1. Partnering with your Public Housing Authority to help end homelessness Audio conference – January 10, 2008 Strengthening Families Collaborative, a joint initiative of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the Child Welfare League of America and the National Center on Family Homelessness

2. PHAs are key players in ending homelessness Con Plan PHA plan COC plan Community plans that bring federal resources

3. Why PHAs participate in Continuum of Care Can apply for housing resources through COC process Improved integration with service-providers of PHA residents Collaborative housing/services Free snacks

4. How PHAs can be involved in COC Become an active member of the CoC Facilitate/host CoC meetings Coordinate planning process and application development Apply for McKinney/Vento resources to create housing (Supportive Housing Program or Shelter + Care) Create housing opportunities using PHA resources

5. Strategies for PHAs to use SHP Use SHP resources to purchase and renovate property for use as permanent housing Work with a non-profit organization to obtain SHP leasing funds to lease units in Public Housing. Units would then be designated for this purpose Obtain SHP service funds to provide services to designated units in Public Housing set aside for persons who are homeless

6. Shelter Plus Care (S+C) A rental subsidy program that covers a portion of the monthly rent. Generally, tenants pay 30% of their income for rent, the rental subsidy pays the difference between the tenant share and the unit’s approved rent. 4 types: Tenant-based Sponsor-based Project-based SRO

7. Vancouver, WA Housing Authority (VHA): key player in ending homelessness Founded Council for the Homeless 1989 Formed agreement w/ City, County Each provide Board reps, annual support

8. VHA collaborative projects that serve homeless people Four shelters, managed by nonprofits Pinewood: VHA-owned transitional housing, managed by homeless provider Operation Homestretch: Continuum of Care-funded transitional housing Shelter + Care project

9. Other VHA projects Central Park Place: SRO on VA land: serving homeless persons & veterans Orchard Glen: transition-in-place housing & work force units Springbrook: used tax credits to create mixed income development (w/ YMCA)

10. VHA partner in Strategic Housing Plan Purpose: Guide community planning efforts over 5 years and inspire future work. Goal: Obtain up to 1,250 new subsidized housing units for households below 30% AMI – through rental assistance & new construction – using federal, state, local and private resources.

11. Housing Authority of Portland Planning: ED and staff active in statewide and local plans to end homelessness and COC Permanent Supportive Housing: public housing units and 400 units of special needs housing Short-term rent assistance: manage on behalf of two cities and county Shelter + Care: 7 grants

12. Examples of regional collaboration among PHAs Sound Families: 7 PHAs in Seattle/King County area Bridges to Housing: partnership among 4 PHAs in two states Regional collaboration among PHAs and jurisdictions in 4 counties.

13. Regional Housing Managers: CD directors, PHAs, HUD Group went after an earmark – creative Used for a number of policy objectives. Helped fund Housing Connections, Bridges to Housing, advocacy on State housing trust fund, research on 811s. Continuing benefits: -- Housing policy issues that affect region -- Reduces urban-rural barriers -- Emergency planning

14. Partner with PHA to prevent homelessness Section 8s are gold: partner with PHA to support S8 retention. Examples: VOA’s eviction prevention program, funded by Louisville, KY metro government and PHA. Housing Authority of Portland: Short-term Rent Assistance fund – eviction prevention $$

15. Issues for advocates Locally: Monitor S+C management Locally & nationally: Get to know challenges facing PHAs, such as reduced HUD operating subsidies and change to asset management

16. Websites To find out contact info for your local PHA: http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/states/ca.cfm http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/states/ca.cfm Technical Assistance Collaborative, Boston: Curriculum on the role of PHAs in addressing homelessness www.tacinc.orgwww.tacinc.org Bridges to Housing: 4-county, housing and services for high need homeless families www.bridgestohousing.org Council for the Homeless: Nonprofit working to end homelessness in Clark County, Washington. www.icfth.com

17. Thank you! Sally Erickson, Homeless Program Coordinator City of Portland, Bureau of Housing & Community Development 421 SW 6 th Ave., Suite 1100 Portland, OR 97204 Email: serickson@ci.portland.or.us Phone: 503-823-0883 www.portlandonline.com/bhcd