Seattle King County Homelessness Social Work Essay Essay Example

Seattle King County Homelessness Social Work Essay Essay Seattles homeless population has continued to turn since the execution of Mayor Shells Zero Homelessness Family Pledge. The current economic clime, turning unemployment and other factors will non let the accomplishment of this end at present. In order to successfully battle homelessness, staff recommends implementing schemes based on a public policy model that incorporates employment policy, lodging policy, and schemes designed to maintain people in their places. By concentrating on full employment, low-cost lodging and societal safety cyberspaces such as exigency aid for rent, eviction protection and service centres, the City of Seattle and King County will be able to take preventive steps to halt the turning figure of homeless and make an interrelated networked alliance of concerned citizens and organisations to work to the promotion of this undertaking. We will write a custom essay sample on Seattle King County Homelessness Social Work Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Seattle King County Homelessness Social Work Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Seattle King County Homelessness Social Work Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer King County, City of Seattle, and environing organisations are and will be committed to assist the homeless within King County reconstruct their lives by supplying services in the community s clip of demand. Background Summary Mayor Shell s proclamation has raised consciousness and increased community engagement within Seattle. We are committed to the end of stoping homelessness. The City has so put its money where its oral cavity is to turn to turning concerns. In 1998, the City of Seattle spent about $ 7.8 million on services for stateless people, about twice every bit much as it did in 1989 . ( Norton, 2006 ) Many believe Seattle s stateless population is around 9,000 people ( Anonymous, 2009 ) ; and likely 1,000 are kids. Many of the services Seattle has implemented include plans such as exigency shelters, homeless shelters, low-income lodging, and hygiene plans. Other helpful entities include the Community Psychiatric Clinic which provides about 5,000 mentally sick clients with services per twelvemonth. Private shelters, soup kitchens, and nutrient Bankss are portion of the Seattle web to stop homelessness. The Seattle Housing Authority provides merely over 5000 public lodging units which supports around 25,000 occupants. ( Block, B. , 2009 ) Several different plans have played critical functions in a 10 twelvemonth program to stop homelessness. The Committee to End Homelessness in King County made up of representatives from non-profit-making organisations, concern, local authorities, homeless protagonism groups, and the religion community, has developed and adopted the program. The plan besides offers support those who are in danger or on the brink of going homeless. Harmonizing to the King County Office of Human Services safe seaport system, Seattle and King County services provided important aid to upwards of 20,000 persons and non merely the 9,000 homeless who are estimated to be stateless on any given dark. In the 2009 study Hunger and Homelessness in US Cities , it was reported that San Francisco, Charleston, Kansas City, Dallas, Boston, Nashville, and Sacramento observed record-breaking household homelessness additions. Harmonizing to the metropoliss, the current recession, unemployment and foreclosures were the major causes of the increased homelessness. This study displayed 25 % rises in petitions for aid, which is the greatest addition since 1991. Because the metropolis of Seattle has the support of its citizens and has made a committedness to stop homelessness, the demand has non increased every bit much in Seattle as it has in other metropoliss. ( Committee to End Homelessness, 2009 ) Many other metropoliss have implemented ten twelvemonth programs like Seattle s with similar consequences, such as Denver Colorado. Denver has a stateless population of 8,700 people, a similar homeless population as Seattle, and has besides implemented a 10 twelvemonth program. As a whole, they are encouraged by their advancement yet must confront an addition in their homeless populations due to hard economic times. ( Committee to stop Homelessness, 2009 ) Seattle has an of import advantage Denver does non hold, the support of the populace. Seattle electors overpoweringly passed statute law to assist the homelessness population with health care. Some steps passed with every bit much as 70 % of the ballot. ( Rasmussen, T. 2010 ) Homeless Estimates/Identification and Analysis of Problems The City s plans have continued to turn probably because of the troubled economic clime. The One Night Count offers a snapshot of the stateless population: The figure of unsheltered homeless in Seattle is 1,977 is merely over two tierces of the entire unsheltered homeless count in King County. The Committee to End Homelessness in King County states that the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness throughout the County has a end to travel people quickly from homelessness to lodging construct the public and political will to