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McKINNEY ACT PROGRAMS IN NONMETRO AREAS: HOW FAR DO THEY REACH? © Housing Assistance Council, 1995 Permission is granted ONLY to nonprofit community-based organizations to reproduce and/or adapt this document, and only for their own use.
A. The Community and Its Homeless Assistance Needs York County encompasses 29 cities and towns and has a population of 164,000. While York County boasts the highest per capita income in the state, this figure is more reflective of the economic standing of coastal communities than of the interior parts of the county. According to 1990 census data, per capita income in Sanford, where many York County Shelter services are located, was only slightly more than half the figure for the county as a whole. A sinking local economy, affected by lay-offs in the defense and textile industries, and compounded by a loss of affordable housing due to gentrification, has contributed to the growing number of homeless and at-risk people in York County. Many families live doubled- and tripled-up in single-family homes, while others survive in cars, wood lots, and campgrounds. While a 1987 needs assessment conducted for the United Way in Sanford did not even recognize homelessness as a distinct problem, in the mid-1980s YCS, in conjunction with the York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC), began to identify local needs, including homelessness, and to develop programs to meet those needs. YCS estimates that on any given night in York County there are 50-100 people without adequate shelter. B. The Shelter and Programs Over the past 13 years YCS has grown from a simple flophouse for town drunks to a comprehensive, multi-faceted program with a $1 million annual budget. YCS's continuum of services extends from emergency shelter through supported permanent housing, driven by the goal of "assisting homeless individuals and families to attain the highest independent living possible." YCS recognizes that homelessness is the result of a complex combination of factors, not merely a lack of readily affordable housing. They seek to provide the intensive, specialized support needed to help victims of domestic and sexual violence, substance abusers, the chronically mentally ill, and others to maximize their potential for independent living. YCS operates emergency and transitional facilities for both individuals and families and a rooming house for elderly men, and supports permanent community and single-family housing for low- income individuals and families. Support services offered by YCS include substance abuse and mental health counseling, medical care, education, vocational training, and child care and youth services. YCS also runs a food bank and a bakery where food is prepared for the shelters, community feeding programs, and sale to the public, while providing vocational training for homeless individuals and developmentally disabled adults. YCS's diverse program is equipped to serve a wide range of special needs populations and receives funding from more than 40 different sources. 1. Shelter Development YCS's evolution from a basic shelter provider to the major social service agency in the Sanford area is the result of a visionary director and a strong board tapping a wide range of funding sources to provide needed services that were either inadequate or completely lacking in the community. The original shelter, located in the old county jail, opened in 1979 to house alcoholic single men. It was not until 1985, when YCS's current director was hired, that the organization began expanding its mission to serve families and other special needs populations. Now, YCS employs a staff of more than 35 full- and part-time employees, including specially trained family, substance abuse, and community support counselors. Smith Apartments, which began service in 1988, are located in Alfred, on the campus of a former Catholic boys' school. The campus, owned by the Brothers of Christian Instruction, an order of Roman Catholic priests, is used as a retirement community for the order. The campus is also home to YCS's administrative offices, the bakery, and an SRO building for elderly men. The Smith Apartments are located in the basement of the former gym which YCS rents from the Brothers for $500 per month. Rehab on the gym began in 1987 with $5,000 from the Lion's Club and much volunteer labor. Renovation began in earnest when YCS became the recipient of one of HUD's first Transitional Housing grants. While the state originally refused to fund the project, the Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) ultimately agreed to finance $60,000 in match money for the HUD grant through a one percent loan. WITHIN, YCS's transitional program for families, is located in an old home which YCS purchased and rehabed for $257,000. A HUD Transitional Housing grant provided $117,000, with the remainder coming from a two percent loan through MSHA. The program went on-line in November 1988, even before rehab was complete. The final stage in YCS's continuum of services is supported independent living in both community and single family settings. YCS, in conjunction with the Sanford Housing Authority and the local Community Action Agency, has developed Creative Housing Alternatives for Maine People (CHAMP), a nonprofit development corporation established to "purchase, renovate, and develop affordable housing for low-income families and individuals in York County." Run by volunteer staff and board members from the founding agencies, with the support of MSHA, CHAMP now owns and operates three properties, with other projects in the development stages. The Sanford Housing Authority provides maintenance and management services for the properties, while YCS provides counseling and support services to the occupants. Priority for available units is given to people coming out of YCS's transitional programs. CHAMP's first venture was a $100,000 duplex, financed through the Town of Sanford and the Sanford Housing Authority, using MSHA funds. Each of the two-bedroom units is currently occupied by a family recruited from WITHIN. The newest properties, first occupied in 1992, include a tri-plex and a 12 unit rooming house. The tri-plex, for which purchase and rehab costs totaled $143,000, is part of MSHA's Moderate Rehab/Families in Transition Project. The units will be occupied by homeless families and the debt will be serviced with Section 8 certificates. The rooming house, designed to house primarily single adults from YCS's Smith Apartments, includes seven SRO units, four efficiencies, and one two-bedroom family unit. This community living project is the most service intensive of the properties and is supported in part by a grant from the State Bureau of Mental Health. Other funding for the $350,000 project comes from a one percent loan through MSHA's Supportive Demonstration Project. 