Key Findings in the “Homeless Study”
This post by Fred Steinmann
Here are some of the primary findings of the regional “homeless study” recently completed by a group of researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Major Costs by Service Provider in JUST ONE YEAR:
- Washoe County Detention Facility: $757,352
- Judicial Systems in Northern Nevada: $1,155,389
- Project ReStart: $2,034,330
- Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services: $689,113
- St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center: $1,630,195
- Renown Regional Medical Center (Main Hospital): $528,368
- Health Access Washoe County (HAWC): N.A.
- Veteran’s Administration HCHV Program: $103,197
- Washoe County Department of Social Services: $1,481,833
- City of Reno Police Department: $1,977,991
- City of Sparks Police Department: $1,481,267
- Catholic Community Services of Northern Nevada: $142,257
- Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission: $278,948
- Ridge House: $1,091,254
- Committee to Aide Abused Women: $851,723
- Safe Embrace: $132,609
- Family Promise: $98,998
- United Way of the Sierra and Northern Nevada: $278,875
- Washoe County School District – Children in Transition: $70,802
“Startling” Grand Total: $14,784,501
There are two conclusions that I personally took away from this above list. First, isn’t it amazing how diverse this list of service providers is? In one short list, you have major area hospitals, courts, government (federal, state, county and local) agencies, police departments, housing providers, mental health providers, food providers, domestic abuse service providers and even school districts! What an amazing list and what makes it even more amazing is how diverse this group has to be in order to provide the homeless population (in just little old Washoe County! A county of just under 400,000 total residents in 2006!) with the needed level of mostly REACTIVE services. Second, the sheer cost is staggering. Remember the costs listed above are JUST WHAT WE COULD ACTUALLY MEASURE and is ONLY FOR ONE YEAR! Imagine what the cost would be if we could quantify the impact in-terms of higher insurance premiums in health care as a result of the uninsured coverage of homeless individuals in area hospitals?
Major CONCLUSIONS (Recommendations) of the Study:
- Segmentation – segmentation of the homeless population with Separate Program Development, Service Delivery and with Results Reported by Segment.
- Complete System Components – completion of the Community Assistance Center; provision of additional transitional supportive housing; focused attention and new programs targeting homeless individuals (and families) who are repeat offenders and/or high-frequency users of services.
- Make “System-Level” Improvements – implement a data system (or connect data systems) for tracking individuals (and families) who are homeless across all service providers; require service providers to measure their performance in-terms of “outcomes”; measure and continuously improve the effectiveness of linkages between existing (and future) service providers.
- Improve the Weekly Motel Environment – expand the Reno Police Department’s Motel Interdiction Team (MIT); expand the police department “Guest Registration Information Process”; require improved motel public area lighting; require video security systems including retention of videos for a certain period of time covering motel public areas; require police cards, subject to background checks for motel managers.
At a recent presentation to the Downtown Improvement Association, one of the study’s authors, Richard Bartholet, eloquently identified several things the private business community in the Reno-Sparks-Washoe County area can do in response to the community issue that homelessness is. In addition to the four “primary” conclusions listed above, the study also concluded that the private business community, especially those private businesses located in areas that tend to have high-frequencies of homeless individuals (and families), can do the following:
- Move Beyond Existing Stereotypes – understand the problems and the limited range of existing solutions.
- Get INVOLVED with developing solutions.
- Bring “business sense” to these issues – make sure we are getting the most “bang for the buck”.
- Help with the development of needed financial resources.
