Hprp Strategic Plan Final

Homeless Persons Representation Project, Inc. Strategic Plan 2009 - 2014

FINAL AS APPROVED June 8, 2009

The Context Current Status of Homelessness in Maryland and in Baltimore City Homelessness is increasing in Maryland. Although a July 2008 report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suggested a nationwide decrease in homelessness based on calendar year 2007 data, the report documented a 10% increase in homelessness in Maryland, bringing the total number of homeless people to 9,628. The economic situation in 2008 and 2009 has only exacerbated this trend. Early estimates from Baltimore City’s Homeless Census conducted in January 2009 indicate the City’s first significant increase in homelessness of 14 percent since 2005, with 3,419 total people identified as homeless including 319 individuals who slept outside in 16 degree weather in January. The Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP) considers both the state-wide and City figures to be substantially lower than the actual number of people without homes of their own, as neither figure includes families and individuals who are "doubled" or "tripled" up with friends and family. The state of Maryland consistently ranks close to the bottom in national reports that assess potential solutions to homelessness. Creation of affordable housing is the major solution to homelessness, a position supported unanimously by the providers surveyed, but Maryland ranks 44th out of 50 states for housing affordability in the country, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Access to jobs and public benefits are also significant solutions, but many low-income persons are prevented from accessing the assistance they need because of automatic disqualification of many job and housing candidates with even minor criminal histories, and because of government failure in the distribution of public benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released data from fiscal year 2007 showing Maryland ranked 33rd (out of 53 jurisdictions) in excessive administrative delay in processing Food Stamp applications. According to the National Center on Family Homelessness and it’s recently released study America’s Youngest Outcasts, Maryland ranks 49th out of 50 states for homeless children reporting moderate to severe health conditions which include asthma, dental health and emotional disturbance. Further, Maryland ranked 50th out of the 50 states for incidents of asthma among homeless children. Finally, Maryland has the highest number of homeless veterans of any surrounding state, including the District of Columbia. Maryland veterans receive one of the lowest levels of compensation in the country, according to Maryland’s Department of Veterans Affairs. In Maryland, Baltimore City ranks first among jurisdictions with respect to the number of homeless persons overall (in 2007, 27.1% of the state’s homeless population lived in Baltimore). The consequences of this level of homelessness are far-reaching. Baltimore City Schools report that the number of homeless students has doubled in the 2008-2009 school year compared to the previous school year. The link between education and income is well-established and homeless children experience the most severe barriers to a quality education. According to America’s Youngest Outcasts, less than 25% of homeless children in Maryland graduate from high school.

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The Organization HPRP was established in 1987, and separately incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1990, to provide legal services to homeless individuals in Maryland and to address the systemic causes of homelessness through impact litigation. HPRP staff and volunteers provide free legal services and advocacy1 in matters that directly eliminate or prevent homelessness, for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Services include establishing access to and preservation of housing, access to and preservation of income, and eliminating barriers to housing and employment presented by criminal records. HPRP is guided by a profound understanding of its clients’ barriers to accessing traditional legal services. HPRP staff and volunteer attorneys honor and accommodate these roadblocks by directly serving clients where they live, eat and spend time. HPRP staff and volunteers meet with clients in the community – shelters, public benefits offices, in soup kitchens, on the streets, in community groups – and in the HPRP office. Legal representation has been approached holistically by working to address multiple legal needs of each client, with the overarching goal of preventing and eliminating homelessness. HPRP seeks to increase the impact of its work to respond to the increased number of residents of Maryland who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. More than 95 percent of HPRP’s direct service work is pursued in Baltimore City by a staff of five attorneys (including the Director), a legal assistant, an office administrator, and a staff assistant. HPRP leverages the resources of its small staff by training volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students to provide legal representation and assistance to clients they meet while conducting intake at shelters and soup kitchens. HPRP handles approximately 900 legal matters per year with a budget of $612,840 (FY09). The Context for Strategic Planning In its nearly 20 years of existence, the organization has experienced seven leadership transitions, the most recent one being in December 2007 when the current Executive Director assumed her position. The new Executive Director’s hiring followed a particularly difficult period for the organization that required a change in leadership and direction. In December 2006, HPRP initiated a thorough program evaluation to assess its staff leadership, operations, and functions, and to develop a plan for needed staff leadership, board, and program changes. This evaluation resulted in the adoption of an interim management plan and the hiring of an interim executive director. In May 2007, the board retained an executive search consultant to assist in conducting a national search for a new executive director.

