Shelter Plus Care 101

1. Shelter Plus Care 101 • February 6, 2019 Libby Tyre, Shelter Plus Care Program Manager

2. Shelter Plus Care • CoC Rental Assistance = Shelter Plus Care • S+C is designed to link rental assistance to supportive services for hard-to-serve homeless persons with disabilities (primarily mental health, substance abuse related, or those with AIDS) and their families.

3. Shelter Plus Care – Rental Assistance • Rental Assistance vs Leasing • Sponsor-based rental assistance is provided through contracts between the recipient and sponsor organization. A sponsor may be a private, nonprofit organization, or a community mental health agency established as a public nonprofit organization. Program participants must reside in housing owned or leased by the sponsor. • Project-based rental assistance is provided through a contract with the owner of an existing structure, where the owner agrees to lease the subsidized units to program participants. Program participants will not retain rental assistance if they move.

4. S+C – Award and Implementation

5. Shelter Plus Care - Awards • Fair Market Rent = rent plus utilities • Award is based on the FMR for your area • # of units x FMR x 12 months = S+C renewal amount • Example: contracted for 20 – 1BR units and 5- 2BR units 20 x FMR for 1BR unit x 12 = $ 5 x FMR for 2BR units x 12 = $$ $ + $$ = award amount

6. Shelter Plus Care - Contracts • The grant agreement is between HUD and GHFA (recipient / grantee). • GHFA = Georgia Housing Finance Authority (DCA) • HUD holds GHFA responsible for the overall administration of the program. • GHFA will hold the Sponsor (sub-recipient / sub-grantee) to the same standards.

7. Shelter Plus Care – Supportive Services • To the extent practicable, each project must provide supportive services for residents of the project. • Each subrecipient must conduct an ongoing assessment of the supportive services needed by the residents, the availability of such services, and the coordination of services needed to ensure long-term housing stability and must make adjustments, as appropriate

8. Shelter Plus Care - Financial Match and Leverage • Renewals – 25% • Legacy – 100% • Cash match • In-kind match • MOU • Documentation Match can include: • Salaries • Value of services provided by sponsor agency or others • Volunteer time at $10 / hr • Leasing costs • Street outreach, working with persons in shelters, etc.

9. Shelter Plus Care – Grant Numbers • HUD Grant Number • GA0069L4B011407 • GA0069L4B011508 • GA0069L4B011609 • GA0069L4B011710 • DCA Grant Number • 17S SPC 17C297 • 16S SPC 16C334

10. Shelter Plus Care Eligibility

11. Shelter Plus Care - Eligibility Eligible participants are: • Homeless • Disabled • “very low income” person • And the family member(s) of such a person

12. S+C Definition of Homelessness The S+C program specifically targets homeless persons who: • (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; • (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 a family member.

13. Shelter Plus Care – Chronically Homeless • Definition of “chronically homeless” provides a way to prioritize people with longest histories of homelessness and most severe needs • Seeks to ensure that persons with highest needs are prioritized for permanent supportive housing • Dedicated vs Prioritized Beds • Know your # of Dedicated beds

14. S+C – Homeless Verification HUD prefers this order for homeless verification: 1. Third Party verification • Written, including documents already available • Oral 2. Intake Staff Observations (with due diligence) 3. Self-Certification (with staff certifying due diligence)

15. S+C – Eligible Disabilities A person shall be considered to have a disability if such person • has a physical, mental or emotional impairment; • which is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration; • substantially impedes his or her ability to live independently; • and is of such a nature that this ability could be improved by more suitable housing conditions, or • *has a severe and chronic developmental disability *The person with the disability MUST be an adult within the household

16. S+C – Income Limits • Total household income must not exceed 50% of the AMI (Area Median Income) • Sponsors can use the DCA Income form and the HUD webpage at http://www.huduser.org/portal/ to determine income requirements • This income limit is only applicable at entry.

17. Data Quality Your HMIS Mantra for Data Quality? Complete, Consistent, Accurate and Timely

18. S+C – Performance • Data Quality Reports • Data Quality Detail Reports • Final APR • Sage • Guides • Trainings

19. Questions You know you have some???

20. Coordinated Entry • Coordinated Entry System (CES) is a streamlined system that provides quick access to individuals and families seeking assistance through a coordinated referral and housing placement process. • Households are assessed using a standard and objective tool that identifies their vulnerability and barriers to housing. • Those who are assessed as having the highest vulnerability and housing barriers will be prioritized for access to available housing programs as vacancies occur.

21. Coordinated Entry What must I do to “participate” in CE? • Entrance to your funded projects must come through the coordinated entry system, services must be prioritized to MOST VULNERABLE • Administer the VI-SPDAT to clients who are already connected to your agency or who need specialized assistance to complete the assessment (this does NOT mean you must act as an access point) Bonus points if your agency makes an effort to begin/participate in the CES planning process.

22. Shelter Plus Care – Securing Units • Rent Reasonableness • Environmental Clearance • Lead-Based Paint compliance • HQS Pre-Inspection • HQS Inspection

23. Shelter Plus Care – Securing Units Rent Reasonableness • HUD will only provide rental assistance for a unit if the rent is reasonable. • The subrecipientmust determine whether the rent charged for the unit receiving rental assistance is reasonable in relation to rents being charged for comparable unassisted units, taking into account the location, size, type, quality, amenities, facilities, and management and maintenance of each unit. • Reasonable rent must not exceed rents currently being charged by the same owner for comparable unassisted units.

24. Shelter Plus Care – Securing Units Environmental Clearance • Sponsor must complete the “Environmental Review / Housing Quality Standards Request Form” – effective 5/1/18 • To request an environmental review to determine if a property is eligible for assistance, please submit the above form to DCA at the following e-mail address: ER-HQS@dca.ga.gov.

25. Shelter Plus Care – Securing Units Lead-Based Paint Compliance • Sponsors must document compliance with rules associated with Lead-Based Paint Hazards. • Sponsors must document the residents knowledge of this information. • This documentation must be maintained by the Sponsor and is subject to review by DCA or its representatives.

26. Shelter Plus Care – Securing Units Housing Quality Standards (HQS) • Each unit must pass an HQS inspection prior to being eligible for reimbursement. • Sponsors must perform an initial HQS inspection (website) to assure the minimum compliance prior to requesting inspection. • Official inspections are completed by DCA. • If the unit does not pass, you will be required to have a re-inspection. • Annual re-inspections are also required.

27. Shelter Plus Care Compliance

28. S+C – Compliance • Grant Management • Unit and bed utilization • Spending rates • VAWA • LEP / LAP • Monitoring • Based on risk assessment • On-site vs Desk audit

29. S+C – Grant Management

30. S+C – Compliance • VAWA • Regulation – 578.99 • Webinar • https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8417562341205259527 • S+C Occupancy Agreement

31. S+C – Compliance • LEP – Limited English Proficiency • LAP – Language Access Plan • Webinar • https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8417562341205259527

32. S+C – Compliance Most Common Findings • Failure to consistently provide homeless verification and third party documentation. • Failure to consistently provide signed disability verification for each participant. • Failure to adequately determine resident rent payments. • Failure to involve homeless individuals on the Board of Directors or on an equivalent policy-making entity.

33. Shelter Plus Care = CoC Read – Review – Research • https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/ • Program Eligibility Requirements • Laws, Regulations and Notices • FY 2018 Funding Availability – aka “the NOFA” • Training Materials and Resources • Coordinated Entry Resources • Join the mailing list