Our Housing Outreach Team program is working!
We believe chronically homeless people who are isolated, sick, disabled, addicted, or mentally ill and have not been able to access existing services deserve compassion, dignity and the chance to lead a decent life.
The HOT Team was launched by St. Vincent’s in 2016 to find supportive housing solutions for people who had been suffering on the streets in Marin for far too long. Our housing first HOT program is now so successful, it has dramatically improved our entire county’s “system of care” to prioritize those who are most vulnerable with complex problems and are least able to help themselves.
We work collaboratively with key Marin County partners with authority to provide housing, case management, mental health, and community support services. St. Vincent’s deploys our highly skilled Housing Outreach Team of five case managers who are experts at triage, helping those with the most complex challenges overcome fears and mistrust. HOT case managers build trust on the street and assist people on their journey to housing and the opportunity to lead a safe and stable life.
Over the last six years, HOT has reduced chronic homelessness in Marin by 28%, saving our community about $20 million annually by housing more than 600 high-risk people since 2016.
We initiated the HOT program in Marin based on a successful HOT program in San Mateo that experienced similar challenges. We can’t stop now. We plan to use this momentum and the commitment of our partners and individual donations to reduce chronic homelessness by 50% in Marin by May 2024 – one person at a time.
Candidates for the HOT program are identified through collaboration with partner agencies using several factors to determine their level of need.
For more information, contact Joel Hernandez, our Homeless Outreach Team Manager at jhernandez@vinnies.org.