stop homelessness, increase the efficiency of the bing systems, and step and study results. ( Committee to End Homelessness, 2009 ) The Ten-Year Plan , has non been successful in its original purposes. Homelessness will non be ended within the 10 twelvemonth timeframe. The plan has, nevertheless, brought the job of homelessness to the attending of citizens. Additionally, the program has allowed Seattle to maintain homelessness at sensible degrees as compared to other metropoliss. although there have been big additions in Seattle s stateless population, we do non see the record-breaking household homelessness additions in Seattle as we do in other metropoliss such as San Francisco, Charleston, Kansas City, Dallas, Boston, Nashville, and Sacramento. In the current system, harmonizing to the Office of Strategic Planning and Performance Management, the figure of homeless in King County is 2,827 ( 2009 One Night Count ) . This is up from 2008 which was 2,681 ( 2008 One Night Count ) . Additionally, the homeless population has continued to turn at a steady gait since 1998. Harmonizing to county records, the figure of homeless was 784 individuals in 1998, which is much less than the stateless population in 2009, which was of 2,827. Harmonizing to the U.S. Conference of Mayors in their 2007 study, Hunger and Homelessness in US Cities , there were three major causes of homelessness in the United States: unemployment, high lodging costs and low rewards. Additionally, Foreclosure to Homelessness 2009: The Forgotten Victims of the Subprime Crisis ( 2009 ) found that in 2009 many people became stateless as a consequence of foreclosures. The City of Seattle had a foreclosure rate of merely less than 1 per centum in 2009, and 11.6 per centum of Seattle s population is below the national poorness line. ( McLean, 2009 ) Again, the recession has caused the figure of participants in homelessness related plans to lift significantly. Harmonizing to Sard, ( 2009 ) and in Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the figure of stateless households with kids has increased from 20 % 58 % in describing urban countries because of the current recession. The metropolis has been turn toing several of the countries, which experts claim are taking causes of homelessness in US metropoliss. It appears as if Seattle is one of the leaders in controling homelessness compared to other urban countries across the state. Now more than of all time, as the homeless population continues to lift, Seattle must go on to back up services to help them at this clip. Recommendations The United States Department of HYPERLINK hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Housing_and_Urban_Development Urban Development and Housing indicates that Seattle is one of seven metropoliss making an astonishing occupation in efficaciously cut downing its homeless population. They are making this by utilizing aggressive plans and support. As antecedently discussed, forestalling new people from going homeless is built-in to cut downing the metropolis s homeless. Because the hapless economic system is one of the prima causes of homelessness, shelters should increase employment services for persons, in add-on to other metropolis attempts. It is recommended that Seattle continue its current attempts while implementing more aggressive fiscal support and by go oning to suggest aggressive ends for stoping homelessness. The metropolis should see back uping more aggressive preventive steps for maintaining people in their places, better bing stateless shelter substructure, implementing employment policy for the homeless, and by enrolling new community leaders and by farther organizing attempts with those leaders. Harmonizing to Lindblom, ( 1991 ) one of the most of import arms to battling homelessness is to halt homelessness at its beginning, by funding bar schemes. This includes stopping evictions, work outing notice jobs, supplying hard currency progress plans, and maintaining people in shared lodging. Financially it is much more cost effectual to implement pre-emptive agencies than to seek and assist people once they already homeless. Another scheme is to increase the incomes of highly hapless. By increasing the incomes of those in danger of fring their places, we can assist them maintain themselves sheltered. The City s unemployment rate rose from 4 per centum in 1998 to about 8.2 per centum in 2009. ( Anonymous, 2009 ) In future old ages, plans will necessitate to be reevaluated based on economic and employment conditions. In the current clime, it is recommended that the metropolis foremost offer more exigency and transitional services for the turning figure of homeless. Additionally, we need to offer more subsidised lodging, more employment chances, more lasting supportive lodging for persons with disablements, prevent evictions, work out notice jobs, supply hard currency progress plans, and maintain people in shared lodging. The current web of services is a solid foundation for assailing the job of homelessness in Seattle. Current Network of Services Seattle included the undermentioned plans in the 2009 budget in an attempt to battle homelessness: Impermanent Shelter The metropolis provides impermanent shelter plans which offers receivers instance direction and a