c h a pte r vi people strategy · table vi-1. washington village and south norwalk demographic data...

C

HAPTER

VI People Strategy

Chapter VI

People Strategy

Table of Contents

A. Overall Vision for People ...................................................................... 1

B. Profile of Target Population ................................................................. 2

C. Resident Needs Assessment ............................................................... 4

D. Goals, Outcomes, Metrics, Strategies, and Partners ......................... 7

• Goal1: Residents are well-informed about, have access to and take full advantage of the support services and programs in and around Norwalk.

• Goal2:Households are economically stable and self-sufficient.

• Goal3: Children, youth and adults are physically and mentally healthy.

E. Implementation .................................................................,................. 20

TablesTable VI-1. Washington Village and South Norwalk Demographic DataTable VI-2. Demographic Data for Targeted PopulationTable VI-3. Health DataTable VI-4. Goals, Outcomes, and MetricsTable VI-5 Preferred Industries for Employment

ExhibitExhibit VI-1. Case Management and Supportive Services Model

Appendices (under separate cover)Appendix VI-1. Washington Village and South Norwalk Data TableAppendix VI-2. Partners and Services InventoryAppendix VI-3. South Norwalk Amenities MapAppendix VI-4. Housing Opportunities Unlimited ExperienceAppendix VI-5. Scope of Services for Case Management and Service Coordination

Washington Village/South Norwalk Transformation Plan

Chapter I

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Washington Village / South Norwalk Transformation Plan

Chapter VI

People StrategyThe people plan for the Washington Village/South Norwalk Transformation Plan primarily focuses on the existing residents of Washington Village, but also intends to reach new residents of the Washington Village community as well as their neighbors in the broader South Norwalk area.

This chapter presents the guiding vision for the people plan; discusses existing conditions and current needs among residents of Washington Village and the surrounding South Norwalk neighborhood; outlines how the people program was developed; describes the proposed goals, outcomes and metrics; and then details the strategies and partners to meet these objectives. The chapter ends with an overview of implementation and the capacity and role of the procured lead partner and a plan for sustainability. Please note, the proposed people plan focuses primarily on adults and families; additional strategies related to education and youth specifically can be found in Chapter VII.

A. Overall Vision for People

The supportive services plan seeks to create opportunities for all Washington Village and South Norwalk families to thrive. The plan directly responds to the needs identified through the resident and community needs assessments and seeks to help residents attain greater self-sufficiency and housing stability over the long term, while also attempting to address the disparities between the economically disadvantaged residents in the South Norwalk neighborhood and their wealthy neighbors throughout the rest of Fairfield County.

The goals of the People plan include:

• Residents are well-informed about, have access to and take full advantage of the support services and programs in and around Norwalk.

• Households are economically stable and self-sufficient.

• Children, youth and adults are physically and mentally healthy.

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Chapter VI: People Strategy

Source: NHA Statistical Report dated 9/27/2012 and 2010 Census

The plan seeks to achieve these goals through a series of strategies and partnerships by:

• Developing a comprehensive, coordinated, and evidence-based program that meets the specific needs of the South Norwalk neighborhood and Washington Village residents.

• Providing individualized, strengths-based, and family-driven case management services and supports in a culturally competent manner.

• Capitalizing on and aligning with existing networks and initiatives, such as the Greater Norwalk Area 2012 Community Health Improvement Plan and the ACHIEVE initiative.

• Emphasizing collaboration among a network of partners who creatively leverage and align community assets to facilitate greater collective impact for the target population and neighborhood.

B. Profile of Target Population

Washington Village and South Norwalk, while located in the city of Norwalk along Connecticut’s south shore, are dramatically different from many of the extremely wealthy neighborhoods in Norwalk and throughout Fairfield County. One census tract in Norwalk boasts a median household income of $115,0871, significantly higher than the median household income both at the state and national levels. In contrast, the median income in South Norwalk is $39,4932 and, significantly lower still, the median income in Washington Village is a mere $14,1013. And the disparities between Washington Village and South Norwalk as a whole go well beyond income to include access to education, employment, health and transportation services. Washington Village residents are more likely to be minority, to have lower rates of educational attainment, to be unemployed, to have limited English proficiency and to live in single-parent households.

1 Norwalk Community Health Center, Needs Assessment, Norwalk Connecticut: A Tale of Two Cities, Strategic choices, Kenneth Dym, M.S.W., May 2012.

2 U.S. Census 2010.

3 NHA Tenant Statistical Report dated 9/27/2012.

Table VI-1 Key Demographic Comparisons

Washington Village

South Norwalk

City of Norwalk

Fairfileld County

Black/African American 62% 32% 14% 11%

Hispanic/Latino 35% 35% 24% 17%

Limited English proficiency 29% 22% 13% 12%

Not completed high school 25% 20% 11% 11%

Households earning less than 30% AMI 82% 26% 18% 17%

Households headed by single females 85% 18% 12% 11%

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Below is a snapshot of other key demographics; a more complete presentation of baseline demographic data for the HUD-assisted residents at Washington Village and the South Norwalk neighborhood as a whole is provided in Appendix VI-1.

