FY 2019 CONSOLIDATED HOMELESS FUND

EMERENCY SHELTER OPERATIONS

AND

ESSENTIAL SERVICES APPLICATION

Subject to the provisions in 576.100 (b) and the Consolidated Homeless Fund Policies and Procedures, Emergency Shelter funds may be used for costs of providing essential services to families and individuals in emergency shelters, renovating buildings to be used as emergency shelter for homeless families and individuals, and operating emergency shelters.
Individuals and families who meet HUD’s definition of Homeless (as defined by HUD Homelessness Categories 1-4, see Appendix 1) are eligible to receive services through CHF. Generally, these include individuals and families who are:
  1. Literally Homeless (living on the street or in emergency shelter)
  2. Imminently Homeless (within14 days)
  3. Unaccompanied youth/families who meet other Federal homeless definition (must also meet additional criteria for HUD, similar to 2.
  4. Fleeing/attempting to flee Domestic Violence
Household composition includes an individual living alone, family with or without children, or a group of individuals who areliving together as one economic unit. In all cases a household must lack sufficient resources and support networks necessary to obtain or retain housing without the provision of CHF assistance to be program eligible.
PROJECT INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND
Applicant (Agency) Legal Name
Project/Program Name
Project Address
HMIS Bin Number
Contact Person (person responsible for day to day management of program)
Contact Person Phone
Contact Person Email
*Please note that project name and HMIS Bin number will be used by CHF in all future correspondence. If this is a new project please indicate by entering “new” for the HMIS Bin Number. If this is a domestic violence shelter please indicate by entering “DV” for the HMIS Bin number.
  1. Funding Request: Please specify below the type of funding this project is requesting (check one that best describes your request for funding):

Emergency Shelter Operations and Essential Services Support
Emergency Shelter Operations Support Only
Essential Services Only
  1. Bed and Unit Capacity for Emergency Shelter
/ Beds / Units
How many beds/units does this project have TOTAL?
How many beds/units does this project have for households without children?
How many beds/units does this project have for households with children?
Notes on Capacity (including information regarding number of overflow beds/units available):
  1. Compliance with ESG/CHF Requirements

  1. Shelter Programs: Check the following that apply to your shelter (Answer yes, no or N/A to each question). Please be advised that your shelter must send in a copy of your shelter policies and procedures, by no later than September 30, 2018. Agencies that are deemed to have insufficient policies and procedures must submit a corrective action plan to the Consolidated Homeless Fund, along with their FY 2020 Request for Funding.

Requirement / Y, N or N/A
The agency follows a written schedule for regular habitability inspections of the shelter.
The shelter was either constructed after 1978, determined to be free of lead-based paint, or the agency follows a regular schedule for lead-based paint visual inspections.
The agency affirmatively markets the program/project to all individuals/families in need of the facilities/services on a non-discriminatory basis regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity, national origin, familial status, or disability who may qualify for those services/facilities.
The agency follows a written reasonable accommodation policy to ensure shelter is provided to persons with disabilities, incompliance with ADA.
The agency follows written policies to meet the safety needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
The shelter takes steps to ensure meaningful access to programs and activities for limited English Proficiency (LEP) Persons.
The program complies with HUD’s Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity published on February 3, 2015.
The agency promotes fair housing laws and provides clients with information about fair housing.
The shelter keeps written records for all clients assisted, including documents to determine eligibility under HUD's homelessness definition.
The agency keeps a written record of all individuals that are denied shelter due to ineligibility.
The agency follows written policies for admission, diversion, referral, and discharge, including length of stay.
The agency actively implements shelter diversion strategies.
The agency follows written policies for assessing, prioritizing, and reassessing individuals' needs for essential services.
The agency follows written policies and procedures to ensure coordination with other service providers.
All children served by the program are connected with McKinney Services within the local school system.
The shelter serves families with minor children, and has no restrictions regarding the age or gender of the children.
  1. Housing First: Indicate which of the following applies to your program's eligibility policies and practices. (Please answer Yes or no to each question)

Policy/Practice / Y or No
Program screens out applicants for having too little or no income.
Program screens out applicants for active substance abuse.
Program screens out applicants for failure to participate in supportive services.
  1. If you answered yes to any question in b above, please explain why?

  1. Total PROJECTED Served Annually 7/1/2018 through 6/30/2019(Please note: If funded, these numbers will be referenced later to determine project progress.)
/ Number / Percent
Individuals
Number of families
Average family size
Number of persons in families
Total unduplicated persons (12 months) assisted
Total households assisted*
*Generally, households assisted = individuals + number of families. However, multiple individuals can be assisted in a single household (unrelated roommates.
  1. Subpopulations (Indicate the Number and Percentages of the following homeless sub-populations served by the Program/Project).
/ Number / Percent
Subpopulation
Chronically Homeless (meets HUD definition of Chronically Homeless)
Long Term Homeless Families
Chronic Substance Abusers
Veterans
Victims of Domestic Violence
  1. Cities/Geographic Areas Served (Indicate the approximate percentages of the number of homeless individuals to be served in these areas).
/ Number / %
City of Providence
City of Pawtucket
City of Woonsocket
Other Geographic Area, please specify:
Other Geographic Area, please specify
  1. Service Provision (indicate below which services you will offer to clients directly and which you will offer through referral)

Service / Provided Directly / Provided through Referral
Number / Percent / Number / Percent
Case Management
Assistance obtaining permanent housing
Assistance with SSI/SSDI Applications
Assistance applying for SNAP Benefits
Assisted with other benefits
Childcare
Education Services
Employment Assistance and job training
Outpatient Health Services
Legal Services
Life Skills Training
Mental Health Services
Transportation
Emergency Shelter Bed
Other Assistance, please specify
PROGRAM/PROJECT DESIGN
  1. Homeless Need: Please describe what local need and service gaps this program seeks to fill or currently fills.

  1. Entry/Eligibility Requirements:Discuss eligibility requirements including intake processes and requirements for clients upon entering program/project, etc. Describe how you will verify homelessness.

  1. Project Requirements

Briefly discuss fees, house rules, requirements of participants during enrollment,reasonsfor dismissal, termination/eviction processes, appeal procedures,etc.
  1. Site Information (applicants applying for essential services do not have to answer this question).

Briefly discuss layout, conditions, and hours of operation, if 24-hour staff are available on site or on call.
  1. Length of Stay/Participation

  1. What is the maximum length of stay/participation for this program/project?

  1. Explain rationale for maximum lengths of stay/participation.

  1. Typically, how much time passes from initial assessment to permanent housing referral?

  1. Collaborating with the Coordinated Entry System to Increase Housing Stability

  1. How does your program participate with coordinated entry (check all that apply)?
Staff completes VI SPDAT/SPDAT assessments
Accepts referrals from coordinated entry
Other, please describe:
Other, please describe:
  1. How does your program partner with street outreach programs to ensure that individuals and families who are unhoused have access to Emergency Shelter, if needed? List the street outreach programs that you regularly partner with?

  1. How does your program partner with Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing programs to provide permanent housing? Please list the Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing Programs your program currently partners with?

  1. How will your program increase exits to permanent housing?

  1. Case Management and Individualized Service Plan

  1. Does your program develop an individualized housing and service plan, including a path to permanent housing stability (Housing Plan) for each client/household? If yes, please describe how this plan is designed to help clients achieve permanent housing? If your program does not currently develop an individualized service plan, describe how your program will develop individualized housing and service plans moving forward?
  1. Describe how you assess when a household is ready to exit the project. Describe how you follow up with households that have exited the program?

  1. Mainstream Benefits

  1. Describe the efforts your project makes to connect participants with mainstream benefits. If benefits support is provided by a 3rd party, please describe. Include a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in application upload if a 3rd party is used.

  1. Employment Support

Describe the efforts your project takes to connect participants with job training and employment opportunities. If job training and employment services are provided by a 3rd party, please describe. Include a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in application upload if a 3rd party is used.
  1. What distinguishes your project from other programs providing similar services?

18.Emergency Shelter Project Performance (if applicant was an CHF Provider FY 2017-18 grantee)

Applicants that were funded for Emergency Shelter in Program Year 2017 (July 1, 2017- June 30, 3018, should report YTD performance (July 1, 2017-March 31, 2018 in the charts below. Refer to the CHF Application Information Packet, Appendix 7: ESG Application Data Sources for instructions on which reports should be used.

Project Outputs
Total Number of Persons Served
Total Number of Adults without Children Served
Total Number of Adults with Children Served
Total Number of Children Served
Total Number of Households Served
Total Number of Households without Children Served
Total Number of Households with Children and Adults Served
Total Number of Households with Only Children Served
Utilization Rate- Households with without Children as of the 2017 Point-in-Time-Count
Utilization Rate-Households with Children and Adults as of the 2017 Point-in-Time-Count
Project Impact
Average length of program enrollment
Percentage of all leavers who exited to PH
Percentage of all participant leavers who exited to shelter, streets or unknown within first 90 days
Percentage of all participant leavers who exited to shelter, streets or unknown after at least 90 days in program
Number of Exits to Don’t Know/Refused/Did Not Collect Destinations
Percentage of all adult participants who gained or increased EARNED income from entry to exit/follow-up (leavers and stayers)
Percentage of all adult participants who gained or increased OTHER (NON-EARNED) income from entry to exit/follow-up (leavers and stayers)
Data Quality
HMIS Universal Data Elements null/unknown
  1. MEASURING PROGRAM SUCCESS/EFFICIENCY (Continued)

  1. Is your program on track to achieve its CHFP performance objectives for the year? If not, please explain why not?

  1. BUDGET/FUNDING REQUEST

Please attach program/ projectbudget. Include all sources of financial support, including the amounts provided by other sources of funding. Use CHF FY 2019 Budget Form to prepare budget.

