Help! I Don’t Speak Housing!

Mattie Lord, UMOM New Day Centers(602) 889-0671 - MLord@umom.org

Jeremy Rosen, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty(202) 638-2535 x210 - Jrosen@nlchp.org

Shelter

Housing

We have to help families move from temporary situations to permanent housing.

Goals

•Answer all your housing questions (or give you candy)!!!•Make sure when someone talks to you in housing speak, you can answer right back.

– Anyone not think this sentence is in Greek? PTFA or ESG might keep a family in their home, but if that doesn’t work HUD may tell you to try a PHA that can give you VASH or FUP, and if that doesn’t work under the COC plan for implementing HEARTH maybe the family can get PSH.

What is HUD?

• A building in DC with a leaky roof?

• A federal housing agency?

• An old movie with Paul Newman?

• A group of people who don’t know how to define homelessness?

What is a CoC?

• Government agencies, nonprofit service providers, advocates, and homeless / formerly homeless persons working together to end homelessness in a local community or in a larger rural area of a particular state.

• Should you be part of the CoC?– Even if you’re not in Fargo – “You betcha.”– You are the voice for the kids and families you

work with! Don’t assume someone else is.

Continuum of Care

PreventionResources

PermanentSupportive

Housing

TransitionalHousing

RapidReHousing

Emergency Shelter

Assessment

PermanentSupportive

Housing

EmergencyShelter

TransitionalHousing

What does a CoC do?

• Plans for ending homelessness in your community, sets priorities for how your area’s homeless assistance funds will be spent, and picks agencies who will receive the $$$.

• Beginning to assume more responsibility for managing grant funds, be responsible for meeting new outcome targets, and administer broader definition of homelessness.

• What gives the CoC authority? HEARTH!

Why do we care about HEARTH?

• Framework for how HUD’s homeless programs will operate in future.

• New focus areas – more homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing, less emergency shelter; more permanent housing, less transitional housing.

• Modest expansion of homeless definition • All HUD funded homeless programs must

do things for you and the kids you serve!

HEARTH Requirements

• The Continuum of Care applicant will be required to demonstrate that it is collaborating with LEAs to assist in the identification of homeless families as well as informing these homeless families and youth of their eligibility for McKinney-Vento education services.

HEARTH Requirements

• Continuum of Care applicant will be required to demonstrate that it is considering the educational needs of children when families are placed in emergency or transitional shelter and is, to the maximum extent practicable, placing families with children as close to possible to their school of origin so as not to disrupt their children’s education.

HEARTH Requirements

• Project applicants must demonstrate that their programs are establishing policies and practices that are consistent with, and do not restrict the exercise of rights provided by the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act, and other laws relating to the provision of educational rights and related services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

HEARTH Requirements

• Project applicants must demonstrate that programs that provide housing or services to families are designating a staff person to ensure that children are enrolled in school and connected to the appropriate services within the community, including early childhood programs such as Head Start, Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, and McKinney-Vento education services.

New Categories of “Homeless”

• People losing housing within 14 days (including from a motel b/c can’t pay).

• Families and youth defined as homeless by ED, if they have not been in permanent housing for a long time and have moved frequently.

• Individuals / families fleeing DV or other dangerous / life threatening conditions.

Prevention / Rapid Re-Housing• Payments to avoid

eviction (rent arrears, utilities, etc.)

• Assistance with move in costs

• Temporary rent subsidies

• Basic case management

Bridge Housing

• Provides temporary housing until a housing option is available

• Emergency shelter may serve as the “bridge” until a HUD VASH voucher is assigned.

• A family might be moved from the streets to a hotel room until there is room in an ES.

Emergency Shelter

• Shorter term

• Length of stay up to 120 days

• No fees

• Case management

• Support services

• Single site

Transitional Housing

• For families needing a longer-term intervention than ES

• Length of stay up to 2 years• Program fees up to 30% of income• Case management• Intensive support services• Some single site, some scattered site• HUD outcome: 65% exit to permanent

housing

Housing First

• A philosophy

• End the homelessness by moving them into housing first.

• Work on other issues that may jeopardize the stable housing while they are in housing.

• Support them in the housing.

• Services are voluntary.

Permanent Supportive Housing

• Typically funded by Typically funded by HUD McKinney-VentoHUD McKinney-Vento

• Housing subsidiesHousing subsidies

• Program fees up to 30% Program fees up to 30% of incomeof income

• Must have a Must have a documented disabilitydocumented disability

• Includes case management and ongoing support services

• No time limit

Affordable Housing

• Housing that a family is able to afford without exceeding 30% of their income

• No time limit

• No programs or support services

• Lease = Landlord Tenant Act applies

Subsidized Housing

• An option for low income families• Makes market rate housing “affordable” for

families at 30-60% AMI• Typically subsidized by local or state tax

credits• Typically mixed income properties• Must recertify annually; otherwise no time

limit• Lease = Landlord Tenant Act applies

Section 8 Housing• HUD program with Public Housing Authorities• Sex offenders and people with certain drug

offenses are ineligible• Other eligibility criteria determined by local PHAs• No time limit• Lease = Landlord Tenant Act applies• Project-Based

– Subsidy remains with the unit

• Housing Choice Voucher– Subsidy remains with the family– Family can select unit (based on FMR and inspection)

Ask and You May Receive!?!?

• Go talk to PHA (Public Housing Authority)!– Do you have any Section 8 or public housing? – What about when units turn over? (Another

secret – most people only keep Section 8 or public housing for a few years)

– Can we create a preference for homeless families? (They can if they want to!)

– Got any FUP (Family Unification Program) or VASH (Veterans Affairs Supported Housing)?

PTFA

• Federal law protects tenants in properties where owner was foreclosed on.

• After foreclosure, tenant does not have to move out right away. Tenant can stay until end of lease or minimum 90 days.

• Must be bona fide tenant (fancy way of saying someone paying fair market rent, and maybe not to family member).

Takeaways…

• Understanding of CoC, programs it administers, and need to participate.

• Understanding of other housing resources for children, youth, and families we care about, and ideas for accessing them.

• Ability to speak housing – use terminology with confidence.