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BCHS FACTS

BCHS Service Population and Accomplishments

BCHS clients are referred from the shelter system, psychiatric facilities, hospitals, and the community at large. At any given time, BCHS prevents homelessness for over 300 individuals each day through its transitional and permanent supportive housing programs, and nearly 700 individuals annually.

  

BCHS Statistical Profile

  • 63% of BCHS clients are Black, 22% are Latino, 13% are White, and 2% are Asian.
  • 27% of BCHS’ adult participants are between the ages of 18 and 30, 62% are between the ages of 31 and 54, and 11% are 55 years of age or older.
  • 18% of the children served at Arbor Inn are between birth and 6 months old, 42% are between 6 months and 2 years old, 2% are between the ages of 2 and 4, and 17% are between 4 and 8 years of age. Presently, 18% of mothers in the program are receiving prenatal care.
  • 45% of BCHS clients are male, and 55% are female.
  • 27% of BCHS clients have forensic histories.
  • 96% utilization is the average occupancy rate for all BCHS residential programs.
  • 15% of BCHS residents are employed in either full time or part time work.

 

BCHS Program Profile

  • Oak Hall – permanent housing: 76% of residents have lived at Oak Hall for 2+ yrs; 48% for 5+ yrs; and 26% for   10+ yrs.
  • Arbor Inn – short-term housing: 48 of 50 (96%)  “housing ready” families were placed into permanent housing last year (DHS system wide average for placing “housing ready” families was 77%), with 0 recidivism; Average Time to Placement = 3.5 months.
  • Supported Scattered-Site Apartments for adults with severe and persistent mentally illness – permanent housing: 85% of residents have lived in their apartments for 2+ yrs; 68% for 4+ yrs; and 28% for 7+ yrs.
  • Transitional Scattered-Site Apartments for adults with severe and persistent mentally illness – transitional housing: 23 of 27 (86%) of residents discharged were placed into permanent housing last year.
  • Ivy House Community Residence for adults with severe and persistent mentally illness – transitional housing: 5 of 7 (72%) residents discharged were placed into less restrictive housing last year.
  • Activities / Recreation: 525 BCHS residents took part in 35 activities such as Pumpkin Picking, the annual Halloween Party, Thanksgiving festivities, a Veteran’s Day memorial, and a Women’s History Month celebration last year.
  • Vocational Services: 3,600 hours of training, assistance and computer instruction are provided annually.

BCHS’ permanent housing options have very little turnover – for example, nearly 50% of the Oak Hall residents have lived there for at least 5 years, and over 25% have lived there for at least 10 years. The average length of stay for our transitional housing programs for the mentally ill is between 24 and 32 months, while the average length of stay for mothers with children in Arbor Inn’s short-term program is approximately 3.5 months. Almost everyone discharged from BCHS moves on to a greater level of independent living, while those remaining with BCHS maintain stability, such that they almost never require subsequent placement in institutional settings. Further, participation rates in BCHS community building activities are very high - during 2006, over 525 BCHS residents took part in 35 such activities like Pumpkin Picking, the annual Halloween Party, Thanksgiving festivities, a Veteran’s Day memorial, and a Women’s History Month celebration. Vocational services remain in demand, as at least three hundred hours of training and support are provided each month.

Cost Effectiveness of BCHS Programs

BCHS programs not only help people move from crisis to community, but also are extraordinarily cost effective - each unit of supportive housing results in an average savings to taxpayers of $16,282 per year.1 This is because supportive housing stabilizes individuals who are vulnerable, and thus reduces their utilization of hospital emergency rooms, psychiatric treatment centers, and other expensive, publicly funded services. Further, the cost of placing an individual in a safe and attractive BCHS supportive housing unit is roughly $42 per person each day, significantly less than the costs of many of the other placement alternatives for the homeless: $1,185/day for hospitalization; $467/day for psychiatric hospitalization; $165/day for jail; $101/day for prison; and $63/day for a City shelter bed.

Daily Costs per Person Are Much Lower at BCHS Compared to Other Alternatives2

Looking to the Future          

BCHS provides housing in a uniquely effective way and is committed to delivering excellent services and remaining a leader and model in the field. In the years ahead, BCHS will allow so many more of our city's most vulnerable children, women, and men to live independent and productive lives–and thus truly move from crisis to community.

  1. University of Pennsylvania 
  2. The Lewin Group

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