Nat'l homelessness group supports congregate shelters for the most needy
Depicted: The Nevada Cares Campus emergency shelter. Image by Washoe County
SJ CM's Doan and Batra convinced the SJ City Council to prioritize the study of pre-engineered congregate housing (very low cost group shelters connected to central services) in the 2024-25 fiscal budget process. Serious researchers into homelessness prevention applauded the move, even as some local Housing First diehards continue to lobby for the archaic and brutally expensive Permanent Supportive Housing model which has failed so spectacularly in alleviating city and county homelessness. The National Alliance to End Homelessness explains the important role of congregate housing below.
Use Congregate Transitional Housing Stock to Meet Emergency Housing Needs
Some households face severe barriers to identifying and securing permanent housing, which may lead to prolonged episodes of homelessness. While these households may not need the specialized services of a long-term transitional housing program they may need shelter or other kinds of emergency housing for a potentially longer stay. The facilities used in congregate transitional housing programs can provide that resource while those households receive housing location services to help them exit homelessness as quickly as possible.
Target Long-Term Congregate Housing Programs to People with Severe or Specific Needs
Many communities operate congregate transitional housing programs, defined as facility-based programs that offer housing and services for up to two years to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. {Groups and individuals most appropriate for this type of housing listed below}
Certain individuals and heads of households struggling with a substance use disorder;
Individuals in early recovery from a substance use disorder who may desire more intensive support to achieve their recovery goals. (Many individuals with substance use disorders can achieve sobriety through outpatient support and do not require residential support.);
Survivors of domestic violence or other forms of severe trauma who may require and prefer the security and onsite services provided in a congregate setting to other available housing options; and
Unaccompanied and pregnant or parenting youth (age 16-24) who are unable to live independently (e.g. unemancipated minors) or who prefer a congregate setting with access to a broad array of wraparound services to other available housing options.
In summary, long-term, congregate transitional housing can be an effective resource to end homelessness when it is targeted to people who face more severe challenges to finding housing and when it is offered with as few barriers to program entry as possible. Communities should also carefully assess the use of long-term congregate transitional housing in light of the needs of people experiencing homelessness within their community and available resources to assist them.
Read the whole thing here.
Related:
In two months, Reno did more to solve homelessness than SJ's done in two decades
Permanent Supportive Housing fails on most measures, research finds
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