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We, at The Key Alliance, would like to thank everyone who invited us to address their organization or congregation about solutions to homelessness. Over the past couple of years we have observed a great change in homelessness awareness in our city, which is largely due to the existence of Nashville’s street paper, The Contributor (which is an independent nonprofit not affiliated with us, but whose mission we support wholeheartedly).
Now that many people are aware of homeless issues, we are working on spreading the message that there is a solution to homelessness.
The Key Alliance, together with its partner, the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, is working to end chronic homelessness and reduce overall homelessness in Nashville by 2015. As big as this task seems at first glance, it is a reachable goal. If we create the necessary partnerships and get people and organizations involved in investing in permanent solutions to homelessness, Nashville will be able to achieve its goal and end chronic homelessness in the near future.
One of the main solutions we promote is Housing First.
Housing First offers permanent housing to a homeless individual or family and then connects people to the services they need to maintain their housing.
The Housing First model is consumer-driven. Each participant decides what his next goals are and works closely with a case manager who is a master’s level social worker. The case manager regularly visits a Housing First participant and helps him or her work toward self-sufficiency.
Donate here to support Housing First today.
To reach our Speakers Bureau and schedule for us to address your group of 5 or more individuals about how we, as a community, can end homelessness in Nashville, please call Judith Tackett at 615-800-0195.
Together we can make a difference – one person at a time.
New Initiative: Go Teach
 Many of our stakeholders have already heard about our Adopt A Unit initiative, which invites congregations to help set up a household for one of our Housing First participants. The Adopt A Unit initiative is one of three key components of our Go Teach campaign.
Go Teach is centered on Housing First and offers different opportunities for congregations to take part in the solution to chronic homelessness. The three key components of Go Teach are:
- A Mentoring Program, which is a one-year commitment of dedicated volunteers to support the work of a case manager by mentoring one Housing First participant;
- The Adopt A Unit program, which involves helping with the establishment of one household of a Housing First participant (through furnishing and other items); and
- A funding component, which offers congregations and/or individuals to contribute to the housing and case management cost of Housing First at any level they choose.
The program allows congregations to pick and choose the components that they are comfortable with at this point in time. The goal of The Key Alliance is to create partnerships with congregations and receive support for Housing First.
Helping the most vulnerable chronically homeless individuals move into and maintain housing is not easy. We have found over the past four years that the key to success is Housing First, which is permanent housing coupled with intensive wrap-around case management. Case management is provided by a master’s level social worker with a case ratio of about 12 clients per social worker.
We believe that additional mentoring will create a social network that supports case managers and Housing First participants. The goal is to help participants maintain their housing and move towards self-sufficiency.
Here is what we ask congregations to bring to the table:
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The first key to the Go Teach campaign is a MENTORING PROGRAM set up by participating congregations. We suggest that five congregation members commit to be a part of a mentoring team for one year. The Mentoring Program involves an in-depth training with our housing coordinator to educate team members on how to reach out and maintain nurturing relationships with our Housing First participants.
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The second key is an ADOPT A UNIT initiative. Under this component of the Go Teach program, congregations help us set up the household for a Housing First participant. It may be achieved through a household item and furnishing drive that includes your entire congregation. A handful of members in your congregation may provide furnishings and other household items. It is up to you to choose the best approach for your congregation. Once the household goods are delivered, the commitment of the congregation is fulfilled. You can choose to participate with another housing unit or revisit the Adopt a Unit initiative at another time.
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And the final, third key is the FUNDING of the program. Housing First costs $17,000 per person per year; this breaks down to $6,000 for housing and $9,000-$11,000 for intensive case management. We ask congregations to help us identify creative ways that will make this program possible. Maybe you have a member in your congregation who is willing to donate an apartment for one year? Or you may want to partner with another congregation to participate financially in the program. We will work with you to find creative solutions because we want you to be a part of the Go Teach program.
Congregations can do one, two or all of the three components. They can pick and choose what they are comfortable with.
The Go Teach program is offered to congregations because we believe that congregations have the structure and support within their organization to fulfill their commitments to Go Teach.
