New York City hits record for sheltered adults
The NYC Department of Homeless Services hit a record high in February 2019 with an average of 16,516 adults being provided shelter during the month. NYC maintains a right to shelter policy and therefore does not have a fixed number of sheltered units. Shelter utilization by single adults has risen annually between 5 to 10%. Below is a graph of each average utilization for each June since FY09 and thru February 2019. The full daily report of shelter utilization can be found on the NYCDHS dashboard page. The NHIP has questioned whether all these individuals should be considered homeless since many stay in converted private hotel rooms for more than one year.
PIT 2018 homeless facilities at 83% occupancy
Raw data files from the HUD Data Exchange revealed an 83% occupancy rate of available beds (ES/TH/SH) reported on the PIT 2018 night. Transitional facilities had the lowest rats at 79% while Safe Havens reported the highest at 88%. A review of the raw data shows missing data for some projects as well as incorrect inclusion for facilities not yet open (beds listed with zero occupancy). The Permanent Supportive Housing and Other Permanent Housing occupancy rates are underreported since a significant number of PH providers did not report a count at their facility. Continuums need to ensure that all HIC facilities report their occupancy - not just those defined as homeless facilities. And include only facilities that are operating.
Fewer Transitionals is key to getting PIT under 500,000
Transitional housing units still accounted for a total of 101,029 beds nationally according to the most recent 2018 HIC chart. The drop in TH over the past five years has been accompanied by a 60,000 increase in emergency shelter beds over the same period. Efforts to reduce the unsheltered population and make significant in-roads on the total homeless count have reached a stalemate with some cities achieving reductions while others face large increases.
Given the emphasis on Housing First, it is unclear why the number of emergency shelter programs has grown precipitously in the past few years - especially since there is no evidence that the increase in ES has reduced street counts. Many cities have opened "Navigation Centers" - a 1980s-style emergency shelter under a new name. The most direct and quickest way to achieve an annual PIT estimate under 500,000 is to redefine/convert/close or otherwise rename the remaining 100,000 transitional beds under a non-homeless category (RRH or Permanent). Transitionals should never have been defined as homeless - especially since they provide as much or more support than public housing or permanent supportive housing and provides residential privacy for a family which appears to be a defining characteristic for people to feel that housing is permanent.
City and County of Honolulu: Housing First means $50 minimum rent for clients without income
Recent Permanent Supportive Housing funded by the City and County of Honolulu have included language that stipulate clients must pay a minimum rent of $50 regardless of income. This mandate is clearly not in keeping with the Housing First philosophy. It appears that bureaucrats may be confused as to whether the $50 public housing minimum rent should apply to these housing projects. It's interesting that a simple philosophy like Housing First can be implemented in so many non-conforming and incorrect ways.
Have a Nice Day -
The NHIP
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