A Community-First Model WORKS!
OUR PLAN & APPROACH TO FIGHTING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
Why serve chronically homeless individuals?
Chronic homelessness is the deepest level of homelessness to be nationally categorized. It is the most difficult level to serve effectively because it is closely tied to both untreated trauma and mental illness. They’re a misunderstood population, with a high level of need, that most of society feels ill-equipped to handle well. Provider expectations are frequently unattainable. Once those bridges have been burned, chronically homeless individuals are left to fend for themselves with providers stating they need “a higher level of care”. But where is that level of care to be found? It takes a level of patience and dedication that providers are unable to invest in.
A century ago, these individuals would have been institutionalized. See a timeline of Mental Health Care here.
Why we adhere to Housing First and Permanent Supportive Housing best practices
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has taken notice of the rising problem of homelessness. With the inception of the Recovery Act in 2009, the Homeless Prevention & Rapid Rehousing Program was born to eradicate the issue. The Recovery Act promoted a new Housing First model.
Housing First is an approach to serving people experiencing homelessness in recognizing a homeless individual must first be able to access a decent, safe place to live that does not limit length of stay (permanent housing), before stabilizing, improving health, reducing harmful behaviors, or increasing income.
For many, this has been a practical approach to alleviating homelessness. And yet, our chronically homeless population continues to grow. Service providers found that you can't expect those consumed by trauma to react like a healthy adult with socialized skills. When individuals had a successful opportunity to remain housed, they required “wrap-around” services to achieve functional stability.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is the name given to the model that goes this one step further. If the household includes at least one member with a disability, leasing assistance (e.g., long-term leasing and financial assistance) and supportive services are provided to help achieve housing stability. Case managers are brought in to provide support to individuals on social, medical, and psychological levels. But these service providers often have too many clients on their caseload and are not able to provide the personalized, consistent care a chronically homeless individual needs. The resulting interaction winds up becoming more transactional than relational.
Why current strategies are falling short
Continuum of Care (CoC) – a.k.a. Indianapolis’ Community Plan to End Homelessness
In 2018, the CoC established a 5-year goal for individuals and families in Indianapolis who became homeless to spend no more than 30 days without a permanent, safe, affordable place to live. There are several layers of complexity in achieving this goal, due to each homeless individual’s situation, even for those experiencing situational homelessness. What are the barriers for those specifically classified as chronically homeless?
City programs are often unable to identify enough housing to meet demand, so individuals get placed on impractical waiting lists.
The housing provided is often temporary, with restrictions, and usually not a safe or dignifying place to live.
The wrap-around mental health and social services connected to these housing programs are inconsistent and understaffed to adequately care for the quantity of complicated mental and physical health needs of the chronically homeless.
The longer a person has been chronically homeless, the harder it is to place them in a safe home. Often, by the time documents are acquired their window of identifying housing has passed and their voucher expires; or they are unable to achieve attending all required interviews or orientations, resulting in their referrals being closed out.
Furthermore, if and when a chronically homeless person is housed, they are often isolated away from any supportive community they might have had out on the streets. Isolation and failure to maintain housing creates another layer of trauma.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
Current models do not include 24-hour supervision. When PSH staff are not present, tenants exploit boundaries established by the properties, with disregard to the consequences.
In addition, the interaction between staff and tenants within existing PSH programs is essentially transactional. The extent of their relationship ends there. When boundaries are crossed or rent is not paid, there is little tolerance for unmet expectations. Unfortunately, this result frequently ends in an eviction. As of 2023, Indianapolis is rated as the 2nd highest city in the nation for evictions (www.evictionlab.org).
Housing-First
The Housing First model has been a great step towards solving our nation’s homelessness crisis. Can individuals experiencing situational homelessness be rehabilitated with this model, back to society with the provision of temporary rental vouchers and case management assisting with barriers to success? Potentially. Many have been successful. Is it the answer to solving chronic homelessness, for those who have been living outside for years with serious mental illness and/or addictions? There is no data. Yet is it realistic to expect them to succeed at independence with a year’s paid rent and sporadic interactions from service providers already overwhelmed with caseloads? And if that expectation is inconceivable, what is the solution for our most vulnerable individuals left to navigate being safely independent?