2. Staffing and Services The emergency shelter, still located at the old jail site, can house up to 31 single adults, who are admitted for an initial 14 day stay for stabilization and individual needs assessments. The emergency shelter is the "front door" to all YCS services, where clients are provided with food, clothing, and basic counseling services. After that two week period, clients who are not ready or able to move on to another program or to independent living may stay at the shelter for up to 45 additional days under YCS's Extended Shelter program. Potential clients are referred to the emergency shelter by other agencies, local law enforcement, or by word of mouth. Within three days from the time of intake, clients meet with their case manager to assess their employment and housing options and to establish short-term goals. Case managers make referrals, and clients are expected to spend their days actively engaged in counseling, job training, or employment and housing searches. Shelter staff recognize that, because of their special needs, many residents will never attain full self-sufficiency. Expectations are realistic and staff encourage motivation and progress based on an individual's capacity for growth. Clients with severe substance abuse and/or mental health problems are encouraged to seek alternative placement in specialized residential treatment programs. As it is difficult for low-income people to access even basic medical care in York County, YCS has a local physician come on-site one day each week to perform health assessments and meet emergency needs. The emergency shelter holds a social detox license which enables them to accept clients who are intoxicated, as long as their condition poses no immediate health risk. People with serious substance abuse problems may be referred to a 28-day inpatient program in the area, after which they may return to the emergency shelter. YCS employs a Substance Abuse Specialist who works individually with clients at the emergency shelter and at other YCS programs. There are substance education groups and AA and NA meetings held on-site at the shelter. YCS also holds a contract with the county to accept their overflow of convicted drunk drivers, who serve their sentence by living at the emergency shelter, doing community service, and attending appropriate counseling sessions and meetings. In addition to YCS's rotating special needs counselors, the emergency shelter employs a full-time case manager and a facility manager, as well as four assistant case managers who insure that the facility is staffed 24 hours per day. While the emergency shelter's main purpose is to provide crisis intervention and preliminary stabilization, staff also assess residents' needs, motivation and potential for success in other agency programs. YCS sponsors two transitional housing programs, one for singles and one for families. Both programs offer shelter, food, intensive case management, remedial education, vocational training, and independent living skills. YCS uses volunteers from the Project Literacy (PLUS) program through Sanford Adult Education to help clients with basic reading and math skills and GED training. Case managers seek to place eligible clients in vocational rehab either at YCS's bakery or elsewhere. Still, YCS recognizes that many residents may never be able to maintain full-time employment, and job searches often take a back seat to clients' more basic life-skills needs. Smith clients, particularly those without histories of chronic mental illness, often seek employment in Portland after completion of their program. Smith Apartments offers transitional housing to 15 single adults for up to 24 months. Smith residents, in conjunction with their case managers, develop independent living plans. These long- term goals, based on realistic assessments of client potential, are designed to insure that people attain the highest degree of self-sufficiency possible during their stay in the program. Case managers address general needs like self-esteem and independent living skills with all clients. They tailor their case work to help lesser-functioning clients develop basic personal hygiene and communication skills, while assisting more advanced clients in pursuing education and employment training possibilities. YCS's rotating Community Support Specialist, a licensed clinical social worker whose position is funded by a grant from the State Bureau of Mental Health, works extensively with residents at Smith Apartments. Smith residents receiving income from employment, General Assistance, SSI, or SSD pay up to 30 percent of their adjusted gross income for rent. WITHIN, YCS's transitional program for families, provides shelter for up to seven families with children, up to a total of 17 individuals. The program offers transitional services, including on-site child care in a community setting. While designed as a transitional program, WITHIN also operates as an emergency shelter, offering families temporary shelter for up to three weeks. WITHIN serves women over the age of 18 and their partners and children who are or will become homeless as the result of insufficient financial resources, abuse or threat of abuse, mental illness, or substance abuse. WITHIN will also accept women who are at least seven months pregnant or in the process of reunification with their children. The WITHIN program is largely child-centered. Staff seek to provide at-risk families with the intensive services and support they need to remain together and to achieve self-sufficiency. Parents are designated as the primary agents of change and an individual case management plan is developed for each child in the program. In addition to its program director and five assistant case managers, WITHIN employs a Family Case Manager who is licensed as both a social worker and a substance abuse counselor, and a day care teacher trained to work with special needs children. PATH funds channeled through the State Department of Mental Health's Bureau of Special Needs fund a Juvenile Services Specialist position. The day care teacher focuses on the infants and young children, conducting educational and emotional assessments, while the Juvenile Services Specialist works closely with pre-teens, teenagers, and their parents. WITHIN emphasizes the importance of good communication among staff in order to provide clients with the best individualized and integrated service possible. Case managers' work with parents begins with securing any public aid for which they qualify and establishing a case management plan designed to "resolve personal and extrinsic problem areas that are barriers to independent living." Residents attend weekly parenting, life skills, and emotional wellness meetings, as well as periodic workshops on homemaking skills, interpersonal skills, and employment readiness. Residents also conduct a weekly self-government meeting independent of WITHIN staff. Many residents take advantage of basic education