Housing Subsidy Pool: Flexibility For Tenants And Landlords

The Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) is a permanent rental subsidy program that helps people facing homelessness transition into permanent housing. The FHSP, also known as the Flex Pool, was launched in 2014 as a public-private partnership led by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. The program combines rent subsidies with landlord engagement and tenant services to secure a broad range of housing options for those in need. The Flex Pool model has since been adopted in other cities such as San Francisco and San Diego, helping thousands of vulnerable individuals and families move out of homelessness and into stable housing.

The Los Angeles County Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP)

The FHSP, or simply "Flex Pool," combines rent subsidies, landlord engagement, precise tenant-landlord matching, and ongoing tenant services with intensive case management. The program works by identifying available units in the community that can be quickly matched with people in need of housing. This is achieved through collaboration with property providers in Los Angeles County, San Diego, and San Francisco, who offer their vacant units to the Flex Pool. Brilliant Corners, the operator of the Flex Pool, is responsible for securing a wide range of housing options, including individual apartments, blocks of units, or entire buildings. They also act as the fiscal intermediary, administering rental subsidies and providing tenancy support.

The Flex Pool prioritizes long-term tenancy and housing stability by offering improved collections through on-time monthly payments and reduced unit turnover costs. Landlords benefit from high occupancy and lower vacancy loss, as well as ease of management with a dedicated point of contact for all tenant issues. Intensive case management and wrap-around services are provided to support tenants and promote their long-term housing stability.

The FHSP has experienced exponential growth, housing over 12,800 people since its inception and transitioning 552 people from homelessness to permanent homes each month. The success of the FHSP has inspired similar models in San Francisco and San Diego, with communities across the country adopting the FHSP model to develop responsive and flexible housing programs that meet the diverse needs of their residents.

FHSP's role in transitioning vulnerable homeless residents into permanent housing

The Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) is a permanent rental subsidy program that helps people experiencing homelessness transition into permanent housing. The program was launched in 2014 as a public-private partnership led by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Since its inception, FHSP has housed over 12,800 people, moving 552 people out of homelessness and into permanent homes each month.

The FHSP model combines rent subsidies with landlord engagement and tenant services. It works by identifying available housing units in the community that can be quickly matched to people in need of housing. This approach has proven effective, helping over 8,000 people transition from homelessness to permanent homes in Los Angeles since 2014.

The role of FHSP in transitioning vulnerable homeless residents into permanent housing is crucial. FHSP provides rental subsidies and supportive services to ensure that individuals can access and maintain stable housing. This includes identifying landlords and property owners with vacant units, supporting prospective tenants through the leasing process, and providing ongoing housing retention services to tenants.

FHSP also ensures that all tenants have access to intensive case management services, which are vital in helping clients achieve and maintain health and housing stability. Case managers support participants in accessing healthcare, treatment, and benefits, and are available to respond to any issues that may arise.

The FHSP model has been recognised as a successful approach to addressing homelessness, and similar models have been adopted in other cities such as San Francisco and San Diego. By providing a flexible and responsive pool of funding, FHSP empowers individuals to secure permanent housing and improve their health and well-being.

FHSP's partnership with non-profits

The Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) is a partnership between the public and private sectors, with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) taking the lead. The FHSP is a permanent rental subsidy program that helps people who are experiencing homelessness and have complex physical and behavioural health conditions. The program has successfully housed over 12,800 people since its inception in 2014, with 552 people being moved out of homelessness and into permanent homes each month.

The FHSP model combines rent subsidies, landlord engagement, tenant/landlord matching, and ongoing tenant services and intensive case management. The DHS contracts with over 80 non-profit partners to ensure that all tenants have a dedicated case manager and wrap-around services to support their transition to permanent housing and promote long-term housing stability. These non-profit partners include Brilliant Corners, which acts as the fiscal intermediary and is responsible for securing a broad range of housing options, including individual apartments, blocks of units, or entire buildings.

The non-profit partners play a crucial role in the FHSP model by providing intensive case management services to tenants. Case managers support participants in accessing healthcare, treatment, and benefits, and are available to respond to any issues that may arise. They also work with the tenant, case manager, and property provider to resolve all tenant-specific, housing-related issues. This ensures a smooth transition into housing and promotes long-term housing stability.

