Regional Conference to End HomelessnessNorfolk, VA

Suzanne Wagner, Housing InnovationsMarch 8, 2012

“When the music changes, so does the dance.”

-- African Proverb

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HEARTH – Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing

Federal Strategic Plan (FSP), Opening Doors◦ Mutually Reinforcing◦ Extend and Amplify each other◦ Time of Change, new dance

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Impetus and tools for system transformation – new eligible activites

Establish outcomes Focus on performance Coordination with other systems, resources

and planning processes Use of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs)

◦ Rapid Rehousing for Families◦ Permanent Supportive Housing for Chronically

Homeless Single Adults and Families

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Reduce length of time people spend in the crisis of homelessness

Rapidly exit people from homelessness to permanent housing

Provide services in the home to achieve housing stability and prevent returns to homelessness

Focus on income and employment

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Decrease numbers of people who are homeless

Decrease length of time people are homeless

Increase exits to PH Increase income Reduce returns to homelessness

◦ Will apply to shelters, transitional and permanent supportive housing programs

◦ High performing communities

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Developed by the US Interagency Council on Homelessness (US ICH) – 19 federal agencies

◦ Finish job of ending chronic homelessness in 5 years

◦ Prevent and end Veteran homelessness in 5 years

◦ Prevent and end homelessness for families, youth and children in 10 years

◦ Set a path to ending all types of homelessness

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1. Increase Leadership, Collaboration and

Civic Engagement

2. Increase Access to Stable, Affordable

Housing

3. Increase Economic Security

4. Improve Health and Stability

5. Retool Homeless Crisis Response System

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ALOS Under 20 days or at least 10% below prior year

Fewer than 5% will become homeless again within next 2 years or at least 20% below prior year

Actively encouraged homeless people to participate in services; included all homeless people in HMIS

Activities have been effective in reducing homelessness

No family is homeless for more than 30 days

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When will the music start?

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Plenty to do now

Challenges◦ Money◦ Lack of Guidance from HUD

Timely Release of Memo from HUD

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The CoC has been flat funded. To maximize the number of new units funded this year, HUD has been aggressively recapturing funds from grants that have not been fully expended and drawn down by the end of their grant period.

Through this process, HUD is also identifying grantees that consistently return money, since in many cases these funds cannot be re-used for other CoC programs and must be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

HUD strongly encourage grantees and CoCs to review all renewal project budgets and spending rates to prevent these types of recaptures, thereby demonstrating strong stewardship of federal funds at both the grantee and CoC levels.

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On January 4, 2012, the interim rules on the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program and corresponding amendments to the Consolidated Plan went into effect. ◦ Until a final rule is published, the interim rule

regulates the use of the second allocation of FY2011 ESG funds and the FY2012 ESG allocation.

The FY2012 budget for the ESG program is $286 million, an increase of $36 million from FY2011. ◦ The increase will assist communities to transition

programs created under HPRP, the Diversion/Rapid Rehousing program.

◦ These funds are expected to particularly impact homeless families with children, a HUD priority population.

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HUD is in the final stages of clearing for release both the Continuum of Care (CoC) and Rural Housing Stability Program (RHSP) rules. ◦ Congress has directed that these rules be

published as interim so they can be implemented in FY2012; therefore,

◦ The 2012 NOFA will reflect the HEARTH requirements and all grants awarded through the 2012 competition will be required to comply with the interim rules.

◦ The FY2012 appropriation is less than requested by a half billion, so not all the HEARTH Act requirements or all the HUD-related goals in the FSP Plan can be fully realized.

HUD will be deciding which provisions of HEARTH to implement in 2012 to maximize the impact.

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Rules that will be included the 2012 NOFA:◦ Renewal of existing projects, as provided for in HEARTH, is a

priority; ◦ While the Act authorizes increases in administration, leasing,

rental assistance and operating funds for renewals, it is unlikely that projects will receive the maximum increases allowed;

◦ Continuum of Care planning funds may be available, although at levels lower than the 3% allowed by law;

◦ S+C funds will be part of funds available for reallocation

◦ Funding for Unified Funding Agencies is not likely to be available in FY2012 and HUD does not intend to implement the High Performing Communities provisions in FY2012 due to lack of sufficient data and budget constraints.

