HARRIS COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

1. HARRIS COUNTYCOMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) Program February 9, 2011

2. Program Overview Program Funding Available Annually • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program • Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) Program • HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program Special Program Funding • Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) • Homelessness Prevention & Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP)

3. Understanding Harris County CSD Overview Consolidated Plan 2008-2012 • http://www.csd.hctx.net/PYConsolidatedPlan.aspx • Outlines Harris County’s goals and objectives for serving the community Annual Action Plan • http://www.csd.hctx.net/PR_AnnualActionPlan.aspx • Lists all projects funded for each entitlement year Funding Opportunities • http://www.csd.hctx.net/rfq.aspx • http://www.csd.hctx.net/ps_rfp.aspx • Competitive process for distributing all available funds

4. Funding for PY 2011

5. Overview The Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program is designed to be the first step in a continuum of assistance to prevent homelessness and to enable homeless individuals and families to move toward independent living

6. Overview • Helping individuals and families in crisis • Temporary or emergency assistance • Stabilizing individuals and families who may not need anything else

7. HUD’s view • Outreach and assessment to identify a homeless person’s needs • Immediate (emergency) shelter as a safe, decent alternative to the streets

8. *Disclaimer* • Emergency Shelter Grants is changing to Emergency Solutions Grants • Based on Homeless Emergency and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act • More information to come…

9. How does it work? • Harris County receives the Emergency Shelter Grants entitlement from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) • The County selects agencies to carry out the work through a Request for Proposal (RFP)

10. Who are the clients? • Homeless* • A homeless person is someone who is living on the street or in an emergency shelter, or who would be living on the street or in an emergency shelter without HUD’s homelessness assistance. • At-risk of homelessness* • Families who have received eviction notices or notices of termination of utility services *According to HUD

11. What can you do? • Rehab or convert a building to become a shelter • General operations for a shelter • Provide essential services for homeless • Provide emergency financial assistance to families at risk of homelessness

12. What is… • Renovation? • Rehabilitation of a building that costs less than 75% of the value of the building before rehabilitation • Building to be used as a shelter for three years • It isn’t… • Building maintenance and repairs • Staff training or fundraising

13. What is… • Major rehabilitation? • Rehabilitation that costs over 75% of the value of the building before rehabilitation • Building must be used as a shelter for ten years • It isn’t… • Property clearance or demolition • Rehabilitation administration

14. What is… • Conversion? • A change in the use of a building to an emergency shelter • The cost of conversion and any rehabilitation costs exceed 75% of the value of the building after conversion • Building must be used as a shelter for ten years • It isn’t… • Acquisition • New Construction

15. What is… • Operations? • Costs associated with operating a shelter such as • Rent • Utilities • Insurance • Food • Fuel • Equipment • It isn’t… • Staff training or recruitment • Bad debts • Mortgage payments • Fundraising costs • Depreciation

16. Are there limitations under Operations? • Yes! • Staff salaries (including fringe benefits) are limited to 10 percent of the request • Maintenance and security salaries are not subject to the 10 percent cap

17. What is… • Essential services? • Services associated with employment, health, drug abuse or education. Such as • Employment counseling • Assistance securing housing • Job training • Substance abuse treatment • Assistance retaining benefits • Salaries associated with these activities • It isn’t • The Executive Director’s salary (or any salary not directly related to the program) • Advocacy or capacity building activities • Staff recruitment or training

18. What are the limitations? • Costs for essential services must be… • For new or expanded service • For salaries linked to the program • Directly for the program (no general admin)

19. What is… • Homeless Prevention? • Short-term subsidies for rent, mortgage or utilities • Mediation for landlord disputes • Salaries related to program delivery • It isn’t… • Direct payments to individuals • Long-term ( >90 days) assistance • Housing or services for homeless individuals

20. What are the limitations? • Clients must be at or below 80% Median Family Income* • There must be a sudden reduction in income • Clients must live in Harris County service area *http://www.csd.hctx.net/GM_mediafamilyincomelimits.aspx

21. Service Area Unincorporated Harris County and its 15 cooperative cities: Bellaire Seabrook Deer Park Shoreacres Galena Park South Houston Humble Tomball Jacinto City Waller Katy Webster LaPorte West University Place Morgan’s Point ** Houston, Baytown and Pasadena receive their own entitlement funds and are not included in the Harris County service area.

