SUPPORTIVE HOUSING COALITION OF NEW MEXICO

At SHC, we believe that everyone deserves to live in a place that is safe and secure. Our organizational goals determined by the board of directors have established three primary goal areas that will ultimately lead SHC to meeting the overall vision of ending homelessness for good:

GOAL 1: SHC will create and implement a set of financial health strategies that ensure sufficient resources and reserves are in place to sustain operations for the duration of current housing project commitments.
GOAL 2: SHC will create and implement an operationally sustainable growth plan that increases the organization’s reach.
GOAL 3: SHC will create and implement a marketing strategy that supports program growth, drives resource development, and strengthens the organization’s advocacy role as a subject-matter expert in affordable housing.

Financial Health:
- Identify 3-5 key financial targets for organizational sustainability to include level of reserves. Develop financial plan for achieving those targets and dashboard for Board review of plan progress.
- Implement plan to include raising reserve funds; implement regular monitoring process.
- Adjust the financial targets based on first-year results.

Program Growth:
- Identify unit of growth measurement (i.e. number of vouchers, housing units, etc.). Set growth target by that unit of measurement. Build growth plan to achieve target.
- Implement growth plan and monitor results.
- Adjust growth plan based on first-year results.

Marketing:
- Identify 2-3 measures of success for marketing that tie directly to program growth, resource development and advocacy. Identify at least one tactic that can drive each of those measures and build a plan to implement those tactics.
- Implement the marketing plan and monitor measures of success.
- Adjust plan based on first-year results.

SHC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996. We are led by a volunteer board of directors and staffed by an executive leadership team consisting of the executive director, controller, director of development, director of property & asset management, and director of community housing. SHC runs two housing divisions in its effort to prevent and reduce homelessness: 1) Property & Asset Management and 2) Community Housing.

Property & Asset Management: SHC are experts in running complex housing programs, owning managing, and partnering in seven affordable housing apartment complexes in Albuquerque, Gallup, and Las Vegas. The organization operates three U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) programs, two Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties, and two HUD 811 properties, all of which require tracking and reporting housing data and successful outcomes.

Community Housing: In 2005, SHC added its Community Housing program to administer rental assistance vouchers for the City of Albuquerque. SHC manages over 350 vouchers for the City of Albuquerque Housing First, Community Connections, Housing First Family, and ESG programs. SHC operates two additional rental assistance programs on a scattered site basis in the Albuquerque metropolitan area: Casita Bonita for chronically homeless, mentally ill persons, and CYFD Transitions for youth ages 18-21 aging out of foster care or juvenile justice. These programs are funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the NM Children, Youth and Families Department respectively. The department also administers a housing assistance and eviction prevention fund that has disbursed over $429,000 helping over 1,100 individuals and families either avoid or escape homelessness.

Since 1996, SHC has developed deep, long-standing relationships with other homeless service providers, behavioral health providers, landlords, affordable housing organizations, and community members critical to our mission to end homelessness. SHC is an active member of the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness (NMCEH), the Apartment Association of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Affordable Housing Coalition, the Albuquerque Strategic Collaborative, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition. SHC collaborates with a number of other organizations including government entities and nonprofits. In addition to service partnerships, SHC demonstrates its commitment to community integration for our tenants by developing and maintaining relationships with over 250 landlords who have made a collective total of 1,150 units available to SHC tenants. This allows our tenants to reside in a community of their choice, grow roots, and establish meaningful relationships as neighbors and citizens. Landlord relations are preserved through rigorous outreach, technical support for tenant issues, and seamless communication with Housing Specialists to address perceived issues prior to eviction.

Experience and outcomes - Since opening its first rental assistance program on July 1, 2005, SHC has played a critical role in ending homelessness for 1,500 individuals and families by creating affordable housing solutions through rental assistance and supportive services. Rental assistance is paired with intentional coordination of supportive services to address the challenges that emerge when transitioning from homelessness to home. SHC’s approach and services have proven successful in the areas of housing stability, behavioral health stability, and family resilience. Our housing data reflect that 96% of households remain housed for over six months; 85% remain housed for a minimum of one full year. The 2016 City of Albuquerque Heading Home Cost Study, which included SHC Housing First tenants, reported decreased utilization of emergency room care, medical outpatient, hospital inpatient, emergency shelters, behavioral health outpatient, and jails by participants. Participants reported that the overall quality of their lives had improved, that they were socializing more, had increased contact with family members, and felt more a part of their community.