Cost benefit outcomes and consumer satisfaction of formerly chronically homeless persons are focus of evaluation of Housing First RI initiative

A Housing First evaluation that combines cost benefit analysis with measures of client satisfaction recognizes the key role of consumer choice in achieving long-term housing stability and reduced economic impact on community infrastructure using United Way's investment in Housing First supportive services and a university-led assessment.

The pilot housing project was initiated in late 2005 and consists of both scattered site apartments and congregate housing for 50 chronically homeless individuals at any one time.

Providence College Professor of Sociology Eric Hirsch and Roger Williams University Professor of Anthropology Irene Glasser conducted a preliminary evaluation of Housing First RI. The researchers used client service cost data and both baseline and ongoing followup interviews with consumers to measure consumer satisfaction, noting, "These cost savings can only be realized if clients remain in their new homes. A return to a life in the street or in shelters is destructive to the client's health, mental health, and level of social integration. And it dramatically increases the costs to the government and taxpayers due to increased use of health, mental health, corrections, and shelter facilities."

Areas of consumer satisfaction examined were housing, progress in health, mental health, and social interaction goals, as well as job status.

85 formerly chronically homeless individuals - with an average 7.6 years of prior homelessness - who have moved to permanent supported housing through this initiative benefit from stable housing and improved health and well-being.

Rhode Island benefits from the identification of $424,000 in annual savings in health care and public safety costs from the new housing stability of consumers.

United Way of Rhode Island and the HousingWorks RI campaign benefit from having data that demonstrate the cost effectiveness of permanent supported housing as partners pursue more resources to create additional permanent supported housing opportunities.

Communities in the Providence metropolitan area benefit from an improved quality of life for all citizens and reduced economic impact on costly community infrastructure, including health care, treatment, and law enforcement.

78% of consumers maintained their housing and overall costs to the community were reduced as individuals were no longer randomly ricocheting between streets, shelters, and expensive health and law enforcement systems.

Total savings of $424,272 in public systems in one year reflect per person annual supportive service costs of $9500 and housing subsidies of $5643 versus the "institutional costs" of the preceding one year of homelessness for 48 individuals.

In the year prior to entering supported housing, the formerly chronically homeless individuals spent a combined total of 534 nights in hospitals, 919 nights in jail, and had 177 emergency room visits. In contrast, the newly housed individuals had a combined total of only 149 nights in hospitals, 149 jail nights, and 75 emergency room visits in the first year of housing.

Overall housing retention was reduced by a higher initial rate of turnover for the congregate housing site.

Identifying "ending chronic homelessness" as one of its Community Impact Areas, the United Way of Rhode Island committed $250,000 to supportive services for the pilot which leveraged $300,000 for each of two years from the Rhode Island General Assembly for a pilot permanent supported housing initiative in the Providence metropolitan area. The pilot also utilizes 25 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Shelter +Care subsidies and other rental assistance from the state's Neighborhood Opportunity Program.

United Way of Rhode Island partnered with the State of Rhode Island and with HousingWorks RI, a coalition of banks, builders, Chambers of Commerce, colleges, community and faith based agencies, realtors, municipal officials and unions, to initiate the Housing First RI pilot. Other partners for housing and case management services were Riverwood Mental Health Services and House of Hope Community Development Corporation.

To read the Executive Summary of "Rhode Island's Housing First Program: First Year Evaluation", click here.

To learn more about the Community Impact - Ending Chronic Homelessness efforts of the United Way of Rhode Island, visit http://www.uwri.org

To learn more about the State of Rhode Island's Plan to End Homelessness, contact the Rhode Island Housing Commission, visit http://www.hrc.ri.gov

To learn more about HousingWorks RI, visit http://www.housingworksri.org

To learn more about the evidence-based practice of Housing First at SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidenced-based Programs and Practices, click here.

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Wichita's Benefit Bank: Accessing Mainstream Resources for Consumers through Inter-Faith Ministries' One-Stop Solution

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