Table VI-2 Demographic Data for Target Population

Priority Households: Washington Village

Target Neighborhood: South Norwalk4

Households 136 921

Individuals 308 1,966

Age Distribution

Children 124 (40%) 346 (18%)

0-5 / 0-4 54 134

6-18 / 5-17 72 212

Adults 184 (60%) 1,620 (82%)

19-64 / 18-64 160 1,442

65+ 24 178

Persons with Disabilities 41 (13%) 3% 5

Household Income

Median Household Income $14,101 $39,493

% with Employment Income 60% 85%

4 Washington Village households are included in the South Norwalk numbers.

5 Based upon the number of households receiving SSI per the U.S. Census 2010.

Source: NHA Statistical Report dated 9/27/2012 and 2010 Census

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C. Resident Needs Assessment

To fully understand the needs of existing residents of Washington Village and the surrounding neighborhood, identify the baseline data, and ground the people plan for South Norwalk, a rigorous and comprehensive resident needs assessment was conducted. The key data source for the needs assessment is a survey of Washington Village households completed in October 2011. The response rate was an impressive 96%, with 129 of 135 households completing the survey. The survey assessed the specific services and amenities needed related to housing, income, employment, education, health, safety and transportation. The survey also assessed resident satisfaction with the existing neighborhood, and specifically looked at the unique needs of select target groups, including 0-5 year olds, school-aged children, transition age youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

In addition to the resident survey, the needs assessment used the following data sources to more fully understand the needs of the South Norwalk community.

• Characteristics of Washington Village residents:

» NHA Tenant Statistical Report dated 9/27/2012

• Characteristics of Neighborhood residents:

» 2010 Census data from 17 block groups in Census Tract 441 and 3 block groups in Census Tract 440 that comprise the South Norwalk neighborhood

» Input from community meetings regarding neighborhood residents’ priorities for supportive services, neighborhood amenities, and design concepts (See Appendix III-5 for the key priorities that emerged from the Resident Information Fair on 9/22/12)

» Information provided by key stakeholders, many of whom live in or work with residents from the South Norwalk neighborhood, via the People Task Force meetings

» An innovative student photo project that documented assets and challenges in the neighborhood through the lenses of Washington Village youth

» Two focus groups related to employment and services utilization

• Characteristics of the South Norwalk neighborhood:

» Local studies, reports and funding applications (i.e. Human Services Council’s 2010 Community Indicators Report, Greater Norwalk Area 2012 Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan, the Norwalk Community Health Center’s New Access Point Project Narrative and their May 2012 Needs Assessment, etc.)

» A services inventory and map that outlined the availability and accessibility of supportive services and programs throughout the area (See Appendices VI-2 and VI-3)

» Education data as detailed in Chapter VII

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Employment and WorkUnemployment is a significant challenge in South Norwalk. Local employment data show that the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk region has experienced negative overall job growth over the past year (September 2011-2012) and that regional employment numbers are still well below pre-recession levels.6 The Human Services Council’s 2010 Indicators Report notes that there was a downturn in the number of jobs in almost all major industry sectors from 2005 to 2009. As a result, unemployment jumped 50% among Norwalk residents between 2008 and 2009.

The unemployment rate in the neighborhood is 17% compared to 10% in both the City of Norwalk and greater Fairfield County.7 Only 60% of Washington Village households have earned income.8 Furthermore, Washington Village residents identified a host of barriers to employment in the resident survey, including low literacy levels, language barriers, limited computer literacy, the need for childcare, and transportation challenges. And despite the fact that 33% of survey respondents expressed an interest in job readiness training, only 2% are currently enrolled.9

Health and WellnessStudies have shown that low-income and minority residents of public housing suffer disproportionately from chronic health conditions, including asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Residents’ poor physical health not only affects their quality of life but is also a significant barrier to self-sufficiency.10 Following is a brief description of some of the most important health and wellness issues at Washington Village.

Good Access to Medical Services

An overwhelming 91% of Washington Village residents currently have access to quality, affordable health care in their community. Seventy percent (70%) of them identified one of the two local health centers as their medical home: 50% at Norwalk Community Health Center (NCHC) and 20% at Day Street Community Health Center. Day Street Community Health Center is immediately adjacent to the Washington Village development. Norwalk Community Health Center (NCHC) recently moved from its original South Norwalk site to a new, expanded site approximately 1.3 miles away, but it remains accessible from South Norwalk by bus as well as the door-to-door van service provided by the health center itself. In addition, the Norwalk Hospital is less than two miles away.

Despite this extensive health coverage, a number of health challenges remain.

Increasing Need for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

The Child Guidance Center, which provides children and their families with comprehensive mental health, evaluation, treatment, and prevention services, saw a 60% increase in general clinical cases in 2010. Acuity levels are becoming more severe, as evidenced by the 40% increase in the number of Emergency Mobile Crisis Services. There also is a shortage of mental health service capacity

6 Department of Numbers, Current Population Survey and Current Employment Survey Data for Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut job growth. http://www.deptofnumbers.com/employment/connecticut/bridgeport/ Accessed 11/22/12.

7 U.S. Census 2010.


9 Unless otherwise noted, the statistics are from the Washington Village Resident Survey, 2011.

10 How are HOPE VI Families Faring? Health, Laura E. Harris and Deborah R. Kaye, Urban Institute, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Center, Brief No. 5, Oct 2004, http://www.urban.org/uploadedPDF/311073_Roof_5.pdf.

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especially amongst (a) those who need Spanish-speaking services; and (b) the uninsured who do not qualify for Medicaid, since the only two mental health referral sources for this population are located outside of Norwalk.11 In addition, 54% of Washington Village residents indicated that mental health services were most needed in the neighborhood. And a significant number of residents identified mental health counseling and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs as their top priorities for health and wellness programming and services.

High Rates of Obesity and Chronic Disease

Based upon patient data provided by the Norwalk Community Health Center, Washington Village residents suffer from higher rates of obesity and chronic disease than their neighbors at the city and state level.

