Health, Housing and Homelessness Year Four Report

    December 19, 1966
    https://stories.catholiccharitiesusa.org/health-housing-and-homelessness/index.html

    Catholic Charities USA Healthy Housing Initiative

    Health, Housing and Homelessness

    Year Four Report 

    Key Terms

    Chronic Homelessness: Chronic homelessness is the state of experiencing homelessness for at least one year — or repeatedly — while struggling with a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance use disorder or physical disability. (National Alliance to End Homelessness)

    Permanent Supportive Housing: Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is an intervention that combines affordable housing assistance with voluntary support services to address the needs of chronically homeless people. The services are designed to build independent living and tenancy skills and connect people with community-based health care, treatment and employment services. (National Alliance to End Homelessness)

    Point-in-Time Count: A point-in-time count is an unduplicated count on a single night of the people in a community who are experiencing homelessness. This count includes both sheltered and unsheltered populations. (National Alliance to End Homelessness)

    Scattered-Site Housing: Scattered Site Permanent Supportive Housing places individuals experiencing homelessness in private market units scattered throughout a community. (United to End Homelessness)

    Turnkey Property: A turnkey property is a unit that can be immediately occupied with minor upgrades.

    HHI has now housed 564 formerly chronically homeless individuals. Those are real lives impacted, for the better, by … Catholic Charities staff and healthcare professionals.

    Kerry Alys Robinson

    A Message from the President

    Dear Friends, 

    As we wrap up the fourth year of the Catholic Charities USA Healthy Housing Initiative (HHI), we are more aware than we have ever been of the critical need for housing for all of our vulnerable sisters and brothers, especially those who are chronically homeless. A nationwide lack of affordable housing affects individuals and families from many income brackets, and none more so than those who struggle with the added burdens of physical or behavioral health challenges or substance use disorders that often render them chronically unsheltered.   

    The agencies taking part in the HHI work in collaboration with Catholic hospitals and healthcare partners to provide access to social services, primary medical care and behavioral health services while also housing these often fragile and always vulnerable clients.  

    When the HHI was launched in 2020, our team set ambitious –but, we felt, achievable – goals for the five participating Catholic Charities agencies. We wanted to reduce chronic homelessness in the pilot cities by 20%, reduce the frequency with which homeless individuals used emergency rooms and were readmitted to hospitals by 25% and connect 35% of newly housed clients to primary care and behavioral health services.    

    Heading into the fifth year of the Healthy Housing Initiative, the participating Catholic Charities agencies – located in Detroit, Las Vegas, Portland (Ore.), St. Louis and Spokane – have now housed 564 formerly chronically homeless individuals, or 80% of our goal. Those are real lives impacted, for the better, by the care and concern they have received from Catholic Charities staff and healthcare professionals across the country.  

    This work would not be possible without the support – financial and spiritual – of people like you. Your faith in the importance of the Healthy Housing Initiative and its mission to bring the love and compassion of Christ to those who so easily become lost, least and overlooked is key to its success, and for that you have our gratitude.  

    With deep gratitude,

    Kerry Alys Robinson
    President & CEO 

    The HHI team at CCUSA continues to be inspired by the hard work, grit and compassion of staff across the five agencies.

    Catholic Charities USA Healthy Housing Initiative

    The Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) Healthy Housing Initiative is a person-centered, comprehensive approach to address chronic homelessness through permanent supportive housing (PSH) and social services, in collaboration with Catholic health care. The Healthy Housing Initiative is a five-year pilot (January 2020 to December 2024) with a target of housing 698 people by January 1, 2025. The five-year housing target goals listed herein for each city represent 20% of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2019 point-in-time count numbers for each pilot community. Note that each of the five pilot agencies was already engaged in some work with the unhoused in their communities, for varying durations and under a variety of state and local conditions.