  1. If your program/project does not receive full funding, is it financially viable?
  1. If you are requesting an increase in funding, over your FY 2018 allocation, please why this increase is needed?
  1. If you are requesting funding for a transitional housing/Operation First Step Program, please explain why your clients would not be better served by Rapid Rehousing.
  1. Eligible Costs: Eligible budget costs include the following:

CHF/ESG funds may be used for costs of providing essential services to homeless families and individuals in emergency shelters and operating emergency shelters. Further note that the age, of a child under age 18 must not be used as a basis for denying any family’s admission to an emergency shelter or services to families with children under age 18.

a.Case management. The cost of assessing, arranging, coordinating, and monitoring the delivery of individualized services to meet the needs of the project participant is eligible. Component services and activities consist of: (A) Using the centralized or coordinated assessment system as required under § 576.400(d); (B) Conducting the initial evaluation required under § 576.401(a), including verifying and documenting eligibility; (C) Counseling; (D) Developing, securing, and coordinating services and obtaining Federal, State, and local benefits; (E) Monitoring and evaluating project participant progress; (F) Providing information and referrals to other providers; (G) Providing ongoing risk assessment and safety planning with victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and (H) Developing an individualized housing and service plan, including planning a path to permanent housingstability.

b.Child care. The costs of child care for project participants, including providing meals and snacks, and comprehensive and coordinated sets of appropriate developmental activities, are eligible. The children must be under the age of 13, unless they are disabled. Disabled children must be under the age of 18. The child-care center must be licensed by the jurisdiction in which it operates in order for its costs to beeligible.

c.Education services. When necessary for the project participant to obtain and maintain housing, the costs of improving knowledge and basic educational skills are eligible. Services include instruction or training in consumer education, health education, substance abuse prevention, literacy, English as a Second Language, and General Educational Development (GED). Component services or activities are screening, assessment and testing; individual or group instruction; tutoring; provision of books, supplies and instructional material; counseling; and referral to communityresources.

d.Employment assistance and job training. The costs of employment assistance and job training projects are eligible, including classroom, online, and/or computer instruction; on-the-job instruction; and services that assist individuals in securing employment, acquiring learning skills, and/or increasing earning potential. Learning skills include those skills that can be used to secure and retain a job. Services that assist individuals in securing employment consist of employment screening, assessment, or testing; structured job skills and job-seeking skills; special training and tutoring, including literacy training and prevocational training; books and instructional material; counseling or job coaching; and referral to communityresources.

e.Outpatient health services. Eligible costs are for the direct outpatient treatment of medical conditions and are provided by licensed medical professionals. Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds may be used only for these services to the extent that other appropriate health services are unavailable within the community. Eligible treatment consists of assessing a project participant’s health problems and developing a treatment plan; assisting project participants to understand their health needs; providing directly or assisting project participants to obtain appropriate medical treatment, preventive medical care, and health maintenance services, including emergency medical services; providing medication and follow- up services; and providing preventive and non-cosmetic dentalcare.

f.Legal services. (A) Eligible costs are the hourly fees for legal advice and representation by attorneys licensed and in good standing with the bar association of the State in which the services are provided, and by person(s) under the supervision of the licensed attorney, regarding matters that interfere with the project participant’s ability to obtain and retain housing. (B) Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds may be used only for these services to the extent that other appropriate legal services are unavailable or inaccessible within the community. (C) Eligible subject matters are child support, guardianship, paternity, emancipation, and legal separation, orders of protection and other civil remedies for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and appeal of veterans and public benefit claim denials. (D) Component services or activities may include client intake, preparation of cases fortrial,provision of legal advice, representation at hearings, and counseling. (E) Fees based on the actual service performed (i.e., fee for service) are also eligible, but only if the cost would be less than the cost of hourly fees. Filing fees and other necessary court costs are also eligible. If the subrecipient is a legal services provider and performs the services itself, the eligible costs are the subrecipient’s employees’ salaries and other costs necessary to perform the services. (F) Legal services for immigration and citizenship matters and issues relating to mortgages are ineligible costs. Retainer fee arrangements and contingency fee arrangements are ineligible costs.

g.Life skills training. The costs of teaching critical life management skills that may never have been learned or have been lost during the course of physical or mental illness, domestic violence, substance use, and homelessness are eligible costs. These services must be necessary to assist the project participant to function independently in the community. Component life skills training are budgeting resources, managing money, managing a household, resolving conflict, shopping for food and needed items, improving nutrition, using public transportation, andparenting.

h.Mental health services. (A) Eligible costs are the direct outpatient treatment by licensed professionals of mental health conditions. (B) ESG funds may only be used for these services to the extent that other appropriate mental health services are unavailable or inaccessible within the community. (C) Mental health services are the application of therapeutic processes to personal, family, situational, or occupational problems in order to bring about positive resolution of the problem or improved individual or family functioning or circumstances. Problem areas may include family and marital relationships, parent- child problems, or symptom management. (D) Eligible treatment consists of crisis interventions; individual, family, or group therapy sessions; the prescription of psychotropic medications or explanations about the use and management of medications; and combinations of therapeutic approaches to address multipleproblems.