Table VI-3 Health Data

Wash. Village South Norwalk Norwalk Connecticut

Overweight (BMI >25) 76% 70% 69% 59.6% 12

Obese (BMI >30) 47% 35% 34% ---

Hypertensive 40% 22% 22% 35% 13

Diabetic 11% 10% 10% 6.9% 14

High cholesterol) 26% 18% 19% ---

Source: Norwalk Community Health Center (based on patient data from December 2011 – December 2012)

In addition, a longitudinal study of kindergarten and 6th grade students by the Norwalk Health Department indicates that Norwalk school children appear to be slowly gaining weight over time. By 6th grade, almost half of students are either overweight or obese. Obesity is higher among Hispanic and Black students and among children from lower income families, which include the vast majority of Washington Village households.15 Not surprisingly, Washington Village residents identified healthy eating and healthy cooking classes as well as physical fitness programs as the top two priorities for health and wellness programming and services.16

High Rates of Teen Pregnancy in South Norwalk

The teenage birth rate, while only 6.0% overall in 2009, is significantly higher for African-Americans and Hispanics, the majority of the population at Washington Village, for whom the rates are 16.4% and 8.8% respectively.17 Furthermore, 54% of the teen births were to South Norwalk teens.18 Accordingly, 69% of Washington Village residents indicate that education about safe sex and birth control is one of the top two services they would like to see for young people.

Children, Youth and FamiliesMore than half of the Washington Village households have children (compared to 18% in South Norwalk and the City) and 40% of the individuals in the housing development are under the age of 18. Services survey respondents would most

11 Human Services Council’s 2010 Com-munity Indicators Report.

12 Adult Overweight/Obesity Rate- Con-necticut- Kaiser State Health Facts http://www.statehealthfacts.org/profileglance.jsp?rgn=8&print=1.

13 Prevalence of Cholesterol Screening and High Blood Cholesterol Among Adults — United States, 2005, 2007, and 2009, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6135a2.htm#fig.

14 Connecticut Department of Public Health, Connecticut Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, Prediabetes Fact Sheet, http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/hisr/pdf/PrediabetesFactSheetApr2012.pdf.


16 Washington Village Resident Information Fair, September 22, 2012.

17 Norwalk Community Health Center, Needs Assessment, Norwalk Connecticut: A Tale of Two Cities, Strategic choices, Kenneth Dym, M.S.W., May 2012.


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like to see in the community include youth programs (76%) and parenting skills (66%). And to make Washington Village a better place to raise children, 82% recommend more programs for children and teens.

Seniors and Persons with DisabilitiesWhile the current population of elderly residents living at Washington Village is low (8%)19 and only 9% of individuals in the larger South Norwalk neighborhood are aged 65 or older20, projections show that Norwalk’s population is aging. The segment of the population that is 65 and older is expected to be among the fastest growing through 2030.21 Additionally, 13% of the residents at Washington Village are disabled22, though the specific type of disability (physical or mental) is unknown.

Among the chief concerns for Norwalk seniors include maintaining access to affordable home care services, dealing with increasing isolation, and navigating the service changes in health and Medicare.23 Furthermore, 6.3% of Washington Village residents indicated that senior services are the services that someone in their household is most in need of right now but is not utilizing.

Service UtilizationDespite the evident need for supportive services, only 40% of households indicated that they are utilizing any of the myriad of social service providers and programs available to them throughout Norwalk and Fairfield County. Therefore, a critical goal of the people plan is the actively and creatively engage, inform, and connect these under-served residents to partners and services.

D. Goals, Outcomes, Metrics, Strategies and Partners

As previously noted and in direct response to this needs assessment, three key people goals have been identified for the Washington Village/South Norwalk People plan. Additionally, a set of outcomes and metrics related to each goal have been developed in order to more fully define success and track progress to determine when strategies and partnerships need to be adjusted during implementation. Table VI-4 outlines the specific outcomes and metrics for each of the three goals.


20 U.S. Census 2010.

21 Human Services Council’s Indicator Report.


23 Human Services Council’s Indicator Report.

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Table VI-4 Goals, Outcomes, and Metrics

1

3

2

GOAL

GOAL

GOAL

OUTCOMES

OUTCOMES

OUTCOMES

METRICS

METRICS

METRICS

Residents are well-informed about, have access to and take full advantage of the support services and programs in and around Norwalk.

Children, youth and adults are physically and mentally healthy.

Households are economically stable and self-sufficient.

80% of residents enrolled in the case managment program

Ensure the needs of special populations are met

Families have access to health care.

Families have the knowledge and resources to live a healthy lifestyle.

The housing and neighborhood plans support healthy lifestyles via green and healthy housing design, open space and recreation facilities, and infrastructure improvements

• #/% of residents receiving case management

• #/% of residents enrolled in benefits programs

• #/% of households with a medical home• #/% of adults with health insurance

• #/% of children with health insurance

• #/% reporting good physical health• #/% reporting healthy weight

• #/% reporting low psychological distress• #/% of residents with hypertension

• #/% of residents with high cholesterol

Increase employment and earnings of work-

eligible adults

Reduce and/or eliminate barriers to

employment

Increase financial literacy and assets to

achieve income security, purchase a home

and/or start a business

At least 3% of all non-construction related contracts and 10% of all construction related contracts are awarded to Section 3 businesses

At least 30% of new hires at the Washington

Village site are Section 3 persons

Increase educational attainment, job skills and

work readiness, particularly in high demand

industries

• #/% of working-age adults working at least 30 hrs/wk

• Median household income

• Average earned income (from work) of HUD-assisted households (excluding those who cannot work due to being elderly or disabled)

• #/% of households who received the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

• #/% of households that have a bank account

• #/% of households enrolled in an IDA or savings program (i.e. FSS)

• % of non-construction contracts awarded to Section 3 businesses

• % of construction contracts awarded to Section 3 businesses

• # of residents employed by NHA or contractors through Section 3

• #/% of adults that complete high school or GED

• #/% of working-age adults with a certificate or license

• # of residents who enrolled and completed job training or workforce development programs

• #/% of MOU's with partner organizationsActive partnerships with existing service providers and alignment with current initiatives to build on community assets and identify/address gaps in services.

