Applying the Housing First approach to single-site permanent supportive housing

This study explored how the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program applies Housing First principles in the context of ten single-site programs. Focus group discussions with 64 HUD-VASH staff and community partners explored how the programs were influenced by Housing First principles and specific strategies to implement these principles in a single-site setting. Focus group respondents described resourceful ways that the principles of Housing First were implemented in their programs specifically related to (1) housing choice and structure, (2) separation of housing and services, (3) service philosophy, and (4) service array. Several of the Housing First domains cite the importance of integrated housing and the provision of services off-site; it was of particular interest to learn how single-site programs address these issues logistically. Lessons learned from this study include the importance of leveraging the independent yet overlapping tasks of case management and property management to ensure functional – if not geographic – separation of housing and services; maintaining staff on-site to address Veterans’ needs; working with community service organizations to complement the array of service available to residents; and housing single-site programs in mixed-use buildings.     

The resale of right to buy dwellings: a case study of migration and social change in rural England

Drawing on data relating to some 500 households, taken from local government records and questionnaire surveys, this paper examines the processes of migration and social change associated with the resale of former local authority dwellings in a rural part of the East Midlands, England, UK. Legislative change principally stemming from the Housing Act (1980) has given tenants a `right to buy’ their rented dwelling from the local authority landlord. By focussing on the longer term impact of this process the findings of this study reveal a radical discontinuity with the past, as new households with contrasting characteristics to previous occupants move in when these dwellings are resold on the open market. The study shows that the relative affordability of the dwellings in a highly competitive rural housing market is creating an opportunity for comparatively young, dual-career and largely urban families to move to the countryside. Their movement into former local authority dwellings has important implications for the future provision of local needs housing in rural areas.     

The health of the homeless

Studies of homelessness and health date back to at least the 1970s. The current paper presents a summary on the state of the literature on homelessness and health since the onset of Housing First initiatives. Housing First initiatives represent a change in the previously used model used by social services providers and government agencies from recovery first to housing first, a recognition that homeless people should be housed before contending with other issues such as mental health treatment. Since this time, researchers have pushed research inquiry into areas that were only touched on lightly before. These new areas of research fall generally into that categories of access and utilization, newer demographics, and emerging health concerns. Each of these areas is thoroughly reviewed in the paper. Despite Housing First legislation, homelessness continues to threaten the health of the urban population and will continue to do so as long as it is allowed to persist.     

Ruling out trouble: Unacceptable behaviour and its control in Hong Kong’s public housing

Resident satisfaction is contingent not only on housing design and construction, but also on neighbourhood quality. However, many neighbourhoods around the world are distressed by neighbourhood nuisances or unacceptable behaviour of the residents. While interventionist approaches and incentives have been adopted in many countries to curb these problems, a punitive measure is used in Hong Kong instead. The Housing Department launched the Marking Scheme for Tenancy Enforcement in Public Housing Estates immediately after the SARS epidemic. The scheme operates as a penalty-point system where sitting tenants will be expelled from public housing if they receive sixteen points for the misdeeds they have committed. Yet, the marking scheme itself was put onto the stage without any prior public consultation. Besides, it has been criticised for its unfair and tenure-biased enforcement. Also, whether the scheme is widely accepted is highly doubtful. Against this background, this study aims to explore the tenants’ views regarding residents’ unacceptable behaviour and the marking scheme in Hong Kong’s public housing. The findings of this research offer valuable insights into the perceived extent and causes of the neighbourhood problems. Moreover, this research lets the public administrators know the acceptability of the marking scheme among public housing tenants.     

The mixed-population issue in state-subsidized elderly housing: management problems posed by nonelderly and elderly tenants.

The management experiences of all Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) in Connecticut were investigated concerning younger disabled tenants in state-subsidized elderly housing. While as a group younger disabled tenants were more likely to violate the terms of their lease, including disrupting other tenants' enjoyment of their homes, management problems with younger disabled tenants were not reported by all LHAs. In general, serious, recurrent problems involving younger disabled tenants were concentrated among a relatively small group of LHAs. Emphasizing the diversity that characterizes the experiences of LHAs, the discussion emphasizes the need for caution in drawing conclusions about the issue of a mixed population. It also focuses on examples of how some LHAs have addressed the integration of younger disabled tenants in senior housing and proposes recommendations for viewing the issue in the broader context of public policy.     

Congregate Housing for the Low and Moderate Income Elderly-A Needed Federal State Partnership

The doubling of the 85+ cohorts by the year 2000, and the further similar growth of the 75+ cohorts is causing a major health care crisis. Up to 40 percent of the elderly institutionalized may be inappropriately placed; a more effective approach, and options for home-based care are needed. Congregate housing is one major option for low and moderate income elderly, particularly for those living in Federal of locally-subsidized housing. The current, successful Congregate Housing Services Program should be ameded and expanded into a new Federal/State PARTNERSHIP for congregate housing.     

The Mixed-Population Issue in State-Subsidized Elderly Housing: Management Problems Posed by Nonelderly and Elderly Tenants

Abstract

The management experiences of all Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) in Connecticut were investigated concerning younger disabled tenants in state-subsidized elderly housing. While as a group younger disabled tenants were more likely to violate the terms of their lease, including disrupting other tenants' enjoyment of their homes, management problems with younger disabled tenants were not reported by all LHAs. In general, serious, recurrent problems involving younger disabled tenants were concentrated among a relatively small group of LHAs. Emphasizing the diversity that characterizes the experiences of LHAs, the discussion emphasizes the need for caution in drawing conclusions about the issue of a mixed population. It also focuses on examples of how some LHAs have addressed the integration of younger disabled tenants in senior housing and proposes recommendations for viewing the issue in the broader context of public policy.     

House Price Shocks and Individual Divorce Risk in the United States

Households in the United States hold a significant portion of their total wealth in owner-occupied housing. Thus, changes in housing prices may have an important impact on the marital surplus the household enjoys. What happens to marriages of homeowners when there is a shock to housing prices? This question was addressed using household data from the panel study of income dynamics (PSID) and a quarterly MSA level house price index from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, controlling for local labor market conditions. House price shocks were calculated as the cumulative sum of residuals of a second order autoregressive model from the previous four years. Results showed that positive house price shocks stabilized marriage for all couples. A one standard deviation increase in the house price shock decreased the risk of divorce in the following year by about 13–18%. The results were driven by the younger cohort of households in the PSID, those with lower educational attainment, and those with relatively low family income. The findings are discussed in the context of theories on changes in marital surplus, and changes in the transaction costs surrounding divorce.     

The Influence of Marital Status and Age on the Housing Behavior of Older Southern Women

Age and marital status are frequently cited as predictors of the housing and living arrangements of individuals and families. This study investigates the influence of marital status and age on the housing behavior of older Southern women. The sample consisted of 227 widowed female houshold heads and 227 married females living with their spouse. These subjects were part of larger sample of 1,804 households living in non-metropolitan areas in seven southern states. It is a contributing study to the S141 Southern Regional Housing Project "Housing for Low and Moderate Income Families." The analysis strategy was executed on six groupings of dependent variables. These were: (a) current housing situation, (b) housing costs, (c) geographic mobility, (d) housing satisfaction, (e) decision making and (f) consumer acceptance of housing alternatives. The results suggest that widowhood and age are both relatively important determinants of housing behavior and attitudes. The effects of widowhood appeared to be strongest in determining the housing situation, housing satisfaction and several attitudes toward housing alternatives. The effects of age appeared most powerful in determining housing costs, mobility and several attitudes about housing alternatives.     

Impact of a supported housing prioritization system using vulnerability and high service utilization

For people experiencing chronic homelessness, supportive housing with intensive social, health, and behavioral health services reduces the likelihood of re-entering homelessness and the public costs of associated acute medical care, shelter use, and incarceration. Due to a limited supply of supportive housing, it must be allocated to those most in need. This paper examines findings from a unique, region-wide method for prioritizing individuals for supportive housing based on utilization of high-cost public services and vulnerability if left on the street. A sample of 196 individuals were prioritized for housing based on this method, while a comparison group of 102 were housed not using the method. Results showed that those housed under the prioritization method achieved greater reductions in utilization of high-cost public services, but were also less likely to have positive dispositions when exiting the housing programs, suggesting the need for a greater intensity of supports and/or multiple “doses” of supportive housing before stability can be expected. The method described in the paper can provide a starting point for developing regional, comprehensive systems of coordinated, prioritized entry into supportive housing, such as those now required by US Department of Housing and Urban Development.     

