Housing solutions for the chronic homeless - cheaper, better, more humane

And our Pacifica Resource Center support prevents many low income people from becoming homeless. 

Excepts from Silicon Valley Mercury News/Tracy Seipel, 2/6/12, "Santa Clara County supervisors to consider $1.25 million in vouchers to house 100 chronically homeless."

 ..."The goal of Housing 1000 is to permanently shelter 1,000 homeless people by 2013, said Jennifer Loving, executive director of Destination: Home, a public/private partnership aimed at ending homelessness in Santa Clara County.  ...."It's a cheaper and more efficient and holistic way to end homelessness,'' said Loving. "People don't think that the guy living under the bridge is costing anything,'' said Loving. "But that's absolutely not true.'' Based on other programs in the region, state and nation, Loving estimates that every chronically homeless person in Santa Clara County costs taxpayers $60,000 annually, which could be cut by half if the person were given a permanent place to live. ..."It's not just about giving them a place and walking away from them,'' said Loving. "We want to see if they can become more stable and engaged in our community, and there are lots of ways to do that.'' 

Vs. a real home

...Experts say that makes sense for a variety of reasons, and not just because it removes homeless people from the harsh and often dangerous conditions of the street. With a permanent place to live, a homeless person can be contacted regularly by a case management team who can check up on their mental and physical health, instead of waiting until the condition becomes more severe or complicated -- and costly. And with a stable address, case managers can determine if homeless people are eligible for Social Security or MediCal, among other benefits they might not be receiving if they're living on the streets. ....San Francisco's Housing First program, for example, has reduced the cost of homeless safety net services from $61,000 a year for an person to $16,000 for those who receive housing.  In San Mateo, a collaboration with the city, county and the non-profit Shelter Network resulted in the city spending $4 million to buy and convert a former downtown hotel to house 16 chronically homeless people. Since 2009, its leaders say the project has seen the hotel residents' medical expenses plunge 85 percent, while police contacts have dropped 99 percent."

Posted by Kathy Meeh