SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) TA Project

Application Deadline June 1, 2012

Properties in Eighteen States: AL, AK, CA, HI, KS, KY, MD, NJ, NY, NC, OK, PA, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WI

The Federal Register contains the property listings and application instructions. Please forward this information to all interested organizations.

The official HUD contact person is Juanita Perry, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 7266, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708–1234; TTY number for the hearing-and-speech-impaired (202) 708–2565 (these telephone numbers are not toll-free), or call the toll-free Title V information line at 800–927–7588.

Thank you,

Marie Rudler
Senior CPD Representative
Kansas City HUD Regional Office
(913) 551-5569
marie.rudler@hud.gov

Emergency Solutions Grants Program (ESG)

DRAFT Substantial Amendment to the 2012 State of Kansas Consolidated Plan

 The Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has prepared a Draft substantial amendment to the 2012 State of Kansas Consolidated Plan (Annual Action Plan) in accordance with the State’s citizen participation plan and the requirements of 24 CFR part 91, as amended by the Interim Rule.

1.     SF-424 – signed and including DUNNS (to be submitted with amendment)

2.     Summary of Consultation Process

 KHRC collaborates on a recurring basis with the Balance of State CoC and the Johnson County COC.  All funds from the State’s ESG funding are made available to the non ESG entitlement continuums.  During regular COC meetings in March and April, surveys were completed that identified which activities ESG should prioritize.  During recent COC discussions, the following performance standards for ESG were identified:  A) Reduce the average length of time persons are homeless, B) Improve employment rate and income amount of families and individuals who are homeless, and C) reduce number of families and individuals who become homeless (first time homeless).   The need for HMIS data quality improvement is identified as a priority.

 3.     Summary of Citizen Participation Process

 KHRC will provide for a 30-day public comment period of the Draft Substantial Amendment to the FY 2012 Consolidated Plan (Annual Action Plan). The public input process will include notification through a notice published in the Kansas Register, by posting the document on KHRC’s web-site, www.kshousingcorp.org  and posting on the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition’s website, www.kshomeless.com.  After public comments are received, KHRC will summarize the public comments or views received as well as the comments or views not accepted, including the reasons for not accepting those comments or views.  Public comment period ends June 1, 2012.  All comments should be sent to:

 James Chiselom, Program Manager, ESG
Kansas Housing Resources Corp.
611 South Kansas Ave.
Topeka, KS  66603
jchiselom@kshousingcorp.org

 4. Match

 At this time, KHRC has not obligated FY 2012 ESG funds and therefore does not have actual match figures by types of match.   KHRC will require all sub recipients to make matching contributions to supplement the ESG program in an amount that equals the amount of ESG funds provided by KHRC.  The sub recipient must identify the source of match at the time of applying for ESG. Matching contributions may be obtained from any source, including any Federal source other than the ESG program, as well as state, local, and private sources.

5.     Proposed Activities and Overall Budget

 KHRC anticipates using FY 2012 ESG funds for Street Outreach, Emergency Shelters, Homelessness Prevention, Rapid Re-Housing, HMIS, and administrative activities. These activities will be targeted to households whose income is 0-30% of Area Median Family Income and to individuals and families that are in the following at risk homeless categories; Chronically homeless, HIV/AIDS, Elderly, Veterans, Mental Health, Youth, Domestic Violence Victims and Substance abuse.

KHRC anticipates serving both persons who meet the definition of homeless and at-risk of homelessness.

KHRC estimates FY 2012 ESG will serve a total of   3000 individuals.

The table below is an estimate on how FY 2012 ESG funds will be allocated to the eligible activities. KHRC anticipates that the final amounts budgeted, once FY 2012 allocation ESG contracts are executed, will be different than the proposed allocations indicated in the following table. KHRC will share administrative funds with all sub recipients.

KHRC will emphasize objectives by prioritizing applicants whose projects propose to achieve the following outcomes: exiting to permanent housing destination, diverting shelter enrollments, receiving case management, maintaining permanent housing, persons with higher incomes at program exit, persons with more non-cash benefits at program exit, and increased employment rates upon service exits. Applications whose proposed projects meet these objectives will rank more competitively.

Kansas is a state with many rural areas which have limited service providers addressing the needs of homeless persons and those at-risk of homelessness. To address this need, KHRC’s ESG scoring criteria for 2012 will provide preference for applicants serving persons in rural counties.