    The five Catholic Charities agencies in the Healthy Housing Initiative and their Catholic healthcare partners:

    1. Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan and Ascension Healthcare
    2. Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada and CommonSpirit Health
    3. Catholic Charities of Oregon and Providence Health Systems
    4. Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington and Providence St. Joseph Healthcare
    5. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Saint Louis and Mercy Healthcare/SSM Health

    Catholic Charities
    of Southeast Michigan (Detroit)

    Diocesan Director: Paul Propson
    Bishop: The Most Reverend Allen Vigneron
    Catholic Healthcare Partner: Ascension Healthcare

    Number of chronically homeless persons housed to date: 17 
    Number of other homeless persons housed to date: 25 
    Total number of homeless persons housed to date: 42 
    Number of housing units authorized or under construction: 46, of which 25 are designated for permanent supportive housing (PSH) 

    Year Four Highlights

    Year Four Reflection by the CCSEM Team  

    The words of Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 25:35-37 continue to inspire the work of CCSEM in the city of Detroit.  

    CCSEM’s Center for the Works of Mercy provides a space for those experiencing poverty and in need of help. The process of helping someone obtain healthy, secure and affordable housing starts with understanding the needs and barriers that are standing in their way. Our staff works diligently to assist individuals in accessing the services and resources they need to succeed in securing a place of their own and improving their well-being. The support is tangible in the form of food, clothing and hygiene supplies; help completing applications and applying for benefits and financial aid for housing; and help in accessing other resources. There are also the intangible benefits of a warm smile, encouraging words and the provision of hope. Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” 

    Photo caption: A shuttered elementary school is being converted into the Residences at St. Matthew, a health- and service-enriched, permanent supportive and affordable family housing project that will open in 2025.

    Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada (Las Vegas) 

    Diocesan Director: Deacon Tom Roberts
    Bishop: The Most Reverend George Leo Thomas
    Catholic Healthcare Partner: CommonSpirit Health 

    Number of chronically homeless persons housed to date: 53   
    Number of other homeless persons housed to date: 339  
    Total number of homeless persons housed to date: 392
    Number of housing units authorized or under construction: 5 vacant units 

    Year Four Highlights

    Year Four Reflection by the CCSN Team  

    The implementation of case management at the St. Vincent Apartments has enabled us to offer essential wraparound services to our residents, who might not otherwise seek assistance. We have assisted approximately 115 people, many of whom have previously experienced homelessness for an extended time. They have transitioned from hopelessness to a place where hope is a genuine and palpable reality. After spending time in emergency shelters, encampments, on the streets and other places not meant for human habitation, many of our current residents now call St. Vincent home.    

    Our Residential Services Case Management Team oversees up to 120 active cases, ensuring clients remain secure, self-sufficient and hopeful. Case managers actively assist with needs and appointments such as medical, mental and dental health; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicare/Medicaid applications/renewals; Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits; Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV); transportation, clothing and food and nutrition; and crucial life skills so clients can maintain stable, healthy lives. 

    Success Story 
    The client approached the case management team and requested a walker due to scoliosis in his back. The client met with our case manager to complete the necessary paperwork and received a brand-new walker, provided by St. Vincent Apartments Case Management, on the same day.  

    Photo Caption: Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada is collaborating with Chamberlain University College of Nursing to educate clients on healthy habits.

    Catholic Charities of Oregon (Portland)

    Diocesan Director: Natalie Wood
    Bishop: The Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample
    Catholic Healthcare Partner: Providence Health Systems

    Number of chronically homeless persons housed to date: 56  
    Number of other homeless persons housed to date: 89  
    Total number of homeless persons housed to date: 145 
    Number of housing units authorized or under construction: 295  

    Year Four Highlights

    Year Four Reflection by the CCO Team 

    CCO continues to identify opportunities to serve the most vulnerable populations in the state with our healthcare partner, Providence Health & Services Oregon. Our experiences this year included:  

    In year five, we look forward to partnering with Providence on a development in Newberg, Oregon, that will include eight recuperative care (respite) units. We are encouraged by the work already done and look forward to another year of serving those in need with innovative ways to improve health and human thriving.    

