Objective

To assess the extent of implementation, as of June 2025, of the seven recommendations included in our initial audit report (2021-S-23).

About the Program

Homeless shelters across the State provide various services to individuals and families, including assessment of needs, case management, access to health care (including physical and mental health), treatment for substance abuse, childcare services, and assistance with finding permanent housing. Local departments of social services (Local Districts) administer homeless services by either operating shelters directly or contracting with third-party providers to operate them. According to the 2023 Annual Report, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) oversaw a network of 580 transitional homeless shelters across the State.

Each client who receives temporary housing in a certified shelter must take part in a Needs Assessment (Assessment) and the development of an Individual Living Plan (ILP), administered by the Local District or third-party provider. The Assessment is an evaluation of the client’s housing and care needs, including but not limited to the need for temporary housing and treatment of physical, mental health, and/or substance abuse issues. Beginning in January 2020, Assessments must begin within 1 business day of admission and be completed as soon thereafter as possible. Once the client completes the Assessment, the ILP is developed, setting forth a strategy for meeting the client’s needs—as identified in the Assessment—and outlining specific goals to help the client exit the shelter and return to self-sufficiency. The ILP includes tasks that will help the client reach their goals as well as any services that will be provided to assist with accomplishing these tasks. It also details additional services and supports the client may need, such as life skills coaching and medical, mental health, and/or substance abuse treatment. The ILP must be completed within the first 10 days of admission to the shelter. The lack of an Assessment, or a late or incomplete Assessment, impacts the development of a client’s ILP and subsequently the timeliness of when they begin to receive services. Often, one of the obstacles to completing the ILP or getting the client the services they need is the clients’ participation. While many factors impact a successful transition to permanent housing including, foremost, access to affordable housing, supports such as assistance in obtaining permanent housing can play a role in achieving housing stability.

According to OTDA officials, Local Districts’ submissions for annual reimbursements for sheltering and serving homeless clients ranged from $1.9 billion to $2.3 from 2018 through 2023.

The objective of our original audit, issued on August 15, 2023, was to determine whether OTDA’s initial Needs Assessments and ILPs were completed timely and if clients were receiving services needed to transition to permanent housing. The audit covered the period from January 2018 through October 2022. The audit found that OTDA was not adequately ensuring that Assessments and ILPs were completed in a timely manner and that all client support services were being provided. Assessments were either missing or late 40% of the time, and ILPs were either missing or late 38% of the time, impacting the timeliness of when clients begin to receive services and support aimed at helping them exit the shelter and return to self-sufficiency. According to the results of our initial audit, missing or late Assessments and ILPs nearly doubled since prior audits we issued in 2016 and 2020. We also found no evidence that support services listed in the ILPs were delivered for a sample of cases, and 70% of clients in our sample did not exit the shelter and transition to permanent housing. Further, OTDA did not collect and analyze aggregate data that would allow it to identify primary causes for clients not achieving permanent housing and address these issues.

Key Finding

OTDA officials made limited progress in addressing the problems we identified in the initial audit. Of the initial report’s seven audit recommendations, one was fully implemented, three were partially implemented, and three were not implemented.

Key Recommendation

OTDA officials are requested, but not required, to provide information about any actions planned to address any unresolved issues discussed in this follow-up within 30 days of the report’s issuance.