Planning and Development Services Department
TO: David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM: Margene K. Swarts, Assistant Director, Development Services
CC: Scott McCullough, Director, Planning and Development Services
DATE: August 5, 2009
Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has requested applications for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP), pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Through the HPRP and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Congress has authorized the dedication of funds for a variety of homelessness prevention activities and rapid re-housing activities for persons that have become homeless. KHRC is making approximately $8.3 million available statewide for a thirty month period for this program. The program is targeted and prioritized to serve households that are most in need of this temporary assistance and are most likely to achieve and maintain stable housing after the program concludes.
The City of Lawrence is partnering with the Lawrence/Douglas County Housing Authority to submit an application for the program that would address homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing in the City as well as the County. The application requests $1,285,750 for Financial Assistance and Housing Relocation and Stabilization Services for Homelessness Prevention and $911,930 for Financial Assistance and Housing Relocation and Stabilization Services for Rapid Re-housing. Additionally, the application includes a request for funds for data collection requirements as well as administrative costs for salaries of personnel providing the accounting and reporting of grant funds. A total of $2,253,930 is requested and 20% of the funds are to be utilized specifically for individuals or families residing in or homeless in the County as noted above so the venture will be a comprehensive program for Douglas County and not limited to the City of Lawrence.
Activities to support homelessness prevention include short term rent, rent for arrearages, utility assistance, utility assistance arrearages and housing stabilization counseling to a minimum of 400 unduplicated households during the thirty month grant period. It is anticipated financial assistance for the rapid re-housing program will provide security and utility deposits, short term rent assistance payments, moving costs, and housing stabilization counseling for a minimum of 176 unduplicated homeless individuals and families during the thirty month grant period. Only those persons able to demonstrate an ability to become stabilized in their housing will be served and specific criteria have been determined upon which this assessment will be based.
City staff conducted two meetings with potential interested applicants and then set a deadline for applications to be received and reviewed. One application was submitted for consideration. The comprehensive application received from the LDCHA evidences the ability to partner with many social service agencies in the community as well as the capacity to administer the program. Deadline for submission of the grant application to KHRC is August 21, 2009 and it is anticipated that funding decision will be made prior to September 25, 2009. The program start dated is October 1, 2009, program evaluation for expenditure distribution will be conducted by March 2, 2011, and all funds must be expended by March 2, 2012.
The City Clerk will have the document ready for the Mayor's signature. If you have further questions, please let me know.