topographic point to kip. The end of the impermanent shelter is to assist receivers transition to stable long-run lodging. Funding varies from twelvemonth to twelvemonth. In 2008 $ 6 million was allocated to the plan and in 2009 the figure increased to $ 7.1 million. Impermanent Shelters are an built-in portion of maintaining persons off the street and doing the passage to permanent lodging which, as antecedently stated is an of import constituent for stoping homelessness. ( King County Department of Community and Human Services, 2009 ) . Service Centers Several centres provided by the metropolis offer citizens laundry service and showers. In add-on service centres are able to mention them to lodging and health care services. These centres frequently provide reding, employment referrals, hot repasts, and a topographic point to hive away properties. 2008 saw $ 2.6 million distributed to these service centres. In 2009 that figure increased to $ 3.8 million. Service centres support those who are drastically affected by the economic system, once more, a taking cause of homelessness. ( King County Department of Community and Human Services, 2009 ) . Transitional Housing Transitional lodging helps persons take the first stairss towards long-run lodging. The plan aims to hold citizens in new lodging within two old ages of come ining the plan. The plan offers reding, employment, instruction, life accomplishments preparation, health care, child care, transit, lodging and other services to assist people make the Eventual passage to longer-term lodging. Funding for this plan has increased to $ 5.8 million in 2009 from $ 1 million in 2008. Transitional lodging seeks to bridge the employment and instruction spread which causes so many to be stateless. ( King County Department of Community and Human Services, 2009 ) . Eviction Prevention Because the metropolis s end is the riddance of homelessness, eviction bar is another of import metropolis service provided. Persons at high hazard for eviction and in federally subsidized lodging are offered authorities services such as instance direction, making programs to forestall eviction services to stabilise lodging and maintain persons off the street. 2008 saw $ 1 million budgeted for this plan. In 2009 this figure rose to $ 2.7 million. By maintaining persons from going homeless, we greatly increase our ability to cut the figure of people in demand of homeless services. ( King County Department of Community and Human Services, 2009 ) . Rent Aid The metropolis has two rent aid plans which help forestall homelessness by assisting persons in danger of falling short on their rent payments. $ 728,197 was distributed in 2008, while $ 554,129 was distributed in 2009 for this plan. Similar to eviction bar, by maintaining persons from going homeless, we greatly increase our ability to cut the figure of people in demand of homeless services. ( King County Department of Community and Human Services, 2009 ) . Emergency Rent Assistance Around 515 low-income families receive exigency rent aid each twelvemonth. Both, a long-run, and short-run plan are available. ( King County Department of Community and Human Services, 2009 ) . The 2009/2010 budget includes: The entire 2010 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services is $ 146,778,456. Of that figure, $ 28,377,592 is allocated for plans specifically designed to stop homelessness. ( City of Seattle 2010 Proposed Budget, 2009 ) . The chief resources for these undertakings come from assorted grants. These grants include direct federal grants, private income beginnings, and general bomber fund support. There are revenue enhancement parts which besides provide a limited beginning of support. The plans rely on the continued support of not-for-profits and private industry. Additionally, grants pay for a big part of these plans. ( Tokuda, K, 2009 ) . The budget has $ 2.5 million for homeless services and lodging including: 70 new shelter beds for persons relocated from campsites, hotel/motel verifiers to help 10 stateless households to acquire off the street, installation support for the new First Methodist Church shelter ; expanded twenty-four hours and hygiene services and instance direction services for inveterate stateless persons in business district Seattle ; support services for over 100 stateless persons populating in Housing-first units ; capital support for an extra 32 units of lodging units for stateless persons. The City of Seattle has been having federal support through the McKinney Grant ; about $ 10 million in 2009 ( City of Seattle 2010 Proposed Budget, 2009 ) . Seattle receives one of the largest McKinney awards each twelvemonth ( Norton, 2006 ) . The City Council besides added increased eviction bar support of $ 50,000 in both 2009 and 2010 ( Johnson, J. et all, 2009 ) . City of Seattle Budget: 2007 2008 2009 2010 Community Facilities 1,163,637 674,626 729,843 752,263 2007 2008 2009 2010 Emergency and Transitional Services 19,505,082 21,990,995 27,461,399 27,625,329 ( Johnson, J. et all, 2009 ) Policy Plan Further Aims Support preventive steps: Keep people in their places by fostering rent aid plans and eviction protection. Improve and spread out low cost lodging to better affordability, as mentioned, one of the prima causes of