tutoring through PLUS, while others receive tutoring for the GED or enroll in college courses. WITHIN offers a career decision- making assessment tool, and insures that clients receive assistance with budgeting and preparing resumes. Case managers make referrals for counseling and medical care, either through the doctor who visits the emergency shelter or through one of the few private practitioners who will accept Medicaid. Case managers place great emphasis on the parents' need to implement the case management programs developed for their children. All eligible mothers participate in WIC, and children in need of extensive stabilization and socialization may be referred to Head Start. WITHIN families have free access to the local YMCA, and children receive scholarships to the YMCA's summer day camp. Children also participate in other, city-sponsored summer recreation programs. WITHIN encourages parental participation in children's education, and case managers will attend PTA meetings with residents, if necessary. WITHIN also refers families to the Parenting Resource Center, a private nonprofit agency, for help with specific issues that WITHIN counselors may not be qualified to address. In the future WITHIN would like to access federal funds for early childhood education and to be able to provide drop-in substance abuse counseling services. Clients of WITHIN live in a community setting, sharing chores and living space. As with other YCS programs, lunch and dinner are catered by the bakery. In payment for shelter, supplies, and services, clients must turn over their food stamps and the bulk of their AFDC checks to WITHIN, each mother keeping $100 per month for her personal needs and $25 for each child. Because the structure of this shelter-like setting often holds little appeal after a family's initial stabilization period, many people move on to permanent housing after just a few weeks or months in the program. The relative availability of Section 8 housing in the area assists families with early relocation. WITHIN staff views this situation as positive in that it motivates people to move on to independent living, but often wish that they had more time to work intensively with certain families. WITHIN attempts to compensate by offering extensive aftercare to families who move on before completion of their case management plans. In addition to its shelter and permanent housing programs, YCS supports a large number of low- income and homeless people in York County through its various food distribution and nutrition programs. The bakery, which YCS took over from the Brothers of Christian Instruction in 1986, is the centerpiece of the agency's food services. The bakery, certified as a sheltered workshop by the Department of Labor and partially funded by the Department of Mental Retardation, provides job training and vocational rehab for six to ten trainees, most of whom are recruited from YCS shelters. The trainees and five staff members prepare lunch and dinner daily to feed residents at all YCS shelters. They also bake goods for sale to the public and do occasional outside catering jobs. YCS has been involved in the start-up and support of several community feeding programs throughout the county, where bakery trainees serve as volunteers, preparing and serving meals. 3. Operational Funding YCS operates a food bank and is one of five programs in the country to receive funding under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service Demonstration Project, designed to prevent homelessness through the distribution of food and advocacy for food distribution programs. Under this grant YCS provides street outreach, offering food and other assistance to homeless people living outside in York County. Other federal support comes from the USDA commodities program and from Desert Share, which provides surplus Desert Storm food supplies at marginal cost. YCS raises over $100,000 per year through bakery sales, and another $10,000 with a weekly Friday night spaghetti dinner attended by roughly 150 York County residents. Nearly a decade of constant expansion and innovative fundraising has resulted in YCS's current $1 million budget, supported by more than 40 funding streams. Last year YCS received more than $150,000 from two HUD Transitional Housing Grants, and $13,260 in ESG money. All federal monies received totaled over $300,000. YCS's Business Manager reports that HUD's regional office in Manchester has been supportive, particularly in the areas of funding administration and processing applications for future program expansion. State funding sources, including the Office of Substance Abuse and the Bureau of Mental Health, contributed roughly $172,000. The bakery and feeding programs combined raised $153,000, and various local government sources provide another $125,000. YCS also receives generous community support in the form of donations and volunteer hours. WITHIN, in particular, receives many donations of clothing and supplies. Volunteers from local churches serve as the backbone of the various community feeding programs, while many others help with spaghetti dinners and client transportation. YCS's consistent and successful expansion efforts have been the result of YCS's visionary commitment to meet the growing needs of "the poorest of the poor" in York County. YCS's director, now a state legislator, has lobbied extensively at the state level for increased funding for homeless services in Maine. He was a founding member of the Maine Coalition for the Homeless, working closely with the National Coalition in the development stages. In the face of state and federal funding cuts, YCS will continue to explore new and innovative funding sources to meet the comprehensive service needs of homeless people in their community. C. The Clients According to statistics kept by YCS, of the more than 600 homeless people they served last year, 46 percent had a history of mental illness, 42 percent were substance abusers, and 22 percent were dually diagnosed. Seventy-three percent have not held full-time employment in five or more years. Almost 70 percent of YCS clients did not complete high school, and many are functionally illiterate. Almost 80 percent of emergency shelter residents come from York County, with the remainder being transients. The emergency shelter recorded 543 admissions in 1991. Approximately 30 to 40 percent of admissions represented repeat clients. Smith clients are roughly 70 percent male, and up to 90 percent of all clients have histories of mental illness, substance abuse, or have been dually diagnosed. YCS's high percentage of clients with special needs is the result of inadequate response to their problems by other agencies. For example, the county's two residential mental health facilities accept only people who have been recently discharged from state mental hospitals, and residential substance abuse programs are equipped to deal with little more than basic detox. Of the 44 adults that WITHIN served in 1991, 80 percent were women. Seven men came to the program as husbands or partners, and two men were admitted as single parents. Last year WITHIN provided 2,758 bed nights for a total of 61 children. Background statistics for WITHIN clients are, in general, reflective of YCS's client base as a whole. Additional statistics indicate that of clients who would volunteer such information, 47 percent (all women) had been sexually abused, and 76 percent had been physically abused. YCS fills in the gap left by York County's limited domestic violence services, which consist of support groups and a three-week safe house in Sanford. Of 34 clients reporting, 91 percent were adult children of alcoholics, and 42 percent had current substance abuse problems.
VI. PEOPLE ASSISTING THE HOMELESS (PATH) A. The Community and Its Homeless Assistance Needs The Emergency Shelter and Daily Bread operated by People Assisting the Homeless are located within walking distance of one another in Farmington (pop. 33,997), the largest city in San Juan County (pop. 91,605). The county reported a June 1992 unemployment figure of 14.5 percent, almost double the figure for the state as a whole. The nearest major urban area is Albuquerque, located 180 miles southeast of Farmington. The area's major employer is the ever-fickle oil industry, which employs people on a temporary or seasonal basis at drilling sites throughout the county. The vast four-corners region is home to five different Native American tribes, and many people live in isolated areas on sprawling reservations. Children who live on the reservations may ride a bus two hours each morning and afternoon to get to and from school. The great distances from peoples' homes to the city, coupled with a lack of transportation, has impacted homelessness in Farmington. Oftentimes people come into town from the reservations and spend all their money or have their vehicle break down, and are left without the resources to return home. A person who has been drinking will likely end up sleeping outside, as PATH's is the only shelter for singles, and it is unable to accommodate people who are intoxicated. Homelessness was first recognized as a problem in Farmington in the early 1970s. Then, as now, the homeless population was made up of unemployed or underemployed people, many of whom came to Farmington looking for well-paying jobs in the oil fields. While 20 years ago the majority of the county's homeless population was single men, shelter providers believe that in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of homeless families in the area. Reasons for people becoming homeless have remained essentially the same, though problems of poverty and unemployment have intensified in the past decade. Domestic violence and substance abuse are now also often identified as factors leading to homelessness. PATH's director estimates that there are 225 people homeless on any given night in San Juan County. In addition to the people who are ineligible for emergency shelter because of substance abuse problems, there are others who simply choose not to seek shelter. One community of nearly 50 homeless people lives near the riverbank in Farmington, many surviving by selling blood and plasma to the local blood bank. As much of New Mexico's economy is tied to the unstable nuclear and oil industries, nonmetro and rural areas throughout the state have experienced similar increases in the number of homeless people in their communities. There are a wide range of services available to poor and homeless people in Farmington, through member agencies of the San Juan Council of Community Agencies (SJCCA). SJCCA has worked together for over 20 years to keep pace with the growing service needs of the community. In addition to PATH's Emergency Shelter and Daily Bread programs, there is a domestic violence shelter, a youth shelter, residential and outpatient substance abuse services, and quality medical and mental health care available. SJCCA is comprised of roughly 20 agencies, including PATH, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, the local hospital, community medical and mental health clinics, Family Crisis Center (domestic violence shelter), Child Haven (youth shelter), and ECHO (Economic Council Helping Others). While services are available to not only Farmington residents, the absence of public transportation makes it difficult for eligible people in remote areas of the county to access these centralized services. ECHO, a private nonprofit agency, operates a food bank for homeless and indigent members of the community, as well as a supplemental grocery program for seniors. Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army also operate food banks, supplying staples to any self-designated needy members of the community. Additionally, these organizations operate thrift stores and have clothing, shoes, and furniture available on an as-needed basis. Limited prevention funds are available to those at imminent risk of becoming homeless. People with notices of eviction or utility shut-off may be eligible for either FEMA funds distributed by the Salvation Army or CSBG homeless prevention funds through ECHO. There is no formal rehousing assistance available, although some landlords are flexible about security deposits. The Salvation Army will occasionally make agreements with local landlords to guarantee payment for seemingly risky tenants who might otherwise not be accepted. PATH's Emergency Shelter manager works with a couple of local realtors and posts a weekly list of apartments available in the area. There is currently no transitional housing available in San Juan County and subsidized public housing is in short supply. A homeless family with priority status normally waits a minimum of four months for an available unit. B. The Shelter and Programs 1. Shelter Development The Emergency Shelter and feeding program operated by PATH are the result of an ever-evolving cooperative effort by service providers in San Juan County to meet the needs of poor and homeless people in their community. What began in 1972 as a volunteer-staffed emergency shelter for primarily single men has grown into a 59-bed facility that last year provided more than 5,500 bed- nights and comprehensive social services for both singles and families. Today's PATH is also responsible for Daily Bread, a feeding program which provides over 150 hot, nutritious noon meals five days per week to needy people in San Juan County. PATH operates with the philosophy that only when people are free from constant concern about meeting their basic needs will they be able to make the critical life changes necessary to secure and maintain employment and housing and to become self-sufficient as individuals or families. The Emergency Shelter, which charges no fees, provides residents with virtually everything they require to become stable, freeing clients to concentrate on job and housing searches. From food and clothing to free medical care and counseling services, PATH's holistic approach works to meet the total needs of homeless people in their transition to self-sufficiency. Originally, the Emergency Shelter and Daily Bread were operated under the umbrella of SJCCA, a coalition of local churches and service providers that founded the Emergency Shelter in 1972, governed by a board made up of directors of other member agencies. The two programs continued to grow until it became clear that a separate agency would be required to run them most effectively. In March 1992, the council filed amended articles of incorporation to transfer its nonprofit status to the newly-created PATH, which then became an independent member agency of SJCCA. 