Homelessness

2019 FUP NOFA Released

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

10/25/2019 edit – correct application due date added.

The Department has released the 2019 Family Unification Program Notice of Funding Availability (i.e., the 2019 FUP NOFA). The NOFA makes available $20 million in funding. Applications are due by December 17, 2019. The Department expects to make approximately 40 awards from this NOFA.

The Family Unification Program serves two categories of people. The first is families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the imminent placement of the family’s child in out-of-home care or the delay in the discharge of the child to the family in out-of-home care. The second category is composed of youth at least 18 years and not more than 24 years of age who left foster care (or will leave foster care within 90 days) and are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless at age 16 or older.

In addition to meeting certain threshold criteria, HUD will be using rating factors in deciding how to allocate FUP funding. In making its decisions, HUD will also look at a PHA’s past performance in managing funds and assess a PHA’s risk (e.g., financial stability, quality of management, history of performance, etc.). Additionally, the Department will look at the following seven rating factors:

  1. Housing search assistance in low-poverty census tracts (16 points) – Points awarded if the PHA, Public Child Welfare Agency (PWCA), or Continuum of Care (CoC) provides, funds, or makes available housing search assistance in low-poverty census tracts;
  2. Financial Assistance (18 points) – Points awarded if the PHA, PCWA, or CoC provide, fund, or otherwise makes available financial assistance to assist FUP-eligible families and youths;
  3. Previous Coordination (6 points) – Points awarded if the PHA or the PCWA can demonstrate recent cross-program coordination with a local CoC;
  4. Post-move counseling (14 points) – Points awarded if the PHA, PCWA, or CoC provides funds, or otherwise makes available post-move counseling to FUP-eligible families or FUP-eligible youth;
  5. Case management to FUP families (16 points) – Points awarded if case management to FUP families will be made available after they have been issued a voucher. These families may not be forced to participate in these services;
  6. Self-sufficiency Programs (12 points) – Points awarded if the PHA administers the HUD Family Self-Sufficiency program, or similar program promoting self-sufficiency, that is active at the time of application; and
  7. Supportive Assistance for Youth to 36 months (18 points) – Points awarded if the services required to be provided to FUP-eligible youth as identified in the Memorandum of Understanding will be provided beyond 18 months.

The Frequently Asked Questions document on the NOFA can be found here.

The 2019 FUP NOFA can be found here.

HUD Updates HCV Two-Year Tool

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

An official at HUD has let me know that the Department has updated the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program Two-Year Tool. The Two-Year Tool allows PHAs to model HCV program behavior so that they can make informed decisions on how to manage their HCV programs.

To use the tool, PHAs should enter their PHA code and click “Open and Populate Tool.” End users may need to enable macros in Excel for the tool to work properly.

The following changes have been made to the tool:

  • An option to break out a PHA’s  program into its main components (e.g., tenant-based vouchers, regular project-based vouchers, Rental Assistance Demonstration project-based vouchers (RAD-PBVs), etc.);
    • This feature can be found in “Access Additional Tools”;
  • Options to take into account a growing PBV program (the Two-Year Tool now includes a PBV.RAD tab that examines a PHA’s PBV program in detail–including information from VMS, PIC, and other HUD administrative data sources);
    • If applicable, this tab will open automatically;
  • An option to look at prior years’ SEMAP scores; and
  • An option to look at historical UML, UMA, HAP, and PUC information for a PHA’s special-purpose vouchers.

Questions on the Two-Year tool can be directed to Patrick Hatch.

The tool can be found here.

New Resources for Foster Youth to Independence Initiative

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD or the Department) has posted several new resources for its foster youth to independence initiative (See Notice PIH 2019-20). The initiative allows for PHAs without a Family Unification Program to request tenant protection vouchers (TPVs) for youth aging out of foster care on an as-needed basis. The Department has posted several resources related to the initiative.

 

These resources include the following:

All of these resources can also be found on HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence website here.

Mainstream Voucher FY 2019 NOFA FAQ Updated

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, HUD updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for mainstream vouchers.

The FY 2019 NOFA would make an additional $150 million available for mainstream vouchers (a previous NOFA allocated $98 million). The application deadline for this additional round of funding is September 5, 2019.

The updated FAQ can be found here.

The Department’s Mainstream Voucher page can be found here.

[Edit: Some of the links above were corrected to point to the correct documents or websites and the correct deadline has been added.]

New Notice allows PHAs to use Tenant Protection Vouchers for Youth Aging out of Foster Care

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

In late July, HUD published a notice titled “Tenant Protection Vouchers for Foster Youth to Independence Initiative” [PIH 2019-20 (HA)]. This notice would allow PHAs that do not have a Family Unification Program (FUP), but that have a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, to request a tenant protection voucher to house a FUP-eligible youth.

Public Housing Agencies must receive a referral from a partnering Public Child Welfare Agency (PCWA) to request the tenant protection voucher. While not required, HUD strongly encourages participation of a Continuum of Care (CoC). Requests may be as small as one voucher up to 25 vouchers per PHA for a fiscal year. The funding for this initiative is not from the Family Unification Program account, but from the tenant protection voucher account and is subject to the availability of funding in that account. These vouchers sunset after being used and are not to be project-based.

