One year evaluation report compared pre-housing and post-housing costs to publicly funded systems of care for individuals identified as the highest needs/highest costs utilizers in Miami-Dade County.
MIAMI, FL – July 15, 2019 – Carrfour Supportive Housing’s Coalition Lift Program was the recipient of a special appropriation of funding through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to fund one of three pilot sites demonstratIing the effectiveness of providing Permanent Supportive Housing to high utilizers of crisis services who are experiencing housing instability. The pilot sites are located in Miami-Dade, Duval, and Pinellas Counties.
The Coalition Lift Program is part of an innovative state pilot to determine the cost benefits of providing Permanent Supportive Housing to individuals who cycle through costly crisis services in Miami-Dade County. “High Need/High Cost Utilizers” refers to persons who have experienced chronic homelessness, health conditions, mental health conditions, and/or substance abuse conditions and who rotate through costly public funded systems of care. The systems of care in this research include emergency care, homeless Continuum of Care, criminal justice, mental health and substance abuse facilities.
The Coalition Lift Pilot Program provides Permanent Supportive Housing to participants that were identified as the Highest Needs/Highest Cost individuals in Miami-Dade County. The individuals were identified and ranked based on their usage across public health systems (i.e. emergency care, criminal justice, homeless, and mental health/substance abuse institutions). The evaluation focused on 69 participants who remained housed and enrolled in the study for a minimum of two years. The One Year Evaluation findings in this report compared two time periods: one year prior to entering the program (pre house) housed and one year after (post house) housed for each participant. Cost savings, impact on participant’s health, housing stability, income, and social supports were evaluated for the time period listed above. An innovative approach to supportive housing model included a modified ACT Model with Evidenced-Based Practices to the participants in the program.
"Coalition Lift showcases how permanent housing backed by supportive services is an effective solution for curbing homelessness in South Florida. This project serves as a model program for other communities to address the intensive needs of the homeless community in a respectful and cost-efficient way,” said Stephanie Berman, President and CEO of Carrfour Supportive Housing.
Carrfour has been deeply embedded in Miami-Dade County’s (MDC) efforts to end homelessness and has been an active participant in the MDC. Continuum of Care (CoC) since its inception over 25 years ago. Carrfour staff serve as members of the Homeless Trust Board, CoC Subcommittee, Provider Forum, and the CoC Services and Housing Committee and are active participants in shaping the Continuum’s policies, strategies and funding initiatives. Carrfour is the CoC’s provider with the largest capacity for housing with 23 programs providing Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing Programs for formally homeless individuals, Veterans, and families. Carrfour has been working alongside Citrus Health Network (CHN) and MDC’s Homeless Trust, along with other providers to find solutions to end homelessness among the most vulnerable of our community. This shared commitment, along with the results of a 2010 study addressing the recidivists to the 11th Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project, reinforced the understanding that a comprehensive, systems-change approach was needed to break the cycle of homelessness and recidivism among those high needs/high utilizers among our chronic homeless population.
Carrfour Supportive Housing is a nonprofit organization established in 1993. Carrfour develops, operates and manages innovative housing communities for individuals and families in need through a unique approach combining affordable housing with comprehensive, on-site supportive services. As a leading nonprofit provider of supportive housing in Florida, Carrfour has housed more than 10,000 formerly homeless, men, women and children since its founding. Learn more at www.carrfour.org.
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