The Key Alliance, in partnership with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, is focused on solutions to homelessness. Go Teach is a program that lends support to solutions to homelessness such as Housing First.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness
 Domestic Violence is a major contributor to homelessness.
About 50% of cities participating in an annual study conducted by the US Conference of Mayors have identified Domestic Violence as a primary cause of homelessness. In addition, the National Coalition for the Homeless states that about 63% of homeless women have experienced Domestic Violence as adults.
With about 51 available beds, the YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee is the largest Domestic Violence service provider in our state. In 2010, the YWCA served 225 women and 163 children providing a total of 15,864 bed nights.
The Key Alliance sat down with Tami Walker, YWCA’s director of domestic violence services, and talked about the issue from her perspective.
Walker said DV survivors come from all walks of life regardless of race, income or social background. The common denominator of DV survivors is that they are in an abusive relationship. Many of the DV survivors who seek shelter with the YWCA bring children.
“We serve a lot of young kids,” Walker said, adding that not many children coming to the YWCA shelters with their moms are teenagers, most of them are younger. “The cool thing about the YWCA is that we serve boys through the age of 18. That’s very uncommon for family shelters in general.”
Walker explained that shelters housing women and children often do not allow boys older than 12.
“We realized that there was a need for moms who had older boys,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of teenagers, but we’re really grateful that we are able to provide this space if necessary.”
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in an intimate relationship to control the other (www.domesticviolence.org).
Intimate Partner Violence affects 4.8 million women and 2.9 million men each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which uses the term Intimate Partner Violence (IVP) when talking about Domestic Violence.
Metro Police’s Domestic Violence Unit recorded 28,598 DV reports in 2010, up from 24,113 DV reports in 2009 and 17,477 in 2008. A majority of the reports are cleared and many are not pursued further after the person who makes the reports decides not to pursue it. With that in mind, while the numbers are staggering, they do not draw an accurate picture of actual DV incidences.
The YWCA hosts a local DV hotline.
“Last year, we received 3,811 crisis calls,” Walker said. “There weren’t 3,811 people requesting shelter.”
This number includes information and referral calls. They could come from a person who is seeking shelter or from a friend or family member seeking guidance when they know of a domestic violence situation that a loved one is involved in.
“We’ve got crisis counselors there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year answering the phone,” Walker said.
When people who are in a DV situation call the crisis line, the first step is to create a safety plan.
“Not everybody is ready to leave. Not everybody wants to leave. Not everybody is going to leave – ever,” Walker explains. “And that’s OK. We want to support their decision and yet help them make a safety plan so they can live there as safely as possible.”
Domestic Violence and Homelessness
Walker said there is a clear correlation between Domestic Violence and homelessness.
“Our clients are homeless,” she said. “They had to leave their homes because of domestic violence to look for a safe place. So everybody who comes to us is fleeing domestic violence and needs a confidential location.”
DV survivors deal with multiple, complex issues ranging from guilt and anger to stress and drug and alcohol abuse (often used as coping mechanisms while in the DV situation). Once in a safe place, it is important that a survivor is able to sleep and relax before making any further decisions.
Many victims who have sought shelter also choose to return to their abuser. The YWCA does not judge decisions but aims to help keep people safe.
The truth is that abusers are often very charming, nice people, according to Walker. At the same time, they can be prone to violent outbursts.
In 2010, the Metro Police listed 14 domestic homicides and three attempted homicides. In addition, 495 orders of protection were issued in 2010. Metro Police also recorded 817 violations of the orders of protection during the same time span.
Soar Program
The Key Alliance is focused on raising awareness and funds to support solutions to homelessness in our city. We partner with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, the planning and coordination entity tasked to implement the city’s 10 year Plan to end chronic homelessness and reduce overall homelessness.
 The following article features the city’s nationally recognized SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach Access and Recovery) program, which is locally implemented by Park Center and currently funded by the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission.
Since inception of the program, SOAR has connected 314 eligible homeless individual with their monthly benefits from the Social Security Administration. The program has generated a minimum of $6.1 million for local beneficiaries since 2006 and greatly reduces dependency on local taxpayers to provider for the care of these 314 recipients.
