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Photo: Michael Rosenberg |
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More than 300 cities and counties have recently adopted plans to end chronic homelessness within ten years, generating new momentum for efforts to provide housing for all Americans. Many of these plans promote supportive housing as a strategy and make new commitments to fund and coordinate services linked to housing for people with special needs.
Resident services in affordable rental housing connect residents to available, quality services and benefits to help them maintain stability, advance their job skills, obtain better jobs and become financially independent.
In addition, after-school programs provide safe havens and education support to help children succeed and stay in school. Without this housing-based support, it is daunting – and sometimes impossible – for parents working long hours in low-wage jobs to navigate the complex social services system of public and private agencies.
The National Resident Services Collaborative was established by several national, regional and local community development organizations to improve and increase the delivery of resident services for families in affordable housing.
Housing Credit Policies in 2007 that Promote Supportive Housing (PDF, 828K) The Supportive Housing Investment Partnership has updated its compressive look at the innovative policies states have adopted to foster and encourage supportive housing development within qualified allocation plans for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, analyzing each of the 50 states’ 2007 Housing Credit allocation plans.
See also the 2005 report, "Using the Housing Credit for Supportive Housing: An Analysis of 2005 State Policies" and other supportive housing publications.
- Supportive housing works. Approximately 80 percent of homeless people with disabilities who are given the opportunity to move into supportive housing stay for a year or more, and many who leave move to independent settings.
- Supportive housing saves money. A study of 5,000 homeless people with mental illness shows that supportive housing saves taxpayers more than $16,000 a year per person in the use of public health services, hospitals, shelters and jails.
- Pioneered the financing of supportive housing through the Low- Income Housing Tax Credit in 1991, overturning the conventional wisdom that investors would not embrace these projects.
- Partnered with Fannie Mae on a $100 million fund to help
increase the supply of permanent supportive housing nationally.
- Launched the Supportive Housing Investment Partnership in 2004 with the Corporation for Supportive
Housing (CSH), which coordinates the expertise, resources and advocacy efforts of Enterprise and CSH.
Vista Nueva Apartments is an award-winning project in Los Angeles that helps adult residents focus on rehabilitation and self sufficiency.
For more on supportive housing issues, fundamentals, development and services strategies and models, funding, policy advocacy and to find additional links to expertise and guidance:
Enterprise Community Partners
1 Whitehall Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212.262.9575
Fax: 212.262.9635
Patricia Magnuson
Director, Supportive Housing
Email Patricia
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