    Photo Caption: Staff from Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Charities of Oregon tour Good Shepherd Village.

    Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington (Spokane)

    Diocesan Director: Robert McCann
    Bishop: The Most Reverend Thomas Daly
    Catholic Healthcare Partner: Providence St. Joseph Healthcare

    Number of chronically homeless persons housed to date: 385
    Number of other homeless persons housed to date: 737
    Total number of homeless persons housed to date: 1,122
    Number of housing units authorized or under construction: 589 for 2024  

    Year Four Highlights

    Year Four Reflection by the CCEW Team  

    Catholic Charities Eastern Washington works to affirm the dignity of all people by developing and managing affordable, supportive housing communities. This was a very positive and productive year for our work with the Healthy Housing Initiative in service of that overarching goal.  

    In addition to the development and management of the Bishop Skylstad Commons and Mother Teresa Haven properties, our service staff works to provide comprehensive and varied case management approaches to assist residents in achieving stability, economic mobility and self-sufficiency. This includes peer support, healthcare coordination, behavior health and substance use disorder (SUD) services.  

    As we reflect on year four of this initiative, we are in awe of the success and resiliency of our clients. And as we move into year five, we are dedicated to continued improvement in physical and mental health outcomes for the most vulnerable in our community. 

    Catholic Charities of St. Louis

    Diocesan Director: Jared Bryson
    Bishop: The Most Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski
    Catholic Healthcare Partner: Mercy Healthcare/SSM Health 

    Number of chronically homeless persons housed to date: 53 
    Number of other homeless persons housed to date: 33 
    Total number of homeless persons housed to date: 86
    Number of housing units authorized or under construction: 79 

    Year Four Highlights

    Year Four Reflection by the CCSTL Team  

    St. Patrick Center, a ministry of Catholic Charities St. Louis, the Hospital to Healthy Housing Program and the Healthy Housing Initiative, is providing hope and housing services to community members experiencing homelessness. Our focus is on providing critical services to individuals who often are forgotten about and have no place to go but the hospital in order to receive social services.  We provide access to immediate housing, wraparound services and connections to primary care, psychiatry and other resources needed to maintain housing.  We are lucky to have great programs to link to at St. Patrick Center and around the community.   

    Our hospital program addresses homelessness in several different settings.  We have staff in the emergency department working with unhoused and housing insecure individuals to connect them to housing, shelter and resources.  Many of those we see will end up receiving services at St. Patrick Center, either in our hospital or other programs.  Most importantly, we are providing safe, dignified housing with critical, lifesaving services to our most vulnerable community members.      

    As we reflect on year four of this initiative, we are in awe of the success and resiliency of our clients.

    Reflection by CCUSA’s HHI Team

    The HHI team at CCUSA continues to be inspired by the hard work, grit and compassion of staff across the five agencies. Since the Healthy Housing Initiative began on January 1, 2020, participating agencies have housed 564 chronically homeless individuals. Each agency has been able to creatively navigate complex local dynamics and politics to create housing for one of America’s most vulnerable populations. As a highlight, in year four, we welcomed Delaware State University as the evaluators for the initiative.

    In year five, we’ll be emphasizing collecting data pertaining to client health outcomes, along with emergency room and hospital utilization. As we have learned from Catholic Charities agencies in Eastern Washington, Oregon, Southeast Michigan, Southern Nevada and St. Louis over the past four years: Hard work pays off!

    Curtis Johnson
    Vice President, Housing Strategy

    Timothy Crawl-Bey
    Senior Director, Housing Strategy

    Benjamin Wortham
    Vice President, Behavioral Health Integration

    For additional information on the Healthy Housing Initiative, contact:
    Ben Wortham – bwortham@CatholicCharitiesUSA.org
    Curtis Johnson – cjohnson@CatholicCharitiesUSA.org

    Download a PDF version of the report.