Let’s Start From The Beginning:Homelessness, Continuum of Care, & HEARTH

Ohhh My!

Jonda Clemings, MSEd, LSW

COHHIO is a statewide advocacygroup and service providers network

dedicated to ending homelessness andensuring that all Ohioans have decent,safe, fair, affordable housing, especially

those with low-income and special needs.

“Never doubt that a small group of

thoughtful, committed people can change the

world. Indeed. It is the only thing that

ever has…” -- Margaret Mead

Continuum of Care

• A collaborative funding and planning approach that helps communities plan for and provide, as necessary, a full range of emergency, transitional, and permanent housing and other services to address the various needs of homeless persons.

Elements of a CoC

OUTREACH, INTAKE, ASSESSMENT

OUTREACH, INTAKE, ASSESSMENT

EMERGENCY SHELTER/SERVICES

EMERGENCY SHELTER/SERVICES

TRANSITIONAL HOUSING/SERVICES

TRANSITIONAL HOUSING/SERVICES

PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE

HOUSING

PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE

HOUSING

PERMANENT HOUSING

PERMANENT HOUSING

SUPPORTIVE SERVICESSUPPORTIVE SERVICES

PREVENTIONPREVENTION

RAPID RE-HOUSING

RAPID RE-HOUSING

Prevention• Assisting households at imminent risk of

becoming homeless to maintain their housing by providing stabilization services and/or short-term emergency financial assistance

• One-time/limited emergency rental assistance• Financial counseling to handle housing crisis• Landlord-tenant mediation• Legal services

Outreach, Intake & Assessment

• Services target the most vulnerable of the homeless population who are often unable or unwilling to accept emergency shelter servicesStreet outreach – park, campground, carsMobile health careHotlines

Emergency Shelter/Services

• First stop; often the point of entry into the homeless system

• Soup kitchens or drop-in day centers• Congregate building for households with and

without children• Hotel and motel vouchers• Short-stay apartments

Transitional Housing/Servic

es• Interim placement for persons or

households who are not ready for or who do not have access to permanent housing; opportunity for clients to gain the personal and financial stability needed to transition to and maintain permanent housing

• Up to 24 months rental assistance/services

Rapid Re-Housing Services

• Rapid Re-Housing is a strategy that quickly moves a household from homelessness to housing using supportive services and time-limited financial assistance.

Permanent Supportive Housing

• Combines housing assistance and supportive services for homeless persons with disabilitiesUse of tenant-based rental assistance to lease apartments in scattered sites

Supportive Services

• Supportive services are those services needed for a person to move towards self-sufficiency and independent living

• Job readiness & job skills training• Benefits counseling• Housing search and placement services• Substance abuse, mental health, health care• Family reunification services

Permanent Housing• Permanent affordable housing is long-term,

safe, decent and affordable housing for individuals and households

• Rehabilitation of existing rental housing• Housing vouchers• Mainstream housing; rental & homeownership• Tenant-based or project-based rental subsidies• Reunification with families

Centralized Intake & Assessment

• Systems integration• Collaboration – MOU/MOA• Increase performance outcomes• Improve access to services• Improve data collection• Target households most at risk

Structured consistency in decision making

Housing First Principles

• Homelessness is first and foremost a housing problem

• Housing is a right

Purpose of the CoC

• System-wide approach to end homelessness

• Prevent/quickly re-house homeless persons

• Link and/or refer to mainstream resources

• Optimize self-sufficiency

Ohio’s CoCs• Cuyahoga• Franklin• Hamilton• Lucas• Mahoning• Montgomery• Ohio Balance of State• Stark• Summit

Why is a CoC Important

• Assess capacity & identify gaps• Develop proactive solutions• Identify common goals• Increase community “buy-in”• Increase access to mainstream resources• Increase funding competitive advantage • Comprehensive & collaborative process

CoC Membership• Homeless/formerly

homeless• Government entities• Public housing agency• School systems• Law enforcement• Workforce Investment

Act (WIA) Boards• Faith-based

organizations

• Funders• Advocacy groups• Business/civic leaders• Hospital/medical

representatives• Housing developers• Nonprofit service

organizations• Educational institutions

Funding Opportunities - HUD

Continuum of Care•Emergency Solutions Grant * March 2012?•Permanent Supportive Housing•Shelter Plus Care•Transitional Housing•Supportive Services Only•HMIS

Funding Opportunities

- ODSA• Homelessness & Supportive Housing Programs

Homeless Crisis Response Programs (ESG – shelters, prevention & rapid re-housing)Supportive Housing Program (Permanent Supportive Housing & facility based Transitional Housing

Ohio Housing Trust Fund

• OHTF is a flexible state funding source that provides affordable housing opportunities, expands housing services, and improves housing conditions for low-income Ohioans.Housing development, emergency home repair, handicapped accessibility modifications, homeless programsDV and general homeless programs

Funding Opportunities - VA• Grant and Per Diem (GPD)• HUD-VASH• Supportive Services for Veterans Families