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Areas of Focus◦ Program Evaluation and Development

◦ System Evaluation and Reorganization

◦ Coordination Beyond the Continuum of Care

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Decrease in newly homeless◦ Prevention/Diversion

Decrease length of stay◦ Rapid Rehousing◦ Reduce LOS in Shelter and TH – use rapid exit

approach Increase income and exits to PH and

decrease returns to homelessness◦ Housing Stabilization Services ◦ Critical Time Intervention (CTI)◦ Connections with mainstream and community-based

services◦ Eviction Prevention Services

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Establish coordinated intake Divert at the front door to shelter wherever

possible Move people rapidly into permanent

housing from emergency shelter and transitional housing

Focus on employment, income and benefits Provide aftercare or access to services to

stabilize once in housing

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Link with community-based (mainstream) services and amenities and natural supports

Implement “Moving On” Programs from PSH Principles and Practices of CTI (Critical Time

Intervention) and other EBP’s may be useful. www.criticaltime.org

Provide eviction prevention services – not just legal, earlier in the process

Look at your program data and outcomes and get them right

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How do programs work together? Are some programs more effective than

others? What are the systems outcomes? Are people permanently ending their

homelessness? What are your current investments? What are the costs per outcome?

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ESG grantees must coordinate with CoC◦ Consult on allocation of funding for ESG activities◦ Must participate in HMIS◦ Coordinated Intake◦ Outcomes will be reported in CoC Exhibit 1 in 2012

CoCs must coordinate with: ◦ ESG Grantees

Evaluate outcomes and analyze use of ESG funds◦ Consolidated Plans ◦ Public Housing Authority (PHA) plans◦ Local Ten Year Plans◦ Non-homeless systems - MH, VA, Youth, Housing,

Employment

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Coordinated Intake◦ All ESG and CoC recipients must use a

centralized/coordinated system to ‘initially assess the eligibility and needs of each person who seeks homeless assistance or prevention assistance’.

At least 40% of funds must be spent on Prevention/Diversion and Rapid Rehousing

New activities:Short/medium term rental assistance for up to 24

monthsHousing relocation/stabilization to homeless or at risk –

financial assistance – utilities, arrears, moving costsParallel HPRP activities

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SHP, S+C, SRO Mod become a single CoC programAcquisition, rehabilitation, and construction activities

the same as under SHP but matching requirements changed

Leasing is the same – no match requiredRental assistance for transitional (a version of

RR) or permanent housing Project based, sponsor based or tenant based Can provide rental assistance to preserve

existing PSHOperating costs same but can include service

coordination.

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Supportive services essentially same as SHP but include legal services to get entitlements

Rehousing services to include: housing searchmediationoutreach to property ownerscredit repair, providing security or utility

depositsrental assistance for a final month at a locationassistance with moving costs or other

activities that: are effective in moving people into housing or helping them in first 6 months in PH

Admin costs to project sponsors up to 10%

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Performance – as described above Community Plans focus on:

reducing homelessnesseducational needs of children andneeds of all homeless sub-populations.

CoC plan aligns with Ten Year Plan (TYP). Measureable targets, timelines, funding, leadership

and staff. Process for Prioritizing Funding – method is

based on objective public criteria that consider the full range of opinions and use data for analysis

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Look at current portfolio of projects relative to expenditure of funds and performance to determine what, if any, changes should be made.

Begin considering which projects, in whole or in part, they may want to reallocate to free up resources for new efforts. ◦ In the 2012 NOFA, all funds will be counted towards a

CoC’s Hold Harmless Need (HHN) amount—including projects that are currently funded under S+C; therefore, for the first time, CoCs will be permitted to include these grants in any reallocation strategy.

