1. Bringing
Team:
Dan Ben-Horin, Evan Carver,
Housing First
Matt Farrar, Dylan Grabowski,
Annalisa McDaniel, Kara
to Your
Silbernagel, Phillip Supino Community
Professor Bruce Goldstein
2. 2
Agenda
Introduction: Why Housing First?
National Organizations
Case Study Takeaways:
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Location, Location, Location
Go Slow to Go Fast
Have Lots of Meetings
Make New Friends but Keep the Old
Conclusion
World Café
3. 3
Why Housing First?
Developed in the early 1990s in New York
Alternative to the traditional “continuum of care” model
Places chronically homeless individuals directly
into permanent housing.
Our research can be applied to future Housing
First facility siting in Boulder.
6. 6
Win Friends…
Quasi-Public
Public
(Spurred by
(Government
Public Initiative)
Agencies)
Building
Coalitions
Non-Profits
(e.g., Church
Groups)
7. 7
…and Influence People
Political
City
Support
Council Mayor
U.S. & State
Representatives
Cleveland
OH Denver
Minneapolis CO
MN
8. 8
Political Support cont.
Governor John Hickenlooper, State
Representative Crisanta Duran, and
State Senator Betty Boyd at the
“The Housing First Initiative opening of Renaissance Uptown.
is a program that deserves
strong support."
Matt Zone,
Cleveland City Council,
Ward 15
13. 13
Go Slow to Go Fast
Be
It’s Transparent
Never Empower
Too Early Champions
Community
Engagement
...but
Engage the Know
Opposition... When to
Cut Bait
14. 14
Have Lots of Meetings…
Collaborative
Processes
The Follow-
Beginning Up
The Middle
(Design &
Advocacy)
Cleveland, Denver, CO Portland,
OH ME
15. 15
…Then Go Out For Drinks
Ensure collaboration is:
• Meaningful
• Long-lasting
16. 16
Make New Friends, But Keep the Old
Long-Term
Agreements
Good Community
Neighbor Benefits
Agreement Agreement
Portland Denver Minneapolis
OR CO MN
17. 17
Make New Friends. The Process
Maintain and
Bring Include both Ensure real,
Sign Revisit
Everyone to experts and collaborative
Agreement Agreement
the Table laypeople input
Regularly
18. 18
Agreements usually address:
Communication Property Safety Engagement
•Open avenues •Maintaining •Safety for •Engaging
for expressing clean and surrounding Housing First
concerns, both attractive residents Residents in
current and facility •Safety for community
future •Community clients events
•List of key ownership •24-hour •Advisory
contacts to (both resident surveillance Committees
address these and clients) with diverse
concerns representation
19. 19
Conclusion
Best Practices “Takeaways”
• The Coalition Matters
• Location Matters
• The Tortoise beats the Hare
• Engage and Collaborate with the Community
• Long-term supporters are just as important as
new ones
World Café
Notas do Editor
Developed in the early 1990s in New York as an alternative to the traditional “continuum of care” modelPlaces chronically homeless individuals directly into permanent housingThis study was inspired by the controversy around 1175 Lee Hill Drive.
Between the publications made available on the groups’ websites and through consultation with housing first proponents in other areas, a consensus on some of the essential best practices emerges. However, the industry would benefit from development of a comprehensive guide for proponents’ future use. This effort would ensure that groups seeking to establish housing first facilities utilize proven, effective practices for community engagement, location selection and mitigation of NIMBY opposition to their projects.“Illuminate the differences btwnat’l orgs and local best practices. That’s we tried to find in our research.”
Provide brief summary of each case study.
Building Strong CoalitionsSingle organization or coalition?Case StudiesPublic: Portland, OR: headed by City of Portland’s Housing Authority and Multnomah CountyQuasi-public: Denver: single non-profit, spurred by government initiative (Denver’s Road Home)Non-profit Coalition: Minneapolis: faith-based and statewide program, but really stand-aloneNon-profit Coalition: Worcester, MA: broad-based coalition of non-profit service providersNon-profit Coalition: Cleveland, OH: broad-based coalition of non-profit service providers – with organization from a national non-profit, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
Political endorsement is essential. Depending on the nature of governance, local (city council) or state-level (governor, state senate) may be more important. Ex: Cleveland ward representatives
Political endorsement is essential. Depending on the nature of governance, local (city council) or state-level (governor, state senate) may be more important.
Depending on your city’s history with homelessness, any of three strategies could be effective: distribute sites throughout (Cleveland), concentrate services (Portland, OR), or build at an isolated site (Portland, ME).
Housing First facilities are strategically located throughout Cuyahoga County, Ohio, so that no neighborhood can say it bears an unequal burden. There even a number of single units scattered throughout the city.
In Portland, a range of services (overnight shelter, mental health, PSH) are concentrated within same building
Former hobo encampment in Portland, ME. After choosing a location, consider these design strategies:Adaptive ReuseHip architecture, sexy/sustainable design – LEED-ND
It’s never too early to begin interacting with the host neighborhoodAllow as much time as possible for education (6-9 mos is considered the minimum in Cleveland)Allow time for negotiation (CBA talks in MSP)Identify your neighborhood champions: politicians, neighborhood groups with a charitable mission Identify your opposition (and probably ignore or isolate them)Identify your “fence-sitters”: these are your targets for tours, face-to-face meetings, etc. because they can be brought to your side. Transparency and PropagandaBe honest, but educate aggressively. Ex. Portland, Cleveland, Worcester.
Respect and utilize local knowledge. Before siting, work with politicians and community leaders or groups to identify appropriate neighborhoods (e.g., in Cleveland, politicians and community leaders are involved in the initial site selection process) During design, gather community input. (E.g., preservation of historic façade in Denver)After construction, continue to engage the community both formally and informally (e.g., block parties Portland, ME).
Remember:How do participants assure consensus is meaningful and long-lasting?
In Portland, a GNA is actually required by law. In Denver, GNA is used at some, but not all sites, and usually focuses on management. In Minneapolis, the CBA made specific design specifications, including reducing the number of units from 48 to 41, and also stipulated that minority- and women-owned businesses be involved in construction and management of the facility. Interesting contrasts are Worcester and Cleveland, where a CBA/GNA is avoided because having to put something in writing would be an acknowledgment that the housing first facility is a blight, or at least a potential one.
GNAs are good faith agreements. CBAs are legally bindingExamples: 24-hour surveillance, minority and women owned businesses, etc. Standing Advisory AgreementCommunicationAddressing concerns, current and futureList of key contacts to address concerns2. PropertyMaintaining clean and attractive facilityCommunity ownership (both resident and clients)3. SafetySafety for surrounding residentsSafety for clients24-hour surveillance4. EngagementEngaging Housing First Residents in community eventsPromoting economic diversity – women and minority-owned businessesGNA: required in PDX, new to CapHill DenverCBA: yes in MSP, no in Worcester (didn’t want the negative perception)Reduction 48 to 41Requirements for Women and Minority-Owned businesses