Greater emphasis and additional resources needed for homeless prevention programs.
Here in MA we have been providing services to at-risk households in our courts(Housing Courts) who have a disability(mental illness, substance abuse, etc.) and are at-risk for eviction. Under the ADA, households where a lease violation secondary to a disability is placing the tenancy in jeopardy, a project called the Tenancy Preservation Program or TPP, provides clinical consultation in the Housing Court in order to prevent the eviction. The court utilizes the services of clinicians from local Social Service Agencies to work in conjunction with the court and all parties(landlords,tenants attorneys) to resolve the issue(s) that are contributing to the lease problems. The program has a 85-90% success rate for all cases referred by the court for TPP services. Since many of the households served by TPP are low-income and often subsidized(Section 8, Public Housing etc.) it is even more critical to preserve the current tenancy for these cases as the majority of households served by TPP are subsidized and cannot afford market rate housing in MA, increasing the likelihood that they will become homeless. Subsidies are forfeited for 3 years following an eviction. While not all cases can be resolved, the percentage of successful outcomes greatly lowers the risk of creating an even greater level of homelessness. We have been providing TPP in MA since 1998 and it has been expanded over the years with support from our State Legislature as it is recognized as a "best-practice."