1. Housing Residents with Mental Health Challenges

2. PH Unit Conversion A PHA may convert dwelling units to non-dwelling units for the purposes of housing supportive services on-site and may continue to receive Operating Funds for these units (see 24 CFR 990.145 and/or PIH Notice 2011-7) These conversions are temporary (approvals for 1-3 year terms) and must be approved by your field office.

3. Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook (Chapter 6 – Special Situations) Public housing is housing first. The service component, if necessary, must play an auxiliary role. A PHA may (but is not required to) enter into an agreement with a social service agency to provide support services to applicants who need special help in order to establish a tenancy. enter into an agreement with a social service agency to manage a project or certain designated units within a project on the PHA's behalf.

4. Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook This might be useful in cases where applicants/residents are: Mentally, emotionally or developmentally challenged Living with mental illness – treated or untreated Trauma survivors In substance abuse recovery programs Aging

5. Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook A social service partner could: Assist the PHA in evaluating applicants and selecting tenants; Collect rents, security deposits, and any other charges; check to see if the tenants are properly maintaining their units; help the tenants to run their households, including managing their money and/or medications provide special programs such as counseling and job training provide crisis intervention by removing a tenant quickly but temporarily in order to get treatment, without affecting the lease. Work with property management to identify potential lease violations and intervene with a remediation plan before getting to eviction

6. Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook If an applicant's tenancy is to be dependent on participating in a social service agency's program, the circumstances must be explained to the applicant and the arrangement must be incorporated into the lease. Applicants who can become public housing tenants without help from a social service agency cannot be required to participate in the social service agency's program. The persons admitted must become tenants of the PHA with all the rights and responsibilities that entails. A PHA which has entered into an agreement with a social service agency remains ultimately responsible to HUD for all aspects of management.

7. Permanent Supportive Housing A PHA may project-base vouchers in an agreement with a permanent supportive housing agency where the voucher becomes the housing and the agency provides the supportive services. (24 CFR 983.251(d)) Issue an RFP for a # of units with wrap around services (must be a competitive process) Housing Authority maintains a site-based waiting list and would establish preferences based on the services needed, not a specific disability PHA may establish a limited preference for people with disabilities Service provider would refer people who meet the preferences to the HA Services cannot be a condition of occupancy Owner may advertise the project as offering the services for a particular type of disability, but the project must be open to anyone who may benefit from these services PBV may be paired with other CPD programs. Only 20% of voucher authority can be project-based Be sure you understand the rules of project-basing before you go this route!! Diane Thompson or Phyllis Smelkinson – in Voucher office are PBV experts

8. Establish Policies in ACOP What circumstances will trigger an evaluation for applicants? Will only applicants that are specifically referred from a partner agency be set up with a plan/lease addendum initially? What circumstances will trigger an evaluation for existing residents? Will there be situations other than standard lease violations that might cause this evaluation? Will there be a clause in the lease that explains these circumstances? Are standard lease provisions set up to include these situations for everyone? What will be the consequences for non-compliance? Will a lease violation lead to a lease addendum requiring participation in support services/remediation to prevent reoccurrence and/or eviction Will there be regular meetings between supportive service agency/Service Coordinator and Property Management to discuss issues needing to be addressed?

9. Establish Policies in ACOP Release of Information Releases should be specific in nature, identifying to whom the information will be released, what information will be shared, and for what purpose Ask residents to provide an “in case of emergency” contact – use this contact if needed. Partners may be asked to report on aggregate numbers of HA residents that were served, but do not need to provide names/details. No resident can be forced to accept services, HOWEVER, if the resident is not lease-compliant, disruptive, unsafe etc., the PHA may require resident engagement in a services plan as a condition of continued occupancy. How will the grievance policy incorporate this situation?

10. General Best Practices Cross-Train Staff PHA management, maintenance and client services staff to support early indication of need. MH professionals on housing admission, lease and violation policy. Include HCV landlords in trainings on policies/services in place to assist their renters. Involve residents’ case managers from other agencies when applicable. HA staff does not need to be a MH professional… just needs to know to make the referral and have partners in place.