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Invest in a well-designed, integrated case management system to more effectively connect underserved Washington Village residents to the extensive network of services throughout Fairfield County.

Through a competitive procurement process, NHA selected Housing Opportunities Unlimited (HOU) to serve as the People Implementation Lead. In this role, HOU will draw upon its 30+ years of experience to provide case management and service coordination for all current Washington Village families as well as those who occupy the assisted units post-development. Case management is critical to the People Plan and will serve as the entry point for residents to link to services that directly address their needs.

Case managers will comprehensively assess all adults and their dependents, work with households to develop Individual Family Action Plans, connect residents to local service providers, and work to motivate residents to accomplish their individual goals. In addition to providing direct case management services, HOU will coordinate the network of service providers that are involved in the Transformation Plan people component. HOU will be responsible for working with committed education and service providers to ensure that a broad array of services is available to all residents, identifying gaps in services, and working with NHA and the network of service providers to fill these gaps.

Residents are well-informed about, have access to and take full advantage of the support services and programs in and around Norwalk.

Key Partners:

Case Management team, Norwalk

Housing Authority, NorwalkACTS,

Family and Children’s Agency,

The CT Association for Children &

Adults with Learning Disabilities,

Elder House, STAR, Inc., Norwalk

Senior Center South, CTWorks’

Assisted Services Center, Add Us In/

Diversity Works program, Norwalk

Community Health Center, Day

Street Community Health Center,

Norwalk Community College, Career

Resources, Inc.

1 P

EOPLE

To achieve these goals and outcomes, NHA identified a set of strategies and the partners required to execute these strategies. While they are likely to be refined over time to respond to changes in the community and provider network and to the evolving needs of families, the strategy and partner mix below offers an initial road map for the People plan. Goal, Outcomes, Metrics, Strategies and Partners to address education and youth services are detailed in Chapter VII.

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Conduct targeted outreach to engage residents. The case management team, with support from a dedicated outreach worker, will use a wide variety of outreach methods in order to enroll and maintain the engagement of the original Washington Village residents, as well as families who live in the neighborhood and new residents who move in after revitalization. These methods include: door-to-door outreach; community building events (Munch and Mingle, coffee hours, etc.); community meetings; targeted mailings to different segments of the resident population about specific programs and events; community-wide flyering; and preparation and distribution of a monthly programs and activities calendar and a quarterly newsletter. Some outreach activity will be conducted during evening and weekend hours.

In addition, working with Norwalk ACTS, the lead entity for the education plan, the case management team will create a “community messengers” program, modeled on a program founded by the Bridgeport Alliance for Young Children. This program will recruit and train resident volunteers from Washington Village and South Norwalk to spread information to neighbors about accessing local programs and services. While community messengers will not provide counseling, they will provide a very important service by helping their neighbors connect with appropriate providers and sharing announcements about activities and programming in the community.

Locate case management offices on-site. and provide bi-lingual and culturally competent support. The most effective case management approach involves getting to know residents within their own community. To this end, the case management office will be located in the Resource Center within the Washington Village housing

Exhibit VI-1

• Relocation & Re-occupancy Support• Support Vulnerable Populations

• Wrap-Around Supports

Households are economically stable

and self-sufficent

Children, youth and adults are physically and mentally healthy

Children and youth are successful in school and life

Employment& Work

Health & Wellness

Education& Youth

Familes are Thriving

Other Supportive Services

Case Management & Supportive Services Plan

Intake

Assessment

Individual Development Plans

Data Tracking

PROCESS

OUTCOME OUTCOME OUTCOME

2

1

3

4

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development. This will not only provide residents with easy access to case management staff, but, more importantly, will give case managers direct access to residents so that they can knock on their doors if necessary to encourage participation in case management and community activities.

For resident populations that are isolated due to language barriers, case managers will identify resources to include them fully in all case management activities. To the extent possible, case managers will be hired who are fluent in Spanish and Creole, the main non-English languages of the community. As needed, the case managers will also engage organizations that provide interpreter services and translation for languages not spoken by the case managers. All printed outreach materials will be distributed in English, Spanish and Creole.

Enroll residents in public benefits for which they qualify. As part of the household assessment, case managers will work with residents to identify and enroll them in all of the public benefits for which they are eligible. In the event that residents have other case managers as a result of public benefits receipts (such as TANF), Washington Village case managers will coordinate with benefits case workers to create a seamless web of support for families.

Ensure the needs of special populations are met.

The case management team will work to support seniors and persons with disabilities throughout the redevelopment process in the following ways:

• Connect seniors and persons with disabilities to an array of services to support independent living including affordable home care services such as those offered by Family and Children’s Agency.

• Ensure the health and wellness programming that is offered has components specific to the needs of the elderly and disabled, including healthy food delivery services, fitness and recreation, etc.

• Provide employment preparation and training tailored to persons with disabilities seeking work through programs such as CTWorks’ Assisted Services Center and the Add Us In/Diversity Works program.

• Utilize the case management team to help seniors and persons with disabilities navigate the service changes in Medicare.

• Provide on-site social programming to keep seniors and persons with disabilities fully engaged in the community.

• Coordinate with local partners to provide transportation to seniors and persons with disabilities to access health and other services both during and after relocation.

