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iAUDIT! – Most of my regular readers know I have great respect for\u00a0Union Rescue Mission<\/a> (URC), and the work it does on Skid Row.\u00a0 Under the leadership of the now-retired Rev. Andy Bales, and new CEO Mark Hood, URC has offered emergency and long-term assistance to the unhoused for decades. Rather than the one-size-fits-all Housing First\/Harm Reduction solution, URC provides individualized support for its clients.\u00a0 Some need short-term assistance to get back on their feet, while others require in-house treatment and support. For those participating in its residential programs, URC requires enrollment in therapy and\/or sobriety counseling.\u00a0 Rather than merely sheltering someone, URC gives people the life skills they need to live independent lives.\u00a0 Among homeless service providers, URC\u2019s program is known as the \u201ccontingency management<\/a>\u201d approach; progression through the recovery process depends on each person\u2019s ability to complete a series of phases, which may include detoxification and life skills classes, eventually leading to the ability to live independently if possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Contingency management differs from Housing First in that it makes shelter and housing contingent on acceptance of services. Housing First emphasizes stable housing under the assumption that services will be more effective if a person has secure housing. I have critiqued Housing First from several points of view in previous columns, but it should be enough to say homelessness has steadily increased since Housing First became official U.S. policy in the late 2000\u2019s.\u00a0 Likewise, Housing First\u2019s corollary policy of No Barrier\/Harm Reduction has done little other than make abusing drugs, (and dying from an overdose) easier than ever. \u00a0Some critics who examined the statistics behind Housing First have noted it tends to increase perpetual reliance on government-provided housing<\/a> because it has no requirements for changing one\u2019s lifestyle, nor any way to measure when someone may be able to live independently. In the words of Jess Echevery, CEO of the nonprofit SOFESA, Housing First is creating \u201cgenerational homelessness<\/a>\u201d by making entire families dependent on outside services. One of my regular readers has referred to this as \u201cinfantilizing\u201d the unhoused; treating them as helpless children incapable of taking responsibility for their actions and lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Because Union Rescue Mission does not use Housing First policies, it gets no federal or state funding<\/a>.\u00a0 However, it has had a major impact on homelessness, especially in and around Skid Row. Its programs to shelter, house, feed, and provide support to the unhoused<\/a> rival the combined efforts of the City, County, and LAHSA.\u00a0 Since URM is a major player in LA\u2019s homelessness environment, I was curious to see how its leaders reacted to the Trump Adminijstration\u2019s recent Executive Order directing HUD to steer funding away from Housing First\/Harm Reduction programs<\/a>.\u00a0 On August 5, the Westside Current published an article concerning an interview with URM CEO Mark Hood<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Mr. Hood noted the recent claims of minor reductions in homelessness do not justify the huge costs. He compared the reduction to standing in a large stadium holding 75,000 people. If you close your eyes and 3,000 people leave, would you notice when you open your eyes? \u00a0No–the change would be negligible. Earlier in the year, Mr. Hood met with HUD Secretary Scott Turner, coming away with hope that the changes outlined in the Executive Order will provide an incentive for innovative approaches to the homelessness crisis.\u00a0 HUD\u2019s latest Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO<\/a>) supports Mr. Hood\u2019s belief, stating, in part, \u201cThe status quo is unacceptable for every American, with or without a home. In response, HUD intends to publish a NOFO for 2025 Continuum of Care (CoC) awards. HUD invites CoCs to prepare for an application focused on treatment and recovery, reducing unsheltered homelessness, reducing returns to homelessness, and increasing the earned income of participants\u201d. Union Rescue Mission\u2019s approach closely matches HUD\u2019s priorities, which I described in an earlier column<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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