ESG funds received for FY 2012 will be obligated within 180 days of receipt of the HUD grant agreement. The State ESG contracts for FY 2012 funds are anticipated to begin on September 1, 2012 and will end March 31, 2014.   However, the contract period will be dependent upon the date that the HUD grant agreement is executed. Any unexpended funds will be re-distributed in the following ESG program year in separate contracts.

6.     Written Standards for Provision of ESG Assistance

 KHRC will require FY 2012 ESG awardees to establish and implement written standards for providing emergency shelter and street outreach activities of the ESG program prior to executing contracts.

 KHRC will require awardees to establish written standards that include:

a) Standard policies and procedures for evaluating individuals’ and families’ eligibility for assistance under Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG).

b) Policies and procedures for coordination among emergency shelter providers, essential service providers, homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing assistance providers, other homeless assistance providers, and mainstream service and housing providers.

c) Policies and procedures for determining and prioritizing which eligible families and individuals will receive homelessness prevention assistance and which eligible families and individuals will receive rapid re-housing assistance.

d) Standards for determining the share of rent and utilities costs that each program participant must pay, if any, while receiving homelessness prevention or rapid re-housing assistance.

e) Standards for determining how long a particular program participant will be provided with rental assistance and whether and how the amount of that assistance will be adjusted over time.

f) Standards for determining the type, amount, and duration of housing stabilization and/or relocation services to provide a program participant, including the limits, if any, on the homelessness prevention or rapid re-housing assistance that each program participant may receive, such as the maximum amount of assistance, maximum number of months the program participants receives assistance; or the maximum number of times the program participants may receive assistance.

7.     Describe Process for Making Sub-awards

 KHRC will continue to utilize the application process used with our Emergency Solutions Grant program.  KHRC will Sub-grant ESG funds to Cities and Counties in Non- ESG entitlement funded areas.  We recognize the importance of individual Cities and Counties to identify Sub-recipients and coordinate the specific services outlined in ESG for their individual jurisdictions.  KHRC will also accept applications and provide direct funding to agencies and organizations that serve at risk homeless populations and are capable of providing ESG services on a statewide level for that at risk homeless population. 

KHRC will announce the NOFA for the ESG funds and begin to accept and receive applications as described above.  Depending on when HUD signs the grant agreement, deadlines for receipt of applications will be established.  An Application Review Committee will rank applications received in response to the NOFA.  The scoring criteria will include Project Description, Identified Need, Coordination of potential Local Homeless Assistance and Housing Programs, Past Performance and Administrative capacity.  In addition, the Competitive Application Process will allow additional ESG funding in entitlement cities, which have the highest concentration of potentially eligible families and individuals.

 8.     Homeless Participation Requirement

The requirement is not applicable to States.

9.     Performance Standards

 KHRC recognizes that performance standards will evolve over the next few years as the ESG Interim Rule is implemented and as ESG sub recipients improve their program outcomes through the evaluation of HMIS data and through integration of ESG services into their local Continuum of Care. This first year of implementation of the Emergency Solutions Grant will allow KHRC to gain baseline data about specific performance measures and performance standards. Baseline information from FY second round 2011 and FY 2012 will be used to further refine measures and standards for the FY 2013 ESG funds.

 10. Certifications (to be submitted with amendment)

Requirements for Optional Changes to the FY 2012 Annual Action Plan

 1.     Centralized or Coordinated Assessment System

If the recipient’s jurisdiction, or a portion of the recipient’s jurisdiction, currently has a centralized or coordinated assessment system and the recipient or sub recipients utilize the centralized or coordinated assessment system, the recipient should describe the assessment system in the substantial amendment.

SNAPS e-Learning Tuesdays

3:30 PM ET

Registration for webinars on May 8^th and May 15^th 

The weekly Ready, SET, Go! webinar series provides comprehensive information for Continuums of Care (CoCs), HMIS administrators, grantees, project sponsors and other stakeholders on a variety of topics. This message lists upcoming webinars.

May 8, 2012

3:30 – 4:30 PM ET

This webinar is the first in a two-part series on documentation.  It will focus on recordkeeping requirements for the Final Rule of the Definition of Homelessness. In addition to a review of acceptable documentation for each category of homelessness, this webinar will explore HUD’s preferred order for documentation, as well as standards for ensuring that records maintained by program staff sufficiently demonstrate compliance with the recordkeeping requirements.

