Rhode Island

							      Rhode Island
 Homeless Prevention and
Rapid Re-Housing Program
                  (HPRP)
Purpose of Meeting
   Provide information on HPRP
   Get input from community of homeless
    persons, providers, advocates and state
    department staff
   Goal-determine how we as a state can use
    this new resource to prevent, reduce, end
    homelessness
HPRP - Overview
   Title XII of American Recovery and
    Reinvestment Act of 2009 created HPRP
   $1.5 billion nationally available through HPRP
    to provide homeless prevention assistance to
    households who would otherwise become
    homeless – many due to the economic crisis
    – and to provide assistance to rapidly re-
    house persons who are homeless.
HPRP - Allocations
   Rhode Island Allocations
       State of RI - $3,282,670*
       City of Providence - $2,303,402
       City of Pawtucket - $845,934
       City of Woonsocket - $545,802

       Statewide Total - $6,977,808

    * - States may use funds in “entitlement” areas if the municipality in which
        the program (nonprofit) is located certifies it approves the program.
HPRP - Timeline
   Timeline
       Program Design Meetings 3/19-4/24 (tentative)
       Final Program Design made available 4/27 (tentative)
         Public Comment Period – Minimum of 12 days
       Program Design/Substantial Amendment due 5/18
       HUD will complete review by 7/2
       Grant agreements executed by 9/1
       Funds obligated to sub grantees by 9/30
       Grantees must expend:
         60% of funds within 2-years*
         100% of funds within 3-years*
        * - from the date HUD signs the grant agreement
HPRP – Target Population

        Populations Served by Program:
    1.    Individuals and families in housing but at risk of
          becoming homeless and needing temporary
          assistance; and
    2.    Individuals and families who are experiencing
          homelessness and need temporary assistance to
          obtain and retain housing.
        Defining Question for HUD “Would this person
         be homeless but for this assistance?”
HPRP – Eligible Activities
    (All have housing focus)
     Financial Assistance

     Housing Relocation and Stabilization
       Services
     Data Collection and Evaluation

     Administrative Costs
HPRP – Ineligible Activities
    Mortgage Assistance
    Long-Term Support
    Services supported through other Recovery
     Act
     initiatives including Child Care and
     Employment Training
    Construction/Rehabilitation
    Selected items such as consumer debt (credit
     card), transportation, medical care, direct
     assistance…
HPRP – Eligibility: Discharge
 HPRP may not be used to develop discharge planning programs in
 mainstream institutions such as hospitals, jails or prisons.
 Grantees must develop and implement policies and protocols for the
 discharge of persons from publicly funded institutions or systems of
 care, in order to prevent such discharge from immediately resulting
 in homelessness.
 Persons who are immediately discharged into homelessness from
 publicly funded institutions are eligible to receive financial
 assistance/services as long as they meet the minimum
 requirements.
    HPRP – Eligible Activities
       Financial Assistance
         Short-term Rental Assistance (up to 3-months)
         Medium-term Rental Assistance (4-18 months)
          (May provide for up to 6-mos of rental arrears and must
          comply with housing quality standards and rental limits )
         Security Deposits
         Utility Deposits/Payments
         Moving Cost Assistance
         Motel/Hotel Vouchers
          (Up to 30 days if no shelter bed available and rental housing
          has been identified)
       Payments must be made through third parties
       Assisted property must not be owned by the grantee – sub grantee -
        affiliate
HPRP – Eligible Activities
       Housing Relocation and Stabilization Services
        Case Management for the arrangement, coordination,
         monitoring and delivery of services related to meeting the
         housing needs of program participants and helping them
         obtain housing stability.
        Outreach and Engagement (Make persons aware of
         program and services)
        Housing Search and Placement
        Legal Services (Help people stay in homes – not related
         to mortgages)
        Credit Repair
HPRP – Eligible Activities

    Data Collection and Evaluation
        HMIS Costs (Question of eligibility in RI-TDB)
        Costs associated with HUD-mandated research and
         evaluation (if applicable)


