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20 Alameda Countywide Homeless and Special Needs Housing Plan Take a look at.... Exploring innovative and>sLJccessful models.in othercornmunlties .... Direct Access to Housing Program (San Francisco, CA) The San FranciscoDepartment of Public Health's Direct Access to Housing {DAH) Program has received national recognition since its establishment in 1998. DAH is a low-barrier perrnanentsupportive housing program for people who are frequent users of mental and physical health careservices.DAHaccepts residents directly from the streets, shelter, hospital,andlong;.terrncarefacilities,Theprograrn'smaingoal is to provide housing toa group of people that have rarely, if ever, maintained stable housing as adults. Residents are recruited for DAH if they are frequent users oHhe public healthsystern and have substance abuse, mental illness, and/or medical problems. They do not need to be recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or general assistance. The emphasis is on "screening in" prospective tenants rather than looking for reasons to deny housing. Felony convictions, active substance use, and undocumented status are not reasons to exclude people. By 2004, the program included nearly 500 units of housing in seven single room occupancy (SRO) hotels, ranging from 33 to 92 units each,and a licensed Board and Care facility. Buildings are master-leased from private owners, which allows the Department of Public Health to open sitesmorequickly. In many cases, DAH involvement stabilized buildings that had previously been a problemforthe neighborhood. All sites have on-site case managers and a site director. Case managers assist residents to access and maintain benefits, medical and behavioral health treatment, and food and clothing; provideone-on-one substance use, menta/health, life skills and family counseling; and workwith property management to help prevent eviction. All sites have some access to medical care and a roving behavioral health team. DAH holds residents' rooms while they are in residential treatment, so they have a place to return. The City's General Fund is the primary funding source. Other sOUrces includeAB 2034, the Ryan White Care Act, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA), and reimbursementthrough the Federally Qualified Health Center system for a portionofthe medical-andmentalhealth.relatedexpenses, Approximately 80 percent ofDAH residentsreceiveSSI and Medi..Cal benefits, Residents pay 50 percent of their income towards rent. Residents in the DAH program have had significant housing successes. Between January 1999 and January 2003, a four.yearperiod, 91 percentof residents remained housed for six months or more. By 2004,two-thirds of DAH residents were still in the program. OHhe one~third who left, half went into other permanent housing. For more information about the Direct Access to Housing (DAH) Program, visit http://www.endhomelessness.org/bestldirectaccess.htm.