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Actively partner with existing service providers and align with current initiatives to build on community assets and identify/address gaps in services. NHA has initiated partnerships with a network of service providers and the case management team will support and expand these partnerships to create a con-tinuum of programs that address the current and evolving needs of Washington Village residents. Working closely with NHA, the case management team will be responsible for securing written agreements, recruiting new partners, and ensur-ing consistent data tracking and reporting procedures. A database of services will be created and maintained to effectively match residents with appropriate providers as needs are identified. This database will build on the Norwalk ACTS’ directory of education programs and the directory of mental health and sub-stance abuse services to be created as part of the Greater Norwalk 2010 Com-munity Health Improvement Plan, as noted later in this chapter.

Co-locate services for “one-stop shopping” to address access, awareness and utilization issues. At present, there is no Health and Human Services Department in Norwalk, making it challenging for residents to readily get comprehensive information and connect to critical services. To address this access issue, a Resource Center will be created to act as a community hub where residents can be served either by appointment or on a walk-in basis. Centrally located in Building C and anchored by the case management team, the center will house satellite offices/portals of major partners, such as Norwalk Community College (NCC) and the Workforce Investment Board (WIB), with critical services located in the same building. This Resource Center will go beyond the traditional “bricks and sticks” to also serve as a virtual resource center, linking residents by computer and smart phone to a range of partners and services on-line. The Resource Center will include a resource/computer lab, classroom space, flexible space to be used by multiple providers for an array of services and programs at varying times, and case management and partner offices.

Connect residents to school and/or employment training to increase educational attainment, job skills and work readiness, particularly in high demand industries.

The job developer, described in more detail in the People Implementation section of this chapter, and case managers will focus on helping work-able residents to enroll in and graduate from school and/or employment training in high-demand industries and to connect residents with employment supports that allow them to find and retain stable jobs with family-supporting wages. Employment training,

Households are economically stable and self-sufficient.2 P

EOPLE

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which will be offered by the Norwalk Community College, will focus on industries that showed the most consistent growth from 2005-2009 including education and health as well as leisure and hospitality.24 Key occupations in these high-growth industries that fit the level of experience and training of Washington Village residents include: personal and home care aides; home health aides; veterinary assistants, technologists and technicians; dental assistants and hygienists; physical therapist aides; and medical equipment repairers.25 Fortunately these high-growth industries are also in areas of employment in which Washington Village residents expressed the most interest.

Tavle VI-5 Preferred Industries for Employment

Industry Resident Interest

Health Care 13%

Retail 10%

Child Care 10%

Restaurant/Food Service 9%

Key Partners:


Community College, NEON/Norwalk

Works, Norwalk Public Library,

Career Resources, Inc./CT Works,

Southwestern Connecticut Health

CareeRx Academy, Goodwill,

NHA Section 3 Coordinator,

Trinity Financial, Character Under

Construction, Norwalk Public

Schools, CCA Person to Person,

NHA Family Self Sufficiency

Program, Chamber of Commerce,

local employers, NHA Section 8

Homebuyer Program, SCORE, The

Women’s Business Development

Center, Norwalk Early Education

Council, Early Learning Literacy

Initiative Lab Schools, Norwalk

Community College Early Childhood

Department, Norwalk Housing

Foundation College Scholarship

Program, Fairfield County

Community Foundation

• Connect residents to local providers that offer work readiness programs. Residents will also be encouraged to take advantage of existing NHA programs such as the STRIVE job readiness program.

• Expand access and enrollment in vocational training. At Washington Village, 36% of residents (and 26% of their South Norwalk neighbors) have only a high school degree. And 30% of Washington Village residents indicated an interest in vocational training, although only 5% are currently enrolled. These households will be targeted for enrollment in certification and vocational education programs offered by CTWorks, Norwalk Community College and other local providers that do not require a postsecondary degree. One program of note is the Green Energy Boot Camp offered by NHA in collaboration with Norwalk Community College. This program provides remedial math and language skills for residents interested in NCC’s Green Energy certification. In 2012, the program was expanded to include an ESL component for those with limited English proficiency.

• Direct Workforce Investment Act (WIA)-eligible residents to CTWorks Career Centers of Southwestern Connecticut, the local One-Stop which provides job skills, technology, financial literacy, educational and GED programs under one roof.

Connect the 18% of Washington Village residents currently receiving TANF to the Jobs First Employment Services that offer occupational skills training, GED preparation, subsidized employment, job search assistance, transportation/childcare benefits and more.

Connect residents interested in a career in the growing healthcare field to the Southwestern Connecticut Health CareeRx Academy, which offers no-cost training and support.


25 Connecticut’s Department of Labor website, data from July 2011-July 2012, http://www.deptofnumbers.com/employ-ment/connecticut/bridgeport/; accessed 8/22/2012.

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• Address low literacy levels with adult basic education. At Washington Village, 25% of residents (and 22% of their South Norwalk neighbors26) have no high school degree. And 15% of Washington Village residents expressed an interest in GED coursework, although only 2% are currently enrolled. For these Washington Village and South Norwalk residents, limited education hinders their employment prospects and earning potential. These residents will be targeted for local adult basic education and GED programs offered by the Norwalk Public Library, Norwalk Public Schools, NEON and Career Resources, Inc.

• Support college enrollment, financing and completion. At Washington Village, 30% of residents (and 20% of their South Norwalk neighbors27) have taken some college classes but have not received a degree. And 18% of Washington Village residents are interested in attending college, although only 10% report being enrolled in community college and another 2% in a 4-year college. Case managers will work with local colleges and universities to encourage these residents to enroll in college courses and support them in working towards their degree.

Provide easy access to work readiness and training programs by creating space for services directly in the neighborhood.

• Expand CTWorks services in the neighborhood. Since CTWorks is located 8 to 20 miles away in Bridgeport and Stamford, Career Resources, Inc., which administers the One-Stop on behalf of the local Workforce Investment Board, supports two staff members and a mobile computer room located at NEON, a South Norwalk service agency, only blocks from the Washington Village site. However, additional space at the Washington Village Resource Center would enable Career Resources to further expand these services. Residents will be encouraged to take advantage of the satellite staff and programs, offering training supports and an entree to the full CTWorks programming available at their other locations. However, funds will also be budgeted to provide transportation assistance to residents utilizing the broader CTWorks services in Bridgeport and Stamford.