2. Staffing and Services Basic needs of emergency shelter, food, clothing, and furniture are well provided for in San Juan County. PATH's Emergency Shelter, which has 59 available beds for homeless individuals and families, has never had to turn away an eligible client for lack of space. If the area's special needs shelters (children, domestic violence) are full, PATH has special agreements with these agencies to meet the shelter needs of their client overflow. Residents of the Emergency Shelter receive breakfast and dinner on-site and, like all disadvantaged members of the community, may go to nearby Daily Bread for a hot noon meal. PATH has a special agreement with Catholic Charities by which shelter residents are referred to receive, free of charge, any needed items the thrift store has in stock. The Family Crisis Center provides shelter to victims of domestic violence as well as outpatient counseling to both victims and abusers in other shelters and in the larger community. Residential and outpatient substance abuse counseling is available through two private agencies in Farmington. Both work with PATH, making and receiving client referrals. PATH's shelter manager is also an experienced substance abuse counselor, and weekly AA meetings and a 12-step study group are offered on-site at the shelter for both residents and other members of the Farmington community. Another Farmington program provides support services for the chronically mentally ill in both residential and private apartment settings, occasionally referring client overflow to PATH for shelter only. Medical and mental health services are offered on a sliding-scale fee basis at local clinics operated by Presbyterian Medical Services (PMS). PATH covers the cost of all necessary medical care and counseling services for shelter residents. PMS provides residents with medical care at a 75 percent discount and mental health counseling at a rate of five dollars per hour. PATH also obtains optical, dental, and veterinary care for residents and their pets through agreements with local practitioners. Special education programs for homeless children and adults are limited. GED classes are offered on-site at PATH's Emergency Shelter, and Head Start is available for eligible children in the community. Employment assistance is available through a local employment agency which charges no fee to job seekers and through an informal job bank at the Emergency Shelter. PATH's shelter manager makes weekly calls to local employers to check hiring status and posts an updated list of available opportunities, most of which are in hotels, restaurants, or oil fields. The local office of the Department of Human Services operates an education and job training program called Project Forward, under which people may remain on pubic assistance while they gain work experience or pursue a GED or other degree. In its twenty-year history, PATH's Emergency Shelter has operated under different leadership and out of several facilities, often in the face of community opposition. In 1972 the directors of SJCCA member agencies came together and decided to rent a downtown SRO-type building to open a basic volunteer-staffed emergency shelter. Downtown businesses organized to oppose the shelter, which was eventually forced to move to a more residential part of town. The shelter's presence did not sit well with neighborhood residents either. Still, it was not until 1987 that the shelter moved to its present location, which is conveniently located within walking distance of the majority of Farmington's service providers. SJCCA took out a private bank loan of $80,000 to purchase the building and to add on several additional rooms in the rear. The county agreed to pay 80 percent of the mortgage for the first ten years, an arrangement that PATH expects to extend for the life of the mortgage. In its present incarnation the shelter consists of six sleeping rooms, a quiet study room, a living room, a dining room, a smoking room, a play room, a kitchen, and laundry and bathroom facilities. PATH offices and the resident managers' apartments are also a part of the shelter. An interesting feature of PATH's shelter is the four dog runs, built by the Humane Society, which enable people to keep their pets with them during their stay at the shelter. Residents who comply with shelter rules are eligible to stay for an initial three-week period, with the possibility of two additional one-week extensions to save money for rehousing. Many people come to the Emergency Shelter by referral from other local agencies. Others learn of the shelter by word of mouth. As PATH is serious about its rule of denying admission to people who have been drinking, the intake process begins with a breathalizer test, to which residents may be subjected at any time during their stay. Next, potential clients talk with the shelter manager, who reviews an extensive list of rules, which they must agree to and sign. The comprehensive intake packet apprises residents of everything from chore duty and parenting rules to services and referrals available. Shelter rules are under constant revision by shelter staff, based on experience and recommendations from residents. Once accepted into the shelter, new residents are given towels, blankets, and any needed personal supplies, including combs, toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, and the like. The shelter is open from 5:00 pm through 8:30 am. Shelter residents are expected to spend their days actively searching for employment and housing. They must do their own laundry and other assigned chores at the shelter. Residents must attend a weekly house meeting, to which they must bring a completed job and apartment search form, charting their efforts to secure employment and housing. There is also a mandatory weekly job search workshop for those residents who are not working full-time. Clients meet weekly with their case manager (one of the shelter managers) for a personal case review. PATH's Emergency Shelter seeks to meet all of their residents' material needs so they are free to concentrate their full energy on achieving stabilization and self-sufficiency. In addition to the most basic needs of food, clothing, health care and personal supplies, PATH provides dog food, toys for children, and steel-toed boots for people going to work in the oil fields. As many residents have no access to transportation, the shelter rents bicycles for $1 per day or one-half hour of extra chore duty. Clients also take advantage of the on-site GED classes, AA meetings, and weekly veteran's group meetings. The shelter is staffed by four full-time and two part-time employees. The shelter also receives a great deal of volunteer support. Last year the program was aided by 236 volunteers who contributed a total of 1062 volunteer hours. The Daily Bread program was begun in 1984 by SJCCA in conjunction with local churches that were being inundated with requests for food. For the first few months the program was operated out of the local Indian center, until it moved to its present location in a building owned by a local missionary group. In return for weekday use of the building, PATH pays for utilities and is responsible for minor maintenance. The program is staffed by one part-time and two full-time employees, but receives extensive volunteer support, primarily from local church groups. The program uses roughly 90 volunteers who rotate service in groups of three or four. In addition to providing hot noon meals, Daily Bread also provides the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars with food for Christmas food boxes and shares donated produce and bakery goods with clients on a daily basis. 3. Operational Funding PATH's shelter operated on a 1991 annual budget of approximately $120,000, almost half of which came from the Emergency Shelter Grants program, administered by the New Mexico Department of Human Services. The shelter received $30,000 from a State Legislative Grant, $10,000 in FEMA funds, and roughly $13,000 from a combination of city and county funding sources. Additional funds came from the United Way, local churches, and private individuals. Of the $120,000 shelter budget, the director estimates that $32,000 to $42,000 went toward staff salaries, while the remainder went to general operating costs. Since staff at the shelter also spend time working on at the Daily Bread program, it is difficult to give an exact estimate of salary expenses for either program independently. Daily Bread received its annual $60,000 in staff and operating costs from a variety of sources, including United Way, Meals on Wheels, the State Homeless Meals Program, the City of Farmington, and many churches and private individuals. Both the Emergency Shelter and Daily Bread benefit greatly from community support, seen in donations of time, food, and materials. Local grocery stores donate 2000 pounds of food each week in produce and bakery items, which are used at the shelter and Daily Bread. Local merchants donate a variety of discontinued or slightly damaged items, including dog food and other pet supplies, distributed through the local Humane Society. PATH relies on discounted or donated labor from local contractors for everything from plumbing to the building of a storage shed. A local business recently donated a computer system, and use of city-owned public utilities costs PATH nothing. Local banks help by giving PATH a free checking account, holding fund-raisers, and helping to establish savings accounts for shelter residents. Private individuals, including many former shelter residents, contribute by reading to children at the shelter, doing clerical or cleaning jobs, or cooking at Daily Bread. PATH's ability to provide such a wide range of services on its relatively small program budgets is largely attributable to the excellent cooperation between SJCCA's member agencies. Until recently the Emergency Shelter and Daily Bread were essentially run by the directors of San Juan County's other service providers. As a result, they are aware of PATH's needs and supportive of its mission. Many local agencies have reciprocal agreements that insure optimum service provision for clients; the agencies are committed to filling service gaps through cooperation. In addition to SJCCA's monthly meetings, directors of many local agencies, including PATH's, participate in meetings of the United Way Director's Forum. PATH's director is also a member of the State Interagency Task Force on Homelessness, which is comprised of department heads from several state organizations and shelter providers (by invitation). The State Interagency Council has been helpful in apprising shelter directors of pertinent legislation and potential funding sources, and has served as a catalyst for action to address homelessness in state organizations. PATH's director also belongs to the Coalition to End Homelessness, a coalition of service providers who meet to network and offer mutual technical assistance. Although PATH's director reports receiving good information and support from the State Department of Human Services, she is discouraged by the federal response to homelessness in rural and nonmetro areas. She reports that it is difficult for small programs that operate outside of major cities to compete with urban programs for federal funding, and that RFPs are rarely received in a timely fashion. In the future PATH would like to develop its program to include transitional housing in the Farmington area and a full-time tutor and counselor on-site at the Emergency Shelter. C. The Clients The shelter served 995 clients during 1991. Thirty-five percent were San Juan County residents, 25 percent were from a reservation, and 40 percent were transient. Forty percent of the shelter's clients were Caucasian, 44 percent Native American, and 12 percent Hispanic. Interestingly, PATH's director reports that little specialized assistance for Native Americans is available through Tribal Services. In fact, PATH often accepts clients referred to them by Navajo Social Services. Roughly 40 percent of all residents were at the shelter as part of a family. Daily Bread serves 125-190 meals per day, and last year provided a total of 31,298 noon meals. The program serves a population which is roughly 80 percent Native American. VII. SOUTHWEST HUMAN RESOURCE AGENCY A. The Community and Its Homeless Assistance Needs Jackson (pop. 60,000) is located in Madison County, roughly 80 miles east of Memphis. Once a center of industry and manufacturing, Madison County has been in a state of economic decline since the early 1980s. Lay-offs, coupled with a lack of affordable housing and a growing drug problem, have resulted in steadily increasing numbers of homeless and at-risk individuals and families. Prior to 1989 the only emergency shelter in the area served exclusively single men, who formed the most visible segment of the area's homeless population. Although most shelter residents were local, Jackson has always played host to a fairly large transient population, as a result of its location on a major interstate highway