APPLICATION FOR

Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) Funds

Funded through the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

In Partnership With

Onondaga County

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

David A. Sutkowy, Commissioner

435 Montgomery Street, Floor 12

Syracuse, New York 13202


Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP)

Table of Contents

I. Introduction 3

II. Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Plan 3

III. HPRP Budget 7

IV. HPRP Tentative Schedule 8

V. HPRP Guidelines 10

VI.HPRP Proposal Submission Directions 14

VII. HPRP Application 15


City of Syracuse and County of Onondaga

2009 HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAM

NOTICE OF FUNDS AVAILABILITY

and

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

I. INTRODUCTION

As a result of passage by Congress of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the City of Syracuse and County of Onondaga have received notice that each will receive a formula-based funding allocation under ARRA’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). The City of Syracuse will receive $2,556,260 and the County of Onondaga will receive $897,454, a combined total of $3,453,714 dollars.

HPRP funds are intended to serve persons who:

  1. Are homeless or would be homeless but for this assistance; and
  2. Can remain stably housed after this temporary assistance ends.

Syracuse and Onondaga County will strategically invest HPRP dollars to reduce the number of chronically homeless living in shelters, rapidly re-house new homeless, and avert homelessness for the housing vulnerable as outlined below in the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Plan. Four activities are eligible for funding through HPRP: 1) direct financial assistance, 2) housing relocation and stabilization, 3) data management, and 4) administration. As your agency acts as a provider of services for the homeless and/or housing vulnerable, we ask that you consider submitting an application for funding under this program.

II. HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND RAPID RE-HOUSING PLAN

New Approach

The Syracuse-Onondaga County Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Plan centers on the concepts of diversion and rapidly re-housing the community’s homeless and housing vulnerable. The following are key elements of this new approach:

1.  Gate Keeping at the Front Door: The Department of Social Services will control the entry process to get into emergency shelters. This will stop direct access to shelters by clients with other options or resources for shelter as well as prevent numerous public systems from using shelters as their discharge plan. These public systems include mental health, substance abuse, public health, veterans, criminal justice (Parole and Probation), child protective and adult protective. Controlling access to shelters will significantly reduce the misuse by clients of shelters and hotels/motels.

2.  Diversion: Work aggressively with the housing vulnerable to avert homelessness. This may include providing temporary rent and/or utility assistance and assisting in relocation to an affordable residence.

3.  Emergency Shelters: Adopt a philosophy that shelter stays are brief and limited to days not months. They are to provide basic needs – food and shelter - not extensive case management.

4.  Housing First/Rapid Re-Housing: Homeless individuals and families will be given assistance in locating housing and negotiating with landlords. They will be provided home-based case management to promote housing retention and to link families with needed services within the community. The goal is to minimize the time individuals and families are homeless. Aggressive landlord outreach and housing search assistance is critical to the success of Rapid Re-Housing.

5.  Grow Public and Private Housing Options: Rapid Re-Housing can only be successful if there are safe and affordable housing options in the private and public sectors. Housing re-locators will work to educate private landlords, build trust and work through challenging situations. In addition, efforts must be made to expand public and supportive housing options for those individuals and families needing some degree of on going assistance.

6.  Accountability: The new approach will monitor short and long-term client outcomes including length of shelter stays, housing stabilization, income, and shelter recidivism.

7.  City and County Collaboration: City and County government will work together on a unified collaborative approach to address the homeless and housing vulnerable. The City offers resources and expertise in code enforcement, housing court and housing development. The County offers resources and expertise in providing temporary assistance, other public supports and services for those with disabilities. This partnership will bring the necessary leadership to drive a public, private and non-profit collaborative approach.