• Explore the creation of an Education, Art & Career Center to provide comprehensive education programs for adults and youth alike under a single roof. At a site to be determined but likely to be within 2-3 miles of Washington Village, the proposed Center will include high-quality academic after-school supports, motivating artistic enrichments, and job training programs. It will provide an easily accessible one-stop job training, education and support service hub that will also serve as a venue to showcase arts and cultural events and host vital community discussions.

26 U.S. Census 2010.

27 Ibid.

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Provide supplemental, wrap-around services and supports to reduce and/or eliminate barriers to stable employment. Many residents of Washington Village and their neighbors in South Norwalk face multiple barriers to employment and need additional support and services to help them get and keep a job. In addition to enrolling residents in public benefits for which they qualify as discussed earlier, the case management team will connect residents to a range of supports including:

• ESL classes. English is not the primary language for one third of Washington Village households. In addition, 20% of Washington Village residents stated that ESL is a service that someone in their household is most in need of right now, although only 2% are currently enrolled. Case managers will identify households that have language barriers preventing them from securing employment and help them to enroll in English as a Second Language courses offered by program partners including NEON, the Norwalk Public Library, Norwalk Public Schools, CCA Person to Person, and Norwalk Community College.

• Computer training programs. Computer training was identified as the most needed service by 35% of Washington Village residents. A computer lab will be provided on site in the Resource Center to help residents complete school work and search and prepare for jobs. In the interim, case managers will work with Washington Village residents to enroll in classes offered by several local providers including the South Norwalk Public Library, NEON and Goodwill. NHA will also explore opportunities to provide computing devices as incentives for participation and completion of training programs with the goal of getting a computer or smart phone into the hands of all Washington Village households.

• Affordable, high quality child care. Only 10% of Washington Village residents are currently utilizing child care/day care. Additionally, 17% of Washington Village residents with children over six need before-school care. Through partnerships with Norwalk ACTS members (see Appendix VII-1: Norwalk ACTS 2012-13 Directory of Services for a full list of members), case managers will work to connect households who need it to affordable, high quality child care and to help them access child care subsidies, as appropriate.

• Transportation assistance. The regional economy spans several cities in the Fairfield County area. Of Washington Village residents, 26.5% reported travelling more than 10 miles to get to work, while almost 50% of households do not own a car. Furthermore, almost 50% indicate that the lack of adequate transportation is a barrier when attempting to get to work, school or medical appointments. To address these barriers, funds will be made available for transit passes to assist residents in getting to and from work, school, and other training programs, to maximize participation and ultimately make it easier for residents to move closer to their self-sufficiency goals. And, where possible, case managers will broker ride-sharing arrangements or attempt to find other creative ways to help residents overcome this challenge.

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Connect residents to services and supports to increase financial literacy and assets to achieve income security, purchase a home and/or start a business. In addition to working with residents to increase incomes via employment and training, case managers will work to:

• Maximize utilization of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) through partnerships with NEON and Norwalk Community College VITA sites.

• Connect residents to financial literacy services. Some 5% of Washington Village residents indicated they need credit repair services. Eligible residents will be enrolled in NHA’s Family Self-Sufficiency Programs to help them achieve financial stability through education and job training, help them repair individual credit, and help them build assets via escrow accounts with matched savings. The case management team will also connect parents enrolled at Norwalk Community College into the Family Economic Security program that offers scholarships, coaching, degrees, financial education, asset building, and career development.

• Enroll eligible households that relocate with a Section 8 voucher in NHA’s Section 8 Homeownership Program. This program provides first time homebuyer training and assistance for eligible families, who can use their rental assistance voucher to pay their mortgage.

• Connect interested residents with organizations that support small business development such as SCORE and The Women’s Business Development Center.

Connect eligible Section 3 residents and businesses with work and contracting opportunities generated by the project.

To further catalyze economic development and employment opportunities, the Transformation Plan includes a robust Section 3 program to ensure training, employment and contracting opportunities are made available to low- and very-low income persons from Washington Village and South Norwalk as well as the larger metropolitan area. NHA’s Section 3 Plan, adopted on July 1, 2009, includes the following goals: (1) the aggregate number of new hires in any fiscal year must include at least 30% Section 3-eligible employees, and (2) at least 3% of non-construction contracts and 10% of construction contracts funded by the redevelopment will be awarded to Section 3 businesses.

Section 3 positions will be available to working age adults who meet applicable work eligibility standards and earn less than 80% of AMI. Residents of Washington Village will be the first priority Section 3 candidates, followed by other NHA public housing residents, Section 3 applicants from the South Norwalk neighborhood, YouthBuild participants, and finally low-income applicants who reside in the metropolitan area or the larger county. Section 3 business concerns must: (a) be at least 51% owned by Section 3-eligible residents, (b) have HUD YouthBuild programs being carried out in Fairfield County using Section 3 assistance; (c) have a workforce of permanent, full-time

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employees that includes at least 30% who are currently Section 3 residents or within three years of the date of the first employment with the business concern were Section 3 residents; and/or (d) subcontract more than 25% of its contract with a Section 3 business.

Section 3 employment and contracting opportunities will primarily be in construction and property management. However, NHA will encourage the hiring of Section 3 workers across all components of the redevelopment program, including the people and neighborhood efforts. The Section 3 Coordinator will work closely with the developer partner to meet or exceed these Section 3 goals. To help ensure priority residents are eligible and prepared for Section 3 employment opportunities, the case management team will assess residents’ education, career interests, and skills to make appropriate referrals to training and job opportunities, or help them build qualifications for anticipated Section 3 opportunities by referring them to relevant services offered through its network of providers.

