homelessness is an ongoing problem with no real solutions.It may be that a persons view of the problem is formed from behind a car window and they are unsure of the accuracy of their perception. I know that this was certainly true for me. The card-board-sign bearing panhandler seems to bear witness that in spite of wellmeaning shelter and human services systems, homelessness is still challenge. Current methods that manage homelessness are ineffective and should be rethought.
The Washington State Housing Committee and the Committee to End Homelessness-King County provide some enlightening statistics. The number of persons who are homeless on any given night in King County is 8,000. The Emergency Shelter Assistance program in Washington State provides a place to sleep for more than 45,000 individuals a year. In other contexts those numbers would be dubbed a national disaster. In 2003, an average year,42 people died out-of doors and homeless in King County . That is an average of one person dying almost every week. These deaths occur in rural as well as urban areas.
Last year I had the good fortune to work an outreach program that increased my exposure to housing and homeless issues. I got to see first hand some of the things that work and some that that don't. The myths I held about homelessness crumbled. Once homeless it is very difficult to co-ordinate services. The shelters have intakes, late arrive times and early release times. They require sobriety and civility. Most waking hours the homeless are on the move. They don't have personal calenders, cell phones or bus passes. If there are resources, scheduling and keeping appointments is problematic. It was my experience that housing was a huge predictor of the success of other services.
Housing First program models purpose that an productive way to address homelessness is to provide housing for the homeless. This may seem simplistic, naive and cost prohibitive. However, this approach is proving to be surprisingly viable and cost effective. Homeless persons are disproportionately represented in the use of high cost services.The UCLA Dept. of Family Medicine's sampling of homeless adults found that 37 percent had visual impairment, 36 percent had skin/leg/foot conditions and 31 percent had Positive TB tests. An report on children in homeless shelters published in Pediatrics Vol. 102 No 3, revealed that children living in shelters had a 2-3 times higher rate of emergency room visits, It was also determined that homelessness was an independent predictor of poor health in these children. High cost services include emergency room visits ,911 services, mental health hospitalizations,detoxification, inpatient programs, child protective services and incarceration. Reduction in use of these services alone
justifies the cost of housing.
The Plymouth Housing Group's Begin at Home project housed 20 hardest -to-reach, chronically homeless individuals. The projects outcomes after 1 year showed a 75 percent reduction in medical costs, which translates to 1.2 million dollars. The Sound Families Initiative , funded by Bill and Melinda Gates provided transitional housing, case management and referral services to 1,487 families, 85 percent of whom were single parent households. Evaluation of the project showed an increase in the children's educational stability. The vast majority of these families were able to procure permanent housing. People involved with other target populations are turning their attention to the issue of housing also.Programs for foster children who "age out" now consider housing crucial in preventing further costs in dollars and quality of life. Correction facilities now look at housing as an important component of re-entry programs as they now know housing is a correlate of recidivism.
The work and positive outcomes of The Plymouth Housing Group, The Committee to End Homelessness-King County, The Sound Family Initiative and other Housing First models bring hope.They have turned the conversation from one of managing homelessness into one of ending homelessness. I believe that the ability and resources to accomplish this exist. I also believe that not only is it possible, but quite feasible that homelessness can be essentially resolved in this lifetime.The benefits would far-reaching.
Sources:
A Roof Over Every Bed in King County, Our Communitie Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, by The Committee to End Homelessness-King County, 2005
The Commitment Continues: Washington State's Efforts to End Homelessness, My View form Kim Herman, Executive Director, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Feb .2008
Children In Sheltered Homeless Families- Reported Health Status of Use and Health Services ,
Robert Wood Faculty Development Fellowship Program, Dept. of Family Medicine& Dept. of Public Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Pediatrics Vol 81 No 5 -May 1090
(google scholar) http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/5/668
The Behavioral Model for Vunerable Populations, UCLA Dept. of Family Medicine ,Los Angeles
(google scholar) http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid+1089079
The Evaluation of The Sound Families Initiative, prepared for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation by the NW Institute for Children andFamilies, University of Washington School of Social Work,2007
The Washington State Housing Committee and the Committee to End Homelessness-King County provide some enlightening statistics. The number of persons who are homeless on any given night in King County is 8,000. The Emergency Shelter Assistance program in Washington State provides a place to sleep for more than 45,000 individuals a year. In other contexts those numbers would be dubbed a national disaster. In 2003, an average year,42 people died out-of doors and homeless in King County . That is an average of one person dying almost every week. These deaths occur in rural as well as urban areas.