  • PHA Eligibility Requirements:
    • PHA must have an HCV Program;
    • PHA must not administer the Family Unification Program (FUP);
    • PHA must amend its administrative plan;
    • PHA must accept FUP-eligible youth;
      • FUP-eligible youth: Youth that have met the following criteria:
        • Attained at least 18 years of age and not more than 24 years of age;
        • Left foster care, or will leave foster care, within 90 days; and
        • Are homeless or are at risk of being homeless;
    • PHA must determine eligibility;
    • PHA must have a partnership with a Public Child Welfare Agency (PCWA);
      • PCWA Roles and Responsibilities:
        • Must identify FUP-eligible youth;
        • Must have a system of prioritization;
        • Must provide written certification to PHA that youth is FUP-eligible; and
        • Must provide supportive services, including:
          • Basic life skills information (money management; meal preparation; and access to health care, etc.);
          • Counseling on compliance with rental lease requirements of the HCV program;
          • Providing reasonable assurances to rental property owners;
          • Job counseling; and
          • Educational and career advancement counseling;
      • PCWA Partnership Agreement (May take the form of a memorandum of understanding or letters of intent):
        • Must define FUP-eligible youth;
        • Must list supportive services and provide them for 36 months;
        • Must address PHA responsibilities;
        • Must address PCWA responsibilities; and
        • Must address Continuum of Care–if involved–responsibilities, including:
          • Integrating the referral process into the CoC’s coordinated entry process;
          • Identifying services; and
          • Making referrals of FUP-eligible youth to PCWAs.

The full notice may be found here.

HUD Posts Mainstream Voucher FY 2019 NOFA Webinar

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has published a webinar on its fiscal year 2019 Mainstream Voucher application.

Additionally, the Department has made the following Mainstream Voucher application materials available:

All of these materials may also be found on HUD’s Mainstream Voucher Program page.

Additional TAC Mainstream Voucher Webinars

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

HUD recently released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $100 million in new Mainstream vouchers. To assist in applying, the Technical Assistance Collaborative, along with NAHRO, hosted a webinar for PHAs on Tuesday, May 1st.

If you missed Tuesday’s TAC webinar on Mainstream vouchers for PHAs, you can download the slide deck from that webinar here. Additionally, TAC is planning on hosting two more webinars. Click on the links below the webinar title and time to register.

Mainstream NOFA webinar for Continuums of Care – Thursday, May 3rd at 1 pm ET

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VoucherMay3

Mainstream NOFA webinar for Disability Organizations – Tuesday, May 8th at 1 pm ET

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VoucherMay8

New Voucher Funding Opportunities (FUP Vouchers and Mainstream Vouchers)

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

There are currently two open notice of funding opportunities (NOFAs) for new vouchers for PHAs: Family  Unification Program Vouchers and Mainstream Vouchers.

Family Unification Program Vouchers

Application Due Date: 7/24/18.

Amount: $30 million.

The Family Unification Program (FUP) allows PHAs to partner with Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs) to provide housing choice vouchers to two groups:

  • Families for whom the lack of housing is a primary factor in the placement of the family’s child in out-of-home care (or the delay in discharge to the family from out-of-home care); and
  • Youth who are at least 18 and have not yet reached their 25th birthday, who left foster care (or will leave foster care in 90 days) and are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.

This NOFA now requires that in addition to PHAs and PCWAs to being parties to a required memorandum of understanding (MOU), Continuums of Care (COCs) must also be a party to the MOU. Additionally, there is now a threshold to to prevent FUP low utilizers from receiving a new allocation of FUP vouchers, and the CoC must now contribute to the PCWA’s Statement of Need. Finally, in addition to definitional revisions, this NOFA incorporates HOTMA’s FUP related changes.

Relevant links include the following:

  • The FUP NOFA for FY 2017 and FY 2018 can be found here;
  • A sample FUP MOU can be found here; and
  • HUD’s FUP FAQ can be found here.

Mainstream (Section 811) Vouchers

Application Due Date: 6/18/18.

Amount: $100 million.

This NOFA provides funding for vouchers which must be used to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities and their families. The funding is provided to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities who are:

  • Transitioning out of institutional or other segregated setting;
  • At serious risk of institutionalization;
  • Homeless; or
  • At risk of becoming homeless.

The rating criteria for applications is the following:

  • PHA Capacity and Experience (60 points);
  • Leveraging Resources (30 points); and
  • Achieving Results and Program Evaluation (10 points).

Relevant links include the following:

  • The Mainstream NOFA can be found here;
  • HUD’s NOFA Summary Presentation can be found here;
  • HUD’s NOFA FAQ can be found here; and
  • Additional resources from the Technical Assistance Collaborative can be found here. [5/2/18 Edit – link corrected.]

HUD Announces $43 Million Allocated for HUD-VASH Vouchers

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD published a press release announcing that it would be allocating $43 million to 325 PHAs to provide more than 5,200 veterans experiencing homelessness with homes. The HUD-VASH program combines a Housing Choice Voucher with management and clinical services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

This most recent award increases the number of PHAs that administer the program by 102. More than 87,000 vouchers have been awarded and approximately 144,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program.

The full press release with a list of PHAs and partnering VA Medical Facilities can be found here.

HUD Guidance on Sub-awarding Homeless Assistance Funds to PHAs and Local Redevelopment Authorities

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

Today, the HUD Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) published a new notice (CPD-17-01) that provides guidance on how Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program funds can be sub-awarded to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and Local Redevelopment Authorities (LRAs). On July 29, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) which included language, first proposed by NAHRO, that amended the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S. 11373(C)) to permit local governments receiving ESG funding to sub-award their ESG funds to PHAs and LRAs for eligible ESG activities. This change saves grantees from having to go through a costly and time-consuming procurement process if they wish to devolve their funds to any PHA or LRA. This change became effective upon enactment of HOTMA last year and required no regulatory rulemaking. This new notice provides additional guidance on the allowable sub-awards to PHAs and LRAs and the key requirements (e.g. consistency with the Consolidated Plan) that apply to sub-awarded funds