Supportive Housing Programs

Click here for information on our Transition In Place Program for families transitioning out of homelessness

About NHHR Supportive Housing

NHHR provides over 100 units of permanent, supportive housing to families in New Haven and Hamden, who are addressing a wide range of issues, to assure the most positive outcomes possible. NHHR was the first locally, and among the first statewide and nationally, to develop this model of permanent housing for homeless families. Families living in NHHR supportive housing are from vulnerable populations facing chronic stressors.

Residents live in affordable housing and receive case management services. People in our supportive housing programs have their own apartments, sign rental agreements and pay rent, however they also have access to case managers who help with various needs a family may have. This includes vocational assistance, community resource connection, health and well-being resources, children's services, and other life skill needs depending on the family's situation.

Supportive Housing is the solution to long-term homelessness because it provides the case management needed to fix the root causes of homelessness.

The long-term benefits of supportive housing have been repeatedly demonstrated in one study after another.  The Corporation for Supportive Housing reports the following:

• Positive impacts on health:  Decreases of more than 50% in tenants' emergency room visits and hospital inpatient days; decreases in tenants' use of emergency detoxification services by more than 80%; and increases in the use of preventive health care services.
• Positive impacts on employment:  Increases of 50% in earned income and 40% in the rate of participant employment when employment services are provided in supportive housing, and a significant decrease in dependence on entitlements - a $1,448 decrease per tenant each year.
• Positive impacts on treating mental illness:  At least a third of those people living in streets and shelters have a severe and persistent mental illness.  Supportive housing has proven to be a popular and effective approach for many mentally ill people, as it affords both independence and as-needed support.  A study of nearly 900 homeless people with mental illness provided with supportive housing found 83.5% of participants remained housed a year later, and that participants experienced a decrease in symptoms of schizophrenia and depression. A study of almost 5,000 homeless individuals with mental illness placed in supportive housing confirmed that nearly 80% remained housed a year later, with 10% moving on to independent settings.
• Positive impacts on reducing or ending substance use:  Once people with histories of substance use achieve sobriety, their living situation is often a factor in their ability to stay clean and sober.  A one-year follow-up study of 201 graduates of the Eden Programs chemical dependency treatment programs in Minneapolis found that 56.6% of those living independently remained sober; 56.5% of those living in a halfway house remained sober; 57.1% of those living in an unsupported SRO remained sober; while 90% of those living in supportive housing remained sober

Another study conducted by the Corporation for Supportive Housing in conjunction with the State of Maine found the following:

• Housing people who are homeless cuts the average costs of services they consume in half.
• After being housed, the 99 formerly homeless people in this study received 35% more mental health services at 41% LESS cost illustrating a shift away from expensive emergency and psychiatric inpatient care to less expensive outpatient community-based mental health services.
• Permanent supportive housing cut by more than half emergency room costs (62% reduction), health care costs (59% reduction), ambulance transportation costs (66% reduction), police contact costs (66% reduction), incarceration (62% reduction), and shelter visits (98% reduction).
• The average annual cost of care savings produced by the first year of living in permanent supportive housing was $944 per person. The total annual cost savings was $93,436 for all 99 tenants.
• Permanent supportive housing appears to allow individuals significantly more efficient and appropriate service delivery with tangible cost savings along with an improved quality of life for all involved.

Supportive Housing Funding

Success Stories

Click here to read success stories from our Supportive Housing Programs.