Last year I had the good fortune to work an outreach program that increased my exposure to housing and homeless issues. I got to see first hand some of the things that work and some that that don't. The myths I held about homelessness crumbled. Once homeless it is very difficult to co-ordinate services. The shelters have intakes, late arrive times and early release times. They require sobriety and civility. Most waking hours the homeless are on the move. They don't have personal calenders, cell phones or bus passes. If there are resources, scheduling and keeping appointments is problematic. It was my experience that housing was a huge predictor of the success of other services.
Housing First program models purpose that an productive way to address homelessness is to provide housing for the homeless. This may seem simplistic, naive and cost prohibitive. However, this approach is proving to be surprisingly viable and cost effective. Homeless persons are disproportionately represented in the use of high cost services.The UCLA Dept. of Family Medicine's sampling of homeless adults found that 37 percent had visual impairment, 36 percent had skin/leg/foot conditions and 31 percent had Positive TB tests. An report on children in homeless shelters published in Pediatrics Vol. 102 No 3, revealed that children living in shelters had a 2-3 times higher rate of emergency room visits, It was also determined that homelessness was an independent predictor of poor health in these children. High cost services include emergency room visits ,911 services, mental health hospitalizations,detoxification, inpatient programs, child protective services and incarceration. Reduction in use of these services alone
justifies the cost of housing.
The Plymouth Housing Group's Begin at Home project housed 20 hardest -to-reach, chronically homeless individuals. The projects outcomes after 1 year showed a 75 percent reduction in medical costs, which translates to 1.2 million dollars. The Sound Families Initiative , funded by Bill and Melinda Gates provided transitional housing, case management and referral services to 1,487 families, 85 percent of whom were single parent households. Evaluation of the project showed an increase in the children's educational stability. The vast majority of these families were able to procure permanent housing. People involved with other target populations are turning their attention to the issue of housing also.Programs for foster children who "age out" now consider housing crucial in preventing further costs in dollars and quality of life. Correction facilities now look at housing as an important component of re-entry programs as they now know housing is a correlate of recidivism.
The work and positive outcomes of The Plymouth Housing Group, The Committee to End Homelessness-King County, The Sound Family Initiative and other Housing First models bring hope.They have turned the conversation from one of managing homelessness into one of ending homelessness. I believe that the ability and resources to accomplish this exist. I also believe that not only is it possible, but quite feasible that homelessness can be essentially resolved in this lifetime.The benefits would far-reaching.
Sources:
A Roof Over Every Bed in King County, Our Communitie Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, by The Committee to End Homelessness-King County, 2005
The Commitment Continues: Washington State's Efforts to End Homelessness, My View form Kim Herman, Executive Director, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Feb .2008
Children In Sheltered Homeless Families- Reported Health Status of Use and Health Services ,
Robert Wood Faculty Development Fellowship Program, Dept. of Family Medicine& Dept. of Public Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, Pediatrics Vol 81 No 5 -May 1090
(google scholar) http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/5/668
The Behavioral Model for Vunerable Populations, UCLA Dept. of Family Medicine ,Los Angeles
(google scholar) http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid+1089079
The Evaluation of The Sound Families Initiative, prepared for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation by the NW Institute for Children andFamilies, University of Washington School of Social Work,2007
Monday, July 7, 2008
Universal Language-Photo by Hu Yang
This picture could have been taken anywhere. New York, Seattle, Vancouver B.C. or Shanghai. Noteworthy is what missing and what is present. There is no cash register or shampoo station. No hair care products on display. There is a radio for entertainment value. Maybe it's tuned to the news or a talk show to enlighten and invite conversation. There is a stairway to who-knows where and what. Likely it's a living area, but it could be an office, a school or another
business. There is another generation represented and not present in the form of Teddy Bear characters on the fabric draping the files. Two people are not directly involved in the haircut. Is the person with the apron cooking, sweeping or even another "barber"? Is the other gentleman with the shop or residence or with the person being groomed? Obviously, they are sharing some communal thought or feeling that makes them smile. Perhaps they are smiling in agreement, or in reflection. It may be just the pleasantness of the day or the easiness of the company. Regardless of their individual roles, in this moment they are community. There is warmth and connectedness, here in this small band, in this small room. I wonder if I would see that as readily if the setting were more 'sophisticated". I enjoyed this picture. The gentleman on the far left reminds me of a dear friend of mine . He has that same look that Winston had when he was about to share or add something interesting to a conversation. It's a small world.
