Transcript Document

Let’s Start From The Beginning:
Homelessness, Continuum of Care, & HEARTH
Ohhh My!
Jonda Clemings, MSEd, LSW
COHHIO is a statewide advocacy
group and service providers network
dedicated to ending homelessness and
ensuring that all Ohioans have decent,
safe, fair, affordable housing, especially
those with low-income
and special needs.
“Never doubt that a
small group of
thoughtful,
committed people can
change the world.
Indeed. It is the only
thing that ever has…”
-- Margaret Mead
Continuum of Care
• A collaborative funding and planning
approach that helps communities plan for
and provide, as necessary, a full range of
emergency, transitional, and permanent
housing and other services to address the
various needs of homeless persons.
Elements of a CoC
PREVENTION
PERMANENT
HOUSING
OUTREACH, INTAKE,
ASSESSMENT
RAPID
RE-HOUSING
EMERGENCY
SHELTER/SERVICES
TRANSITIONAL
HOUSING/SERVICES
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
PERMANENT
SUPPORTIVE
HOUSING
Prevention
• Assisting households at imminent risk of
becoming homeless to maintain their housing by
providing stabilization services and/or short-term
emergency financial assistance
• One-time/limited emergency rental assistance
• Financial counseling to handle housing crisis
• Landlord-tenant mediation
• Legal services
Outreach, Intake & Assessment
• Services target the most
vulnerable of the homeless
population who are often
unable or unwilling to accept
emergency shelter services
Street outreach – park,
campground, cars
Mobile health care
Hotlines
Emergency Shelter/Services
• First stop; often the point of entry into the
homeless system
• Soup kitchens or drop-in day centers
• Congregate building for households with
and without children
• Hotel and motel vouchers
• Short-stay apartments
Transitional
Housing/Servic
es
• Interim placement for persons or
households who are not ready for or who
do not have access to permanent housing;
opportunity for clients to gain the personal
and financial stability needed to transition
to and maintain permanent housing
• Up to 24 months rental assistance/services
Rapid Re-Housing Services
• Rapid Re-Housing is a
strategy that quickly
moves a household
from homelessness to
housing using
supportive services
and time-limited
financial assistance.
Permanent Supportive Housing
• Combines housing
assistance and
supportive services for
homeless persons
with disabilities
Use of tenant-based
rental assistance to lease
apartments in scattered
sites
Supportive Services
• Supportive services are those services
needed for a person to move towards selfsufficiency and independent living
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Job readiness & job skills training
Benefits counseling
Housing search and placement services
Substance abuse, mental health, health care
Family reunification services
Permanent Housing
• Permanent affordable housing is long-term,
safe, decent and affordable housing for
individuals and households
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Rehabilitation of existing rental housing
Housing vouchers
Mainstream housing; rental & homeownership
Tenant-based or project-based rental subsidies
Reunification with families
Centralized Intake & Assessment
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Systems integration
Collaboration – MOU/MOA
Increase performance outcomes
Improve access to services
Improve data collection
Target households most at risk
Structured consistency in decision making
Housing First Principles
• Homelessness is
first and foremost a
housing problem
• Housing is a right
Purpose of the CoC
• System-wide approach to
end homelessness
• Prevent/quickly re-house
homeless persons
• Link and/or refer to
mainstream resources
• Optimize self-sufficiency
Ohio’s CoCs
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Cuyahoga
Franklin
Hamilton
Lucas
Mahoning
Montgomery
Ohio Balance of State
Stark
Summit
Why is a CoC Important
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Assess capacity & identify gaps
Develop proactive solutions
Identify common goals
Increase community “buy-in”
Increase access to mainstream resources
Increase funding competitive advantage
Comprehensive & collaborative process
CoC Membership
• Homeless/formerly
homeless
• Government entities
• Public housing agency
• School systems
• Law enforcement
• Workforce Investment
Act (WIA) Boards
• Faith-based
organizations
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Funders
Advocacy groups
Business/civic leaders
Hospital/medical
representatives
• Housing developers
• Nonprofit service
organizations
• Educational institutions
Funding Opportunities - HUD
Continuum of Care
•Emergency Solutions Grant * March 2012?
•Permanent Supportive Housing
•Shelter Plus Care
•Transitional Housing
•Supportive Services Only
•HMIS
Funding
Opportunities
- ODSA
• Homelessness & Supportive Housing
Programs
Homeless Crisis Response Programs (ESG – shelters,
prevention & rapid re-housing)
Supportive Housing Program (Permanent
Supportive Housing & facility based Transitional
Housing
Ohio Housing Trust Fund
• OHTF is a flexible state funding source that
provides affordable housing opportunities,
expands housing services, and improves
housing conditions for low-income
Ohioans.
Housing development, emergency home repair,
handicapped accessibility modifications,
homeless programs
DV and general homeless programs
Funding Opportunities - VA
• Grant and Per Diem (GPD)
• HUD-VASH
• Supportive Services for Veterans Families
(SSVF) Program
• Health Care for Re-Entry Veterans (HCRV)
• Supported Housing
• Healthcare for Homeless Veterans
• Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans
Funding Opportunities - Other
• HUD - Housing Opportunities for
Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
• HHS - Runaway and Homeless Youth
Act (RHYA)
• HHS – Transitional Living Programs
• DOL – Homeless Veterans’
Reintegration
• DOL – Job Corps
Homeless Emergency Assistance and
Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH)
Act
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May 20, 2009 – amends McKinney-Vento
Consolidates HUD’s grants
Changes homeless/chronic homeless definition
Simplifies match requirement
Increase in prevention resources
Increase in the emphasis on performance
http://www.hudhre.info/documents/HomelessAssista
nceActAmendedbyHEARTH.pdf
HEARTH Homeless Definition
• Effective January 4, 2012 @ grant renewal
Homeless Category 1 Criteria
1. Individuals and families who lack a fixed,
regular, and adequate nighttime residence
and includes a subset for an individual
who resided in an emergency shelter or a
place not meant for human habitation and
who is exiting an institution where he or
she temporarily resided.
