The definition of "chronically homeless" can and will cause some issues. While the VA is about as bureaucratic as an agency can get, they are trying to take a step in this direction with their housing program (HUD-VASH) for veterans and clear out their waiting list in the process. They're contracting non-profits to do their outreach and screening before setting them up with a voucher to get an apartment. So the bureaucratic hoops are still there, just outsourced and requiring minimal effort from the homeless individual. The contracted social worker takes them around to gather all their paperwork/medical records/bank statements and screens them.

Here's the definition of chronically homeless as defined by the HEARTH Act of 2009.

(1) Is homeless and lives or resides in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter;

(2) Has been homeless and living or residing in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter continuously for at least 1 year or on at least four separate occasions in the last 3 years;

(3) Has an adult head head of household (or a minor head of household if no adult is present in the household) with a diagnosable SUD, serious mental illness, developmental disability ..., post-traumatic stress disorder, cognitive impairments resulting from a brain injury, or chronic physical illness or disability, including the co-occurence of two or more of those conditions; and

(4) A person who currently lives or resides in an instituional care facility, including a jail, SUD or mental health treatment facility, hospital, or other similar facility, and has resided there for fewer than 90 days must be considered chronically homeless if such person met all of the requirements described in subparagraph 4e prior to entering that facility.

The housing I case manage at is technically transitional housing and they can live here for up to two years. Most of my clients fell under "chronically homeless" before they entered here, and have been on a waiting list for their HUD-VASH vouchers for over a year (the backlog is at 2 years).

So because they've been here for over 90 days, they are no longer technically chronically homeless in the eyes of the law, even though the VA is not restricted to giving to only giving chronically homeless apartments. This is a battle I'm fighting with them right now; my clients were chronically homeless before entering our housing and many will be chronically homeless after their term here expires if the VA decides to fuck them.

I'm concerned that this will create an incentive for someone to become chronically homeless in order to get housing, and I feel like one of those people who says "homeless people are just lazy!" by saying that. But, they will have no reason to take steps toward becoming independent, drug-free, and seeking mental health; if they keep fucking up the house fairy will swoop down and give them a house. My clients are already talking about leaving if their applications get denied to go live on the street again for a year. Because they have no other choice, at least in California, where Social Security Disability can barely pay for rent.

Of course, I have some bias involved because it essentially nulls everything my organization is doing. I think this re-envisioning of housing the homeless will work wonders in states with small populations. But it could be disastrous in states with a large homeless population.

I'm not familiar with the situation in Portland, so I'm not sure I understand. Why would some people have to jump through hoops while others don't?