8A SWS UpdateSEVERE WEATHER SHELTERING
1
City Council| Jan. 15, 2019
Agenda
Background on Severe Weather Sheltering
(SWS) and Homeless Solutions for Boulder
County
Considerations for expanding SWS
Boulder County Cares and helping people
reluctant to use services
Next steps and staff recommendation
2
Severe Weather Shelter Background
•Supplemental to 210 shelter beds available nightly year-round
•72 Beds activated when weather conditions are met:
–National Weather Service (NWS) warning/watch for winter
storms; or
–NWS predicts a temperature of 32°Fahrenheit or below; or
–NWS predicts a temperature of 38°Fahrenheit or below with
precipitation
3
System context
•Daily access to reserved and walk-up
shelter and support
•Change focus from emergency services
cycling to housing
•Housing = primary evidence-based
intervention
•Outcomes oriented, data informed
•Over 400 people successfully exited4
New Housing Resources
# New
Resources
Resource Description Partners
11 City of Boulder Permanent Supportive Housing Vouchers City of Boulder, Boulder Shelter,
BHP
7 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers Boulder County Housing Authority
28 Housing Choice Vouchers for under age 62 and disabled BHP, Boulder Shelter
20 State funding to convert units to Perm. Support. Housing Boulder County, Boulder Shelter,
Inn Between, MHP
70 Units of proposed supportive housing over next 3 years City of Boulder working with
developers of new housing
6 Master lease program for subsidized rent for Ready to Work
graduates
Bridge House, Congregation Har-
Hashem
Housing
support
5-year, $2.4M Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Grant
for supportive services for people exiting to housing
Boulder County, MHP
5-7 BHP set-aside of 1 out of every 3 new vacancies at 3 properties Boulder Housing Partners
5
Housing and Reunification Exits since System Adoption
6
Housing Exits in Boulder County
Considerations for Opening SWS every night
Shelter utilization patterns
Likelihood of intended safety improvement
Potential unintended consequences
Timeframe and cost options for additional shelter nights
7
Shelter utilization patterns
Median nights SWS used per
person last season = 2
Average empty beds nightly
this season
Path to Home Nav = 11
Housing-focused Shelter = 5
SWS = 19
8
9
10
•Historical data does not suggest life
safety benefit to SWS every night
•Cause of death suggests housing as
best approach to life safety
Life Safety
Goals
11
Source: Boulder County Coroner’s Office
12
Source: Boulder County Coroner’s Office
Potential Unintended Consequences
13
•May prevent people from
engaging in life-saving
housing programs
•Return to shelter-focused
system limits housing results
•Lower criteria than
surrounding communities may
increase migration to Boulder
14
10060
80
110
140
170
225
348
944
2513
2006
1256
1963
180
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
TurnawaysAttendanceHistorical Trends in Shelter Attendance and Turn-Aways
New SWS Capacity BOHO Attendance Boulder Shelter Turn-Aways
Severe Weather Shelter –Regional Guidelines
15
Warming Center/Shelter Location Weather Condition to Open
Boulder SWS Boulder 32°F without precipitation
38°F or lower with precipitation
HOPE (Prior to new system)Longmont 25 °F without precipitation
32°F when at least 1 inch of
precipitation predicted
Extreme Winter Weather Shelter Fort Collins 0°F, severe winter weather warning, or
severe wind chill warning
Severe Weather Shelter Network Metro Denver
Suburbs
20 °F without precipitation
32°F with precipitation
New Genesis Cold Weather Shelter Denver 32°F 15
•This season: additional 3
nights and $2K
•Next season: additional
6 nights and $4K
Dec. 1-
Feb. 28
•This season: Additional
31 days and $21K
•Next season: Additional
59 days and $40K
Oct. 1-
Apr. 30
16
Scenarios
for SWS
expansion
Boulder County Cares Background
17
•Program began in late 1990s
•BSH volunteers drove around,
handed out cold weather gear
•Originally 7 nights/week,
became 3/nights week during
‘17 -18, additional capacity
used for Coordinated Entry
outreach pilot
Why was Boulder County Cares Discontinued?
18
•Ineffective way to distribute
gear –consolidated with
existing Deacon’s Closet
program
•Significant additional shelter,
outreach programs developed
•Safety concerns
Helping people reluctant to use services
19
•Challenge historically in Boulder
and all communities
•Nationally, most chronically
homeless also unsheltered
•Great work by Muni Court
Navigator and HOT Team
•New system helps through
increased pathways to housing
•Ongoing work for HSBC to increase
engagement –Year 1 assessment
Next Steps and Staff Recommendations
20
•HSBC 1-Year System Review in
progress, at Council Mar. 19
•Recommend holding SWS
decisions until review complete
•SWS expansion not recommended
•Any expansion of shelter funding
should be matched with greater
expansion of housing funding (5-1)
QUESTIONS?
21