Glossary of Terms

AB 34/AB 2034: Provide funding for demonstration projects to provide housing individuals with severe mental health disorders.

Chronically Homeless: (HUD definition): “An unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more OR has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.” Individuals who are in transitional housing or permanent supportive housing programs are not considered chronically homeless even if they have been in the program more than a year.

Continuum of Care: (HUD definition): A community plan to organize and deliver housing and services to meet the specific needs of people who are homeless as they move to stable housing and maximum self-sufficiency. It includes action steps to end homelessness and prevent a return to homelessness.

Co-Occurring Disorders (Dual Diagnosis): A diagnosis that describes both a mental disability and a substance abuse disorder.

Detox: a 72-hour program run by the Sacramento Comprehensive Alcoholism treatment center providing detoxification from alcohol.

Emergency Shelter: (HUD definition): Any facility the primary purpose of which is to provide temporary or transitional shelter for the homeless in general or for specific populations of the homeless.

ECHI: Ending Chronic Homelessness Initiative. This initiative staffs the Ten-Year Plan.

Extremely low-income: is defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as at or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). In Sacramento County in 2004, the Area Median Income was $64,100 annually. For a single person in Sacramento County, 30% of the Area Median Income was $21,367 in 2004.

HMIS: Homeless Management Information Systems, used to streamline intake of services consumers and confidentially track data on homeless people who use the housing and service systems (see http://www.homebaseccc.org/hmis.html). HMIS will be used to evaluate the outcomes of the Ten-Year Plan.

Homeless: (HUD definition)- (1) an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence; and (20) an individual who ha a primary nighttime residence that is- (A) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); (B) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or (C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

Housing First: (from the National Alliance to End Homelessness) A “housing first” approach rests on two central premises: 1) Re-housing should be the central goal of our work with people experiencing homelessness; and (2) Providing housing assistance and follow-up case management services after a family or individual is housed can significantly reduce the time people spend in homelessness. Case management ensures individuals and families have a source of income through employment and/or public benefits, identifies service needs before the move into permanent housing, and works with families or adults after the move into permanent housing to help solve problems that may arise that threaten their tenancy including difficulties sustaining housing or interacting with the landlord and to connect families with community-based services to meet long term support/service needs.

Housing Plus: Refers to housing where residents are encouraged to accept support services necessary to help them maintain their housing. The term is another way of referring to “permanent supportive housing,” but puts the emphasis on “housing plus intensive service” for people with serious disabilities.

HUD: The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Low-income: is defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as at or below 80% of the Area Median Income.

Permanent Supportive Housing: (HUD definition): is long-term, community-based housing that has supportive services for homeless individuals with disabilities. This type of supportive housing enables special needs populations to live as independently as possible in a permanent setting. The supportive services may be provided by the organization managing the housing or coordinated by the applicant and provided by other public or private service agencies. Permanent housing can be provided in one structure or several structures at one site or in multiple structures at scattered sites.

Proposition 63/Mental Health Services Act: Proposition 63 became known as the MentalHealth Services Act when it became state law in 2005. The law places a 1% tax on the adjusted gross income of those in California who earn $1 million or more. The revenues support county-operated mental health services (California HealthCare Foundation).

SHRA: Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (www.shra.org). (Link to www.shra.org).

SRO: (HUD definition): A residential property that includes multiple single room dwelling units. Each unit is for occupancy by a single eligible individual. The unit need not, but may, contain food preparation or sanitary facilities, or both.

Supportive services: (HUD definition): Services that assist homeless participants in the transition from the streets or shelters into permanent or permanent supportive housing, and that assist persons living successfully in housing.

Transitional housing: (HUD definition)- A project that has its purpose facilitating the movement of homelessness individuals and families to permanent housing within a reasonable amount of time (usually 24 months).
Very­-low income: is defined as at or below 50% of the Area Median Income. For a single person in Sacramento County in 2004, very low income was a household income at or below $32,050.