SOAR stands for SSI/SSDI Outreach Access and Recovery and is locally administered by Park Center, a non-profit agency that creates opportunities and promotes recovery for persons with mental illness.
Clifton Harris, executive director of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, said the goal of the SOAR program was to connect homeless individuals to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) funds.
“The Metropolitan Homelessness Commission launched the local program in 2006 by contracting with Park Center to provide the services,” Harris said, explaining that as a planning and coordination entity, the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission contracts with local service providers such as Park Center to implement programs.
Park Center currently has three staff members working fulltime on the SOAR program. In addition, Park Center provides SOAR training to other local service providers.
The program has successfully connected 314 homeless individuals with benefits and Medicaid or Medicare, said Barbara Quinn, president and CEO of Park Center. "The average monthly benefit is about $674," Quinn said. "This income is the first step to recovery and opens doors to move into housing, find employment and become healthy and self-sufficient members of the community.”
Park Center shows a success rate of 97% upon initial application. Nationally, about 37% of individuals who apply for SSI/SSDI benefits are approved based on their initial application. That initial success rate falls to 10-15% for the homeless population, according to the national SOAR Technical Assistance Center out of New York. The appeals process takes on average two years to maneuver through.
“Homeless individuals who are assisted by Park Center receive their SSI/SSDI approval on average within 65 days," Harris said. "These incomes have helped move people out of homelessness.
“We are very proud to work with Park Center,” he continued. “Thanks to the excellence of Park Center, our local program has received national recognition from NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) and by the National Alliance to End Homelessness."
The Key Alliance believes the $6.1 million the program has generated is an underestimate of the true benefits that Park Center has been able to provide to people in need.
“Park Center has done an outstanding job of helping homeless individual receive their SSI/SSDI benefits. Especially people who struggle with mental illness fall through the gaps and are unable to fill out all the necessary paperwork," Harris said. “SOAR is a program that works. In the end our entire community benefits when no- to low-income individuals are able to increase their quality of life.”
Park Center restores hope, provides opportunities and promotes recovery of persons with mental illness through holistic services that focus on their needs, choices and strengths. Park Center’s Homeless Street Outreach and SOAR Coordinators apply a holistic approach to individuals experiencing homelessness by successfully connecting them to resources for housing, medical care and employment.
News Briefs
 Project Homeless Connect:
The Key Alliance will postpone Project Homelessness Connect and move it from Wednesday, December 7, 2011 to spring. We will send out more details next month.
We will follow up individually with our service providers and all volunteers who have already signed up, once we have determined a new date.
Go Teach:
Our second campaign focus is on Go Teach. Please read our in-depth article in this newsletter about our Go Teach program, which offers congregations different levels of involvement to support Housing First.
Medical Respite to Housing First:
We are still working with Room In The Inn to raise funds for their Medical Respite Care program, which includes the renovation of their Guest House. In addition, this campaign includes a Housing First component which aims to break the cycle of chronically homeless individuals with severe health conditions cycling in and out of hospitals.
 Night Out Against Crime:The Key Alliance took part in two Night Out Against Crime events on Aug. 2, talking to dozens of people about our mission to raise awareness and funds to support permanent solutions to homelessness. Thank you for the many visitors who came to our table and learn about The Key Alliance.
Community Awareness:
We received media coverage on several of our programs including the Adopt A Unit initiative and the SOAR program.
Please follow us on our Facebook page, where we keep you informed about news, trends and studies surrounding the issues of homelessness.
Click here to Join The Key Alliance. For a tax-deductible contribution of $25 or more you will become a Key Supporter. Your contribution will help remove barriers to housing and employment.
Your gift will make a difference. It costs:
- $12 to replace a person’s State I.D., which is necessary to gain access to housing and employment.
- $15 to replace a birth certificate in Tennessee.
- $50 per day for housing and case management.
- $60 per day for emergency housing for a family with children.
- $100 per person per day for housing, case management, medication, food, clothing, and household items.
Together we can end homelessness – one person at a time.
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