23. Other requirements • ESG requires that subgrantees • Document homelessness or income eligibility for homeless prevention • Have a termination of participation and grievance procedure • Have a homeless or formerly homeless person participating in policy-making and operations • Ensure confidentiality for participants • Provide 100% match • Participate in HMIS

24. Documenting Homelessness • At entry into program, documentation from a third party (police, hospital, referring agency, etc) • Must be maintained in client file while they are in program • Individual Eligibility Form is required Harris County documentation

26. Documenting Income • What is eligible? • Pay stubs • Award letters: SSDI, TANF, Food Stamps, VA, Child Support, etc. • Letter from employer • If there is no income a currently dated unemployment printout from Texas Work Source

27. Grievance Procedures • What is a termination of participation and grievance procedure? • Policies and procedures in place that clearly outline how an agency will deal with termination of services and client grievances (Not how you will deal with terminated employees)

28. Homeless or formerly homeless requirement • How is this possible? • Staff member • Board member • Client volunteer • Advisory board member • One person can do both

29. Confidentiality • Ensure safety for any client fleeing domestic violence • Clear procedures • No public disclosure of address • Keep all client records guarded and allow limited access

30. Match • ESG requires 100% MATCH • Eligible sources of match include • Other grants • Staff time directly related to the project • In-kind donations • Volunteer time (at $5/hour) • Value of a building owned by agency

31. Homeless Management Information System(HMIS) • Participation in HMIS is required by Harris County for PY 2012 and by the State (TDHCA) • Managed by the Houston/Harris County Coalition for the Homeless • Used for reporting to Congress and influences local funding • Non-funded programs benefit from HMIS • More info: • www.homelesshouston.org and • www.hmis.info

32. Other ESG Resources • Harris County Website • http://www.csd.hctx.net • HUD website • http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/esg/index.cfm • ESG Desk Guide • Homeless Resource Exchange (HRE) website • http://www.hudhre.info/index.cfm?do=viewEsgProgram

33. HEARTH Act • Signed by President Obama May 20, 2009 • Reauthorizes and amends the McKinney – Vento Homeless Assistance Act • First reauthorization since 1992

34. HEARTH Act • Changes include • A consolidation of HUD’s competitive grant programs • The creation of a Rural Housing Stability Program • A change in HUD’s definition of homelessness and chronic homelessness • A simplified match requirement • An increase in prevention resources • An increase in the emphasis on performance

35. HEARTH Act • How it will (probably) affect you • Increased funding • HEARTH has been reauthorized to include more funding than current levels • Funding will be targeted to new programs • Rapid Re-Housing • Permanent Supportive Housing • Homelessness Prevention

36. HEARTH Act • Definition of homelessness • Expanded to include families and those at risk of homelessness • Proposed in April 2010, final definition has not yet been released

37. HEARTH Act • How it will affect you • Emphasis on prevention • Targeting resources • Eliminates cap on Homelessness Prevention • Expands eligible services

38. HEARTH Act • How it will affect you • Essential Services • New cap (formerly 30%, now 60%) • Includes shelter rehab , renovation and conversion • Includes street outreach • Includes shelter operations

39. HEARTH Act • How it will affect you • Emphasis on performance • Participation in HMIS • New reporting requirements

40. HEARTH Act • When will we know? • We don’t know! • Best resources to know more • HUD Homeless Resource Exchange • www.hudhre.info • National Alliance to End Homelessness • www.endhomelessness.org

41. Contact infomration Kelly Opot Program Analyst (713) 578-2108 kelly.opot@csd.hctx.net