Hamilton County Community Development

Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP)

Program Information

On March 19, 2009, the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published its Notice for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). HPRP is a formula grant made available to state and local governments participating in the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program. Hamilton County is eligible to receive a one-time grant of $1,396,621 for a 3 year period.

While HPRP is similar to the ESG program, there are a number of substantial differences, particularly in relation to eligible activities and eligible program participants. Primarily, HPRP funds can be used for Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing only, where ESG funds have a wider range of eligible activites, such as renovation or operation of homeless shelters. In addition, while ESG requires a dollar for dollar match of cash or in-kind services for the first $100,000 of an award, HPRP has no such match requirement.

Hamilton County Community Development has been meeting with staff of the City of Cincinnatiā€™s Department of Community Development, the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Continuum of Care and the Partnership Center on a joint City-County program to utilize these funds, as well as the $5,339,182 of HPRP funding allocated to the City. As such, the joint program will have a total budget of $6,735,803.

It is proposed that nearly 70% of these funds will be used for a Homelessness Prevention program that is designed to provide short-term (up to 3-months) of financial assistance to eligible households. Assistance will be provided through case managers at one of six agencies: the Free Store, the Salvation Army, Mercy Franciscan, St. Vincent de Paul, the Cincinnati Hamilton County Community Action Agency, and Santa Maria Community Services. All participants will be screened:

That homelessness is imminent without the assistance;
To ensure that they are cases that with the limited direct assistance will prevent homelessness; and
That the household meets the 50% AMI criteria.

The participating agency will be required to provide on-going case management and support to the participating household for the three-month period. Assistance may be provided no more than twice during the three-year grant period. The average level of assistance is estimated at $2000 per case and not to exceed $2500 per case.

Rapid Re-Housing activities will be restricted to single person households in order to complement a similar program for families that was awarded funding to the Continuum of Care as a part of the 2008 Supportive Housing Program. This component of the program will provide medium-term rental assistance for no more than twelve months. Eligible participants are single individuals from any emergency shelter. The Free Store will provide coordination among the shelters involved. Participants will also receive intensive case management to assist in stabilizing housing, maintaining housing, increasing skills and income, as well as providing attention to any other special needs. Financial assistance may also be provided to cover security deposits, rent and utility assistance, and as needed past due utility or rental payments to the extent that such prohibit a participant from being re-housed and within six months of the current date.

Rapid Re-Housing program will also include employment of a Benefits Specialist to assist participants is accessing benefits from Social Security and Medicaid that facilitate movement from shelters and permanent housing more rapidly, as well as a Housing Specialist to assist participants in accessing affordable housing and to arrange for inspection of such units to assure habitability. A final part of the Rapid Re-Housing is funding for limited assistance for participants by Legal Aid as appropriate.

Over the three-year period of the HPRP grant it is anticipated that 2240 clients will benefit from the Homelessness Prevention services, and the Rapid Re-Housing program will assist 522 individuals. It should be noted that HPRP funds are not eligible to be used to operate or construct shelters for the homeless.

The collaboration among the City, the County and the Continuum of Care is being pursued in order to minimize the administrative costs associated with this effort and to maximize the extent of benefit to program clients. Furthermore, by the City and the County providing these program funds, the United Way and other funders to the participating agencies will be providing the screening and case management services needed to make it a success.

The HUD Notice set an application deadline of May 18, 2009. According to the Citizen Participation Plan for Community Development, a Public Hearing must be held to consider comments on the proposed Substantial Amendment to the 2008 Action Plan. This hearing was held April 22, 2009. Following the required comment period, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners approved the Substantial Amendment on May 6, 2009 and the application was submitted to HUD on May 12, 2009. To view the final version of the Substantial Amendment, please click here.

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