Permanent Supportive Housing
Approximately 17 percent of the single adult population experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County utilizes well over half of all shelter system resources. These individuals are characterized as being chronically homeless, meaning they suffer from a disability such as mental illness and have been without a home for 12 months or longer or four times in the past three years with a disability, which can be physical, mental, or substance abuse. Many chronically homeless individuals cycle between emergency shelters, hospitals, jails, detoxification facilities and other settings, costing the community approximately a minimum of $40,000 a year and reducing emergency shelter capacity for individuals and families with children who need only short term assistance.
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AS A SOLUTION:
Permanent Supportive Housing is based on the Housing First model which centers on providing homeless people with housing quickly and then providing services as needed. Permanent supportive housing is a proven, cost-effective approach which provides affordable housing combined with a range of supportive services that help people with special needs live stable and independent lives.
HOW IT WORKS:
Chronically homeless individuals face multiple obstacles to attaining self-sufficiency, including serious mental illness, a substance use disorder, a chronic medical problem or some combination of the three. Once permanent housing has been provided, chronically homeless individuals are better able to access the support services they need to help them maintain stable, independent lives. Research and evaluation of permanent supportive housing projects across the country have shown a reduction in the use of temporary shelters and other emergency services by chronically homeless individuals, resulting in significant cost-savings for the community. Housing solutions also free-up emergency resources, such as shelter, to serve individuals and families that are experiencing homelessness for the first time.
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE:
VSUW and its partners are developing a regional plan for permanent supportive housing based on lessons learned from a number of other communities around the country that have implemented similar programs. In New York, providing permanent supportive housing for people with mental illnesses experiencing homelessness reduced costs to the state by 30 percent. A three-and-a-half year study of supportive housing in Indianapolis found a 75 percent drop in the use of healthcare services - saving the city $1.1 million. In other cities permanent supportive housing has been shown to reduce emergency room visits, emergency detoxification services, incarceration rates and more among the newly housed individuals. Additional results from Denver document improvements in mental and physical health, decreased substance abuse, and an increase in monthly income and other great outcomes.
TEMPE PILOT PROJECT:
A successful permanent supportive housing pilot project is currently underway in Tempe thanks to a great partnership between VSUW, the City of Tempe and the Arizona Department of Health Services. Learn more here.
