1. Housing Opportunities Through DCA
October 7, 2016
David Whisnant, Esq. Director Office of Homeless & Special Needs

2. What Are We Doing Now? Why Am I Here?
Tale of the man in the front row…
DCA S+C Provider? You’ll learn how to get money for case work and pots, pans, and other expenses if you are a shelter plus care provider funded by DCA.
You’ll learn what the 811 program is in more detail.
You’ll learn about the partnership between DCA and DBHDD that is aimed at housing the Settlement Population.
You’ll learn about additional housing opportunities through DCA.

3. Shelter Plus Care – Additional Dollars
Funded by DCA for S+C? If YES, then…
--$50,000 Harm Reduction Grant for Case Management
--$20,000-$25,000 Supportive Service Grant for furniture and other “setting up a household” expenses.
This is all State money, so more flexible. Please apply for this!

4. Shelter Plus Care – Additional Dollars
Effective Strategy: Several agencies have reported that they have had limited effectiveness in getting churches to contribute much towards the costs of running their S+C programs. HOWEVER, they had success in asking churches to make their match, so that the grant could be secured. Make the right “ask” for better results…

5. 811? What Is That?
$14.4 Million to the State of Georgia to Provide long-term project based rental assistance to persons with disabilities. DCA is implementing this program in partnership with DBHDD. 30 YEARS of funding…500 Vouchers

6. What’s The Target Population?
Extremely Low Income – at or below 30% of Area Median Income.
Ages – 18-61
Disabled Persons – Olmstead Settlement Eligible.
Real case study – The “Jones”
A Brief Quiz Follows…

7. True or False?
“I’ve heard that you cannot have families, only singles?”
“I’ve heard that you must have income?”
“I’ve heard that it takes weeks or even longer to get someone housed?”
“I’ve heard that you can get money for moving?”
“I’ve heard that case work is include in this funding?”
“I’ve heard that this program has not started yet?”
“I’ve heard there is no inventory in my area…”

8. 42 Current Units Available
State of the Union
Available Inventory
42 Current Units Available
North Grove – Athens
Mary-Leila Lofts – Greensboro
Savannah Gardens – Savannah
Oliver Place – Perry
A. L. Miller Village – Macon
Sawmill Landing – Pembroke
Oaks at Park Pointe - Griffin

9. Where does the 811 inventory come from?

10. HOW CAN MY CLIENTS GET INVOLVED?
811
HOW CAN MY CLIENTS GET INVOLVED?

11. Money Follows the Person and DBHDD
Referrals MUST come from MFP or DBHDD.
MFP – Through the Department of Community Health. Designed to help disabled individuals who are institutionalized in nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities return to their homes and communities.
DBHDD – Refers clients through a strong partnership designed to maximize State and Federal resources. Defined by Memorandum of Agreement dated March, The goal is to collaborate to create affordable housing for extremely low income individuals with settlement eligible disabilities.

12. Walking Through the DCA/DBHDD Partnership
Step One: Settlement Eligible Person Is Located By Provider.
Step Two: DBHDD evaluates for settlement eligibility. If eligible, refer to DCA. Goal is to place in 811 or HCV (Housing Choice Voucher) Preference.
811—Location and Property Test. No bridge funding.
DCA HCV—Bridge funding available through DBHDD Preference Allocation
ARGHHHHH! Federal $--HQS, Income Limits, FMR requirements, Limited Inventory Still With 811.

13. Walking Through the DC/DBHDD Partnership
DBHDD and DCA also partner to see if other housing subsidies can be used such as:
VASH – Coordinate with the VA
Shelter + Care
Public Housing Authorities
ARGHHHHHHHH! Limitations on inventory outside of major metro areas.
STRIKING OUT? WHAT CAN WE DO?

14. Walking Through the DCA/DBHDD Partnership
DBHDD and Georgia Housing Voucher Program to the Rescue!
State Dollars – No federal restrictions
Flexible and portable
Can house very quickly
Great for higher cost areas
This is the last resort for the hardest to house…
But wait, there’s more!

15. Here’s Where It Gets Fun…
2,000 GHVP Vouchers
Move someone into housing with GHVP
THEN CHANGE SUBSIDY to 811 or HCV Preference Voucher
Free up original GHVP Voucher
Place, change subsidy, repeat…
Bridge money on GHVP can get someone housed, and 811 can retain the housing.

16. CoC Shelter Plus Care Program
The purpose of DCA's Shelter Plus Care (S+C) program is to provide permanent housing in connection with supportive services to homeless people with disabilities and their families. The program provides rental assistance for a variety of housing choices, accompanied by a range of supportive services funded by other sources. The program is designed to serve a population that has been traditionally hard to reach - homeless persons with disabilities such as (but not limited to) serious mental illness, chronic substance abuse, and/or AIDS and related diseases. Chronically homeless are prioritized.
2,855 households – 3,459 total persons served.
100% have a disability. Majority mental illness and substance abuse.
35 agencies funded across all 9 Continuums of Care in Georgia.

17. CoC PSH Program 815 Enrolled in SHP funded programs
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs provide community‐based housing and supportive services, without a predetermined length of stay, to assist homeless persons with a disability to live independently. Chronically homeless are prioritized.
815 Enrolled in SHP funded programs
270 with mental illness
114 physical disability
60 veterans

18. DCA VASH (Veteran’s Affairs Supportive Housing) Vouchers The VASH program is an inter-agency collaborative effort that helps eligible homeless military veterans secure a decent stable affordable place to live by combining DCA housing choice voucher rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs at its medical centers and in the community. Participants have a disability and contribute 30% of income to housing.

19. ESG – EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT
The Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program provides outreach, shelter, rapid re-housing, homelessness prevention and related services to persons experiencing homelessness, or for persons in danger of becoming homeless, throughout the state.  Assistance is provided to members of the community, local government entities and non-profit organizations utilizing State Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless Commission (HTF) and Federal HUD ESG funds. This program is principally designed to be the first step in a continuum of assistance to enable homeless individuals and families to move toward independent living as well as to prevent homelessness. $5,511,075 to 148 projects.
Mentally Ill – 2,859 individuals – 18% of total

20. HOPWA
HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS HOPWA provides supportive housing opportunities for persons living with AIDS and related diseases through direct subsidies to organizations providing housing and service programs for this population. FFY 2015 $2,378,000 was awarded in HOPWA funds. 1,120 persons were benefitted in 910 households.

21. Incentives To Provide Housing For Disabled and Others--QAP:
PDocs/QAP/2016QualifiedAllocationPlan.pdf
CAPER (Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report):
pdf
Olmstead Settlement:
811 Information:
DCA’s Office of Homeless and Special Needs Housing:

22. Bonus – S+C Grantee Tips
SHOW how you will provide case work and other supportive services. MOU MOU MOU.
Leverage other funding sources, like local funding, to support your program. AND, talk about that in your application.
Work with Community Action Agencies and TALK about that in your application to meet service needs.
Don’t forget to apply for the Harm Reduction and Supportive Services funding!
NOW is the time to talk to DCA about ideas and strategies to make your applications stronger in the future, and learn best practices for leveraging other funds.