How Permanent Supportive Housing is stabilizing lives in Idaho

Stephanie had everything lined up for the future: A doctoral degree and a dream job that she had worked hard to get. Then domestic violence derailed her life.

“In my case, I just didn’t have the family support to deal with a series of misfortunate events and then it just spiraled for me,” she said.

Bouncing around in search of stability, Stephanie ended up in Coeur d’Alene. A stay at St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho’s homeless shelter helped her find a job and a place to live. But when things at home fell apart, Stephanie was homeless again.

“Anyone can be with a partner where things are great, then suddenly they start having an alcohol problem or psychiatric problems,” she said. “Suddenly you are in a situation where you might not have anywhere to go.”

A colleague told Stephanie about Angel Arms, St. Vincent’s permanent supportive housing program.

Permanent Supportive Housing is a community-based housing model that combines safe, affordable rental housing with voluntary, flexible support services for people who are chronically homeless. The goal is to foster independence through housing stability, meaning it is offered without preconditions common in other programs, like sobriety or employment.

“It’s based off of the housing first model, which is housing the individual first and then worrying about mental health, substance abuse and other issues later,” said Annie Parker, social services manager at St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho. “It just means let’s get a roof over their head and let’s help them build.”

A study by the Urban Institute shows that permanent supportive housing is the most effective solution to increasing housing stability and reducing chronic homelessness. The study found permanent supportive housing programs reduce the use of emergency health care systems, decrease arrests and jail stays and increase participation in out-patient mental health treatment. In Idaho, a 2022 study found that supportive housing could save Idaho’s Medicaid program more than half a million dollars a year, while saving the Idaho Department of Corrections nearly one million dollars annually.

Parker said her program has 30 apartments, spread out between Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Rathdrum and Wallace. The two-year program has shown positive results, with more than 75 percent of clients graduating with a stable home of their own. It’s why she bristles at the misconceptions of permanent supportive housing.

“I hear that we’re enabling. We’re enabling a lot of drug use, we’re enabling alcoholism and we’re just giving them a free ride and letting them live for free,” Parker said. “It’s a program where we’re meeting them where they are and helping them move forward.”

Parker said one unique part of her program is that people get two months with no rent so they can use their money to buy furniture or other necessities. After that, they pay 30 percent of their income for rent. Ten percent of that money goes back into the program, while the remaining 20 percent goes into savings, which the person gets when she or he graduates.

“So by paying rent, they’re able to save money for a down payment on a house or first month’s rent and deposit payments or moving costs, whatever that looks like. I love being able to do that.”

For Stephanie, the program has given her the freedom to explore new career paths as she figures out her next step in life. For the first time in a long time, she said she has stability.

“I think the second night I was here I took a hot bath. It was nothing particular, but for some reason my body finally was like, ‘Oh, I’m safe.’ I think the program has made a huge difference in my ability to feel safe.”

Some names in this story have been changed to protect the identity of those involved. If you or someone you know is in a violent relationship and needs help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or www.thehotline.org.