Content by Keyword: Chronic Individuals

Also known as "Section 8" after S.8 of the U.S. Housing Act. Section 8 refers to other housing assistance programs, as well as HCVs. See http://www.cbpp.org/files/7-20-11hous.pdf for a summary of new HCVs funded from 2005 to 2010. The 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report . HUD Office of Community Planning and Development,

We found some promising examples of strong leadership, innovation, and collaboration to use PHA resources to expand the availability of supportive housing for people who have had long histories of homelessness and to facilitate their access to the housing. Significant opportunities exist to support, strengthen, expand, and replicate collaborations

The communities we visited for this project were selected in part because of the activities of their PHAs in support of homeless people and PSH. PHAs in many other communities are more reluctant partners. They may be less interested in or committed to the goals of PSH, or they may have significant capacity limitations and performance problems.

PSH is permanent housing, meaning that there are no time limits and tenants can choose to stay there as long as they pay rent and meet lease obligations. For many people who have had long histories of homelessness, PSH offers an opportunity for long-term stability and recovery. Over time, however, the needs and preferences of supportive housing

Once a household has come off the waiting list, been declared eligible, and been issued a voucher, the standard practice is that searching for housing is the responsibility of the household. This can be difficult for homeless people with health and behavioral health challenges. Furthermore, most landlords apply screening criteria related to credit

PHA policies and procedures regarding tenant screening can be a significant obstacle for many chronically homeless people with disabilities. For most PHAs, the standard approach to tenant screening is to deny housing assistance to applicants with outstanding debt owed to the PHA or prior arrests or convictions. When attempting to serve homeless pe

All PHAs have significant flexibility in establishing procedures and priorities for waiting lists and tenant selection, within the overall framework provided by federal law. Each PHA is required to establish an Annual Plan that describes the PHA’s approach to meeting local housing needs among low and very low-income people. The PHA Plan describes

Chicago has a Ten Year Plan and a very active Continuum of Care that has long pursued a strategy of developing PSH. This collaborative planning process was facilitated by a national intermediary organization, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, and involves the CHA and a wide range of civic leaders, government and non-profit agencies, and othe

The OHA has used its MTW authority to provide "sponsor-based" PSH. The PHA provides rental assistance to an agency that then signs master-leases for apartments, or sometimes an entire building, and assumes responsibility for selecting tenants who have rental agreements with the program sponsor. The program sponsor collects tenants’ rent contribut

Some PHAs participate actively in the Continuum of Care or other local planning and policy making efforts. This involves collaborative planning with other local government agencies and supportive housing providers to establish and track progress toward shared goals, agree about housing models and target populations, and coordinate funding commitme

A few PHAs (currently 33 of the 4,000) 9 have demonstration authority under a HUD program called Moving to Work (MTW). MTW gives the PHA the authority to operate outside the regular legislative and regulatory constraints of the Public Housing and HCV programs, under terms specified in a contract between HUD and the PHA.

In many communities PHAs are involved in administering housing assistance similar to vouchers for homeless people with disabilities through HUD’s Shelter Plus Care program. Shelter Plus Care requires a commitment of matching funds for supportive services in an aggregate amount that matches the total amount of grant funding for housing assistance.

Health care is an important service for all frail or disabled populations as well as low-income families. The Bureau of Primary Health Care at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) administers the Public Housing Primary Care (PHPC) program operated by Community Health Centers (CHC) in 25 states and Puerto Rico. PHPC programs deli

In recent years new federal funding for additional housing vouchers has often been limited to special needs programs that require partnerships with service-providers, including the HUD-VASH program for homeless veterans, HCVs for Non-Elderly Disabled (NED), 6 and the Family Unification Program (FUP) for families involved in the child welfare sy

Many PHAs operate public housing that was designed for occupancy by seniors. Non-elderly people with disabilities may also be eligible to live in these buildings. Often these developments have service coordinators, who may be PHA employees or employed by partner organizations and who link residents to services for seniors in the community.

In public housing developments that house families with children and working-age adults, partner organizations often provide employment-related services or services related to financial literacy and asset-building. PHAs may also partner with organizations that offer services for children and youth, including child care, homework assistance, mentor

Homeless people are not the only vulnerable people or people in need of services who live in housing provided by PHA programs. Many PHAs have long experience with partnerships that deliver services to their tenants, and this experience continues to grow and evolve in directions that are relevant to PSH.

Public housing agencies (PHAs), often referred to as housing authorities, administer federal funding for housing assistance to low-income families and individuals. More than 4,000 PHAs nationwide administer the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) 1 program or own and operate public housing developments. PHAs range in size from fewer than 50 units of h