First Step Housing

What it reported doing in 2024

The department of housing and urban development has established the housing first model calling for housing clients first and providing wrap around services. The hud recommended emphasis remains placing homeless individuals in permanent housing and coordinating access to required services. First step communities (fsc) continues to support the hud model and endeavors to develop solutions that have practical applications. Unfortunately, the gap between secured funding for more affordable housing and the demand persisted again through 2024. The overall mission of first step communities continues to be to provide low barrier shelter and services to this vulnerable homeless population. In doing this, fsc and numerous collaborative partners will help the target group of individuals as they move through the interim services provided. Our desired outcome remains to prepare this population for rehousing programs that align with the housing first model and prioritize a successful transition to permanent housing. Accomplishments in 2024 include: fsc emphasis and growth during 2024 focused on expanding collaborative services and pursuing additional opportunities for increased sheltering programs. However, an ongoing effort remained to provide all clients with increased access to healthcare services, a majority medically vulnerable. Fsc has increased its emphasis on bringing shelter and healthcare services models together to address the growing behavioral health and substance use disorder crisis. At north a street campus, bringing in additional collaborative service providers and developing in-house training workshops continued to be a priority. Fsc conducted our annual fsc health fair during 2024 and included four dozen collaborative partners including nonprofits, community-based organizations, and local government agencies. Fsc administered the health fair our north a street campus in the river district, targeting chronically homeless individuals in our shelter and living on the streets of the river district. Fsc also continued a partnership with uc davis, bringing the willow clinic to the north a street campus, who administer a weekly free clinic on site providing primary healthcare, obgyn, and behavioral health support. The willow clinic now partners in the annual health fair at north a street campus.at the grove - emergency bridge housing for transition age youth, completed an expansion of the site from 24 cabins to 50. An adopt-a-cabin program designed to raise funding for ongoing cabin maintenance and site beautification successfully raised over $50,000. An ongoing partnership with life practices brought individual and group therapy to the grove clients and data gathered quickly demonstrated a doubling of the percentage of clients achieving permanent housing outcomes after participating in therapy sessions. In 2024 a total of 108 clients achieved permanent housing in the 50-cabin grove program.at the roseville road campus facility was developed as a replacement for the miller park facility, changing the mode of shelter from tents to cabins for over 125 individuals. During 2024, fsc efforts to help the county of sacramento establish an ongoing weather driven solution continued with the operation of the weather respite program at both a branch center road site and at the north a street campus and operating 24 hours per day during weather extremes. At all fsc facilities except the weather respite program, we continued to provide a 24-hour x 365 program with shelter, case management and extensive collaborative partners supplementing fsc services. All sites provide meals, showers, and sanitation.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 90.5%; rating input score 90
• Program expense ratio: 89.8%; rating input score 90
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -0.7%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.36; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.55; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.9%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 33.4% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 33.4% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 37.1% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings