The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has adopted the Housing First model, which emphasizes moving homeless individuals into housing as quickly as possible and providing the appropriate level of services to support housing stabilization and retention. In support of the Housing first model, the City has implemented the following housing programs that help homeless individuals make the transition to permanent housing and independent living
For assistance, call 951-826-2200
The City of Riverside Homeless Street Outreach Team is made up of four professional service providers who conduct daily mobile outreach and client service engagement for homeless individuals and families on the streets, in service venues, and other locations where they can be found in Riverside. The Outreach Team responds to the issues and concerns of people in need of assistance as well as local residents, businesses and others relative to homelessness in this community. Focused on the "hardest-to-reach" and "service-resistant" chronically homeless population, the Outreach Team works in partnership with city staff, local service providers, health professionals, law enforcement, and the community at-large to help people get off the streets and connected with the services they need to gain stable housing and achieve self-sufficiency. Local service professionals and community volunteers participate in "ride-alongs" throughout the week to assist the Outreach Team with engaging people in need of services.
During the 2011-12 program year, the Outreach Team encountered over 746 homeless individuals on the streets and other locations not meant for human habitation in the City of Riverside. The Outreach Team continues to work with community partners to get people connected to shelter, housing, employment, benefits assistance, medical and behavioral health services, transportation back to their hometown, and other assistance they need. One of the highlights of this effort has been the application of a Housing First approach with over a dozen chronically homeless individuals who have been successfully assisted with exiting life on the streets and moved directly into housing coupled with aggressive case management. For complete 2011-12 program information go to www.riversideca.gov/cdbg/pdf/2010-2011-Caper-Final.pdf
The Homeless Street Outreach Team operates from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and various weekend hours.
To seek assistance with a homeless situation or to volunteer for a ride along, please contact the Outreach Team at:
Phone: 951-826-2200
Email: homelesshelp@riversideca.gov
The City of Riverside is working with community partners to implement the best practice "Housing First" approach which emphasizes moving people into housing as quickly as possible and providing the appropriate level of services to support housing stabilization and retention, into all aspects of our local continuum of care. The Housing First approach represents a significant shift away from the traditional homeless service delivery system to one focused on homeless prevention, rapid re-housing and home-based case management to facilitate client stabilization leading to self-sufficiency. This effort currently includes the HUD SHP-funded Permanent Supportive Housing Program; the Veteran's Administration Supportive Housing initiative (VASH) administered by the VA Loma Linda and the Housing Authority of the County of Riverside (HACR); the City's HOME-funded Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program; and the Shelter Plus Care "Street-to-Home" Project.
The City continues to receive an annual allocation through the HUD Continuum of Care Supportive Housing Program (SHP) to support the development and operations of two permanent supportive housing projects providing housing for sixteen (16) individuals/households. One of the projects provides supportive housing specifically to chronically homeless individuals and the second project provides supportive housing for homeless persons with disabling conditions and their families (where applicable). On-going case management and supportive services are provided to participants to help ensure housing stability and the achievement of self-sufficiency goals. The City is working in partnership with local nonprofit housing developers, Riverside Housing Development Corporation and National CORE, as well as supportive service providers to implement these two projects. City staff will continue to pursue new opportunities to partner with local nonprofit organizations to develop and implement additional permanent supportive housing projects.
For more information, please call 951-715-3432.
The Obama Administration has set a goal of ending homelessness among veterans over the next five-years. The US Department of Veterans' Affairs is working in collaboration with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide targeted housing choice vouchers to homeless veterans throughout the country. Locally, the VA Loma Linda is working in collaboration with the Housing Authority of the County of Riverside, the Homeless Street Outreach Team and other continuum of care partners to assist homeless veterans with moving off the streets and into permanent supportive housing.
For more information, please call 909-825-7084.
The Riverside City Council allocated funding to establish the TBRA to help address the need for permanent housing solutions for individuals and families that are homeless or on the verge of homelessness in the City of Riverside. The TBRA program, administered by the Housing Authority of the County of Riverside, provides eligible homeless and at-risk households in Riverside with move-in assistance or short-and-medium-term rental subsidies coupled with home-based case management. The TBRA program includes a "street to home" pilot project assisting a target group of chronically homeless individuals with exiting life on the streets and moving directly into housing coupled with aggressive case management provided by the City's Homeless Street Outreach Team.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Hernandez with Riverside County at 951-343-5630 or email ehernandez@rivcoeda.org.
