Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP)

1. Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) Presentation to HUD Field Offices April 2, 2009

2. HPRP Overview • Congress appropriated $1.5 billion • $7.5 million for HUD administration • 0.2% for territories ($3 million) • $1.492 billion available for states, metropolitan cities, and urban counties • Homelessness Prevention Fund in legislation • Minimum grant size: $500,000 • Number of eligible grantees: 540 • 180 more grantees than currently get ESG (but all are CDBG grantees)

3. HPRP and the ConPlan • Allocations to grantees are based on ESG formula… but otherwise HPRP is very different from ESG! • Appendix B of Notice provides a comparison between HPRP and ESG • Consolidated Plan regulations only apply to application and review process

4. HPRP Differences from ESG • Can do advance payments (don’t need to do reimbursement) • No match • ESG has more specific requirements for prevention eligibility • ESG prevention assistance can be used for mortgages, HPRP cannot • Environmental Review Record is not required

5. Eligible Grantees • States, metropolitan cities, urban counties, and U.S. territories • State subgrantees and non-profit subgrantees • New for HPRP: any local government can subgrant to another local government

6. Eligible Participants Requirements for ALL program participants: • Homeless or at risk of being homeless and: • At or below 50% of AMI • No housing options AND • Lacks financial resources/support network • Initial consultation with a case manager

7. Eligible Activities • Financial assistance • Short-term rental assistance (up to 3 months) • Medium-term rental assistance (up to 18 months) • Security deposits, utility deposits, utility payments, moving costs, and hotel/motel vouchers

8. Eligible Activities • Housing relocation and stabilization services • Case management, outreach, housing search and placement, legal services, and credit repair • Data collection and evaluation • Includes HMIS costs • Administration • 5 percent of grant • Grantee must share “an appropriate amount” with subgrantees • Pre-award administrative costs are eligible

9. How is HPRP Rapid Re-housing different from the Rapid Re-housing Demonstration Project?

10. Relationship between HPRP Funds and Other Efforts • HPRP is a one-time influx of funds to implement and learn from innovative approaches • Grantees must coordinate with the Continuum and other local efforts • Grantees are strongly encouraged to coordinate HPRP funds with other Recovery Act funds in the community

11. Program Targeting • Prevention: Prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless • Rapid Re-Housing: Help those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized

12. Program Targeting & Intent • Intent of the program is to serve persons who can remain stably housed after this temporary assistance ends • Would they be homeless “but for” this assistance? • Many are recently affected by economic crisis • Some have been “precariously housed” and/or homeless for longer • Outcomes will be related to housing stability

13. Quiz: Are they eligible for HPRP Assistance? • A chronically homeless person with SMI who just needs a security deposit and moving costs to move into a CoC-funded PSH program • A family that is doubled-up and needs rental assistance to be able to live on their own • A homeowner who is struggling to maintain their housing and needs budgeting classes or credit counseling • A person in a transitional housing program who needs services to find permanent housing

14. Quiz: Answer • All of the above are eligible, BUT… • Grantees should consider the appropriateness of the assistance for the person – HPRP is temporary, and someone with significant barriers to housing may be better served with a different program

15. Application Process • Application: Substantial Amendment to grantee’s Consolidated Plan 2008 Action Plan (HUD-40119 plus SF-424 and certs) • Application packets submitted to HQ & Field Offices simultaneously 60 days from date of Notice postmarked no later than May 18, 2009 • Completion of all reviews by July 2, 2009 • Grant Agreements executed by September 1, 2009

16. Application Review Process Field Office receives applications Headquarters receives applications Simultaneously Field Office reviews applications Headquarters reviews applications and notifies F.O. of any conditions Field Office sends checklist to Headquarters Field Office executes Grant Agreement

17. Monitoring & Risk Assessment • Monitoring Plan is being developed • Headquarters and Field Offices shared responsibilities • Desk reviews/on-site visits • HQ may hire up to 4 new staff • Monitoring tools will be available • TA providers are preparing a list of ESG slow-spenders, will be distributed to field offices

18. Timeline • May 18, 2009: Substantial Amendments due • July 2: HUD completes review • Once grant agreements are signed by HUD – this starts the clock for expenditure deadlines • Sept 30: Grant Agreements with subgrantees must be signed • Two years from date HUD signed grant agreement: 60% funds drawn • Three years: 100% drawn

19. Reporting Systems • IDIS • Grantees use to draw down funding • Report on expenditures • Migration from legacy IDIS to web IDIS • Pilot planned for late May • All grantees expected to be converted by September • HMIS • Collect client-level data • New Data and Technical standards will include HPRP data elements, going through OMB clearance, available for public comment in late April

20. Reporting Systems (cont.) • HMIS • Use CoC’s HMIS • Client-level data • Grantees not providing services do not need to use HMIS for data collection and reporting • Subgrantees & grantees providing services collect/enter data • ARRA and the Notice do not prohibit HMIS participation by domestic violence providers • Revised HMIS Data Standards

21. Reporting Systems (cont.) • Revised HMIS Data Standards • Emergency clearance of HMIS Data Elements and Quarterly reports • OMB approval expected in May (expires October) • Normal clearance of HMIS Data Elements, Quarterly and Annual Performance Reports (HPRP and CoC programs) and AHAR data collection (including additional HPRP data) • Current APR expires November 2009 • OMB approval expected in October for 3 years.

22. Performance Reports • Grantee is responsible for submitting all reports to HUD

23. Resources • HUD HRE – Online Library (www.hudhre.info) • Technical assistance providers will develop HPRP materials • “Virtual Help Desk” for all questions – searchable database will be created from all answers

24. Updates • Focus Groups: February • Operating Instructions and Grant Agreement • Will be sent to field offices no later than April 20 • Application review process and forms • Initial/quarterly report contents • IDIS • HMIS Data and Technical Standards • Monitoring Plan

25. Communications • April 8: HUD webcast on HPRP • Training Conferences: May and June • 9 cities proposed, including Washington, DC (in July): • Ft. Worth • Seattle • Los Angeles • Miami • Chicago • Boston • Atlanta • New York City

26. Correction • The Notice states that pre-award costs may be incurred until the grantee submits the substantial amendment to HUD. • We will issue the following correction: grantees may incur pre-award costs until the grant agreement is executed.

27. Questions and Answers • Submitted in advance: • If there is no existing statewide HMIS, how should the state grantee report data in the HMIS? • What are HUD’s expectations for documentation of eligibility for the program? • Other questions?

28. Thank you for your hard work!