(SSVF) Program• Health Care for Re-Entry Veterans (HCRV)• Supported Housing• Healthcare for Homeless Veterans• Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans

Funding Opportunities - Other

• HUD - Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)

• HHS - Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)

• HHS – Transitional Living Programs• DOL – Homeless Veterans’

Reintegration• DOL – Job Corps

Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH)

Act• May 20, 2009 – amends McKinney-Vento• Consolidates HUD’s grants• Changes homeless/chronic homeless definition• Simplifies match requirement• Increase in prevention resources• Increase in the emphasis on performance• http://www.hudhre.info/documents/HomelessAssista

nceActAmendedbyHEARTH.pdf

HEARTH Homeless Definition

• Effective January 4, 2012 @ grant renewal

Homeless Category 1 Criteria

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.

Homeless Category 1 Criteria

• Sleeping in place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation – car, park, abandoned building, bus/train station, airport, camping ground

• Living in a shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements – congregate shelter, transitional housing, hotel/motel paid by organizations

Homeless Category 1 Criteria• Exiting an institution (e.g., jail, hospital)

Where they resided for 90 days or less ANDWere residing in emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering institution

Homeless Category 2 Criteria

2. Individuals and families who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence within 14 days AND

• Have no subsequent residence identified AND

• Lack the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing

Homeless Category 3

Criteria

3. Unaccompanied youth under 25 or families with children and youth who are defined as homeless under other federal statutes who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition

Homeless Category 3 Criteria

• Meets homeless definition under other federal statute AND

• Have not had lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing any time during last 60 days AND

• Have experienced two or more moves during last 60 days AND

Homeless Category 3 Criteria

• Can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of:Chronic disabilities ORChronic physical health or mental health conditions ORSubstance addiction ORHistory of domestic violence or childhood abuse (including neglect) ORPresence of a child or youth with a disability ORTwo or more barriers to employment

Homeless Category 4 Criteria

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 family member.

• Have no identified subsequent residence AND• Lack the resources and support networks

needed to obtain other permanent housing

Documenting Homelessness

1. Third-party written documentation

- Exception – one night shelter and DV providers

2. Third-party verbal documentation

- Oral statement by social worker, case manager, or other appropriate official at an institution

3. First-party/self-declaration

At-Risk of Homelessness Categories

1. Individuals and families

2. Unaccompanied children and youth

3. Families with children and youth

At Risk Category 1 Criteria

Individuals/families who•Have annual incomes below 30% AMI AND•Do not have sufficient resources or support networks immediately available to prevent literal homelessness AND•Meet at least one of the following 7 conditions

At Risk Category 1 Criteria – must meet at least one

1. Moved two or more times due to economic reasons in 60 days prior to application for assistance

2. Living in home of another due to economic hardship

3. Losing housing within 21 days after application date

At Risk Category 1 Criteria – must meet at least one

4. Live in hotel/motel not paid for by charitable organizations or federal/state/ local government programs.

5. Lives in severely overcrowded unit as defined by the US Census Bureau

6. Exiting publicly funded institution or system of care

7. Lives in housing associated with instability and increased risk of homelessness, per recipient Consolidated Plan

At Risk Category 2 Criteria

Unaccompanied children/youth who qualify under other federal statutes•Does not include children/youth who qualify under the homeless definition•Does not include parents or guardians•Regulations include the list of applicable other federal statutes

At Risk Category 3 Criteria

Children/youth who qualify under the Education for Children and Youth Program (§ 725(2) McKinney-Vento Act) and the parents or guardians of that child/youth if living with him/her.

Documenting Imminent Loss of Housing

• Court order resulting from an eviction or equivalent notice under state lawLeave residence within 14 days after the date of their application for assistance

Documenting Homeless Status of Unaccompanied Youth or Family With

Children and Youth Who Qualify As Homeless Under “Other Federal Statutes”

• Certified by appropriate official at entity that administers assistance under the other federal statute

Documenting Homeless Status By DV Providers

• Self-declaration from head of household must certify that he or she has not identified a subsequent residence and lacks the resources or support networks where the safety would not be jeopardized

Documenting Homeless Status By DV Providers

• Condition must be verified by a written observation by intake worker, service provider, social worker, health care professional, law enforcement agency, legal assistance, pastoral counselor, or other organization from whom the household has sought DV assistance

• Written referral or observation need only include the minimum amount of information necessary to document that households is fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking. Does not expect specific details about incidence of violence.

Other Housing Options, Resources or Supports

• Assessment should have questions that determine if there are other options, resources, or supports

• Include signed certification by CM acknowledging assessment that household would be homeless but for this assistance

Performance Monitoring & Measuring

• System meeting goals & objectives• Providers meeting goals & objectives• Housing service system outcomes• Collaborative system of care

Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio

175 S. Third St. - Suite 250Columbus, Ohio 43215Phone 614-280-1984

Fax 614-463-1060www.cohhio.org

jondaclemings@cohhio.org