homelessness. Provide employment policy by quickly associating them with employment and/or benefits. Again, the fiscal crisis is one of the major grounds for homelessness. If we can acquire people into occupations the homeless population should diminish. Any building should be assorted usage in nature as the homeless population is likely to cyclically alter. As discussed, homelessness is that one of the highest points in recent memory. Because of this installation should be created which support the stateless population now, and can be used for community events in the hereafter. Coordinating community outreach will enable more people to entree the web of services provided. Provide lodging for those being discharged from public establishments ( infirmaries, prisons, gaols, mental wellness installations ) . A big figure of homeless is released from these establishments with no other support. Further coordination of attempt with them could better our ability to command the section of the stateless population. Recruit new community leaders and farther co-ordinate attempts. Reduce the figure of homeless by 30 % in the following 2 old ages. In order to make our ends we must get down by offering more subsidised lodging, more employment chances, more lasting supportive lodging for persons with disablements, prevent evictions, work out notice jobs, supply hard currency progress plans, and maintain people in shared lodging. First, strongly back uping preventive steps should be at the head of metropolis thought. Second, bettering impermanent lodging to assist extinguish the on the street stateless population is a necessary following measure. Working within the10 twelvemonth program of Seattle, it is non unreasonable to see the stateless population bead by 30 % in the following two old ages. As the economic system begins to settle, the metropolis should reassess the economic clime and alter our ends. In order to be successful, claims Toepfer, ( 2000 ) schemes to battle homelessness should be based on public policy models which combine employment and lodging policy, and supports societal safety cyberspaces including lodging allowances. The manner we will accomplish these ends will be by first, guaranting the metropolis has the needed lodging substructure it needs to back up and care for the stateless population. As people enter and issue homelessness we need to do the continuance of homelessness every bit short as possible. With the needed substructure, force per unit area will be taken away of other public bureaus such as exigency response squads, infirmaries, jurisprudence enforcement, gaols, and mental wellness installations to supply excess services caused by deficiency of basic human demands. Following, we must guarantee that anyone with merely one household income makes more than minimal pay in support. Harmonizing to Dolbeare ( 1999 ) , no one doing minimal pay in the United States can afford a one sleeping room flat based on the federal criterion of affordability. A full-time worker must gain at least $ 11.08/hour to afford a rental unit with two sleeping rooms. Servicess must be provided non merely for the jobless but besides for those whose income does non let them to pay for their ain lodging. Harmonizing to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a rapid nexus to lodging is an of import portion of outreach to the homeless community. The agreement must necessitate low demands on receivers, doing stateless people feel safe and secure. This besides helps with persons enduring from hapless physical and mental wellness. When people feel safe, they are more likely to take part in intervention and engage in the procedure of happening new lodging. With the continued focal point on employment, low-cost lodging and societal safety cyberspaces such as exigency rent aid, eviction protection and service centres will be will to take preventive steps to halt the turning figure of homeless. On average the chronic homeless individual uses $ 40,000 worth of services per twelvemonth. ( Incorporate Council on Homelessness, 2009 ) The New York Coalition for the Homeless estimates that the cost of for good lodging a inveterate stateless individual can be every bit small as $ 12,500 per twelvemonth instead than $ 40,000, presuming they are housed. The 150,000 inveterate stateless people in the United States cost $ 10.95 billion per twelvemonth in public financess. If these persons were all for good housed, the disbursal would be expected to fall to $ 7.88 billion. The social benefit of $ 40,000 worth of services for persons dropping to $ 12,500 per inveterate stateless individual warrants the $ 5,000,000 addition in our budget. ( Forbes, 2009 ) There are presently a sum of 253 service suppliers which target primary populations i.e. households, unattached young person, immature grownups, and grownups. Nonprofit organisations, concern, local authorities, homeless protagonism groups, other authorities sections, and the religion community offer the anchor of the community s web of suppliers. ( Johnson, J. et. all, 2009 ) It should be the end of our plan to supply a minimal criterion of life for all individuals in the metropolis. As public retainers it is our occupation to ease this in whatever manner we can. We should besides seek to