Please note that this two-part series on documentation is planned as a follow-up to the “Determining Homeless and At-Risk Status, Income and Disability” webinar, which originally aired on December 13, 2011. Viewers will be expected to be familiar with the information presented in that webinar before attending this series. It can be viewed from the Homeless Resource Exchange archives using the link above. Additionally, HUD recommends that viewers have the “Criteria and Recordkeeping Requirements for the Definition of Homeless” available for reference while viewing this webinar. It is available for download using the HUDHRE.info link above.

Register Now
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/839142078

May 15, 2012

3:30 – 4:30 PM ET

This webinar is the second of a two-part series on documentation. It will focus on recordkeeping requirements for the At-Risk of Homelessness Definition and Income. In addition to a review of acceptable documentation for each category of at risk of homelessness, this webinar will explore HUD’s preferred order for documentation, as well as standards for ensuring that records maintained by program staff sufficiently demonstrate compliance with the recordkeeping requirements.

Please note that this two-part series on documentation is planned as a follow-up to the “Determining Homeless and At-Risk Status, Income and Disability” webinar which originally aired on December 13, 2011. Viewers will be expected to be familiar with the information presented in that webinar before attending this series. It can be viewed from the Homeless Resource Exchange archives using the link above.  Additionally, HUD recommends that viewers have the “Criteria and Recordkeeping Requirements for the Definition of Homeless” available for reference while viewing this webinar. It is available for download using the HUDHRE.info link above.

Register Now
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/439262430

Please note that each webinar is limited to 1,000 participants and access is granted on a first come-first served basis. Although participants must register for the webinar to receive log-in information, registration does not guarantee access for such webinars. So, we encourage registrants to log-in 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the webinar. If multiple staff from the same organization plan to attend the webinar, it is recommended that they register once and view together when possible. Viewing as a group can also provide valuable peer feedback and ensure that the program staff is all in agreement on how to implement the documentation requirements.

HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) sponsors the Ready, SET, Go! webinar series. HUD records all Ready SET Go! webinars and makes these webinar presentations and accompanying materials available on the Homelessness Resource Exchange (HRE). http://www.hudhre.info/

1.  Please join my meeting.

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/join/924732302

2.  Join the conference call:

(712) 432-0075

access code 378379

Meeting ID: 924-732-302

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Directions:
The Development Services offices are located in the Riverfront Plaza – basically the northeast corner of 6^th and New Hampshire Streets.  Some may remember it as the old outlet mall.  It is now all office space.

To Lawrence from I-70 or 24 Highway, exit I-70 at the East Lawrence exit, (or come into town on 24) and go south on North 2^nd Street and cross the Kansas River bridge.  Immediately after crossing the bridge, turn left (east) on to 6^th Street and go two blocks to the Riverfront Plaza, which will be straight ahead.  You will pass City Hall on your left which is on the corner of 6^th and Massachusetts.

To Lawrence from 10 Highway, continue into Lawrence (10 becomes 23^rd Street).  Remain on 23^rd Street to Massachusetts Street.  You will travel through stop lights at Harper, Haskell, and Barker.  Massachusetts is three blocks west of Barker.  Go north on Massachusetts to 6^th Street.  This will take you through downtown.  At 6^th Street you will be facing City Hall.  Turn right (east) and go about a block.  The entrance to the Riverfront Plaza parking lot will be on the left.

To Lawrence from the south on 59 Highway (59 becomes Iowa Street).  Remain on Iowa to 6^th Street.  Turn right (east) on 6^th Street and continue to Massachusetts.  City Hall will be on your left.  Proceed straight ahead a short distance to the entrance of the Riverfront Plaza.

Upon entering the Riverfront Plaza parking lot, proceed to the far east end of the lot (opposite of City Hall).  There is plenty of two hour parking on the upper deck but be sure and park in white lined spaces.  The green lined spaces belong to the hotel.

You will enter the building through the “East Bridge”.  Proceed into the building and the elevator is on the left.  Take it to the First Floor.  Turn right out of the elevator and the offices are just down the hall.  The name is “Development Services”.

Hello Everyone-

I hope you enjoyed the successful 13th Annual KSHC Homeless in the Heartland Summit in Butler County this year. I know I did!

A special thanks to the Summit Planning Committee, they did an awesome job of planning, organizing, and making everyone feel welcome in El Dorado.

Another special thanks goes out to our sponsors:
Social and Rehabilitation Services
Butler Community College
Kansas Head Start Association
Kansas Association of Community Action Programs.