Actively collaborate with existing healthcare providers, including Norwalk Community Health Center, Day Street Community Health Center and Norwalk Hospital.

• Assist the Norwalk Community Health Center with the launch and ongoing operation of the mobile medical van to maximize utilization by Washington Village and South Norwalk’s most vulnerable residents. Funded in July 2012 with a $525,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s New Access Point program, the mobile medical van is staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners, a dental hygienist, and a social worker five days a week.

• Utilize the case management team to work with families to proactively renew HUSKY annually to avoid lapses in coverage and to maximize utilization of existing health and wellness services offered by local health care providers.

• Coordinate with residents and providers to ensure Washington Village residents retain medical coverage throughout the relocation process regardless of where they move to.

• Expand access to mental health and substance abuse counseling. NHA and its partners will actively participate in the Greater Norwalk Area 2012 Community Health Improvement Plan strategies to address these two areas of need. The case managers will utilize and disseminate to residents

Key Partners:


Community College, NEON/Norwalk

Works, Norwalk Public Library,

Career Resources, Inc./CT Works,

Southwestern Connecticut Health

CareeRx Academy, Goodwill,

NHA Section 3 Coordinator,

Trinity Financial, Character Under

Construction, Norwalk Public

Schools, CCA Person to Person,

NHA Family Self Sufficiency

Program, Chamber of Commerce,

local employers, NHA Section 8

Homebuyer Program, SCORE, The

Women’s Business Development

Center, Norwalk Early Education

Council, Early Learning Literacy

Initiative Lab Schools, Norwalk

Community College Early Childhood

Department, Norwalk Housing

Foundation College Scholarship

Program, Fairfield County

Community Foundation

Children, youth, and adults are physically and mentally healthy.3 P

EOPLE

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the comprehensive, bilingual resource guide for programs and services that support mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse treatment that is to be developed. The case managers will also actively participate in any partnerships and training opportunities that are developed for community organizations on adult and youth mental health services. In addition, the case managers will further develop relationships NHA has initiated with local counseling programs such as Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, Child Guidance Center of Mid Fairfield County, Christian Counseling Center, Connecticut Renaissance, Family & Children’s Agency and Keystone House, Inc. to facilitate referrals for mental health, substance abuse, and behavioral health counseling, education and therapy as needed.

Implement and support health and wellness education programs to address high rates of obesity and chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol and promote a healthy lifestyle. NHA and its partners will actively participate in the Greater Norwalk Area 2012 Community Health Improvement Plan strategies to prevent and reduce obesity in the community by promoting healthy lifestyles. The case management team will conduct outreach to promote resident participation in existing wellness programs and initiatives in the community such as NCHC’s smoking cessation and pre-diabetes program and the Health Department’s Growing Gardens, Growing Health program, farmers market, and NorWALKER program.

The HOU case management team has extensive experience working with health partners to implement and/or promote a variety of health programs and initiatives in other public housing communities. Working with Norwalk partners, the case managers will seek to promote similar services such as nutrition workshops, healthy cooking contests, smoking cessation groups, asthma education and management programs, walking clubs and exercise classes, etc. in Washington Village.

In addition, the case management team will work with local health partners to develop and implement a peer-driven community health education program (Community Health Workers) that trains Washington Village residents to conduct health education workshops and activities aimed at creating healthy lifestyles through increased knowledge and behavioral change. Drawing on its experience implementing a comparable program at the Washington Beech HOPE VI redevelopment in Boston, and with the support of the Norwalk Community Health Center and Day Street Community Health Center, HOU will coordinate the program, select and train resident leaders, and assist with outreach and logistics for all program events. The program will utilize the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Heart Lung and Blood Institute EveryHeartbeatisLifeCommunityHealthWorker’sManualforAfricanAmericans andSuCorazónSuVida as resources to inform training, workshop topics and health activities to be made available in English and in Spanish. At Washington Beech, program successes included an average weight loss of 6.6 pounds, or 3.2% of initial weight among participants, reductions in blood pressure, changes to a healthier diet, and increases in time spent on physical activity.

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Coordinate with school-based and out-of-school program providers to support youth in making healthy choices by providing a comprehensive array of health and wellness programs that promote physical activity and recreation, healthy eating, drug prevention, and safe sex and birth control education. The case management team will forge relationships to ensure that Washington Village and South Norwalk residents are connected to and/or benefit from the Dr. Robert E. Appleby School Based Health Centers (SBHC), the ACHIEVE (Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and EnVironmental ChangE) initiative, Norwalk Collaborative for Youth Success, Norwalk Hospital’s Kids Healthy Weight Program, Norwalk Health Department’s Fit Kids program, Norwalk Healthy Families Collaborative, Norwalk Grows, the Child Guidance Center of Mid Fairfield County, Stepping Stones Museum and more.

Support healthy lifestyles via green and healthy housing design, open space and recreation facilities, and infrastructure improvements that are part of the Housing and Neighborhood Plans. These strategies are more fully outlined in Chapter IV: Neighborhood and Chapter V: Housing Strategy.

• Promote walking and biking by improving sidewalks, street lighting, crosswalks, and signage and introducing bike lanes through the City’s Transit Oriented Development Plan, currently being implemented.

• Promote recreation via improvements to the underutilized Ryan Park adjacent to Washington Village. Washington Village residents expressed initial preferences for park renovations at the September 22, 2012 Community Information Fair. Plans will be further developed in concert with the city, Washington Village and South Norwalk residents, the Second Taxing District, the Friends of Ryan Park and other stakeholders to create a vibrant and active space that serves a broad spectrum of the community, when funding is available.