As Dr. Stephen Eide of the Manhattan Institute states, “There is no evidence-based proof of Housing First's ability to treat serious mental illness effectively, or drug or alcohol addiction. Housing First is not a reliable solution to social isolation, a very significant cause and effect of homelessness. Claims made on behalf of ending homelessness-that Housing First has ended Veterans' homelessness, chronic homelessness, or homelessness at the community level-are not based on ‘evidence,’ as that term is normally understood, and they rely on a highly technical (and dubious) definition of ‘ending’ homelessness.” *
* Housing First and Homelessness: The Rhetoric and the Reality. Stephen Eide (April 21, 2020).
What if…
we saw homelessness not as an inconvenience but as an opportunity to show God’s love?
A Christ-centered community approach makes the difference
Everyone deserves to be seen, known, and loved the way Jesus sees them. At Sanctuary Indy, we believe everyone is worthy of love, human dignity, and the safety of a home and healthy community.
Christ followers are called to care for those unable to care for themselves: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40b)
Being Christ-centered, we are called to this mission. It can be tempting to dismiss someone struggling with chronic homelessness as someone else’s problem. Yet this is not solely our government’s issue to conquer. This crisis is not the result of individuals succumbing to a drug placed before them or choice to not work. Those are stereotypical judgements. The reality is we have hurting people, living outside, scared and without hope.
We have been given the tools to combat this issue. Jesus compels us to see those in the most desperate need as our neighbor, through a simple analogy, “Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead… But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.’” (Luke 10:30, 33-34)
Take care of those unable to care for themselves. Give them refuge in a safe environment, where they can have community with those who are also overcoming trauma. Provide healing through the serenity of a nature-like habitat. Validate and equip them with life-skills to live as independently as able. No judgement – only love. Sanctuary Indy will stand in the gap for our chronically homeless neighbors.
At Sanctuary Indy, we will never turn away anyone who qualifies as chronically homeless from receiving our services on the basis of race, gender, gender identity, sexual preference, religion, age, disability, mental health, or any other distinguishing factor.
Trauma-Informed Housing Models
Although Sanctuary Indy will be a pioneer in the Indianapolis community we are following movements across the country with a decade or more experience.
Community First! Village – Austin, Texas
Community First! Village is a 51-acre master-planned community that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. This transformative residential program exists to love and serve neighbors who have been living on the streets while also empowering the surrounding community into a lifestyle of service with the homeless. Founded in 1998 and currently, in Phase II of development, they've permanently housed over 250 individuals. Sanctuary Indy conducted a week-long “vision trip” at Community First! Village in October of 2021.
Quixote Communities – Olympia, Washington
Quixote Communities is the response to the 2007 displacement of Camp Quixote in Olympia, Washington, due to a newly established ordinance heavily restricting the use of sidewalks. The chain of effects gathered a large community of support for the camp. Many faith-based communities in Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater stepped up to coordinate Panza (now Quixote Communities). Their hard work and dedication in bringing awareness to the public eventually resulted in support by their local government, with legislature even funding the creation of permanent supportive housing for the nonprofit and committing land. Quixote Village opened its doors on December 24th, 2013.
Today, Quixote Communities has grown to 3 established properties, in 3 different Washington state cities, successfully housing 95 formerly homeless individuals.
Eden Village of The Gathering Tree – Springfield, Missouri
Eden Village is a community model that has built tiny home communities for over 30 of Springfield, Missouri’s chronically homeless and disabled since 2017. Beginning as a drop-in day center for the homeless, Eden Village evolved into addressing the need for housing. By late 2018, they had completed 18 homes. They are currently in Phase 2 with an additional 24 homes.
Be part of the solution for Indy’s chronically homeless population!
Through our planning, we have determined that $4 million* is needed to develop our first Sanctuary Indy community. This budget includes $1 million to construct all of the supporting infrastructure and $3 million to build approximately 27 homes and necessary service buildings.
*Estimates based on current prices and may change in the future.
