Harris County Community Services Department Office of Housing and Community Services

1. To insert your company logo on this slide • From the Insert Menu • Select “Picture” • Locate your logo file • Click OK • To resize the logo • Click anywhere inside the logo. The boxes that appear outside the logo are known as “resize handles.” • Use these to resize the object. • If you hold down the shift key before using the resize handles, you will maintain the proportions of the object you wish to resize. Harris County Community Services DepartmentOffice of Housing and Community Services PY 2013 Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Subrecipient Orientation February 21, 2013

2. Public Services, Grants Management Staff713-578-2000 Manager Esmeralda Gonzalez x2106 Senior Project Monitor Natalie Garcia x2065 Project Monitors Demetra Davis x2142 Debbie Hayes x2217 Michelle Leija x2202 Ron Smith x2128 Rent Specialist Martha Stafford x2213 Project Assistant Shalla Bass x2127

3. Today’s Agenda • Review folder and contents • Definitions and documentation • Approval process • Programmatic reporting • Financial reporting

4. New this Program Year • Subrecipients must maintain source documentation to evidence household income as well as eligibility under the “Presumed Benefit” categories in accordance with 24 CFR 576.500.

5. Agreements • Agreements were drafted based on applicants’ Request for Proposals (RFP’s) submitted to CSD for PY2013 funding • PY2013 Time of Performance: March 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014 • Refer to Exhibit A: Scope of Services and Exhibit B: Budget • Unit Definition • Cost per Unit of Service • Total No. of Units Per Activity • Maximum Total Cost Per Year • PY2013 Number Served • At the discretion of HCCSD management, no more than two (2) budget revision requests shall be allowed each year, to be submitted no later than 90 days prior to the end of the program year • cut-off to receive your budget revision request: November 30, 2013

6. ESG Written Standards • Evaluating Eligibility • Coordinating Services • Client Prioritization • Participant Share

7. 1. Evaluating Eligibility • Intake and Assessment • Continuum wide assessment tool to be used (when finalized) for both Homelessness Prevention (HP) assistance and Rapid Re-housing (RR) assistance

8. 2. Coordinating Services • Coordination among providers • Coordinated assessment system, client entry at any point, transfer of assessment data without engaging in another assessment • Point of contact such as a supervisor/manager familiar with resources and capacity to accept and serve clients • Coordinated training, staff member attends every training and shares lessons learned with staff, shares best practices, collective problem-solving • Mainstream and targeted homeless providers • Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to set aside spots within other programs, streamline entry and provide direct access to other programs, and eliminate need for reassessment into other programs

9. 3. Client Prioritization • “Eligibility Criteria and Prioritization Tool” to target HP clients with the most housing barriers - minimum score of 20 for HP (RR tool is pending) • Harris County’s priority populations: • HP – families with young children and limited housing options • RR – formerly incarcerated individuals and families

10. 4. Participant Share • Minimum client contribution amounts • No client contributions upon program entry • Client contributions after 3 months of increased income (5% of rental/utility expenses on the 4th month) • Hardship waivers

11. 4. Participant Share (cont.) • Duration and Amount of assistance: Subrecipients are expected to provide support to clients for the full time necessary to stabilize that client and provide for the likelihood of positive housing outcomes after assistance....It is the case manager’s responsibility to document client need and ensure that ESG is the most appropriate assistance for this client. • No limits or maximum standards on amount of assistance to be provided except for ESG 24 months maximum • Re-evaluation of clients (must be at or below 30% AMI) • For HP – minimum every 3 months • For RR – at least annually

12. 4. Participant Share (cont.) • Duration and Amount of Housing Relocation and Stabilization Services • Housing location assistance • Designated staff finds appropriate housing choices/develops relationships with affordable housing providers; clients do not navigate system on their own • Case loads • For RR and HP, 20 – 25 clients, 15 if chronically homeless • Home visits (more than the minimum required case management services is encouraged) • For RR - at least bi-weekly for the first 3 months • For HP – initial home visit when 1st approved for assistance; subsequent house visits every 3 months • Office visits at least once per month • Security deposits (up to 2 months of rent) and utility deposits • Rental application fees -one application at a time, encourage rental properties to waive fees

13. HUD’s Homeless definition and corresponding ESG Component 1) Literally homeless individuals/families (Rapid Re-housing) 2) Individuals/families who will imminently (within 14 days) lose their primary nighttime residence with no subsequent residence, resources or support networks (Homelessness Prevention) 3) Unaccompanied youth or families with children/youth who meet the homeless definition under another federal statute and 3 additional criteria (Homelessness Prevention) 4) Individuals/families fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence with no subsequent residence, resources or support networks (both Rapid Re-housing and Homelessness Prevention) See HUD Handout “Homeless Definition”

14. Eligibility by Component: Rapid Re-housing or Homelessness Prevention RRH HP

15. Homeless Category Definitions

16. Homeless Category 1 and 4 = Rapid Re-housing projects RRH RRH

17. Record Keeping Requirements for Homeless Definition RRH RRH

18. HP HP HP

19. HUD’s required order for Documentation 1st: Third Party Documentation Source Documents Paycheck stubs, wage statement, Award letter from SSA or Attorney General’s Office, Bank statements Written Documentation Referral letter on agency letterhead , Verification of Employment form (VOE), letter written by family member Oral DocumentationBy subrecipient staff of conversation with a 3rd party providing verification, signed and dated by subrecipient staff as true and complete; staff must document due diligence efforts to obtain third party documents and obstacles encountered (phone logs, emails, copies of certified letters)

