2023-069 Homelessness Initiatives Performance Outcomes December 15, 2023 Report No. 2023-069
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Council Initiatives to Address Homelessness FY2022-2023 Performance Outcomes
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report provides an update on the performance outcomes of the City's initiatives to address
homelessness for fiscal year 2022-2023. The initiatives, supported by General Fund dollars and
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, aim to make homelessness rare, brief, and
nonrecurring.The report covers various programs including the Denton Community Shelter, Street
Outreach, the Denton County Barriers Fund, and others, highlighting their goals, funding, and
performance outcomes.
DISCUSSION:
Since 2018, the City has funded various initiatives to combat homelessness, aligning with the
Denton County Homeless Leadership Team's strategy. City Council has approved $703,450
annually since 2020, with additional ARPA funding. However, a funding decrease is anticipated
by 2027, when ARPA funds are no longer available.
Funding to Address Homelessness
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$500,000 Covid Funding
$0 General Funding
-
0 General Funding 0 Covid Funding
December 15, 2023 Report No. 2023-069
1. Denton Community Shelter: Funded with $400,000 from the General Fund, it provides
low-barrier shelter with 118 emergency beds and 32 transitional beds. Performance
outcomes show active engagement in services and housing placements with goals largely
met or exceeded. The shelter opened in mid-December 2022 and the data in the table
below includes outcomes for only 9 months.
22-23 PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES
Goal Total Projected
1. Guest Count across all services 1,434 1,500
2. Guests Receiving One or More Day Shelter Services 1,434 1,500
3. Of#2 total, Guests Receiving Care Coordination 178 350
4. Average Daily Guest Count(Day Services 706 n/a
5. Guests Receiving One or More Emergency Overnight Shelter Services 706 750
6. Guests Enrolled in Transitional Shelter(Overnight) Services 257 200
7. Night Shelter Bed Utilization 150 n/a
8. Length of Stay in days) for Guests Exiting to Any Destination 70 n/a
9. Guest Count Who Self-Resolve or Are Diverted from Homelessness 44 50
10. Number of Completed Coordinated Entry Assessments for Placement 384 1,000
on the Housing Priority List
11. Housing Placements transitional housing) 96 50
12. Housing Placements ermanent housing) 49 150
Table 1.Shelter total versus projected Performance Outcomes,0110112023—0913012023
2. Street Outreach: Awarded$128,450 in General Fund dollars, it focuses on connecting
unsheltered individuals to services. The program successfully conducted numerous
outreach visits and facilitated exits to temporary and permanent housing. The program is
in collaboration with the Denton Police's Homeless Outreach team which focuses on
connecting unsheltered to services.
22-23 PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES
Goal Total Projected
1. Total Number of Outreach Visits 332 300
2. Total Number of Completed Coordinated Entry Assessments for 152 156
Placement on the Housing Priority List
3. Number of Exits to Temporary Shelter 47 39
4. Number of Exits to Permanent Housing 22 25
5. Number of Individuals Assisted with Diversion 22 25
6. Number of Individuals Referred to Eligible Behavioral Health 65 25
Services mental health and substance use services
7. Of#6,Number of Individuals Receiving Eligible Behavioral 7 25
Health Services
Table 2.Street Outreach total versus projected Performance Outcomes,1010112022—0913012023
3. Denton County Homelessness Leadership Team (DCHLT): Receives $80,000 for
coordinating continuous improvement of the Housing Crisis Response System,
management of the Homelessness Data Dashboard, and the expansion of available
housing solutions in Denton, showing progress in housing and community engagement.
December 15, 2023 Report No. 2023-069
PERFORMANCE22-23
Goal Total
1.Undu licated Number of Individuals on the Housing Priority List 505
2.Number of Staff Hours dedicated to Backbone Support 3,470
3.Number of Exits to Permanent Housing through Housing Navigation 33
4.Number of New Landlord Relationships 19
5.Number of New Units Available 87
Table 3.DCHLT Backbone Support Performance Outcomes, 101112022—0913012023
4. Denton County Barriers Fund: With an $80,000 allocation, it provides financial
support for critical needs to promote housing stability. The fund has assisted numerous
households and efficiently utilized its resources.
PERFORMANCE22-23
Goal Total
1. Number of Barriers Fund Applications 101
2. Number of Barriers Fund Assisted 97
3. Average Amount of Assistance per Request $549
4. Barriers Fund Amount Raised $1,240.34
5. Lifetime Number of Households Assisted through Barriers Fund 517
6. Lifetime Average Amount of Assistance per Request $565.72
Table 4.Barriers Fund Totals for Performance Outcomes,101112022—0913012023
5. HMIS Licenses: Supported with $15,000 from the General Fund, it utilizes the Homeless
Management Information System(HMIS) which provides the community vital data on
service utilization, unmet needs, and opportunities for future and ongoing funding for
homelessness prevention and intervention.
PERFORMANCE22-23
Goal Total
1. Number of Hours Providing HMIS Technical Assistance 4,087
2. Collaboration/Capacity Building: Meetings for HMIS,PIT, CE, and others 63
3. Year-to-Date Number of Agencies Using HMIS 14
4. Year-to-Date Number of HMIS Licenses 48
Table 5.HMIS Licenses Performance Outcomes,101112022-0913012023
6. Hotel Voucher Program: Funded through American Rescue Plan(ARPA), it offers
transitional shelter in local hotels and case management. The program has shown success
in assisting households to obtain permanent housing and employment.
PERFORMANCE22-23
Goal Total
1. Number of individual households that obtained permanent housing. 16
2. Number of family households that obtained permanent housing. 11
3. Number of individual households that gained employment. 23
4. Number of family households that gained employment. 24
5. Number of individuals that gained SSI/SSDI benefits. 5
Table 6.Hotel Voucher Program Performance Outcomes,011112023-0913012023
December 15, 2023 Report No. 2023-069
7. HOME ARP Tenant Based Rental Assistance and Supportive Services: Started May
2023 with $1,763,622 in funds to provide rental assistance and case management.
Performance outcomes are pending.
System Challenges and Efforts
• The report notes an increase in individuals on the Housing Priority List, attributed to
ongoing economic impacts of the pandemic and a high percentage of people experiencing
chronic homelessness.
• The expansion of Permanent Supportive Housing programs and efforts to address gaps in
services across multiple sectors are underway.
• The importance of understanding system-level interactions between homelessness,
housing affordability, healthcare, and employment is emphasized for a holistic approach
to homelessness.
Strengthening the Housing Crisis Response System:
Two new workgroups, the Diversion Workgroup, and the Cross Care Collaborative, have been
established to improve prevention strategies and service coordination across multiple systems.
The Barriers Fund is crucial in filling funding gaps. These initiatives aim to address
homelessness more effectively through collaborative efforts.
CONCLUSION:
The City's concerted efforts in addressing homelessness through various initiatives have yielded
significant positive outcomes. However, challenges remain,particularly in the wake of reduced
future funding and the complex nature of homelessness. Continued focus on collaborative and
comprehensive strategies is essential for further progress.
STAFF CONTACT: Megan Ball
REOUESTOR: Staff Initiated
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS: Community Services
STAFF TIME TO COMPLETE REPORT: 4 hours