Photos by Hu Yang @ http://www.shanghartphoto.com/
business. There is another generation represented and not present in the form of Teddy Bear characters on the fabric draping the files. Two people are not directly involved in the haircut. Is the person with the apron cooking, sweeping or even another "barber"? Is the other gentleman with the shop or residence or with the person being groomed? Obviously, they are sharing some communal thought or feeling that makes them smile. Perhaps they are smiling in agreement, or in reflection. It may be just the pleasantness of the day or the easiness of the company. Regardless of their individual roles, in this moment they are community. There is warmth and connectedness, here in this small band, in this small room. I wonder if I would see that as readily if the setting were more 'sophisticated". I enjoyed this picture. The gentleman on the far left reminds me of a dear friend of mine . He has that same look that Winston had when he was about to share or add something interesting to a conversation. It's a small world.
Photos by Hu Yang @ http://www.shanghartphoto.com/
Friday, July 4, 2008
Hope
Most people find the homeless issue overwhelming. Many people have very little information on the scope, nature and cost of homelessness. Conversations reflect that people think of homelessness as an ongoing problem with no real solutions. Often a persons view of the problem has been gleaned from behind a car window and they are unsure of the accuracy of their perception. I know this was certainly true for me.
The Washington State Housing Finance Committee and the Committee to End Homelessness- King County provide some enlightening statistics.The number of individuals who are homeless on any given night in King County is 8,000. The Emergency Shelter Assistance program in Washington State provides a place to sleep for more than 45,000 individuals a year. In other contexts those numbers would be dubbed a national disaster. People die without a roof over their head in our county. In 2003 , an average year, 42 people died out-of doors and homeless. That is an average of one person dying almost every week.
Housing first program models purpose that an effective way to address homelessness is to first provide housing to the homeless. While this may seem simplistic, naive and cost prohibitive this approach is proving proving to be surprisingly viable and cost effective. The price of homelessness in the use of high cost services overshadows the cost of providing housing. High cost services include emergency room visits, 911 services ,mental health hospitalization, detoxification, inpatient programs, child protective services and incarceration.
Homeless individuals are disproportionately represented in use of these services.
A report on children in homeless shelters , published in Pediatrics Vol. 102 No 3,revealed that a sample of 158 children living in shelters had a 2-3 times higher rate of emergency room visits. It was found that homelessness was an independent predictor of poor health in these children. The UCLA Dept. of Family Medicine sampling of homeless adults found 37 percent had visual impairment, 36 percent had skin/leg/foot conditions, and 31 percent had a positive TB test.
Outcomes of housing first models are promising. The Sound Family Initiative ,funded by Bill and Melinda Gates provides transitional housing, case management and referral services for 1,487 families, 85 percent of whom were single parent families. The vast majority of these families were able to procure permanent housing. The children had an increase in educational stability. The Plymouth Housing group's The Begin at Home Project housed 20 hardest- to reach, chronically homeless.The outcomes after 1 year showed a 75 percent reduction in medical costs, which translate to a savings of 1.2 million dollars. Correction facilities now look at housing as an important component of re-entry programs as they know that housing is a correlate of recidivism. Programs for foster children who "age out" of foster care consider housing crucial in preventing further costs in dollars and quality of life.