ANALYZING RENT CONTROL: THE CASE OF LOS ANGELES

An accurate assessment of the economic effects of a rent control law requires that both the specific provisions of the ordinance and the characteristics of the local housing market be considered. Examining the case of Los Angeles we conclude: First, most of the transfers from landlords to tenants were realized early in the law's life, while most of the economic cost of rent control was incurred later. Second, ordinance provisions aimed at increasing landlords' incentives to maintain rent-controlled dwellings also markedly reduce the size of the transfers to tenants. These results, we think, will apply to other jurisdictions.     

Advancing Program Theory for Licensed Assisted Living Services in Independent Housing

Assisted living programs (ALPs) embed licensed assisted living services within independent housing. To advance nascent research on this type of housing plus services, this study aimed to develop empirically grounded program theory on the processes through which ALPs benefit residents within independent housing. Eighteen in-depth interviews were conducted with current and prospective consumers of an ALP in northern New Jersey, including residents and family caregivers. The setting for the ALP was a federally subsidized independent housing building, which had introduced the ALP approximately 1 year prior to the study. Themes emerging from an iterative coding process indicated the most valued aspects of the ALP’s service delivery, including the comprehensiveness of the service options, the flexible timing for their delivery, and the relational aspects of care. Participants further described the ways in which the structure of the ALP facilitated prevention, such as preventing the occurrence and escalation of adverse health events. The study concludes by presenting a program model that integrates these findings, which suggests that ALPs deliver care in ways that make long-term services and supports more accommodating and acceptable to consumers. This, in turn, can enhance their preventive value to facilitate aging in place among independent housing residents in clinical need of such supports.     

Tenure Preference,Discourse and Housing Debt: Language’s Role in Tenure Stigmatisation

The British housing market has been characterised by a preference for owner-occupation which derives, in part, from the fact that there are many structural (primarily economic) forces that have resulted in tenants being increasingly marginalised. This is particularly true of tenants of local authority housing, which still makes up over 20% of the housing stock of Great Britain. While it may be possible to address these structural forces, and to propose programmes which may reduce the marginalisation, this paper seeks to address whether the stigmatisation of local authority tenants and of their landlords has now also become a problem of discourse itself. The paper seeks to examine this through the language used in relation to arrears of rent and mortgage payments, Drawing on interviews with both tenants and owner-occupiers, the paper suggests that the way in which individuals experience and talk about arrears is in fact relatively tenure neutral. Both owner-occupiers and tenants talked about their arrears in similar ways. This is then contrasted with how housing arrears have been portrayed in the print media. Here the portrayal of the causes and consequences of arrears is not tenure neutral. While owner-occupiers are portrayed as being the victims of forces beyond their control, and the institutional lenders are generally portrayed as seeking to minimise the impact of these forces on the individual borrower, the position for tenants is different. Here the individual is more often portrayed as feckless and a deliberate non-payer. Local authority landlords are similarly portrayed as inefficient at best and corrupt at worst. The paper concludes by suggesting that further marginalisation of those who are not owner-occupiers cannot be fully addressed without understanding that tenure neutrality is not only a question of economics but also one of language.     

Housing Costs in an Oil and Gas Boom Town: Issues for Low-Income Senior Women Living Alone

In resource-based towns that have historically been dominated by young workers and their families, seniors’ housing issues have received little attention by community leaders and senior policymakers. However, since the 1980s there has been a growing trend of older women living alone in Canadian rural and small town places. Although research on rural poverty focuses on small towns in decline, booming resource economies can also produce challenges for low-income senior women living alone due to higher housing costs and the retrenchment of health care and service supports. Because housing costs can consume a significant proportion of household income, low-income senior women living alone may not have the financial resources to cover expenses in a competitive housing market. Using a household survey, we explored this different dimension of the Canadian rural landscape by looking at housing costs for low-income senior women living alone in the booming oil and gas town of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada. The authors findings indicate that low-income senior women living alone are incurring higher housing costs compared with other senior groups.     