• Create quality open space and a fitness center through the redesign of the Washington Village site.

• Promote health and comfort in the design and management of the new Washington Village housing. In addition to prioritizing the green and energy-efficient measures required to achieve LEED for Neighborhood Development and Enterprise Green Communities Criteria certification, the development team will incorporate design measures intended to optimize indoor air quality and minimize asthma triggers. These may include, for example, investment in high quality ventilation systems, use of low-VOC paint and products which don’t “off-gas,” and elimination of carpeting, as well as policies related to the prohibition of smoking, Integrated Pest Management, and the use of green cleaning products.

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E. People Implementation

Implementation of the People Plan will require the collective efforts of an array of partners. Some of these partners and the services they provide will be governed by direct contracts; others will be provided as in-kind support. And, of course, the success of the program will rely on the partnership and engagement of the Washington Village and South Norwalk residents.

People Implementation LeadNHA procured Housing Opportunities Unlimited (HOU) in accordance with 24 CFR 85.36, 24 CFR 941.602(d), and all relevant state procurement regulations, through a competitive process which attracted proposals from three entities.

HOU has the breadth of experience and proven track record providing comprehensive case management and community and supportive services coordination, particularly for HOPE VI redevelopment efforts. For more than 30 years, HOU has provided case management services and supportive services coordination and relocation in public and subsidized housing at 57 sites in six states and the District of Columbia. HOU has developed and implemented successful, award-winning case management programs at 12 HOPE VI developments. The firm is one of very few contracting agents in the country to provide both case management and relocation services, and understands the unique needs of residents affected by redevelopment and the best methods of working with them.

The proposed HOU team will consist of five full-time staff on-site at Washington Village, including a Lead Case Manager, Case Manager/Health Specialist, Youth Case Manager, Job Developer, and Outreach Worker, pending adequate funding. The job developer will (1) recruit local and regional employers, (2) act as a liaison between employers and job training providers to ensure training programs respond to employer needs, and (3) help to support employed residents in keeping their jobs and advancing in them. He/she will also work to create an Employer Advisory Board to build relationships with the private sector and ensure training is tailored to maximize success in the workplace. Every effort will be made to fill at least one of the on-site project staff positions with a Washington Village resident, as well as to hire staff who are fluent in Spanish and Creole.

The local case management team will receive administrative and programmatic support from HOU’s back office, including a part-time project director and assistant project director. The supervisory team overseeing NHA’s case management and supportive services coordination program at Washington Village has extensive experience with large-scale case management programs, including resource development and sustainability planning.

In addition, HOU will develop and manage a Volunteer Program to supplement the team’s efforts. As the case management program evolves, HOU will work with NHA and a range of partners to attract volunteers from local colleges and universities, area churches and other venues to augment the services offered and

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address strategic needs. Among other things, these volunteers may be used to support youth with homework help and other out-of-school activities, to organize recreational activities such as walking clubs or sports teams, or to administer wellness programming such as healthy cooking demonstrations or other health education services.

Data Tracking System NHA will procure and/or develop a centralized management information system (MIS) that allows for the ongoing use of data to monitor outcomes, to inform decision-making, and to assess performance. The system will integrate data from multiple sources on HUD-assisted and neighborhood residents and enable case managers to systematically track, report on, and evaluate case management, relocation and education activities over time. Case managers will also be able to seamlessly share data back and forth with partners including service providers, key City agencies, local schools, and Norwalk ACTS members.

The MIS will offer a customizable platform that all types of community partners can use to track participation and outcomes that have been tailored to the local service framework. With the help of a data manager, NHA will negotiate data sharing agreements with each key partner to determine the data access privileges of the case management team and each partner to client information stored in the MIS. The case management team will work with a data manager to establish procedures for data entry and a universal set of key data variables that must be tracked across all partners (e.g., enrollment, time spent in program, frequency of services provided, completion status) to allow for seamless data tracking and analysis. A data dictionary will also be developed and adopted by participating partners so that all parties are working from the same set of definitions.

Case management staff will establish a baseline for each client before relocation by using a comprehensive initial client assessment tool pre-programmed into the MIS. The assessment will include questions about a client’s household characteristics, employment and education status and goals, health, financial status, criminal background, interest in and access to key services, and housing preferences. After the initial assessment, case managers will rely mainly on information from partners and client check-ins to gather additional data from clients, to minimize redundant surveying of participants.

On a monthly basis, case management staff will review outcome reports internally and submit a report on those data to NHA. These reports will be used to make improvements or adjustments to the case management program as needed. In addition, at least quarterly, NHA and the case management team will hold meetings with key partners to discuss findings from the reports and adjust the proposed strategies as needed to achieve the collective goals. An annual summit is planned to provide feedback to the greater Norwalk public on progress being made against desired outcomes.

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Resource Development and Sustainability The success of NHA and its People Lead in addressing each of the strategies will rely in large part on the partner organizations and the leveraged services they provide to fill current needs. Among the network of partners, key anchor institutions include Norwalk ACTS, Norwalk Community College, Norwalk Community Health Center, Day Street Community Health Center, Norwalk Hospital, and Career Resources, Inc.

In order to provide key services beyond the redevelopment period, the NHA staffing team will include a fund developer from the outset who will be responsible for identifying and securing resources. NHA will work with a range of partners and local foundations to identify new resources and partners to sustain services over time. Among others, these will include: the Fairfield County Community Foundation; Norwalk Children’s Foundation; national foundations; federal departments such as HUD, HSS, Labor and Justice; and the corporate community.

c h a pte r vi people strategy · table vi-1. washington village and south norwalk demographic data...

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