Results of Strategic Plan’s Focus on Accountability, Permanency, and Prevention

April 30, 2003 – Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Linda Gibbs today announced progress on a number of reforms and initiatives undertaken during the past year to prepare for record levels of family homelessness expected this summer. DHS typically sees a dramatic increase in the number of families entering shelter during the summer months – a time when parents leave existing housing to minimize the disruption to their childrens’ education. As part of efforts to prepare for increased demand, DHS has: 1) nearly doubled the number of families placed into permanent housing over the same period of time last fiscal year, 2) improved coordination among city prevention programs, including a transfer of some to DHS from other city agencies, 3) prepared to implement client responsibility standards, which will prohibit clients’ wrongful rejection of suitable apartments, and 4) prepared to implement an incentive program that will adjust the budgets of providers based on their success in assisting families into permanent housing.

“We’ve taken this year to implement fundamental reforms that put the City in the best position possible to reduce family homelessness and accommodate growth during the summer,” said DHS Commissioner Linda Gibbs. “While the Mayor’s plan for permanent housing development represents the City’s commitment to long-term solutions, DHS is helping families secure permanent housing more effectively, while bringing more accountability and a stronger focus on homeless prevention to the short-term.”

DHS has long been criticized for under-utilizing existing rental assistance, like Section 8 and other programs. By March 31 of this fiscal year, DHS had already placed 4,393 families into permanent housing – a 54% increase over the 2,851 families placed at the same point in time last year. By the end of the third quarter, in fact, DHS had already surpassed the total number of families placed during the entire fiscal year last year. As part of the Mayor’s Executive Budget, it was also announced that some of the prevention contracts currently managed by other city agencies are being transferred to DHS, as part of broader efforts to coordinate a one-city strategy on homelessness prevention. Coordinating prevention programs was articulated as a goal in the DHS strategic plan, released June 2002; the agency has never before had an active role in homelessness prevention. “You can’t solve homelessness within the four wall of a shelter. This year we’ve taken significant steps to focus this agency on aggressive prevention and re-housing strategies,” said the Commissioner.

DHS is also preparing to implement major new client and provider accountability measures. Client Responsibility Standards, which were agreed to as part of the historic solution reached between the City and the Legal Aid Society last winter, are scheduled to go into effect shortly. These standards will require clients to accept the first suitable apartment, or risk losing shelter service eligibility. In addition, a first-ever performance incentive program for family shelter providers will go into effect July 1, 2003. The new plan will ensure that providers are focusing on securing permanent housing for their clients. It will reward those agencies that perform best with rate increases, while reducing the budgets of those that fail to produce expected results.

“While DHS will always meet its obligation to provide shelter to any and all in need, we have committed this agency to pursuing long-term reforms to stabilize the system and avoid the kind of crises that we’ve experienced in the past,” said Commissioner Gibbs.