Factors contributing to eviction from permanent supportive housing: Lessons from HUD-VASH

IntroductionEviction from housing is associated with several negative outcomes, further exacerbated among high-need populations requiring financial and supportive services to maintain housing stability. This study investigated risk and protective factors—both characteristics and precipitating events of tenant eviction—informing permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs’ efforts to identify tenants at risk and intervene.MethodsUsing administrative data for a cohort of 20,146 Veterans participating in PSH, this study assessed differences in Veterans who exited the program due to eviction and Veterans who exited because they accomplished their goals. A series of logistic regressions identified patterns of health services use that may signal imminent eviction.ResultsVeterans with a drug use disorder and those who received inpatient, emergency, or outpatient care related to mental/behavioral health and substance use conditions proximal to program exit had greater risk for eviction. Receipt of outpatient primary medical care and supportive services was generally protective against eviction. The likelihood of eviction was greatest for Veterans with acute care use within 30 days of exit.DiscussionPSH providers may use these correlates of eviction to identify Veterans in need of an intervention to prevent eviction. Future work should focus on operationalizing these findings and identifying appropriate interventions.     

Housing plus services: supporting vulnerable families in permanent housing

The importance of integrating services with housing to help low-income families achieve stability is gaining recognition. The variations in types of existing housing and service initiatives have produced a complex language with multiple meanings and overlapping definitions. The National Low Income Housing Coalition proposes the umbrella term housing plus services to refer to these programs. Following a review of the literature on the relationship of housing to child well-being, the article discusses and illustrates the National Low Income Housing Coalition's principles for and typology of housing plus services.     

Balancing regulation and affordability of housing

Housing regulation is a growing concern because affordability of housing has been declining and regulations which increase housing costs have been escalating. Many of the regulations which have been adopted fulfill goals of protection of health, safety, or welfare; preservation of the environment; or improved energy conservation. Little attention, however, has been paid to the effect of these regulations on affordability. This article reviews the role of government regulation on housing, and discusses the parameters of the affordability/regulatory issue.Helpful comments and suggestions were made by Vincent Brannigan, Bob Cleveland, Deborah Godwin, Roger Swagler, Anne Sweaney, and Frank Walter.Dr. Meeks received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and is interested in housing economics and policy, and the economic well-being of households.     

Housing problems experienced by recipients of child welfare services

This study uses data on the experiences of families involved with child welfare services to examine the nature of housing problems and needs among these families and whether housing status affects case outcomes. First, the article describes the housing difficulties faced by two distinct child welfare service populations: families receiving voluntary in-home services and families with children in court-ordered out-of-home care. Second, the study demonstrates the relationship between housing problems and the likelihood of family reunification for children in out-of-home care. The findings have implications for the delivery of child welfare services and the provision of housing assistance to low-income families with children.     

The shaping of electronic service delivery

This paper considers the current literature on electronic service delivery in the light of the findings of a qualitative research project examining the implementation of online services in British social housing. The paper adds to existing evidence that the nature of electronic service delivery is heavily influenced by the agencies that introduce it and by the context in which it occurs. The shape of electronic service delivery in social housing was found to be heavily influenced by the high complexity of transactions between social landlords and tenants, and by the ethos of some social landlords. The research also suggested there was a broad consensus between social landlords and tenants with regard to the practical limits of online services. However, the development of this form of electronic service delivery was occurring in a situation in which influence was unevenly divided between the various parties involved.     

Pregnancy in a Brotherhood bin: Housing and drug-treatment options for pregnant young women

The research on which this paper is based is part of an Australian Housing Urban Research Institute (AHURI) project using ethnographic research with people using heroin in the cities of Yarra and Geelong (Victoria), Sydney and Cabramatta (New South Wales). More specifically the article reports on the lives of young drug dependent pregnant women and the importance of housing for those wanting to enter drug treatment programs. This involves asking how critical the provision of appropriate housing are for women who choose to ‘get clean’ or who attempt to limit their drug use. An answer is provided by drawing on interview material from the pregnant women themselves as well as a range of health and welfare service providers.