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SAFE HAVENS AND THE CONTINUUM OF CARE
During the past several years, the federal government has developed a comprehensive, coordinated and flexible approach to assist affordable housing, community development, and homelessness activities at the state and local levels. Through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Consolidated Plan process, local and state officials can identify and prioritize needs and resources, and develop strategies and action plans for the investment of federal housing and community development funds. Building from the Consolidated Plan, states and communities are also implementing HUD's Continuum of Care approach to alleviate homelessness -an approach that fosters a community-based and comprehensive response to meeting the different and frequently complex needs of homeless people. A Safe Haven can be an important element in a community's Continuum of Care.
The Continuum of Care approach arose from evidence that previous homeless assistance efforts had produced a patchwork of homeless assistance projects and programs that often had little or no relationship to one another. The lack of a systematic approach left significant gaps in homeless services, despite the best intentions of dedicated advocates and providers. In many communities, the special needs of some homeless subpopulation groups were often unmet or only partially addressed.
This situation certainly applied to homeless persons with a mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorder. Often the most visible, yet the hardest to reach homeless population, the opportunities for these individuals to move beyond homelessness are reduced by the very nature of their disability, which disrupts their judgment, motivation, and social skills. Because of their complex needs and frequent resistance to both mental health and/or homeless services, a comprehensive and flexible array of specialized services and supports must be readily available to assist them.
The Continuum of Care approach has given states and localities a framework and resources to address the complex needs of homeless people with a mental illness or a co-occurring disorder, as well as other priority needs. The Continuum of Care approach helps communities plan for and provide a balance of emergency, transitional, and permanent housing and service resources. McKinney funding and other resources can then be targeted to develop new housing and service options that must be available within a seamless and comprehensive system to alleviate homelessness.
DEFINING AND PRIORITIZING THE NEED FOR A SAFE HAVEN
As new and potential Safe Haven projects are considered across the country, the purpose of the Safe Haven within the Continuum of Care system must be clearly defined and understood. The mission of a Safe Haven is to serve hard-to-reach homeless per-sons with severe mental illness who are on the streets and have been unwilling or unable to participate in supportive services. This Safe Haven mission statement clearly defines what Congress intended the Safe Haven target population to be. It is not a program for homeless people who can be easily engaged in mental health services and who are ready for residential settings, such as group homes, permanent supportive housing, or independent living. It is not a hospital diversion program, nor is it a hospital discharge program for persons at-risk of homelessness. And, although the length of stay is not defined, it is not permanent housing.
The Continuum of Care process can assess and quantify a community's need for a Safe Haven through a variety of sources. The homeless component of the local government's Consolidated Plan should contain an estimate of the number of homeless persons with a mental illness, as well as information on the number of persons living in places not designed for human habitation. Using these estimates as a basis, more specific needs data can be obtained from a street census conducted by outreach workers, from hospital emergency room staff, from detox and substance abuse service facilities, emergency shelters, homeless drop-in centers, and other programs serving homeless persons who have a mental illness.
PRECONDITIONS FOR DEVELOPING SAFE HAVENS WITHIN THE CONTINUUM OF CARE
The available literature as well as interviews with Safe Haven sponsors point to a number of factors that are key to developing successful Safe Havens within the Continuum of Care system. Ideally, Safe Haven projects should:
· Be developed in communities where there are sufficient numbers of hard-to-reach homeless individuals with mental illness to ensure a high ranking with the Continuum of Care process. By design, Safe Haven projects should periodically accommodate new residents and assist current residents to move on to more permanent housing. This design means a significant number of potential program participants should be identified as needing the services of a Safe Haven.
· Have a clear strategy for leveraging resources that can be used in combination with SHP funding for Safe Haven's development, operations, and supportive services.
· Have a sponsor who brings expertise and experience with homeless people with a mental illness and a strong track record in the community.
· Seek some political and community support for the project when developing the project concept, which can later be leveraged into broader support as the project proceeds into development.
· Include formerly homeless peer counselors who can overcome barriers to outreach and engagement that often prevent homeless people with a mental illness from taking the initial step toward services and treatment.
· Encourage the empowerment of Safe Haven's residents by giving them an opportunity to participate in the operation of the facility.
· Have a readily available network of "next step" transitional and permanent housing options within the Continuum of Care system.
SAFE HAVENS RESOURCE INFORMATION
Reprinted from chapter one of In from the Cold: Creating Safe Havens for Homeless People on the Street, a tool kit developed to guide communities and project sponsors to create effective Safe Havens. For more information and guidance on developing a Safe Haven, request a copy of the guide or download it at the website: http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/library/havens/index.cfm.
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