|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
New Bedford could reduce its unsheltered homeless population to as few as 15 people, if it can add 50 more shelter beds and 90 more units of supportive housing, according to a new review of its homeless services.
To reach that reduction in homelessness by 2030, New Bedford would also need other strategies to keep people moving to other housing options, the review added.
The review, by a Boston-based nonprofit, described New Bedford’s current homeless shelter system as “overwhelmed, under-resourced, and lacking support services.” It praised service providers for the wide range of programs they already run, but it underscored the need to further expand their services and funding sources to meet the community’s growing needs.
Local service providers said the review’s findings are useful, but not surprising.
“Come to find out, we need more housing!” said Carl Alves, CEO of the anti-addiction nonprofit PAACA.
The review said the continuum needs new funding sources beyond the federal government: philanthropic donations, fundraising, and other government funding streams.
The city commissioned the 85-page review as part of the plan it launched last year to address the city’s severe housing shortage.
New Bedford’s most recent “Point In Time” count identified 346 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. Of those, 110 were living on the street, 154 were in emergency shelters, and 82 were in transitional housing.
The count identified the highest numbers of unsheltered people with severe mental illness and substance use disorder on record — 77 and 56, respectively. Half of them were considered chronically homeless.
“We are at a crisis point,” Alves said.
Consultants with the Boston-based nonprofit Technical Assistance Collaborative looked at ways to improve the city’s “continuum of care,” which is the interconnected group of nonprofits and agencies that provide services to a local area’s homeless population. The consultants interviewed service providers, held focus groups with dozens of people experiencing homelessness, and analyzed service provider data.
The review, released on Sept. 19, recommended adding more shelter beds and more units with support services for people recovering from homelessness, known as “permanent supportive housing.” That’s because demand for shelter beds far exceeds capacity, and there aren’t enough supportive housing units to move people into in order to free up shelter space.
At the same time, the report said that the continuum of care relies too much on supportive housing; it must also invest in hundreds of new slots in rapid rehousing programs, for people who don’t need the extra services, and diversion programs, to move people out of supportive housing when they’re ready.
Josh Amaral, who directs the city’s Office of Housing and Community Development, said the findings aren’t surprising, but there were nuggets throughout the review that caught his attention.
“It’s like half a sentence here or there that uncovers a significant item for us to work on,” he said.
For example, service providers told consultants that New Bedford needs more supportive housing units with addiction and mental health treatment services. But people experiencing homelessness said in focus groups that they wanted to see more units without those services. Most of the existing units are heavily geared toward addiction treatment.
“If that permanent supportive housing isn’t responsive to the people on the street, what are we doing?” Amaral said.
Addiction and mental health are an “elevated concern” for the homeless, Amaral said, but there is a debate on how to handle the issue.
Different organizations have different expectations about sobriety. Federal housing authorities want local continuums of care to adopt a “housing first” approach, which emphasizes placing people in housing before treating their mental illnesses or addictions, rather than requiring sobriety to access housing. The review said that New Bedford’s supportive housing system isn’t doing enough to serve people who “are not ready to commit to a sober lifestyle.” That leads to poor outcomes for them.
“It is important to instead target [supportive housing] to the most vulnerable individuals, which includes people who are not currently interested in recovery,” the report said.
Amaral said he’s interested in the review’s recommendations around changing shelter policies.
Shelters’ eligibility limits and policies are major barriers for some people experiencing homelessness, the review found. New Bedford’s emergency shelters close every morning at 6 a.m., which is not only stressful for guests — it’s also a missed opportunity to connect them with services, the consultants wrote. Other policies, like narrow definitions of what constitutes a family, also create barriers.
People sleeping in shelters are less likely to have addiction or severe mental health issues than their counterparts sleeping on the street, data analyzed by the consultants showed. Amaral said that could mean shelters are helping people stay stable, but it could also mean that sobriety requirements are keeping vulnerable people out.
In addition to shelter and supportive housing, the review recommended adding a range of other housing services.
It highlighted medical programs like support services that can be billed to Medicaid and hospital partnerships. It also pointed to specialized housing programs like those for women fleeing domestic violence or youth transitioning from foster care. And it recommended more housing navigation services to help people find permanent housing, like helping them search for apartments or fill out rental applications.
A less conventional idea in the recommendations is providing “flexible financial assistance” to people experiencing homelessness — financial help for things like fixing their car or getting a professional license.
The review endorsed the idea of a single centralized location where people can access shelter and other services. Ideally, it would be open 24/7. Service providers have been mulling the idea since it was introduced at a housing symposium in the city last year.
Such a center could mean that homeless people wouldn’t have to travel to different service providers located all around the city, the review said. It would also give people a place to go during the day to escape from the elements, brush their teeth, or charge their phone — with support services just steps away.
The consultants found “resounding support” for this idea, but people did not agree on where to put such a center. The review floated the idea of a “hub and spoke” model with satellite locations.
Amaral cautioned against getting distracted by the “shiny object” of a brand new center. He said a feasibility study could be the next step.
The review also recommended forming a stronger, more regional network of service providers. Some of those changes are already in motion.
New Bedford’s continuum of care used to be run by the Homeless Service Provider Network and covered only the city itself. This year it merged with the Greater Bristol County/Attleboro/Taunton Coalition to End Homelessness. Now, an organization in New Bedford could seamlessly refer a client to a housing program in Fairhaven, which couldn’t happen before, Amaral said.
Better data sharing was another recommendation. The continuum already logs its clients into a list that is shared with all member organizations. That strategy helps get people placed into programs faster, Amaral said. The continuum is planning more data improvements, like mobile devices for street outreach workers, to log people into their client management system on the go.
The review said the continuum should invest more in its own workforce, which is suffering from burnout and high turnover. That includes improving their pay and benefits. The review also recommends adding dedicated staff positions to the continuum itself, rather than housing all staff within individual organizations.
What’s next? The continuum of care will put together an “action committee” to prioritize the next steps, leaders say. A summit is also planned in November.
Email Grace Ferguson at gferguson@newbedfordlight.org
So distressing that there is such a need and then one sees so many old school buildings and vacant churches in the city that are just sitting there, useless. There are plenty of cities and towns across the country repurposing old churches for temporary housing and providing necessary services right in the same building to springboard people back on their feet. Why not here?
Centralized offerings of services sounds like a good idea. Homeless who need services may find this meets their needs. They don’t have the money for much yet there is a free bus service all over the city. Also keep in mind those who do not know HOW to live in an apartment. Homeless tent cities in NB have garbage all over. Fault of the homeless and a good observation of how they would live in housing? This is a horrible situation which no City has quite figured out. It doesn’t seem to have been like this when Psychiatric hospitals were available. When there’s a mental health crisis it’s ridiculous what you have to go through to get help. Three or fours days don’t make it. If homeless are saying housing without services or mandates then that’s quite a statement.
I hope this hasn’t become a legacy for those affected by homelessness.