 Ending Family Homelessness
CCEH has begun work to explore new models for ending family homelessness in a special project over the next few years. Recently published research has established that a high number of families experiencing homelessness demonstrate relatively low service needs as compared to their single adult counterparts.1 For them, the issue is often simple economics and the critical lack of affordable housing.
Prevention and rapid re-housing models which provide one-time cash assistance or short term subsidies for families facing homelessness have shown great promise around the country as a potentially high impact, relatively low cost complement to permanent supportive housing strategies which have been so successful in reducing long term homelessness. Under the guidance of Dr. Dennis Culhane of the University of Pennsylvania , the leading U.S. scholar in the area of homelessness, CCEH will assist communities as they implement the pilots. Using the Homeless Management Information System, CCEH will collect data on the pilots and, with Dr. Culhane, evaluate their effectiveness and work with State officials to replicate their success statewide.
CCEH has convened an interagency advisory group including representatives from DSS, DCF, DECD, CT Legal Assistance, and service providers to craft a major policy initiative in time for the 2009 Legislative Session. Already, CCEH is coordinating the Beyond Shelter program in 12 CT communities and has, working with the Department of Social Services, expanded its scope to align it with best practices relating to the rapid re-housing model. It stands ready to become the backbone to CT's rapid re-housing initiative. A confluence of opportunity with two additional new state programs (Counselors in Shelters and Children in Shelters funds available as part of the 2007 biennial budget) will also support and advance work in this area and CCEH is working with DSS to assure those funds drive toward systems change as well.
For additional information on family homelessness click here or contact Tony Bonetti, Director of Community Impact at (860) 721-7876.
CLICK HERE to read about Ending Family Homelessness in Connecticut
1 Testing a typology of Family Homelessness Based on Patterns of Public Shelter Utilization in Four U.S. Jurisdictions: Implications for Policy and Program Planning , Dennis P. Culhane, Stephen Metraux, Jung Min Park, Maryanne Schretzman, and Jesse Valente, 2007 |