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Throughout this document, the terms “direct legal services and “advocacy” are used. “Direct legal services” refers to legal representation of an individual client on a particular legal issue that does not necessarily have a systemic impact. “Advocacy” is defined by HPRP to mean all work aimed at eliminating the systemic causes of homelessness. This definition includes work related to both administrative and legislative policy and systemic impact litigation, including class actions and individual cases that promote improvements to and preserve existing public policies.

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The new Executive Director’s hiring was a turning point for the organization. In the year and a half since the new executive director began service, the board of directors has increased in membership from five to 14 members and the budget has increased from $477,550 (FY08) to $612,940 (FY09). It was within the context of this turning point that HPRP board and staff decided to undertake a strategic planning initiative. The organization had not developed a strategic plan since 2002, and the leadership recognized the need to strategically position itself to respond to economic changes in Maryland that had resulted in increased numbers of people facing homelessness and a decrease in funding available to serve them. It was the “perfect storm” of increasing need, decreasing funding, and new organizational leadership that led HPRP’s leadership to launch its strategic planning initiative in September 2008.

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Mission HPRP’s mission is to end homelessness in Maryland by providing free legal services, including advice, counsel, education, representation and advocacy, for low-income persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Our staff and volunteers pursue this mission by offering legal services through outreach in shelters, soup kitchens, welfare offices, community centers and the street. Our direct representation informs broader-based systemic advocacy and impact litigation to address the root causes of homelessness.

Vision HPRP envisions an end to homelessness in Maryland.

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Goals and Strategies

Phase One: Years 0 to 3 (FY 2010, FY2011, FY2012)

Primary objective:

Continue to provide quality legal services to homeless individuals at FY2009 client numbers and prepare for growth in Phase Two of the Strategic Plan (Years 3 – 5) and beyond.

Given funding cuts caused by the national economic crisis, HPRP’s primary objective for the next three years is to retain the ability to serve the same number of homeless clients it served in FY2009. While doing so, HPRP will increase the visibility of the organization and enhance its existing advocacy work, while positioning itself for growth in Phase Two of the Strategic Plan (Years 3 – 5) and beyond.

Goal 1:

Raise $120,000 per year over the next three years to eliminate the FY2010 budget shortfall and projected equivalent shortfalls in FY2011 and FY2012. (See Appendix 1 for budget breakdown.) Strategies 1a) Increase funding from individual members of the business and legal communities in Baltimore through an annual campaign and a holiday solicitation. 1b) Strengthen public education and visibility (see Goal 5 below). 1c) Explore new and increased foundation support, including from national foundations. 1d) Enhance board involvement in soliciting donations from personal contacts and in making foundation grant requests. 1e) Evaluate the possibility of hiring a fund development consultant or staff member to assist in fundraising.

Goal 2:

Expand the pro bono program. Strategies 2a) Recruit additional volunteers 2b) Investigate the feasibility of increased staff involvement for the purpose of sharing their expertise with volunteers

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Goal 3:

Limit all services to those issue areas most directly linked to the root causes of homelessness; refer other cases to the appropriate partner organizations. • Limit direct service cases primarily to those related to housing, income and criminal record expungement in Baltimore City • As resources permit, provide support to other legal services organizations providing legal assistance to homeless/at-risk of homelessness persons outside of Baltimore City. • Limit statewide advocacy work to policies or cases related to housing, income, expungement, Head Start and certain civil rights cases, while incorporating data and research into advocacy efforts. Strategies 3a) Limit all staff resources to the specified priority areas. 3b) Train all pro bono volunteers to limit their work to the specified priority areas. 3c) Strengthen referral networks and systems for those cases unrelated to the specified priority areas and in priority areas outside of Baltimore City.

