Western MA Regional Network to End Homelessness
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Update on DHCD Homelessness Initiatives
October 23, 2014
Highlights of FY13 and 14
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 Assisted approx. 2,000 households with MRVP mobile vouchers
 Awarded 730 project-based MRVPs and 200 Section 8 PBVs to
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serve extremely low income households in new housing
Helped an additional 4,000 families in shelter to obtain permanent
housing with HomeBASE Household Assistance
Prevented 6,000 families from becoming homeless with RAFT
Program
Expanded shelter capacity by more than 725 beds
Reached goal of 1,000 supportive housing units in FY14, two years
early
Expanded Secure Jobs Program by $1.5M (total $2.5M) and placed
560 families in jobs
Awarded funds for approx. 6,000 units of permanent affordable
housing (production and preservation); reached milestone of
20,000 affordable units since 2007
FY15 MRVP Update
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Overall plan in consultation with working group for FY15:
--1,058 new mobile vouchers
--350 new project-based vouchers
-- Rent level increases for existing project-based vouchers
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LHAs began issuing 892 “unfrozen” vouchers in September
RAAs will begin issuing 166 “unfrozen” vouchers in December (application period runs
from October 6-November 3)
75 vouchers for Secure Jobs participants will be issued in November (lottery to be held
mid-October)
200 mobile vouchers to under-represented regions will be issued in November
(MetroWest and Cape Cod)
New project-based commitments will be made this fall and in 2015
FY15 HomeBASE Update
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 Increased benefit to $8,000 for exits and $6,000 for
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diversions (as of July 1, 2015)
HPST is being used for up to $2,000 for exits (HAS)
through an additional $3M in economic dev. bill
Both exits and diversions have increased
substantially compared to last summer
Co-location of shelter provider staff in local offices to
increase diversions
507 exits using HomeBASE household assistance or
32% of exits (July-September 2015)
FY15 RAFT Update
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 Started up on July 1 for first time in many years
 $1.5M increase in budget ($11M total)
 Increase in households served:
--July-Sept FY14: 557 approved
--July-Sept FY15: 972 approved
 Breakdown of households served (FY15 YTD):
--Below 15% of AMI: 27%
--16-30% of AMI: 46%
--31-50% of AMI: 27%
EA Entries and Exits
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Q1, FY14 (Jul-Sept)
Q1, FY15 (Jul-Sept)
EA Entries
1,775
1,575
Front Door Diversions
72
165
EA Exits
1,106
1,588
HomeBase “Only” Exits 341
507
Motel Change (7/110/14)
+727
-43
Avg. Daily Total EA
Caseload Change
+21.6%
+3.6%
Avg. Daily Caseload
Change in Motels
+50.8%
-1.6%
Emergency Shelter Re-housing Initiative
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 Experienced 44% increase in shelter entries, FY13 to FY14 (4,272 vs. 6,167)
 Phase-out of Extended Stay hotels
 Focusing on exits using $8,000 of HomeBASE; renewed contracts with
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RAAs for rehousing
Leading the Way Home (Boston Housing Authority); 724 new Section 8
vouchers for Boston families in EA shelter
New Lease Program; 70 families placed/in process of leasing private
affordable housing (YTD)
Started new case management with shelter providers in targeted hotels
Continuing close coordination with DPH, DCF and local volunteers
Hired Assistant Director of Hotel/Motel Field Operations
Expanded staff capacity in field offices, compliance, placement, and
hearings units
Continuing congregate expansion in high demand regions
Other Emergency Shelter Initiatives
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 Increased Individual Shelter contracts by 4%
 Invested in increased staffing resources to improve
HMIS data quality in both EA and Hotels
 Increased staffing resources to meet HEARTH ACT
federal requirements
 Assisting HMIS and CoC leads regarding Coordinated
Assessment/Intake
 Transferred Management of Shelter Plus Care Grant to
the Division of Housing Stabilization’s Federal Unit for
greater oversight and synchronicity with other federally
funded projects
Interagency Council on Housing & Homelessness
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 Unaccompanied homeless youth point-in-time count
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completed (first-in-the-nation); beginning plans for 2015
count
Report released on homelessness among older adults
Interim goals reached in homeless veterans plan
Integration task force on domestic violence
implementing new policies
DPH grant for housing placement and supports for 180
chronically homeless individuals with substance abuse
and mental health disorders
Nearing completion of report on ICHH initiatives and
accomplishments since 2007
Workforce Development
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 Secure Jobs expanded with use of HPST of $1M;
funds awarded in April 2014
 Approx. 506 families placed in jobs since Feb. 2013
 New Secure Jobs appropriation in Fy15 budget of
$500,000; RFP issued in August and awards
announced on October 7
 Self-Sufficiency Initiative with Community Action
Agencies resulted in 515 families enrolling in job
programs since 11/13; 36% increased their incomes
Supportive Housing Initiative
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 Reached goal of 1,000 supportive housing units in April,
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approx 2 years early
Completed first year progress report of Supportive
Housing Steering Committee (18 state agencies); now
developing 2015 action plan
Awarded funds for 335 new units in April and 200 new
units in July
$6 million in FY15 supplemental budget for “mini”
supportive housing round this fall – NOFA released
10/21/14
Social Innovations Financing (SIF) expected to launch
this fall (500 units)
Public Housing Revitalization
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 Won passage of major consensus reform legislation
 Public housing advisory committee has formed five working
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groups to implement reforms (training, performance, regional
pilots, regional capital teams, resident services)
Reached milestone of bringing nearly 500 vacant units back
online with special initiative
Launched MassLEAP Program (Learning, Employment,
Assets Program); awarded funds in May
Statewide, online application and waiting list is under active
development; expected to launch pilot in early 2015
Expanded Supportive Housing Program in elderly/disabled
developments by 10 new sites (with EOEA)
Releasing NOFA in October for expansion of Transitional
Housing Program (THP) for homeless families
Other DHCD Initiatives
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 HEAT/EAT takes effect in October; $1.3M in
LIHEAP will assist 163,000 households with
additional SNAP benefits
 10,000 unit multifamily unit goal: 4,782 through
August, triple since 2011
 Received significant increases in FY15 capital budget
for Housing Stabilization Fund (+$8.1M), Facilities
Consolidation Fund (+$4.1M), Housing Innovations
Fund (+4.4M) and Home Modifications Loan
Program (+2.5M)
Other DHCD Initiatives, continued
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 Reached milestone of preserving 14,000 expiring use
units since 2009; formed 13A working group in June
 Section 811 initiative for people with disabilities now
underway; first “state match” vouchers issued in
Sept.
 100 new vouchers for people with mental illness
(DMH Rental Assistance Program increase of $1M)
 2015 Qualified Allocation Plan to be finalized in
November (hearing held on October 16); focus on
managing development costs