Homeless Category 1 Criteria
• Sleeping in place not designed for or ordinarily
used as a regular sleeping accommodation –
car, park, abandoned building, bus/train
station, airport, camping ground
• Living in a shelter designated to provide
temporary living arrangements – congregate
shelter, transitional housing, hotel/motel paid
by organizations
Homeless Category 1 Criteria
• Exiting an institution (e.g., jail, hospital)
Where they resided for 90 days or less AND
Were residing in emergency shelter or place not
meant for human habitation immediately before
entering institution
Homeless Category 2 Criteria
2. Individuals and families who will
imminently lose their primary nighttime
residence within 14 days AND
• Have no subsequent residence identified
AND
• Lack the resources or support networks
needed to obtain other permanent housing
Homeless
Category 3
Criteria
3. Unaccompanied youth under 25 or
families with children and youth who are
defined as homeless under other federal
statutes who do not otherwise qualify as
homeless under this definition
Homeless Category 3 Criteria
• Meets homeless definition under other
federal statute AND
• Have not had lease, ownership interest, or
occupancy agreement in permanent
housing any time during last 60 days AND
• Have experienced two or more moves
during last 60 days AND
Homeless Category 3 Criteria
• Can be expected to continue in such status for
an extended period of time because of:
Chronic disabilities OR
Chronic physical health or mental health conditions
OR
Substance addiction OR
History of domestic violence or childhood abuse
(including neglect) OR
Presence of a child or youth with a disability OR
Two or more barriers to employment
Homeless Category 4 Criteria
4. Individuals and families who are fleeing, or
are attempting to flee, domestic violence,
dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or
other dangerous or life-threatening
conditions that relate to violence against the
individual or family member.
• Have no identified subsequent residence AND
• Lack the resources and support networks
needed to obtain other permanent housing
Documenting Homelessness
1. Third-party written
documentation
- Exception – one night shelter
and DV providers
2. Third-party verbal
documentation
- Oral statement by social
worker, case manager, or
other appropriate official at
an institution
3. First-party/self-declaration
At-Risk of Homelessness Categories
1. Individuals and
families
2. Unaccompanied
children and youth
3. Families with
children and youth
At Risk Category 1 Criteria
Individuals/families who
• Have annual incomes below 30% AMI AND
• Do not have sufficient resources or support
networks immediately available to prevent
literal homelessness AND
• Meet at least one of the following 7
conditions
At Risk Category 1 Criteria –
must meet at least one
1. Moved two or more times due to
economic reasons in 60 days prior to
application for assistance
2. Living in home of another due to
economic hardship
3. Losing housing within 21 days after
application date
At Risk Category 1 Criteria –
must meet at least one
4. Live in hotel/motel not paid for by charitable
organizations or federal/state/ local
government programs.
5. Lives in severely overcrowded unit as defined
by the US Census Bureau
6. Exiting publicly funded institution or system
of care
7. Lives in housing associated with instability
and increased risk of homelessness, per
recipient Consolidated Plan
At Risk Category 2 Criteria
Unaccompanied children/youth who qualify
under other federal statutes
• Does not include children/youth who
qualify under the homeless definition
• Does not include parents or guardians
• Regulations include the list of applicable
other federal statutes
At Risk Category 3 Criteria
Children/youth who
qualify under the
Education for Children
and Youth Program (§
725(2) McKinney-Vento
Act) and the parents or
guardians of that
child/youth if living with
him/her.
Documenting Imminent
Loss of Housing
• Court order resulting
from an eviction or
equivalent notice under
state law
Leave residence within 14
days after the date of their
application for assistance
Documenting Homeless Status of
Unaccompanied Youth or Family With
Children and Youth Who Qualify As
Homeless Under “Other Federal Statutes”
• Certified by appropriate official at entity that
administers assistance under the other federal
statute
Documenting Homeless Status
By DV Providers
• Self-declaration from head of household
must certify that he or she has not
identified a subsequent residence and lacks
the resources or support networks where
the safety would not be jeopardized
Documenting Homeless Status
By DV Providers
• Condition must be verified by a written
observation by intake worker, service provider,
social worker, health care professional, law
enforcement agency, legal assistance, pastoral
counselor, or other organization from whom the
household has sought DV assistance
• Written referral or observation need only include
the minimum amount of information necessary to
document that households is fleeing domestic
violence, sexual assault, stalking. Does not expect
specific details about incidence of violence.
Other Housing Options,
Resources or Supports
• Assessment should have questions that
determine if there are other options,
resources, or supports
• Include signed certification by CM
acknowledging assessment that household
would be homeless but for this assistance
Performance Monitoring &
Measuring
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System meeting goals & objectives
Providers meeting goals & objectives
Housing service system outcomes
Collaborative system of care
Coalition on Homelessness and Housing
in Ohio
175 S. Third St. - Suite 250
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone 614-280-1984
Fax 614-463-1060
www.cohhio.org
[email protected]