connecting Nashville and Memphis. In the three years that the Southwest Human Resource Agency (SWRHA) has been open, the coordinator has noted a radical shift in the demographics of the community's homeless and at-risk population. Single women with children now comprise the largest group of those seeking shelter, followed by intact families and transients. Because homeless families without other options are more likely to maintain some housing by doubling up with family or friends, it is difficult to distinguish the actual increase in number from an increased visibility resulting from the availability of emergency shelter. Regardless, the percentage of families seeking shelter has increased steadily over the past three years. The coordinator attributes these changes to a crackdown on crime, particularly the escalating drug problem, in the area's public housing developments. Entire families are evicted because women find themselves unwilling or unable to distance themselves from spouses or boyfriends who are abusive or involved in drug-related activity. Additionally, a shift to temporary and part-time hiring practices among the area's major employers has left many people without medical benefits or income adequate to maintain housing. Racial demographics have also shifted to reflect a disproportionate number of African-American families in need of shelter. While the community's African-American population is roughly 40 percent, this group comprised 67 percent of those served at the shelter in Fiscal Year 1991. Past years have seen a shelter population more reflective of the larger community's racial composition. It is estimated that there are currently 10 homeless families in the community in the course of an average week, and SWHRA's homeless coordinator reports having to turn away at least as many people as she is able to shelter. Fortunately, SWHRA is not the county's only resource for homeless and at-risk people. Jackson boasts an especially cooperative network of service providers, many of whom are in daily contact, attempting to arrange services for clients that they are unable to provide. There are three other emergency shelters, all designed to serve specific populations. In addition to the men's shelter, there is a domestic violence shelter, a residential substance abuse program, and a recently-opened shelter for single women, with or without children. If all other resources have been exhausted, short term motel vouchers are available through SWHRA and the Salvation Army. Food can be obtained at a local food pantry or through the hot meals program operated by the Salvation Army. Some local churches also offer hot meals or vouchers that can be redeemed at local grocery stores. Prevention and relocation assistance is available through several sources. Depending on the availability of funds, rent and utility arrears can be obtained through SWHRA, the Salvation Army, or Area Relief, a local grassroots nonprofit. The same three organizations have funds to pay a first month's rent, although no money is available for security deposits. These groups work together closely to coordinate efficient use of their limited resources to help people obtain and maintain housing. While there are no funds available to cover the area's $150 utility hook-up fee, arrangements can be made with the utility company to spread the payments over a three-month period. Mental health services are available on a sliding scale fee basis through two area clinics, although low-income clients can receive services free with a referral from the Department of Human Services. Due to the number of medical professionals who are reluctant to accept Medicare, obtaining health care is often problematic. It is hoped that a new private health clinic scheduled to open in July 1992, will enable the community to better meet the health care needs of its low-income population. Children's services are perhaps the best met needs in the community. The Department of Human Services sponsors a program of free child care for qualified families, and testing, educational assessments, and counseling are readily available through area counseling centers. A WIC program also operates out of the local public health department. As in most nonmetro areas, lack of adequate public transportation and employment opportunities are major problems for the homeless people of Madison County. The excellent coordination between Jackson's social service providers is largely the result of their participation in the Jackson Emergency Services Council (JESC) and the Jackson Coalition of Homeless Providers (JCHP). The JESC was formed in 1989 at the request of the city to maximize efficient use of local resources and to avoid service duplication. The council, which is comprised of local providers, government officials, public housing representatives, and others, meets monthly to discuss community concerns, share information, and formulate advocacy positions. The JCHP, created in 1990 by SWHRA's homeless coordinator, is a smaller group with a more narrowly defined focus. Providers meet to share information on the availability of resources within their organizations to meet specific client needs and request cooperation when necessary. Council members develop professional and personal relationships that enable them to call on one another informally and make special arrangements to insure that people receive needed services. B. The Shelter and Programs What the homeless program at SWHRA lacks in terms of financial resources it compensates for through the excellent coordination of available human resources. The program's success results from the tireless efforts of a dynamic and determined homeless coordinator, coupled with cooperation among local providers and a generous level of community volunteer support. The program's only full-time staff member, the coordinator, operates a 20-bed emergency shelter and five scattered-site transitional units on an annual budget of only $65,000. She serves as the program's case manager, service coordinator, fund raiser, and community liaison, with the help of only one part-time shelter assistant. 