Just the Facts - DHS's Plan Spelled Out

New York City Department of Homeless Services
Relocation of the intake center for homeless men and the opportunity for additional shelter reduction

The purpose of this document is to detail the plan of the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to relocate its central intake center for homeless men and to describe the opportunity for further shelter reductions that will be made possible due to the success of DHS’ strategies to return homeless clients to homes in the community.

To further advance DHS’ strategies to accomplish the Mayor’s goals to reduce homelessness, we are planning several new initiatives. The following points describe these initiatives and provide a set of facts related to their implementation.

• The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) intends to relocate its central shelter intake program for men from 400 East 30th Street in Manhattan to the Bedford Atlantic Armory, a site controlled by DHS in Brooklyn. This shift will provide an intake center that is smaller, safer and more service-rich.

• This plan replaces the agency’s previous effort to decentralize and privatize its intake operation. The original decentralized intake plan was formulated under the assumption that chronically street homeless clients would seek shelter if intake were more accessible. In fact, DHS has learned directly from chronically street homeless clients that intake is not a barrier to them entering shelter. These clients have chosen the street over shelter, some for many years, despite many DHS’ efforts to make shelter more accessible.

• DHS ended the decentralized intake plan as a result of completely transforming street outreach services in NYC. The new street outreach program creates direct access to housing and services for chronically street homeless clients in direct response to what these clients have requested. Employing “Housing First” and harm reduction principals, access to housing and services is through outreach workers who facilitate placement into these services. In this sense, DHS has brought the doorways to housing and services directly to the client, rather than requiring the client to seek out the doorway.

• DHS has developed 208 safe haven beds with a goal of 500 by year’s end to serve the most chronically street homeless clients who have chosen not to use shelter. These programs are smaller than shelters, have a richer array of services, and allow a client to accept services at a pace comfortable for the client.

• The evidence that DHS’ new approach to street homelessness is working is overwhelming: Street homelessness in NYC declined overall by 12% in the last year. Over 625 street homeless clients have moved into housing since the new outreach contracts got underway in September 2007. Over 500 clients have been served in the 208 safe haven beds DHS has created and over 70 of these clients have already moved from safe havens into permanent housing. This is even more remarkable given the fact that the average length of street homelessness for safe haven clients is 7.5 years.

• DHS must exit from the 30th Street facility as a result of a redevelopment plan at that site and the Bedford Atlantic facility represents an excellent choice for the relocation. The advantages of Bedford Atlantic include:
Comparable public transportation accessibility to 30th Street (the relatively small number of street homeless clients who choose to enter shelter are typically transported to intake by van by an outreach team)
Large and flexible space configuration
Currently operates as an assessment site for men and therefore the relocation will not disrupt another program use
Already well-known to homeless men

• Simultaneous with the relocation, DHS will redesign the program model for men’s intake from an entry point and client reception location to a program that provides a rich array of services to help prevent homelessness by assisting presenting clients to return quickly to housing resources in the community. The program model will include the following components:
Robust prevention and diversion model at the front door of the shelter system
Provide intensive case management and independent living plans from the moment a client enters the system
Rich array of services on-site, including relocation services, stronger and more collaborative case planning with discharging institutions, access to landlord and family mediation
Complete assessment more quickly for clients who will enter the shelter system

• A significant benefit to the community surrounding Bedford Atlantic is that the capacity of the facility will be reduced substantially: DHS will reduce the bed count from 350 to 230 beds.

• Further capacity reductions will become possible over time. As a result of a declining shelter census due to increases in permanent housing exits, we project that DHS will be able to eliminate the 30th Street shelter by June 2009. (DHS manages 650 shelter beds at 30th Street in addition to the intake program hosted at the facility.) The 600 clients served at the facility will be linked to permanent housing. If a client hasn’t completed his independent living plan by June 2009, he will be referred to another shelter to complete his transition back to the community.

• No clients currently at 30th Street will be referred to the Bedford Atlantic facility (they have already completed intake.)