Last year I had the good fortune to work an outreach program which increased my exposure to housing and homeless issues. I got to see first hand some of the things that works and don't work. It was my experience that housing was a huge predictor of the success of other services.The work and positive outcomes of The Committee to End Homelessness, The Sound Family Initiative, The Plymouth Housing Group and other Housing First models brings hope. They have turned the conversation from one of managing homelessness to one of ending homelessness. I believe that the ability and resources to accomplish this exist. I am starting to believe that not only is it possible but quite feasible that homelessness can be resolved in our lifetime. The benefits will be far reaching.
The Commitment Continues: Washington States Efforts to End Homelessness, My View from Kim Herman Executive Director ,Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Feb 2008
The Washington State Housing Finance Committee and the Committee to End Homelessness- King County provide some enlightening statistics.The number of individuals who are homeless on any given night in King County is 8,000. The Emergency Shelter Assistance program in Washington State provides a place to sleep for more than 45,000 individuals a year. In other contexts those numbers would be dubbed a national disaster. People die without a roof over their head in our county. In 2003 , an average year, 42 people died out-of doors and homeless. That is an average of one person dying almost every week.
Housing first program models purpose that an effective way to address homelessness is to first provide housing to the homeless. While this may seem simplistic, naive and cost prohibitive this approach is proving proving to be surprisingly viable and cost effective. The price of homelessness in the use of high cost services overshadows the cost of providing housing. High cost services include emergency room visits, 911 services ,mental health hospitalization, detoxification, inpatient programs, child protective services and incarceration.
Homeless individuals are disproportionately represented in use of these services.
A report on children in homeless shelters , published in Pediatrics Vol. 102 No 3,revealed that a sample of 158 children living in shelters had a 2-3 times higher rate of emergency room visits. It was found that homelessness was an independent predictor of poor health in these children. The UCLA Dept. of Family Medicine sampling of homeless adults found 37 percent had visual impairment, 36 percent had skin/leg/foot conditions, and 31 percent had a positive TB test.
Outcomes of housing first models are promising. The Sound Family Initiative ,funded by Bill and Melinda Gates provides transitional housing, case management and referral services for 1,487 families, 85 percent of whom were single parent families. The vast majority of these families were able to procure permanent housing. The children had an increase in educational stability. The Plymouth Housing group's The Begin at Home Project housed 20 hardest- to reach, chronically homeless.The outcomes after 1 year showed a 75 percent reduction in medical costs, which translate to a savings of 1.2 million dollars. Correction facilities now look at housing as an important component of re-entry programs as they know that housing is a correlate of recidivism. Programs for foster children who "age out" of foster care consider housing crucial in preventing further costs in dollars and quality of life.
Last year I had the good fortune to work an outreach program which increased my exposure to housing and homeless issues. I got to see first hand some of the things that works and don't work. It was my experience that housing was a huge predictor of the success of other services.The work and positive outcomes of The Committee to End Homelessness, The Sound Family Initiative, The Plymouth Housing Group and other Housing First models brings hope. They have turned the conversation from one of managing homelessness to one of ending homelessness. I believe that the ability and resources to accomplish this exist. I am starting to believe that not only is it possible but quite feasible that homelessness can be resolved in our lifetime. The benefits will be far reaching.
Sources:
A Roof Over Every Bed in King County, Our Communities Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, by the Committee to End Homelessness-King County, 2005
The Evaluation of The Sound Families Initiative, prepared for The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation by The NW Institute for Children and Families , University of Washington School of Social Work, 2007
The Behavioral Model for Vunerable Populations , UCLA Dept. of Family Mediine , Los Angeles-(Google Scholar)
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1089079The Commitment Continues: Washington States Efforts to End Homelessness, My View from Kim Herman Executive Director ,Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Feb 2008
Children In Sheltered Homeless Families-Reported Health Status of Use and Health Services,Pediatrics Vol.81 No5- May 1980, Robert Wood Faculty DevelopmentFellowship Oregram, Dept. of Family Medicine & Dept. of Public Health Services,Univesity of Washington, Seattle (google scholar)
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/5/668
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