In addition to Brilliant Corners, other non-profit partners in the FHSP include Tipping Point Community, Dignity Health, and Crankstart. These organizations provide funding and support to the initiative, helping to ensure its success and impact. The FHSP model has been so effective that similar initiatives have been launched in San Francisco and San Diego, with San Francisco's model also including partnerships with non-profits such as Tipping Point Community, Dignity Health, and Crankstart.

FHSP's innovative and cost-effective strategy

The Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) is an innovative and cost-effective strategy to combat homelessness. The FHSP, or "Flex Pool", is a permanent rental subsidy program that helps people facing homelessness secure housing and maintain their health and stability. This model has been successfully implemented in Los Angeles since 2014, and other cities like San Francisco and San Diego have followed suit.

The Flex Pool is a housing strategy that matches vacant private market apartments with people experiencing homelessness. It provides rental subsidies and supportive services to ensure long-term housing stability. This approach is significantly more efficient than traditional methods, as it can take years to build new affordable housing units, whereas the Flex Pool can house hundreds of people in a matter of months. This efficiency also translates to cost-effectiveness, as it is often less expensive to lease apartments than to pay nightly hotel rates, especially in the current rental market.

The Flex Pool combines rental subsidies with landlord engagement and tenant services. Brilliant Corners, the operator of the Flex Pool in Los Angeles and San Francisco, identifies landlords and property owners with vacant units and facilitates the leasing process. They also provide ongoing housing retention services to tenants, ensuring a smooth transition into permanent housing and promoting housing stability. This includes facilitating the move-in process and working with all parties to resolve any housing-related issues.

To further support tenants, the Flex Pool offers intensive case management services. In Los Angeles, the County Department of Health Services contracts with over 80 non-profit partners to ensure that all tenants have a dedicated case manager. These case managers help tenants access healthcare, treatment, and benefits, and are available to respond to any issues that may arise. This wrap-around approach promotes long-term success and housing stability.

The Flex Pool strategy has proven effective in Los Angeles, with over 12,800 people housed since its inception and an average of 552 people moved out of homelessness each month. The success of the Los Angeles model has inspired other communities to develop their own responsive, flexible housing programs. The Flex Pool approach is a cost-effective and innovative solution to homelessness, providing a sustainable formula for securing permanent housing for those in need.

FHSP's expansion to other cities

The Los Angeles County Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) has been so successful that it has inspired similar models in other cities. Since its launch in 2014, the FHSP has helped over 12,000 people exit homelessness and transition into permanent homes. The programme combines rent subsidies, landlord engagement, tenant/landlord matching, and ongoing tenant services and intensive case management.

The success of the FHSP in Los Angeles County has led to its expansion to other cities, most notably San Francisco and San Diego. In San Francisco, the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool is a partnership between the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), Brilliant Corners, and philanthropy organisations including Tipping Point Community, Dignity Health, and Crankstart. The San Francisco Flex Pool aims to transition 200 unhoused individuals into permanent housing by the end of the year, with a focus on supporting the Black community, which has been disproportionately impacted by homelessness and COVID-19.

The Flex Pool model has proven to be a cost-effective and innovative solution to homelessness, providing permanent housing and supportive services to those in need. By partnering with landlords and property owners, the programme can quickly match vacant units with individuals experiencing homelessness, ensuring a smooth transition into housing and ongoing support to promote housing stability.

The expansion of the FHSP to other cities demonstrates the adaptability and effectiveness of the model in addressing the complex issue of homelessness. By providing rental subsidies and intensive case management services, the FHSP helps individuals and families achieve and maintain health and housing stability, ultimately improving their quality of life.

As communities across the country continue to seek responsive and flexible solutions to homelessness, the FHSP model is likely to be further replicated and adapted to meet the specific needs of different communities. The success of the FHSP in Los Angeles County and its expansion to other cities highlights the importance of collaborative efforts between government, non-profit organisations, and private sector partners in addressing societal challenges.

Frequently asked questions