Conduct an analysis to determine which partnerships within your community work well and which need more attention and focus.

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Consider what HPRP strategies worked best and whether any of these strategies are more effective, efficient, and attractive to consumers than the current ESG and CoC-funded approaches.

Assess what efficiencies can/should be made to current homeless assistance &response system?

◦ Look at cost per positive outcome, coordinated intake, how mainstream affordable housing is used

CoCs should assess their data tools, counting methodologies, and HMIS and determine if changes and/or improvements need to be made.

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Take Lessons!!!◦ A webinar a week◦ Listservs

HUD ◦ www.hudhre.info

US Interagency Council (ICH)◦ www.usich.gov

National Alliance to End Homelessness◦ www.endhomelessness.org

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Look at the data on key indicators! Use HUD Standards to Evaluate Programs

◦ Mark Johnston on TH Get baseline on current performance and

make sure your data is accurate Focus on individual program performance

on indicators – movement to permanent housing, access to benefits, increases in income, permanent housing retention

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Think about whether you can provide Transition in Place with current CoC funded programs/activities

Reflect on successes and challenges of HPRP◦ Both Prevention and Rapid Rehousing elements

Meet with community-based services in your area to see how they can support people once housed

For Emergency Shelter and TH, think about exit plan from day one

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1. Renewal Evaluation Process2. Training/Support to Agencies 3. Review data on:

◦ Length of Stay (LOS)◦ Exits to permanent housing, to unknown and to

homelessness◦ Rates of maintaining and increasing income

4. Evaluate funding and program allocations, outcomes and returns on investments

◦ Consider program conversions/modifications to achieve outcomes

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StandardCriteria

Pts

How scored

Occupancy/Average Bed Utilization Rate 90% 6 Scaled to 75%, Below 75%=0

PSH Programs: Length of stay 7 months or longer (for leavers) 85% 6 Scaled to 77%, Below

77%=0

TH Programs: Exits to Permanent Housing 80% 6 Scaled to 75%, Below 75%=0

Health Insurance for Leavers (Includes Medicaid, Veterans Health Care, Private Insurance, etc) 30% 6 Proportional/ %age

Food Stamps for Leavers 50% 6 Proportional/ %age

Employment for Leavers 25% 6 Proportional/ %age

Income Amounts Maintained /Increased for Leavers 85% 7 85% or >=7, 70-85 = 4

Below 70%=0

Leavers who exit to shelter, streets or unknown 10% or less 6 10% or < = 6, 11-20% = 2

Over 20% = 0

Leavers who exit with non-cash resources 80% or > 7 80% or > = 7, 70-79% = 3Below 70% = 0

Spending/Draw downs Monthly 6Within 30 days = 6, 31-90

days = 4, More than 90 days = 0

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Organizational/Administrative Structure◦ Who is part of the CoC and who is missing? Is DOE/School system

represented?◦ Are there benefits to joining with other CoC’s/reconfiguring

geography? ◦ If you could start your CoC over from scratch, what would it look

like? ◦ Is there an entity that is ready to be the Collaborative Applicant? ◦ Are there organizations that could & would take on the UFA role?

Planning Processes◦ How aligned are your TYP and CoC? What about ESG?◦ Are you involved in the Consolidated Plan process? Do

you know how to influence how the $ is spent? ◦ Do you have a plan for responding to the HEARTH draft

regulations?

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Performance ◦ Is the HMIS able to accurately report on LOS, returns to

homelessness, newly homeless?◦ What is current performance on these indicators?◦ How can you manage for and influence these outcomes?◦ What adjustments should be made to the new Renewal

Performance Evaluation Process to better support achievement of outcomes and meet HUD’s guidelines for prioritizing funding?

System Design◦ Does the mix of programs in the system need to change

in order to achieve performance outcomes? ◦ Do the programs you have and populations’ needs

match? ◦ Are there programs that are not working or could be

improved/transformed? ◦ How will HPRP activities continue?

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