Change Ideas:
1. Understand the need: Use a gap analysis tool to understand the gaps in housing resources against the projected need; use this data to optimize resources and quantify and advocate for needed resources.
2. Engage providers: Work with social housing and other providers to implement a preference for and/or dedicate resources (housing, subsidies and/or housing support/case management) to support housing people prioritized from your By-Name List (coordinated access).
Public Housing Authority Resource Compilation (one page with links to US resources)
Write participation into funding agreements or develop MOU’s
3. Implement move-on strategies: Partner with housing providers to dedicate other affordable housing and/or rent supplements to move-on strategies and free up housing resources.
Corporation For Supportive Housing Move-On Resources – toolkit, 10 community profiles and an evaluation
Moving On from Homelessness: How Services Support People to Move On (UK Homeless Link, 2018)
4. Reallocate resources: Move resources from non-permanent interventions to permanent housing interventions, e.g. prioritize dollars for Host Homes, for Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) instead of emergency shelter, or convert transitional housing to permanent housing
Rapid Rehousing Handbook Version 1.0 (Point Source Youth)
Host Homes For Youth and Young Adults: Washington State Best Practices Manual
5. Secure more support resources: Identify and advocate for the service resources required to place the most vulnerable individuals in permanent housing; consider local municipal funding or additional public revenue that could meet this need
6. Develop prioritization policy: Document and adopt a local By-Name List (coordinated access) prioritization policy.
7. Implement prioritization policy: Close “side doors” for referrals to permanent supportive housing providers by requiring that all new housing subsidies or units are entered into a central information system and matched according to a documented prioritization policy
Write expectations into funding agreements or develop MOU’s
8. Partner with others: Partner with other systems or providers (e.g., community mental health centers with housing providers to provide mental health care and housing to people experiencing chronic homelessness)
See also 20KHomes website “Program Areas” – Partnering with Other Systems
9. Pool resources: Pool regional program funding (where available and appropriate) from multiple communities/regions to fill gaps, once you are close to functional zero