1. Shelter Development In 1988 the state of Tennessee moved to establish homeless programs in nonmetro areas throughout the state. As McKinney money became available, the state's homeless coordinator distributed Emergency Community Services Homeless Assistance Grants to Community Action and Human Resource Agencies according to the CSBG formula. In turn, these agencies were required to create a local homeless coordinator position and begin assessing the needs of homeless people in their communities. During the first year recipients were not required to use the money for direct service provision, but were expected to conduct needs assessments, form local coalitions, and create a resource directory listing services available in the community. The state coordinator offered local coordinators training in community organizing and media relations to promote awareness and community support in their service areas. ESG funds are awarded on a competitive basis to reward those agencies that have taken initiative in developing effective programs to serve their areas' homeless populations. SWHRA moved swiftly on the state's 1988 directive for homeless programs in nonmetro counties, joining with the city and the Regional Interfaith Association (RIFA) of churches to create an emergency shelter in Jackson. An abandoned house was donated by the city and converted into four two-bedroom apartments, capable of housing 16 to 20 people. RIFA accepted responsibility for the building's maintenance and SWHRA agreed to coordinate the service component of the project. After three months of rehab, funded by the city at a cost of roughly $50,000, the shelter went on-line in June 1989. The shelter serves both singles and families, though families are generally given priority. Since May, 1992, when RIFA ended its involvement in the project, SWHRA has been solely responsible for program maintenance and operations. 2. Staffing and Services SWHRA's emergency shelter, recently renamed Empowerment House, developed its program based in part upon a 1989 needs assessment conducted by the United Way. Because of its extremely small staff and budget, the program must rely heavily on referrals. The standard length of stay is 30 days, although that period can be extended to as many as 90 days if clients require additional time for stabilization or rehousing. While there is no formal on-site case management system, SWHRA's homeless coordinator or her assistant are available on a daily basis to work with clients at Empowerment House. At the intake interview potential clients must fill out an application and present identification, a social security card, proof of income status, and two references. Additionally, they must complete a form listing all of the available social services and potential sources of public assistance, indicating which they have applied for or are currently accessing. This list helps SWHRA staff make referrals and identify programs and resources for which clients may be eligible. During their stay in the shelter's apartments, clients are expected to look for permanent housing and employment. SWHRA staff will make referrals, but clients are expected to take the initiative necessary to access public assistance, social services, and housing. Although many former clients remain in contact with the program, there is no formal follow-up support after rehousing. SWHRA also operates a two-year transitional housing program, and Empowerment House clients are the first to be considered when a house becomes available. This scattered-site project consists of five HUD inventory houses, leased by SWHRA at a cost of $1 per year. The homeless coordinator decides which families she thinks will benefit most from continued participation in the program, looking towards the goal of eventual homeownership. The many families who do not go on to SWHRA's transitional housing program generally move on to public housing. SWHRA enjoys a good working relationship with the Jackson Public Housing Authority, which oversees a total of 700 Section 8 and 327 low-rent public housing units. SWHRA also works directly with the managers at several apartment complexes who will often make special allowances for former shelter residents based on recommendations from SWHRA. SWHRA staff also assist clients in locating employment. SWHRA runs the local JTPA program, and, when possible, hires residents and former residents to work in their offices. The homeless coordinator is also well-connected with private employers in the area who will contact her if they are in need of employees. 3. Operational Funding SWHRA's homeless program operates on a budget of only $65,000 per year. Roughly 70 percent of that figure is federal money channeled through the state in the form of ESG and CSBG funds. Other sizable grants come from the United Way and from funds raised by an association of local realtors. The shelter also receives significant support in the form of materials and clothing donated from local businesses. SWHRA's homeless program thrives on the support of community volunteers. People assist residents with transportation, babysitting, money management, building maintenance, and moving. Students from local universities work as volunteers under internship and work-study programs, and one sorority makes a cash donation of $1200 per year to support a family living at the shelter. Others help by working in the office, providing clerical support. Interestingly, many of the volunteers are residents or former residents who contribute time both during and after their participation in the program. Its coordinator considers the program's client- and volunteer-based design to be the single most significant factor in the program's success. C. The Clients As noted above, while the community's African-American population is roughly 40 percent, this group comprised 67 percent of those served at the shelter last year. Although past years have seen a shelter population more reflective of the larger community's racial composition, according to the shelter director, the most recent year's statistics show an alarming number of Black single women with children. According to Fiscal Year 1991 statistics, the fastest growing segment of clients housed by SWHRA are single mothers with children. The majority of this population is on fixed incomes or working for minimum wages in jobs that offer little or no promotable job skills for the future. Intact families, the next largest segment of those served, also continue to be threatened with homelessness. Although many social service agencies understand the growing problems of unemployment and underemployment, many male heads of households still opt to leave the home, believing that their spouse will receive more benefits and better service as a single parent. Almost half of the clients served in 1991 had a high school education, and more than nine percent had some college education. However, most lacked marketable skills and many were functionally illiterate. The agency serves more clients in the winter and summer months. Agency staff believe this is because the economies are generally depressed in the winter and bad weather forces families out of substandard housing. In the summer, many mothers and transients become mobile while their children are out of school. Some families live in over-crowded situations and undesirable circumstances during the school year just to remain in the children's school district. The single males that SWHRA served in Fiscal Year 1991 were mostly transients. Among all of SWHRA's 1991 clients, approximately 63 percent were from the agency's eight-county service area, 14 percent were from other areas of Tennessee, and 13 percent were from other states.
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