Shelter Diversion - Strategies to End Homelessness

The Issue

A family’s descent into literal homelessness typically follows a well-defined progression:

• Crisis: family experiences a setback that jeopardizes their housing (job loss, illness etc.).
• Housing Loss: unable to pay the rent, the family is either evicted or abandons their housing to avoid an eviction.
• Doubled-up: the family moves in with family or acquaintances, moving frequently as hosts tell them to move on.
• Literal homelessness: the family runs out of such options and enters an emergency shelter or sleeps unsheltered.

The further a family descends, the more trauma and problems they experience (children frequently changing schools, loss of possessions, etc.), and the more expensive interventions to help become — the average cost of an episode of literal homelessness in the Cincinnati area is $4,700 per person. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “When compared to low-income and homeless families, children experiencing homelessness have been shown to: have higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems; have increased risk of serious health problems; are more likely to experience separations from their families; and experience more school mobility, repeat a grade, be expelled or drop out of school, and have lower academic performance.”

Through the shelter diversion program, Strategies to End Homelessness is aiming to provide a cost-effective method of preventing individuals from experiencing the devastation of homelessness.

 

The Intervention

Since 2007, Strategies to End Homelessness has led a comprehensive system of care to prevent and eventually end homelessness in Cincinnati/Hamilton County.

Working in partnership with 30 non-profit organizations, Strategies to End Homelessness coordinates a centralized emergency shelter hotline, homelessness prevention, street outreach, emergency shelter and housing solutions with the goal of ending homelessness.

The intervention being studied is Strategies to End Homelessness’s shelter diversion program. The program primarily serves families who have lost their own housing, are doubled up, and are running out of places to stay. Shelter Diversion provides rental assistance (deposit, utility payments, storage, and moving expenses) and case management for 3-6 months to increase income and access community supports.

 

Research Question

Does the Shelter Diversion Program prevent homelessness and stabilize the families it serves?

 

Intended Outcomes

Individuals and families who enter into the shelter diversion program will be more stably housed within one year of program exit compared to the control group.

Research Study Design

LEO’s evaluation of Strategies to End Homelessness’ shelter diversion program is a randomized control trial. The sample for the study will be those at imminent risk of homelessness who earn under 15% of the Area Median Income and have stayed in 2 or more places in the past 30 days.

The Community Access Point Line is the main point of access to the program. During the CAP call, callers will be screened for possible participation in the program and informed consent will be obtained. Then all callers who consent will be randomized into a treatment group who is offered a spot in the Shelter Diversion Program and a control group who will not be enrolled in the program for a minimum of four weeks.

During the study, researchers will track through HMIS data an individuals’ housing stability for both the treatment and control groups. Researchers will also track and compare, for both groups: involvement in other homelessness services and programs, criminal justice involvement, evictions, credit score, employment status, health insurance coverage, and neighborhood mobility opportunity.

 

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