LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...

CRITERION 4
TARGETED SERVICES TO RURAL & HOMELESS POPULATIONS –
OUTREACH TO HOMELESS
FY 2011 – Child/Youth
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 includes about $13.61 billion for projects
and programs that are currently being administered by the Dapartment of Housing and Urban
Development. The primary focus of the Act was to stimulate the ecomony by providing a boost in
these difficult times and to create jobs, restore economic growth and strengthen America‟s Middle
class. The stimulation of the economy is designed to modernize the nation‟s infrasture, jump start
America‟s energy independence, expand high quality educational opportunies, improve access to
affordable health care and protect those in greatest need. The lack of affordable housing with
appropriate support and the ability to provide basic necessities are changing the faces of
homelessness. The job crisis and lack of sufficient income denies many individuals and families the
opportunity to participate in the free market society without supports to bridge the gaps to obtaining
and maintaining housing and financial resources to prevent homelessness. The new faces of the
homeless are a direct result of the struggling economy created by the housing crisis, record breaking
unemployment and inflation that makes housing impossible to afford without subsidized assistance
and services. In the past few years, Louisiana has advocated successfully with the United States
Congress to provide 3000 units of Permanent Supported Housing (PSH) to address the housing
demand for affordable housing with support services in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The units are designed to assist some of our most vulnerable homeless and disability populations.
In addition, PATH (Project in Assistance to the Transition from Homelessness) expanded services
to 8 of the 10 geographical regions/LGEs demonstrating efforts to provide homeless outreach and
housing assistance to mental health individuals with other co-occurring disorders. The Olmstead
decision of 1999 recently made a ten year anniversary and has been a driving force along with other
budget restraints in our decision to change the state‟s mental health intermediate hospital system of
care as OBH embraces a community model of care using best practice like Housing First and
Therapeutic Residential Housing. The Olmstead program has been particularly affected in assisting
persons with mental illness transition into the community with appropriate supports to sustain
housing and services in the community.
There is no doubt that hurricanes continue to have a tremendous impact on housing and
homelessness in the state however, it is not the only factor. The economy is critical to restoring
jobs and housing stability. This is particularly significant since the areas of the state that were the
most directly hit by the storms of 2005 and 2008 were the areas that have traditionally had the
greatest population, and therefore the highest rates of homelessness, as well as the highest numbers
of people with mental illness. State housing recovery efforts for affordable housing continue amidst
a multiplicity of barriers including changes in development costs at all levels and local resistance to
affordable housing development.
The Louisiana Interagency Council on Homelessness that participated in the United States
Interagency Council was not reauthorized by the current state administration. The State Department
of Children and Family Services is responsible for the state‟s Emergency Shelter Grant funds. As
part of the Department‟s grantee responsibilities, the department surveys shelters and compiles an
annual report on the unduplicated numbers served in shelters across the state. The DCFS Shelter
Survey is a twelve month unduplicated count of persons using the state‟s shelter system. It also
includes a point in time count that examines the subpopulations represented in the shelter count and
PART C LOUISIANA FY 2011 PAGE 253
SECTION III: CHILD/YOUTH PLAN – CRITERION 4
TARGETED SERVICES TO RURAL & HOMELESS POPULATIONS – OUTREACH TO HOMELESS