Rapid Re-Houseless: Action Needed for people in Rapid Rehousing being kicked to the streets end of April!@#
Monday April 15th 2024 at City and County Building (1437 Bannock St)
Press Conference: 3:30-4:30pm
Deliver Demand Letter: 4:30-5pm
City Council Public Comment: 5-5:30pm
After putting out our demands regarding people in Rapid Rehousing being kicked to the streets, we received the data we asked for from the City about housing connections for people in Rapid Rehousing from this 2022 spring housing. (See our last release about this for more context).
This data shows that there were actually 198, not 126, people enrolled in RR through this housing surge period.
- Of these 198 people, 79% have exited the program and 21% remain enrolled.
- Of those who exited, 89% moved on to permanent housing, 3% moved into more stable housing (e.g., staying with family and friends), 5% exited to homelessness, and 4% exited to another outcome (e.g., no exit interview completed, deceased, other).
- Of those who exited to permanent housing, 79% were receiving a subsidy after they exited the rapid rehousing program.
It is good to hear that most people have already transitioned to long term housing and received housing subsidies. It is important to note here that all 79% of those who moved into permanent housing did so with the assistance of a housing subsidy. Without that, all these people would be houseless again.
What is most important at this moment to recognize here though is that 21% remain in the program. In HOST answers to our questions they stated that there is a plan for housing transition for these people to permanent housing. It states, “Rapid rehousing support is not discontinuing at the end of April. Our partners are continuing to work with these individuals toward placing them into permanent housing.”
This statement is misleading and untrue.
While the Rapid Rehousing program does not technically end until the end of this year, the individuals in this program only get 24 months of housing assistance so many of the 21% still enrolled do have their housing assistance ending at the end of April or in the coming months. There is no housing plan for these people. They have been told to get on long waitlists for project based units in hopes something comes open (with some of the waitlists not even opening until later this year), but that aside from that, there is no housing plan for them. These individuals are facing the streets now or very soon.
City action is necessary to secure housing for these 21% being kicked to be “Rapid Re-houseless” at the end of April or coming months.
We are demanding the City…
- Hold meetings with the purpose of securing a plan for housing for all these rapid rehoused residents before the end of the month – to include Mayor’s office, HOST, all agencies overseeing contracts for this rapid rehousing (including direct case managers and housing specialists working with rapid rehoused clients), us (HAND), and any residents of this rapid rehousing who wish to attend.
- Secure housing for all rapid rehoused residents being kicked to the streets. This could include solutions such as…
- The City fund Project Based Voucher units for all these residents
- The City give a grant to CCH to house all these residents in their existing vacant units
- Extend Rapid Rehousing funds, including case management, until all residents have permanent housing
- Secure housing vouchers from DHA for all residents
- Other solutions…
- Create an actual permanent housing plan for all being pushed into rapid rehousing from “house” 1000 sites.
Action is needed ASAP to ensure no one housed these last two years is kicked right back to the streets.
Join us in making these demands heard, April 15th 3:30pm at City Hall.
And if you have not yet donated to support one of the individuals affected by this rapid re-houseless plan, donate to support Teri who is speaking up advocating for herself and all others being kicked to the streets…
Housekeys Action Network Denver
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