CCHP Explained: Diversion

Aubry Vonck • May 11, 2021

On July 1, 2020, the City of Houston, Harris County, and the Coalition for the Homeless announced a joint $65-million plan called the Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP), which will serve 5,000 people experiencing homelessness over the course of two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This four-part series, CCHP Explained, will dive into how we are serving those individuals and families through our COVID response: two permanent housing programs (Bridge to Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Re-housing), one new pilot intervention (Diversion), and four additional programs (Auxiliary/Social Distancing Emergency Shelters, Mental Health Case Management, Enhanced Street Outreach, and Permanent Supportive Housing Preservation).

Today, join us as we dive into Diversion.

The Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP) will accelerate the work of The Way Home Continuum of Care (CoC), which is the homeless response system in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties, by serving approximately 5,000 individuals between October 2020 – September 2022. Of these individuals, we anticipate approximately 2,000 clients to be served through the Diversion program.

What is Diversion?

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, diversion is “an intervention designed to immediately address the needs of someone who has just lost their housing and become homeless. Diversion is a client-driven approach; its goal is to help the person or household find safe alternative housing immediately, rather than entering shelter or experiencing unsheltered homelessness. It is intended to ensure that the homelessness experience is as brief as possible, to prevent unsheltered homelessness, and to avert stays in shelter.”

The Way Home CoC utilizes Diversion to prevent people from entering homelessness and avoiding the trauma that comes with it. Diversion is generally a three-month program; by the end of the program, our agencies strive for our clients to be stabilized and self-sufficient. Diversion asks, “what do you need and what do you want?” and case managers help our clients get there.

CCHP funding made the introduction of Diversion to the Houston region possible. Before implementing the program, the Coalition worked with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Technical Assistance providers, and other federal partners to discuss the best approach to implementing a true homelessness diversion program. Through these conversations, the Coalition learned about Diversion programs in Boston, Seattle, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and more.

Because Diversion case management focuses on problem solving and a different style of engagement, the Coalition facilitated virtual training on Diversion best practices for 52 direct service staff from partner agencies in December 2020. The training was administered by two HUD trainers who are nationally recognized diversion specialists. While other programs in the CCHP kicked off on October 1, 2020, the Diversion program began on January 1, 2021 to accommodate the training program.

Five local agencies are providing Diversion through the CCHP: BakerRipley, Endeavors, Houston Area Women’s Center, Northwest Assistance Ministries, and The Salvation Army of Greater Houston.

How does Diversion work?

Diversion is not a housing program; it is a short-term intervention. In order to be enrolled in the Diversion program, an individual must first complete an assessment and meet the criteria. If criteria is met, the individual will then be assigned a case manager who will work with them through the three-month program. Case managers empower their clients to explore options and engage in conflict resolution with friends or family if appropriate and in some cases may offer financial assistance to prevent homelessness or shelter stay.

Diversion relies on active listening and creative problem-solving by the case managers. Whatever barriers are standing in the way of a client remaining stably housed will be addressed. Interventions are determined on a case-by-case basis based on the needs of a client. Here are some examples of Diversion in action:

Family reunification – ex. An individual moves from Houston from across the county but has trouble connecting to income or housing. We can help pay for transportation costs to help them reconnect to their support system.
Conflict mediation – ex. Two family members living together have had a disagreement. We provide conflict mediation to determine how these two can work out their issues and live peacefully together.
Payment for background and credit checks
Landlord fees
Utility deposits
Transportation repairs – ex. An individual’s car needs a repair so they are unable to go to make it to work, potentially losing their income. We can assist with the car repair so they can maintain their job and housing.
Grocery cards
Fees for assistance securing IDs, birth certificates and social security cards
Certifications or license fees related to school or employment
Work or education-related assistance

Successes To-Date!

Our local Diversion program is the first one in any major Texas city. Thanks to CCHP funding and resources, we have enrolled 668 individuals into Diversion since January 1, 2021. We are proud to break ground with such an innovative and effective program. Being able to provide assistance in new way to this group of at-risk individuals will decrease the inflow into homelessness, helping individuals avoid the trauma that comes with homelessness.

Abbey Gleichenhaus and Sable Harris-Buck, both employees of the Coalition, are there every step of the way to assist our partner agencies as they implement this program. Because of the creativity and problem-solving that are inherent in Diversion, the success stories are abundant and diverse.

Susanne is one of the 668 individuals so far who has been assisted by the Diversion program. Following years of emotional and physical violence from her spouse, Susanne fled her home and sought help from Houston Area Women’s Center. The Coalition was then able to conduct a coordinated housing assessment and she was referred to The Salvation Army of Greater Houston. Susanne refers to her case manager Kiley as her “angel” from The Salvation Army, as both she and Kiley worked diligently to get her out of the shelter and into a home to call her own. Thanks to the additional resources provided by the CCHP, Kiley found a home for Susanne within only a couple of weeks.

Susanne’s story started with her seeking help; because she was strong enough to flee a violent situation and reach out to the resources available to her, she was able to change her life through the CCHP Diversion program and with the help of our partners. Read her full story on The Way Home website.

Missed part one? CCHP Explained: Bridge to Permanent Supportive H ousing

Missed part two? CCHP Explained: Rapid Re-housing

Questions about Diversion or other aspects of the CCHP? Contact CCHP@homelesshouston.org.

Check back next week for our fourth and final CCHP Explained blog to learn about the four additional programs that make up the CCHP: an Auxiliary/Social Distancing Emergency Shelter, Mental Health Case Management, Enhanced Street Outreach, and Permanent Supportive Housing Preservation.