New Process

1.  Create a Single Point of Entry (SPOE - See Flow Chart – Attachment A)

a.  Physical & Virtual Location

  1. The Single Point of Entry will be located on Floor 2 of the Civic Center.
  2. HMIS will be used as a virtual SPOE.

b.  DSS Roles and Responsibilities

  1. HUD indicates that a clear “eligibility” process must be used to determine the type, level and duration of assistance for each program participant. The DSS eligibility determination process will be used to meet this requirement. Using HPRP money “just to pay bills” will create rapid depletion of resources and “new” unwarranted applications for emergency assistance. The DSS process allows client factors for non-payment to be determined so long-term stabilization can occur.
  2. Income Eligibility Specialists: HPRP funds will be used to pay for two dedicated DSS workers who will determine need, income eligibility, Emergency Temporary Assistance, loan repayment if appropriate and housing affordability. Here is where the first opportunity to divert homelessness will be explored. The following activities will be undertaken:
  3. Review client income;
  4. Calculate a rent affordability estimate;
  5. Review whether utility costs are a barrier to housing;
  6. Determine move-in date for an affordable housing option;
  7. Monitor temporary assistance status;
  8. Make emergency move-in determinations and payments to landlords for first month rent, subsidies, and security deposits;
  9. Make emergency utility payments to vendors from HPRP monies (unless appropriate for HEAP to do this);
  10. Provide Case Managers with information regarding next date client income is to be received for use in determining length of shelter stay to be authorized.
  11. Clerk: Data entry for HMIS, shelter, motel, Tenant Responsibility Agreement (TRA) and cash security deposit payments, and client files. Maintain cash security deposit, TRA and client files. HPRP funds will not be used to support this position.

c.  Co-Location of Non-County Employees

Case Managers: HPRP funds will be used to pay for three Case Managers who will operate under the direct supervision of DSS’s Housing Director. The Case Managers will directly manage/coordinate the community-wide caseworkers and rapid rehousing workers. They will work with community discharge planners to effectively find housing options for individuals being released from public systems. The Case Managers will undertake the following activities:

  1. Revisit if diversion to shelter is an option;
  2. Complete a “Barriers to Housing Stability Assessment”;
  3. Complete a client plan to address income, housing and stabilization, and ensure that the plan is implemented, and when appropriate, make staff assignments or referrals;
  4. Issue a “ticket” to a shelter for a set number of days.

d.  Caseworkers

Approximately 15 FTE Caseworkers that work with the homeless and housing vulnerable currently exist in the community and are employed by Catholic Charities, Onondaga Case Management, Rescue Mission and Salvation Army. Although these positions will not be funded by HPRP, it is imperative that they work collaboratively within the co-location SPOE model. It is anticipated that these Caseworkers will occasionally be on-site at the Civic Center’s SPOE. Caseworkers will undertake the following activities:

  1. Assist clients to obtain stable source of income;
  2. Assist with housing search by working in conjunction with housing re-locators;
  3. Deliver and link to after care services (i.e. permanent income, life skills, money management, time management, cooking, behavior and anger management, etc.).

e.  Housing Relocators

  1. HPRP funds will be used to pay for seven Housing Relocators, who will fall under the direct supervision of the Case Managers. The Housing Relocators will assist homeless and housing vulnerable to find and obtain safe, decent, affordable housing. The expectation is that within days the Housing Relocators will setup landlord-client meetings for the majority of clients.
  2. The Syracuse-Onondaga County HPRP Plan includes priority outreach and relocation assistance to City residents meeting one or more of the following conditions:
  3. Tenants that have no water due to landlord not paying;
  4. Tenants that have no heat or electricity due to non-payment;
  5. Tenants that have serious issues such as infestation that the landlord has not addressed, even though Code Enforcement has cited them;
  6. Tenants that are facing eviction due to lack of ability to pay the rent.
  7. When appropriate, case managers will deploy relocators to meet the housing vulnerable in their home to assess the situation and begin the re-location process if deemed necessary.
  8. The Housing Relocators will be responsible for daily update/addition to available apartment information on HMIS.
  9. All new housing options must undergo a housing inspection and lead-based paint visual assessment to ensure that HUD Housing Habilitability Standards are met.

2.  Provide Access to Information

HPPR funds will be used to create a “live” HMIS system. This will include case management information, a queuing system for shelter availability and up-to-date housing options listing. SPOE staff will also need access to other databases (i.e. Welfare Management System, Connections, Supplemental Security Income, City of Syracuse Stop Rents database, Mental Health Single Point of Access, internet sites like Syracuse.com, and Craigslist for apartment searches). A minimum of six computers will be needed. Security levels will be established to ensure that confidentially rights are not breached.

