NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY HOUSING FIRST INCREMENT 3
HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS (HOME) PROGRAMS TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (TBRA)
The City and County of Honolulu, Department of Community Services, through its Department of Budget and Fiscal Services Purchasing Division, is soliciting applications from private nonprofit agencies by the submission deadline of this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for federal funding from the City’s HOME Programs for Fiscal Year 2020. The City anticipates that it will award a contract of one hundred (100) "Housing First Increment 3" vouchers valued at approximately $2,200,000 in a combination of HOME and City funds.
$1,200,000 will be in the form of HUD HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) vouchers pursuant to the rules and regulations of 24 CFR §92, and $1,000,000 in City funds are to be used for Case Management Services for each voucher recipient in a $1.20:$1.00 match. This contract will be for one (1) year, renewable for four (4) additional one (1) year extensions based on performance and subject to funding availability.
UNDERSTANDING HOUSING FIRST
Terms and Requirements
Specific target population:
Unsheltered individuals/families living on O’ahu who are prioritized as needing long-term permanent supportive housing after being assessed using the Vl-SPDAT tool.
Description of Housing First program:
Housing First is a nationally recognized best practice proven to be the most effective and efficient approach to helping people experiencing chronic homelessness off of the streets.
The approach prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, without preconditions or barriers to entry, such as sobriety, treatment or service participation requirements, job retention, etc.
Permanent supportive housing provides a critically important foundation of safety, security, and support to people experiencing chronic homelessness. Once housed, supportive services are offered such as assistance with mental illness, substance abuse, job training and placement, financial literacy, and other life skills, to maximize housing stability and prevent returns to homelessness as opposed to addressing predetermined treatment goals prior to permanerit housing entry.
Housing First does not require participation in supportive services as a condition of tenancy.
Key Program Tenets
Low or no barrier to permanent housing or program service enrollment. Barriers are limited to issues related to violence or criminal activity, where applicable.
Housing First prioritizes the stabilization of households in permanent housing without prerequisite for program compliance.
No discharge due to substance abuse activity or relapse. While treatment is encouraged, it is not a requirement for continued program stay.
Case Management philosophy focuses on client-centered or client-directed services. All services will be geared toward keeping all household members housed.
UNDERSTANDING TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE
HOME Terms and Requirements
Eligible Participants
The majority of households who receive HOME TBRA assistance must be very low-income. This means that they have a gross annual household income of 60 percent or less of the median income for their area, as determined by HUD. No assisted household may have an income that exceeds 80 percent of area median income.
Eligible Units
Assisted households identify the housing unit of their choice. Eligible properties may be publicly or privately owned and must meet Housing Quality Standards.
Rents
Units must have reasonable rents, based on rents that are charged for comparable unassisted units in the jurisdiction. The established maximum rent is the HIGH HOME limit for the City and County of Honolulu. Tenants shall contribute 30% of their adjusted monthly income for rent. Contractor shall use the tenant rent calculation method of the Continuum of Care – Permanent Housing program to determine adjusted monthly income and rent requirements. In some cases 30% of their adjusted monthly income could be $0.
To submit a Housing First Increment 3 funding application:
Interested agencies may download the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) packet
at http://www.honolulu.gov/pur/gsc.html under the "Bids for Goods, Services and Concessions" link provided.
Complete the Housing First Increment 3 funding application, including all required attachments. Applications must be submitted to the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services Purchasing Division at Honolulu Hale, 530 South King Street, Room 115, Honolulu, Hawai’i by the date and time as stated in the NOFA packet, as amended.
Questions may be directed bfspurchasing@honolulu .gov.
Nelson H. Koyanagi, Jr. Director
Department of Budget and Fiscal Services
Pamela A Witty-Oakland , Director
Department of Community Services
By order of KIRK CALDWELL, MAYOR
City and County of Honolulu
(SA1292985 8/28/20)
