By Sr. Director of Programs & Operations Jeannine Short
Having recently attended the 2014 Housing Partners Conference that focused on the new Housing First and Rapid Re-Housing Models, it is becoming increasingly evident that the new models are having a significant impact on homelessness around the country. With agencies touting outcomes as high as 87% in housing placement and retention, it is clear that the models work. The question that begs an answer, however, is the short-term affect that such rapid movement has on the children.
Case-in-point, I had a conversation with our Children’s Program therapists to get their perspectives on the new models. Though they have a firm grasp of the positive long-term benefit of permanently housing families as quickly as possible, they are also keenly aware of the short-term and perhaps not so positive impact on the kids.
Asking the very pointed question, “have you noticed any changes in the kid’s behaviors since we’ve moved from a one-year stay to 120 days?” resulted in a resounding “Yes”. They are observably more detached, disruptive, and likely to engage in behaviors that could result in dismissal from the evening activities.
Being careful not to imply that these behaviors are characteristic of homeless children in general, suffice it to say that the underlying issue fueling the changes in behavior (in this case) is the fear of creating emotional bonds and building new relationships, only to have them broken… once again.
Can this be classified a short-term sacrifice for a long-term benefit? I would say.
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