3.  Manage Client Expectations

Clients will be required to sign an Independent Living Plan stipulating conditions of shelter authorization (behavior, compliance with Temporary Assistance requirements, and active pursuit of permanent housing). Additionally, clients will be required to sign loan repayment documents to allow DSS to recoup costs if income is discovered. Clients will be required to “check-in"with their Case Manager regarding their progress in seeking/obtaining income and permanent housing.

4.  Additional Services to be Paid by HPRP

a.  SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) Caseworker

The SOAR process is known to expedite obtaining SSI and SSDI benefits for the homeless. HPRP funds will be used to pay for one SOAR Caseworker, who will physically be located at the SPOE or at a partner agency. The SOAR Caseworker will need to work closely and in conjunction with DSS’s SSI Unit.

b.  Homeless Prevention Services

City CDBG currently funds legal aid services to assist tenants in eviction court to prevent eviction. HPRP will provide additional funding for local legal service agencies to assist tenants in negotiating with landlords before the case gets to eviction court. This will be of great assistance to city landlords saving them eviction court costs and allowing them to keep tenants who have fallen behind in rent payments due to financial set-backs. The new homeless and housing vulnerable process will also ensure that these families are receiving all public benefits to which they are entitled.

5.  Create Exit Strategies

HPRP funds will allow us to avert homelessness and move the homeless out of shelters quickly. These funds will be used as bridge money to pay for rent and utilities until more permanent funding streams are established. Single Point of Entry staff must ensure that individuals and families are not housed in apartments/homes that will not be affordable after the HPRP funding expires. HPRP funds may be used to augment existing caseworker activities to ensure long-term stabilization. These funds may support an array of life skills and financial management training.

III. SYRACUSE-ONONDAGA COUNTY HPRP BUDGET

BUDGET CATEGORY / THREE YEAR TOTAL COSTS
Financial Assistance
Direct Financial Assistance (Sole Source Vendor) / $1,242,831.00
Income Eligibility Specialists (Sole Source Vendor) / 336,000.00
Case Manager (1 FTE) / 138,644.00
Moving & Storage / 150,000.00
HMIS (Sole Source Vendor) / 26,826.00
Subtotal / $1,894,301.00
Housing Relocation & Stabilization Services
Case Managers (2 FTE) / $210,106.00
Housing Relocators (7 FTE) / 656,250.00
SOAR Worker (1 FTE) / 112,500.00
Legal Aid / 225,000.00
Subtotal / $1,203,856.00
Data Collection & Evaluation (Sole Source Vendor) / $153,174.00
Administration / $171,120.00
TOTAL / $3,422,451.00


IV. HPRP TENTATIVE SCHEDULE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Monday, July 6, 2009 / HPRP applications distributed via Homeless Task Force listserve, posted on City and County websites
Friday, July 24, 2009 – 4 pm / Applications due to County Division of Social Services
Friday, August 14, 2009 / Subcontractors selected
Wednesday, September 30, 2009* / Grantee-Subcontractor award agreements and cooperative agreements executed

* Dates meet HUD statutory requirements.

HPRP

Guidelines


1) Eligible Populations

Funding is targeted to two discrete populations: those at risk of homelessness and those who have already become homeless and are in need of re-housing assistance. Households that are assisted by HPRP funding must:

·  Have incomes below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with preference given to those under 30% of the AMI;

·  Have no appropriate subsequent housing options identified; and

·  Lack the resources and support networks needed to obtain immediate housing or remain in existing housing.

HUD includes the following criteria that it hopes communities will use to determine if someone is at risk.

·  Eviction within 2 weeks from a private dwelling (including housing provided by family or friends);

·  Discharge within 2 weeks from an institution in which the person has been a resident for more than 180 days (including prisons, mental health institutions, and hospitals);

·  Residency in housing that has been condemned by housing officials and is no longer meant for human habitation;

·  Sudden and significant loss of income;

·  Sudden and significant increase in utility costs;

·  Mental health and substance abuse issues;

·  Physical disabilities and other chronic health issues, including HIV/AIDS;

·  Severe housing cost burden (greater than 50 percent of income for housing costs);

·  Homeless in last 12 months;

·  Young head of household (under 25 with children or pregnant);