    Administrative Costs
        Limited to 5% of the total HPRP-State Share
        All costs must be incurred and drawn down prior to 3-
         year expenditure deadline
HPRP – Participants Requirements
       Risk Factors for Homelessness
        Eviction within 2 weeks from private dwelling (e.g.
         tenants and low income homeowners)
        Discharge within 2 weeks from an institution in which
         the person has been for more than 6 months
        Residency in housing that has been condemned
        Sudden or significant loss of income
        Sudden and significant increase in utility costs
        Mental Health/Substance Abuse issues
        Physical disability/chronic health issues
        Severe housing cost burden (greater than 50% of
         income)
        Homeless in last 12 months
HPRP – Participant Requirements

Risk Factors-Continued
     Current/past involvement with child welfare (foster
      care)
     Young head of household (under 25yo w/children)
     Pending foreclosure of rental housing
     Extremely low income (less than 30% of AMI)
     High overcrowding
     Past institutional care
     Recent traumatic life event
     Credit problems that preclude obtaining housing
     Significant amount of medical debt
HPRP – Participant Requirements
   Assisted individuals/families must meet the following
    minimum criteria
     Initial consultation with case manager;
     Household must be at or below 50% AMI ($36,600);
     Must be homeless or at risk of imminent
      homelessness but for this assistance
     Rapid Re-Housing, person was from:
         Shelter or place not meant for human habitation
         Institution for 180 days but sleeping in shelter/place not meant
          for human habitation immediately prior to entry
         Transitional housing
         Victims of domestic violence
HPRP- Possible Dilemmas:
Who Gets Served?
   What criteria/eligibility standards should RI establish
    given limited resources?
       What should be our income level; 50% or lower?
       Which single adults should we serve?
           Disabled?
           Reentry?
           Aging out of child welfare?
           Any homeless adult?
           Any single adult at imminent risk who fits criteria?
  Which families should we serve?
How should we prioritize among those eligible?
How can we ensure equal access, not luck?
HPRP- Possible Dilemmas:
Who Gets Served?

   What are the risk factors that determine who will
    lose their home due if not for this intervention?
    (See slides 12 and 13.)
       Base upon current shelter residents (Eric Hirsch)
       Base upon Road Home recipients (RIH)
       Base upon Emergency Housing Assistance Program
        (EHAP) experience (CAPS & RIH)
       Base upon United Way Prevention Fund (UWRI
        recipients)
HPRP –Process

    Who are key stakeholders?
   Consumers
   Providers of homeless shelter & services
   Rhode Island Housing
   United Way
   Community based providers of basic need
    services
   State departments
   Other?
HPRP - Considerations

     What is the need? Where should our dollars go?
      What assistance is needed to prevent
       homelessness?
      Rent, how long/Utilities, how much?

      What restrictions should be placed on this
       assistance?
          Beyond single assessment/consultation with case
           manager?
          Cooperation with referrals to employment/financial
           literacy?
HPRP- Considerations
   How can we build on existing programs to
    create new resources for those being
    served?
   How can we use these resources to create a
    coordinated, cohesive system-integrate
    prevention, diversion and re-housing?
   What can we provide for those for whom
    prevention/re-housing is not sustainable?
HPRP - Considerations

     How can we best distribute resources?
      Single or multiple competitive rounds?

      Not competitive; all agencies eligible to
       provide specified services (additional
       resources for current work)?
      Ongoing program(s) managed by a single
       entity or limited entities?
      Set-aside for categories?
HPRP - Considerations
   How do we ensure that this opportunity
    brings systems change?

   How will we not only help those who receive
    this assistance long term, but are better able
    to serve people in the future when funds are
    no longer available?
HPRP - Contact
  Darlene Price – 222-4892
  dprice@doa.ri.gov

  Noreen Shawcross – 222-5766
  nshawcross@doa.ri.gov

  Michael Tondra – 222-2079
  mtondra@doa.ri.gov

             http://www.hrc.ri.gov/HPRP.php