Harris County Community Services Department

1. Harris CountyCommunity Services Department Emergency Shelter Grants Workshop June 5, 2008

2. Agenda • Overview of HCCSD • Overview of ESG • Program Objectives • Eligible and Ineligible Activities • Questions & Wrap-up

3. Resources AvailableHUD Entitlement Funds PY2008 Harris County was allocated $14,603,771. 3% of entitlement ESG 23% of entitlement HOME/ADDI 74% of entitlement CDBG

4. 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 community development funds and are not included in the Harris County service area. * Homeless prevention projects must be located within the service area. Projects which provide services to homeless individuals may be outside of the service area including Houston, Baytown and Pasadena.

6. How it Works

7. Emergency Shelter Grants

8. Overview The Emergency Shelter Grants 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.

9. Objectives The objectives of the ESG program are to: • Increase the number and quality of emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities • Operate these facilities and provide essential social services • Help prevent homelessness

10. PY2008 ESG Entitlement Total funds: $475,349

11. Match Requirement • 100% match. • The following may be used for match: • Cash; • The value or fair rental value of any donated material or buildings; • The value of any lease on a building; • Salary paid to staff to carry out the program; and • The value of the time and services contributed by volunteers at a rate of $5/hour.

12. Eligible Clients A person must be homeless (or at great risk of becoming immediately homeless) to receive help using ESG funding. According to HUD someone is homeless if • sleeping on the street • in an emergency shelter • living in transitional or supportive housing but originally from the streets or emergency shelter • in one of the places above, but spending up to 30 consecutive days in a hospital or other institution (not including prison or jail) • will be discharged after residing for more than 30 consecutive days, but no subsequent residences have been identified and lack the resources to obtain access to housing

13. Eligible Clients ESG may also be used to serve clients who: • face eminent eviction and lack resources to obtain access to housing (homeless prevention)

14. Eligible Activities ESG eligible activities: • Renovation, rehabilitation and conversion of buildings for use as emergency shelters or transitional housing for the homeless • Essential services • Operating costs such as maintenance, insurance, rent, etc. • Homeless prevention

15. Emergency Shelter Renovation, Rehabilitation or Conversion Renovation • Includes rehabilitation that costs less than 75% of the value of the building before rehabilitation. • Requires the rehabilitated building to be used as a shelter for a minimum of three years.

16. Emergency Shelter Renovation, Rehabilitation or Conversion Major Rehabilitation • Includes rehabilitation that costs over 75% of the value of the building before rehabilitation. • Requires the rehabilitated building to be used as a shelter for a minimum of ten years.

17. Emergency Shelter Renovation, Rehabilitation or Conversion Emergency Shelter Conversion: Conversion means a change in the use of a building to an emergency shelter for the homeless, where the cost of conversion and any rehabilitation costs exceed 75% of the value of the building after conversion.

18. Emergency Shelter Renovation, Rehabilitation or Conversion Ineligible costs: • Acquisition of real property • New construction • Property clearance or demolition • Rehabilitation administration • Staff training or fund raising activities associated with rehabilitation • Building maintenance and repairs

19. Essential Services Eligible Activities: • Assistance obtaining permanent housing • Medical and psychological counseling and supervision • Employment counseling • Nutritional counseling • Substance abuse treatment and counseling • Assistance obtaining other Federal, State and local assistance • Other related services (child care, transportation, job placement and training) • Staff salaries necessary to provide services

20. Essential Services Ineligible Activities: • Salary of case management supervisor not related to direct service • Advocacy, planning, and organizational capacity building • Staff recruitment/training • Transportation costs not directly associated with service delivery

21. Operating Costs Eligible Activities • Operation • Insurance • Utilities • Shelter maintenance • Furnishings • Rent • Repairs • Security • Fuel • Equipment • Food • Maintenance

22. Operating Costs Limitations on Funding Staff salaries (including fringe benefits) are limited to 10% of the grant. • An organization receiving $55,000 in ESG monies for operational costs could only use $5,500 (10%) for operational staff costs. • Maintenance and security salary costs are not subject to the 10% cap.

23. Recruitment or on-going training of staff Depreciation Public relations or fund raising Costs associated with the organization rather than supportive housing project(organizational advertisements, pamphlets, surveys, etc.). Operating Costs Ineligible Activities • Staff training, entertainment, conferences, or retreats • Bad debts/late fees • Mortgage payments

24. Homeless Prevention Includes financial assistance to families who have received eviction notices, foreclosure notices or notices of utility shut-off if: • The family cannot make the payments due to a sudden reduction in income • Assistance is necessary to avoid the eviction or termination of services • The family will be able to resume payments within a reasonable period of time • Assistance will not supplant funding for preexisting homelessness prevention activities from other sources

25. Homeless Prevention Eligible Activities: • Short-term subsidies (90 days) for families that have received eviction, foreclosure or utility termination notices • Mediation programs for landlord-tenant disputes • Legal representation programs for indigent tenants in eviction proceedings • Other activities designed to prevent homelessness

26. Homeless Prevention Ineligible Activities: • Housing/services to homeless persons • Long-term assistance (beyond 90 days) • Direct payments to individuals • Application for Federal Funds or Unprogrammed Funds For more information refer to the manual online at http://www.csd.hctx.net/gm_homelesspreventation.aspx and click the Homeless Prevention Handbook link or http://www.hctx.net/CmpDocuments/103/Homeless%20Prevention/PY2008%20Homeless%20Prevention%20Handbook.doc

27. Program Requirements • Documentation of Homelessness • Termination of participation and grievance procedure • Participation of homeless or formerly homeless persons in policy-making and operations • Ensuring confidentiality • Participation in HMIS

28. Documentation of Homelessness Documentation must be: • Obtained from the participant or a third party • Obtained at the time of referral, entry, intake or orientation to the ESG-funded project • Maintained in the client file to determine the eligibility of persons served • The Individual Eligibility Form, which is required for Harris County sponsored projects

29. Termination of Participation and Grievance Procedure In case of client termination, policies and procedures must describe: • Program requirements • Termination process • Grievance procedure There must be documentation that clients understand program participation requirements in case of client termination

30. Participation of Homeless Persons in Policy-Making and Operations Policy-Making • Service providers of ESG funds are required by law to provide for the participation of at least one homeless or formerly homeless person in a policy-making function within the organization • All applicable policy-making homeless person(s) must be noted by organization’s Board of Directors

31. Participation of Homeless Persons in Policy-Making and Operations Operations • Homeless participants must be involved in the operation of the ESG funded program • Involvement can include participants’ employment or volunteerism in project activities

32. Ensuring Confidentiality To ensure the safety of participants fleeing domestic violence situations, ESG-funded organizations are required to: • Implement procedures to guarantee confidentiality • Not publicly disclose the address/location of the family violence shelter (except with written authorization of person(s) responsible for the shelter facility’s operation) • Keep written records or files of families under lock and key with limited access to those files

33. Monitoring and Compliance • What to expect: • Monthly billing and progress reports • Compliance with requirements of the ESG program • Compliance with the formal Agreement • Record-keeping systems and client information for specified grant period • Financial statements and audits

34. Questions? Contact: Kelly Opot (713) 578-2108 kelly.opot@csd.hctx.net Or visit our website at: www.csd.hctx.net