restrict turnover in staff which work straight with the homeless, as informations suggests staff acquaintance will better plan success. ( Anonymous 2009 ) Execution Budget Staff proposes the current budget be approved with additions in all service countries and enlargement of financess for lodging, a $ 5,000,000 addition. These additions can be justified as other metropolis sections will hold fewer loads as a consequence of the added financess to homelessness ( infirmaries, prisons, gaols, mental wellness installations ) . Changes to the budget will include increasing exigency rent aid, eviction protection, employment plans, and increase in low cost lodging, half-way lodging, income supplementation and community outreach. Money from transitional lodging and services will be used to pay for these additions. This will be a $ 5 million displacement in financess and a $ 5 million addition of financess. Changes will, better substructure, prevent persons and households from fring their places or flats, and offer low-demand lodging for a safe topographic point to have intervention. In the short term, the budget allotment for exigency and transitional services will offer the homeless population immediate aid. Our proposed budget is listed below: Homeless Budget 2010 New 2010 Proposed Community Facilities 2,000,000 Emergency and Transitional Services 25,000,000 Outreach 1,000,000 Employment Stimulation 3,000,000 Emergency Income Supplementation 1,500,000 Entire: 32,000,000 28,377,592 At the terminal of the twelvemonth, reevaluate the province of Seattle s homelessness and increase the budget in countries of demand. Budgetary alterations should be determined by the success of plans this twelvemonth. Likely, an across the board addition of 5-10 % to current services will be appropriate, depending on the strength of the economic system. Further Avocation for the Budget Given the current economic times, this is the minute to guarantee a roof over every caput. As antecedently stated, more than $ 25,000 worth of public services can be saved per twelvemonth for each inveterate stateless individual housed. This is the ground for the proposed addition in community installations. Based on the current cost to the City, $ 3,257 per individual ( $ 28,377,592 ( 2010 proposed budget ) / 8712 ( on the street stateless population ) = $ 3,257 ) it would drastically better the state of affairs of the on the street stateless population and subsidise more low income lodging than the metropolis s proposed budget. The homeless job will go on to turn for the following few old ages because of the hard economic times and the budget addition will guarantee the City is prepared. We still need the continued support of local concerns, community members and faith-based every bit good as non religion based organisations to go on the success of metropolis plans. Community outreach plans will supply a medium for people to donate clip and aid within the community, taking a interest in their vicinity and City. Seattle has the beginnings of substructure and community support in topographic point to do important paces in stoping homelessness. We will all profit from theses budget add-ons. Additionally, focal point groups will be set up in communities around Seattle. These groups will roll up information and gage the support of local citizens. Hospitals, gaols, mental wellness establishments, and other installations overburdened as a consequence of homelessness will besides be contacted to analyze forms of discharge and be given whatever support we can offer. Current grosss are deficient for run intoing the homeless population s demands. Hospitals, prisons, gaols and mental wellness installations are overburdened and no longer supplying the original service for which they were intended. An equal investing in homelessness now will ensue in a more humane, safe, and in fiscal matters sound hereafter. In these economically disputing times it is our occupation as civil retainers to supply for those who need it most in their clip of demand. The budget is a political papers which reflects our moral precedences. As Samuel Johnson said in Boswell: Life of Johnson, A nice proviso for the hapless is the true trial of civilisation. It is clip we stand up for the rights of all people in our society and put an terminal to the excess taxpayer disbursement that chronic homelessness causes. Decision The Mayor s pledge has left The City of Seattle with the beginning substructure it needs to make zero homelessness. The citizens, faith-based and non-faith based organisations and the City of Seattle have created a favourable clime for alteration. Our metropolis is resilient, compassionate and has all the tools needed to do homelessness in Seattle a thing of the yesteryear. The City is taking the manner, demoing the remainder of the United States what needs to be done to battle this societal ill. Seattle has one of the most progressive and quality plans for controling homelessness in the state. We must non halt here nevertheless. Our job has grown due to issues in the lodging market, and economic clime. This is the clip to put in our community. We have the chance to assist so many people. If we invest decently now, we make major advancement toward Mayor Shell s Zero Homelessness Pledge.