Goal 4:

Prepare for the expansion of the statewide advocacy program planned for Phase Two. Strategies 4a) Explore and pursue strategies to educate the public about the causes and solutions to homelessness. 4b) Explore the feasibility of creating a statewide homeless coalition task force focused on policy advocacy and systemic impact litigation. (See Phase Two, Goal 2, Strategy 2c.) 4c) Arrange meetings with legislators and executive branch officials in an effort to position HPRP for expansion of its advocacy program in Phase Two of the Strategic Plan. 4d) Strive to achieve a balance of staff time between direct service and advocacy work that accurately reflects the priorities outlined in this Strategic Plan (e.g. ensure sufficient staff time to lay the groundwork for the expansion of the advocacy program). 4e) Incorporate data and research in advocacy efforts.

Goal 5:

Strengthen existing collaborations and develop new strategic partnerships – for both direct service and advocacy work -- with legal services, social services and advocacy organizations, law firms, legislators, and members of the executive branch.

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Strategies 5a) Strengthen existing local and statewide partnerships to ensure that clients’ direct service and advocacy needs are collectively being met. 5b) Investigate and develop new strategic partnerships to ensure maximum assistance to homeless clients. Goal 6:

Increase HPRP’s visibility and raise awareness about homelessness on the local, state and national levels. Strategies 6a)

6b)

6c)

Develop and implement a communications and public relations plan that would include a variety of strategies, including media outreach, staff reports, public presentations and speaking engagements, educational materials, and a newsletter, among other strategies. Increase awareness specifically among funders, service providers and advocates, bar and business leaders, legislators, judges, academics, developers, landlords, the faith community, and clients. Explore the feasibility of forming a statewide homeless coalition. (See Strategy 4b above.)

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Phase Two: Years 3 - 5 (FY 2012, FY2013, FY2014)

Primary objective:

Expand the advocacy program.

Secondary objective: Expand the number of direct service clients in Baltimore. Raise an additional $181,250 per year to bring on additional staff, beginning in FY2012. (See Appendix 1 for budget breakdown.)2

Goal 1:

Strategies 1a) Continue and enhance all fundraising strategies employed during Phase One and expand the scope of all fundraising initiatives statewide (see Phase One, Goal 1). 1b) Hire a part-time employee to assist with development. Expand advocacy initiatives.

Goal 2:

Strategies 2a) Hire an advocacy director. 2b) Develop a local and statewide advocacy plan. 2c) If feasible, create a statewide homeless coalition task force to increase collaboration on advocacy efforts. 2d) Maintain the balance of staff time between direct service and advocacy work that most accurately reflects the priorities outlined in this Strategic Plan (e.g. ensure sufficient staff time to carry out increased advocacy responsibilities). Strengthen HPRP’s capacity to meet clients’ direct service needs in Baltimore.

Goal 3:

Strategies 3a) Hire an additional staff attorney. 3b) Continue to expand the pro bono program. 3c) Explore the feasibility of increasing the number of intake locations throughout the city.

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This projected amount is in addition to the $120,000 in additional funds to be raised annually beginning in FY2010 – see Phase One, Goal 1.

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Phase Three: Beyond 5 Years (FY2014) In the long-term (beyond the next five years), HPRP anticipates expanding its direct service work – in addition to its advocacy work -- beyond Baltimore City. HPRP will give consideration to a range of strategies and activities to do so, including establishing satellite offices in other parts of the state, expanding its pro bono recruitment and support in other parts of the state, and collaborating with other legal services provider organizations in other parts of the state, among other approaches.

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