20. HUD’s required order for Documentation 2nd: Intake Staff Observation (but not for income) Intake staff notes on their observations and assessments, picture of client living in car, assessment form with notes about client living in an encampment, signed and dated by subrecipient staff as true and complete 3rd: Self-Certification Used as a last resort, client provides a written statement which they sign and date; subrecipient staff signs and dates also, certifying that the information is true and correct (based on client assessment); staff must document due diligence efforts to obtain third party documents and obstacles encountered (phone logs, emails, copies of certified letters)

21. All households assisted with Homelessness Prevention must fall under the very low income category at Assessment - below 30% Median Family Income (MFI) INCOME LEVELS & HOUSEHOLD SIZE Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Effective December 11, 2012 • Refer to 24 CFR Part 5 (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations website) • Current gross income • Anticipated during coming 12 months • Submit “Third Party Source Documentation for Income” CSD form

22. Eligibility of the Unit • Rent Reasonableness (RR) • Martha Stafford, Rent Specialist • Housing Quality Standards (HQS) • Arturo Chacon, Housing Construction and Inspection Services

23. RR/HQS Request Form • Tenant’s signature is required only for HP projects • Updated homelessness documentation will be requested when the RR/HQS form is not submitted within a reasonable time frame from applicant’s original approval date • Applicant’s homelessness documentation was approved on March 1, 2013 and the RR/HQS form is not submitted until March 13, 2013 • Please allow at least 2 business days between submission of the request form before requesting results • Delays in inspecting the unit occur when the unit is not ready for inspection (electricity is not turned on, unit is missing refrigerator, stove, heating)

24. CSD Approval of both Applicant and Unit • Once unit passes RR and HQS, CSD returns the approved IEF, RR and HQS documents • Things to consider: • The unit that was inspected must be the same unit leased • Monthly rent amount on the lease must match the amount of monthly rent determined to be reasonable • Calculating pro-rated rent amounts • The amount eligible for reimbursement cannot be before the date the unit passed RR and HQS and cannot be before the client’s move-in date • Security deposit amounts must be specified on lease

25. Other Requirements • Rental Assistance Agreement • HMIS - Enter universal client data elements for all persons assessed for ESG into HMIS or a comparable database and whether assisted or denied, and the services provided • Homeless Participation - Recipients of ESG funds must provide for the participation of not less than one homeless or formerly homeless individuals on the board of directors or other equivalent policy-making entity of the recipient, in accordance with 24 CFR 576.405(a). • Terminating Assistance

26. Scenario #1 RRH • On March 18, 2013 you submit the required documentation for Alan Jackson; CSD notifies you A.J. is approved same day • On March 19nd, you submit RR/HQS request form for unit #12 at $500 monthly rent • On March 21th, CSD notifies you that A.J. and unit #12 are approved for ESG at $500 monthly rent • On March 27th, A.J. signs his lease and moves into unit #12 • How much is eligible in pro-rated rent?

27. Answer: • Starting date that is eligible for ESG is March 27th • To calculate pro-rated rent: take monthly rent and divide by # of days in that month and multiply by number of days client lived in unit • $500 / 31 days in March = $16.13/day • March 27 - 31 = 5 days • 5 days x $16.13/day = $80.65 pro-rated March rent

28. Scenario #2 RRH • On March 25, 2013 you submit the required documentation for Miranda Lambert; CSD notifies you M.L. is approved same day • On March 26th, you submit RR/HQS request form for unit #55 at $440 monthly rent • On March 29th, CSD notifies you that M.L. and unit #55 are approved for ESG at $440 monthly rent • On April 3rd, M.L. signs her lease and moves into unit #55 • How much is eligible in pro-rated rent?

29. Answer: • Starting date eligible for ESG is April 3rd • To calculate pro-rated rent: take monthly rent and divide by # of days in that month • $440 / 30 days in April = $14.67/day • April 3-30 = 28 days • 28 days x $14.67/day = $410.76 pro-rated April rent

30. Scenario #3 HP • On March 18, 2013 you submit the required documentation and the RR/HQS request form for Betty White • On March 20th, CSD notifies you that B.W. and her unit are approved for ESG • The notice to vacate lists February and March rent plus late fees for both months are overdue. • The lease states that monthly rent is $700, with a $50 initial late fee if not paid by the 3rd, and $5 daily late fee up to maximum 15 days. • How much is eligible to assist client?

31. Answer: • February Rent $700 • March Rent $700 • Late fees for February $125 ($50 + $5 x 15 days) • Late fees for March $125 ($50 + $5 x 15 days because as of March 25th, the 15 maximum days have accrued) • $700 + $700 + $125 + $125 = $1650

32. Programmatic Reports • Coversheet/Checklist • Project Status Report • Client Data Report • Individual Eligibility Forms • Tally Sheet • Employee Data Report • HMIS reports • Mid-year and Annual Report

33. Subrecipient Monitoring • See handouts “Subrecipient Preparation for Monitoring” and “Subrecipient Monitoring Checklist” • Notice letter 15-30 days prior to the visit • Entrance conference • Participant eligibility, activities provided, and consistency with terms of the Agreement • Determinations of ineligibility • Policies & procedures, Section 504 survey, documentation of homeless participation • Exit conference • Results letter within 30 days after the visit • Findings • Concerns • Response letter from Subrecipient in 30 days • Response letter from CSD in 30 days

34. Break Time After the break: Finance Staff Presentation Please turn in the Orientation Acknowledge form before you leave.