U.S. Vets, one of the state contractors administering the high-profile Housing First program, erroneously sent out letters to about half of their formerly homeless program recipients saying that they would soon have to vacate the studio apartments that they were told were permanent homes.
About two years ago social workers identified Christie Higuchi as the woman at the top of Oahu’s most vulnerable homeless list during registry week for 100,000 Homes Oahu, a communitywide effort to get 100 of the isle’s most chronic homeless people off the streets by 2014. During October 2012 she went from using a piece of cardboard as a makeshift shelter on a grimy patch of Hotel Street in Chinatown to residing in her own studio apartment in Salt Lake. Higuchi’s turbulent personal history and ill health had marked her as someone in danger of dying if she stayed on the street, where she had spent more than four years.
Through the Housing First pilot program, which served 71 people, Higuchi created a new life for herself. Higuchi’s success was threatened, however, by a Jan. 24 letter from U.S. Vets informing her and about half of Housing First’s 14 clients that their rental agreements were being terminated "due to the end of funding" for the program.
Higuchi’s letter stated that she had to vacate her apartment on March 31 and that U.S. Vets would assist her "in the transition to find and secure alternate housing resources if available."
"I’m scared," a tearful Higuchi told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Thursday afternoon. "If I was tossed out there (the streets), I think I’d kill myself or something."
As it turns out, the letters were an "administrative oversight," said Darryl J. Vincent, chief operating officer of U.S. Vets.
"While it is true the program was funded for one year and has since lapsed, U.S. Vets and the state are ensuring those still in the program will remain in their housing," he said.
Vincent took immediate action after the Star-Advertiser informed him of the letter and its impact. U.S. Vets’ Housing First participants have since been notified in person, and in writing, that they will maintain their housing status and remain in their homes.
"I’m so happy now. I don’t go nowhere. They made a mistake," Higuchi said after getting the welcome update from U.S. Vets on Thursday evening. "They said, ‘Christie, are you suicidal?’ I said, ‘No, but if I got to move, I damn well will be. I’m not joking.’"
While Higuchi’s crisis ended happily, mental health workers say the mistake could have resulted in serious repercussions.
"It’s a horrible mistake, and it could definitely have caused people to need hospitalization or to become suicidal," said Marya Grambs, executive director of Mental Health America of Hawaii. "It’s destabilizing to lose housing, especially for someone who is suffering from mental illness — as are at least 60 percent of the chronically homeless."
Cathie Alana, who works at the Hawaii State Hospital and has assisted Higuchi on a pro-bono basis since 1989, said the initial mistake could have resulted in a "psychotic break."
"She was devastated," said Alana, who was given permission by Higuchi to speak to the Star-Advertiser. "She thought, ‘Here I’ve been doing good, and I must have done something bad for you to pull my rent.’"
Joy Rucker, director of community services for Waikiki Health, which often partners on homeless programs with U.S. Vets, said the miscommunication was disruptive for affected Housing First participants.
"I know that (U.S. Vets) must feel awful about it," Rucker said. "They’ll really have to have their case management team support people through this because it’s a trauma."
The mistake also lends support to the notion that state, city and community leaders need to continue efforts to create a more cohesive Housing First system with greater continuity of funding, said state Homeless Coordinator Colin Kippen.
"It shouldn’t have happened, but the reason that it did is because it wasn’t set up in a systemic way," Kippen said. He noted that psychologist Sam Tsemberis, who developed the nationwide Housing First model, was on Oahu this week to lead program training.
"We are making strides but we have more to do," Kippen said.
Higuchi was housed as part of a $1 million state appropriation for a pilot program that had a yearlong cap. This year the state Department of Human Services is asking state legislators to approve an annual budget of $1.5 million for Housing First.
"The take-away message is that Housing First programs must be funded with a long-term commitment to providing continuity for the clients," said Lori Tsuhako, administrator for the DHS Homeless Programs Office. "Year-to-year funding negatively impacts the program’s retention rate."
Tsuhako said the Housing First appropriation could be aligned with a state Department of Health Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant, which provides federal funds for intensive support services that help clients remain stability. Tsuhako’s office expects to secure a new Housing First contract at the end of March with services and program alignment beginning about mid-2014.
Kippen said obtaining such funding is critical given that an earlier multimillion-dollar city commitment to Housing First was put on hold in January after the collapse of a $142 million deal to lease 12 city rental complexes. "No sale, no proceeds. No proceeds, no program," Kippen said.
Tsuhako said whichever agency is selected to implement the next phase of Housing First will be required to coordinate and maintain clients served through the pilot program.