Thanks to the following speakers for sharing their passion and enlightening us on the subjects of their expertise. All ideas, thoughts, and program (s) structure you shared with us were inspiring to say the least:
Agatha Gutierrez
Areon Kelvington
Brad Schmidt
Dale Tower
Danielle Dresslar
Ed Bible
Emily Wagner
Heather Price
James Chiselom
Jami Crowder
Jay Preston
Jeff Sosinski
Jessica Tahimi
Justin Pike
Joyce Schau
Karen Roper
Lynn Tatlock
Dr. Luella Sanders
Macy Gaines
Maggie Flanders
Margene Swarts
Marion Nichols
Matt Rehder
Melena Levi-Kauffman
Patrick Sumner
Peg McFadden
Rachel Ross
Randy Crandall
Rick McNary
Ron Pasmore
Sarah Spencer
Tabor Medill
Tamara Hurley
Tate Toedman

Thank You to all the vendors attending:

Butler Homeless initiative
Butler County Transportation
Coventry Health Care
Family Life Center of Butler county
Grace Medical Center
Kansas Coalition Against Sexual Violence and Domestic violence
Kansas Housing Resource corporation
Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition
MAAClink
Mid Kansas community Action Program Inc.
New beginnings
Resource Center for Independent Living
United Way 2-1-1
Veterans Administration

Also expressing our gratitude to all volunteers who worked very hard behind the scenes in the success of this Summit.

Lastly, I would like to thank all who participated and attended the Summit. Thank you for your attention and feedback. It is well taken to heart.

Please continue to join me in the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition/Balance of State/Continuum of Care effort to END HOMELESSNESS IN KANSAS.

We CAN and WILL END HOMELESSNESS in our Beloved Heart of America-
KANSAS!

Peg McFadden/KSHC Chair

The bill includes the largest one-year increase to HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants in nearly 20 years! The
T-HUD Subcommittee proposed a fund level of $2.15 billion for McKinney-Vento in FY 2013, which is a $245 million increase! At this funding level, will fund all renewals by our estimates and would include $286 million for the new Emergency Solutions Grants program. While an increase, this level is about $80 million below the $2.231 billion requested by the President in his FY 2013 Budget Proposal.

The draft legislation also includes funding increases or maintains flat funding for many key affordable housing programs, including:

• $19.4 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers, an increase of $482 million over FY 2012 and includes
• $75 million for approximately 10,000 new HUD-VASH vouchers;
• $4.6 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund, an increase of $629 million from FY 2012;
• $9.8 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance, which includes $9.6 billion for renewal of all project-based contracts for twelve months and is $536 million above the FY 2012 level;
• $1 billion for HOME,  which represents flat funding from FY 2012; and
• $3.1 billion for the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), an increase of $152 million  from FY 2012.

These proposed funding increases will go a long way toward keeping many low-income families and individuals in affordable housing; however, we are still seeing an increased demand for homeless assistance programs.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS-http://www.endhomelessness.org/

SNAPS e-Learning Tuesdays

3:30 PM ET

Registration for the “Building the Bridge: HPRP to ESG” webinar on May 22^nd 

HUD has rescheduled the delivery of this webinar (originally scheduled for April 10) to May 22.  Please note that you will need to re-register for this webinar even if you were registered for the originally scheduled April 10^th webinar.  

The weekly Ready, SET, Go! webinar series provides comprehensive information for Continuums of Care (CoCs), HMIS administrators, grantees, project sponsors and other stakeholders on a variety of topics.

May 22, 2012

3:30 – 5:00 PM ET (Starting Time in Central-2:30pm)

Many communities are closing out their Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) and beginning to implement the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program under the Interim Rule. Now is the time to leverage existing resources (and capacities) from HPRP to ensure a smooth transition to ESG. This webinar applies lessons learned from HPRP toward the implementation of ESG. Understanding the overlapping goals and programmatic details of the two programs helps jurisdictions identify where to focus planning to ensure a successful transition.

NOTE:  If you were registered for the originally scheduled April 10^th webinar, please re-register for this webinar.

Please note that webinar participation is limited to the first 1,000 attendees and registration does not guarantee participation. If numerous people from your organization are interested, please consider registering once and viewing the webinar together.

HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPs) sponsors the Ready, SET, Go! webinar series. HUD records all Ready SET Go! webinars and makes these webinar presentations and accompanying materials available on the Homelessness Resource Exchange (HRE).

REGISTER NOW: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/935276518