FORT WORTH/ARLINGTON/TARRANT COUNTY CONTINUUM OF CARE FY2013 COC PROGRAM RFP FOR TX 601

RFP ISSUE DATE: December 3, 2013 DEADLINE: 5:00 PM Friday, December 20, 2013 FUNDING OPP #: HUD FR-5700-N-31B “NOFA for the Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014 CoC Competition” CFDA: 14.267 FUNDS AVAILABLE: FY2013 - $11,488,302 - $12,092,949 FY2013 Tier 1 = $11,488,302 Tier 2 = $604,647 FY2014 – Not known until no sooner than 60 days after Congress enacts an appropriation funding the Department for the balance of FY 2014. APPLICANT BRIEFING: Friday, December 6, 1:00 pm Fort Worth Housing Authority Auditorium

Coversheet for ALL CoC Project Submissions PART I: NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS PART II: NEW RAPID RE-HOUSING FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN PART III: RENEWAL COC PROGRAM PROJECTS

RFP APPENDIX: eSNAPS New Project Template Match Template for Match Commitment Letter Leverage 101 Template for Leverage Letter

SPECIAL NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS ON THIS FUNDING CYCLE:

This is an unusual RFP for CoC Funding. The CoC will submit to HUD one Collaborative Application by February 3, 2013 and three FY2013 project lists for New, Renewal and Planning projects. HUD funding will be determined by our local CoC score in the national competition. By mid spring, we will turn around and have a second local competition for projects for FY2014, funding to be subject to the same CoC Collaborative Application score from the FY2013 competition. The score we receive as a community in FY2013 will apply to two separate funding cycles. As many of you are aware, HUD is nearly a full 12 months delayed in the normal NOFA cycle. This two- year NOFA is being used to catch up with this cycle and should result in no NOFA/RFP process over the holidays in 2014 and reduce the delay in grant agreement execution for renewal projects for FY2014.

The score for our local application is critical in 1) reducing or minimizing cuts to our local allocation (Tiering system in place again in FY2012) and, 2) determining our competitiveness for two years of funding of

1 approximately $24 million. Because of this significant pressure on performance, this RFP directly reflects HUD’s well communicated goals and objectives. Projects must address national objectives, goals and policy priorities. The NOFA is available at https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/FY2013-2014CoCProgramNOFA.pdf.

There are no permanent housing bonus funds available. New projects can only be funded through reallocation of existing funds from renewal projects as decided by the Community Projects Review Committee.

Because of the consolidating impacts of the HEARTH Act on coordination and centralization of planning, client prioritization, project monitoring and evaluation, performance as measured in the HMIS is one of the most influential elements in HUD evaluation of our local CoC performance. HMIS data is the sole metric of local performance that is carried over into APRs, the AHAR, HDX, PIT and HIC.

The function of the Coordinated Assessment System, currently under development with a target go-live of April 1, 2014, will impact the implementation of all projects awarded. The CoC will conform to HUD targeted populations of chronically homeless with the longest experiences in homelessness, veterans that are not eligible for VA programs, and homeless households with children. The ETO HMIS system, as part of the under development Coordinated Assessment System, will be the primary documentation mechanism to verify eligibility and priority population status of clients for new and renewing PSH and RRH programs.

CONTINUUM OF CARE PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The CoC Program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; to provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and local governments to quickly re-house the homeless while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness; to promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by the homeless; and to optimize self-sufficiency among those experiencing homelessness.

HUD has instructed local communities to comprehensively review all existing projects to determine the extent to which each project addresses policy priorities and expects local CoCs to reallocate projects that are underperforming, obsolete or ineffective, for new projects that are based on proven or promising models that address policy priorities.

Eligible Project Applicants: (24 CFR 578.15) Eligible project applicants for the CoC Program Competition are nonprofit organizations, States, local governments, and instrumentalities of State and local governments, and public housing agencies, as such term is defined in 24 CFR 5.100, without limitation or exclusion. For-profit entities are not eligible to apply for grants or to be subrecipients of grant funds. To be eligible for funding under this NOFA, project applicants must meet all statutory and regulatory requirements in the HEARTH Act and CoC Program interim rule.

HEARTH Act: https://www.onecpd.info/homelessness-assistance/hearth-act/ COC Program Interim Rule: https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/CoCProgramInterimRule.pdf

2 HUD and COC POLICY PRIORITIES

1. Ending Chronic Homelessness by 2015

Increasing Beds for the Chronically Homeless: New PSH projects must exclusively serve the chronically homeless with the longest experiences in homelessness to work towards the national goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2015. (Definition at 24 CFR 578.3)

Targeting Resources for Chronically Homeless: The chronically homeless should be given priority for all PSH beds. As renewal project PSH beds become vacant from turnover, documented chronically homeless persons should be given priority for those beds.

Housing First: PSH projects should offer housing without preconditions such as sobriety of a minimum income threshold or service participation requirements. PSH project should use a Housing First approach in the design of the program.

2. Ending Family Homelessness

Rapid Rehousing: increase the supply of permanent rapid re-housing that is time-limited, individualized and flexible. Rapid Re-housing beds must serve households with children living on the streets or in emergency shelters only.

3. Removing Barriers to CoC Resources

Coordinated Assessment System: The CoC will develop a system of assessing needs that matches the needs of households to the most appropriate housing and service options and prioritize clients served to meet goals.

Transitional Housing: HUD acknowledges that transitional housing (TH) can be an effective tool in addressing the needs of specific subpopulations. HUD is strongly encouraging CoCs and recipients to carefully review the transitional housing models for cost effectiveness, performance, and for the number and type of criteria used to determine eligibility for the program and determine if rapid re-housing may be a better model.

Prioritizing Households Most In Need: CoCs should target CoC Program resources to serving those with the highest level of needs and the longest experience in homelessness.

4. Maximizing the Use of Mainstream Resources

Supportive Services Funding: HUD allows for certain supportive service costs and Supportive Services Only projects; HUD prioritizes projects where HUD funds are used primarily for housing-related costs. CoCs must demonstrate proactive efforts to connect households with all mainstream resources and other supportive service funding opportunities.

3 BUDGETS

Match: Match must be documented with commitment letters dated prior to submission of the CoC Program application to HUD. Please submit letters of commitment dated by the date of our local competition, December 20, 2013. Match is a component of the operating budget of your project. It can be in-kind or cash. Match is not a scoring component in the CoC application; it is required to participate in the program. Match is 25% of all budget line items except Leasing.

Leverage: In the FY2012 application, the CoC scored 1 of 6 points for leverage. Given that in total, we scored 2 points short of receiving our Permanent Housing Bonus Projects; local Leveraging is an area that the community must improve upon. For this FY2013 and FY2014 cycle, HUD will award up to 5 points to CoCs that demonstrate the extent to which the amount of assistance to be provided to the CoC will be supplemented with resources from other public and private sources, including mainstream programs. CoCs that have 100 percent participation in leveraging from all project applications (including only those projects that have commitment letter(s) on file that are dated within 60 days of the CoC application deadline – no later than April 4, 2014) and that have at a minimum 150 percent of the total project in leveraging will receive the maximum points.

Therefore, project prioritization and ranking in the Tiering process will include evaluating the % of leverage in the application compared to other local projects.

Complete information and tips on what to claim as leverage and a template of a leverage commitment letters is found in the appendix of this RFP.

Administration Costs: HUD will offer bonus points if ALL projects administration budget line items are no more than 7%. In last year’s competition, HUD calculated admin in such a way that some projects actually had a 7.00001% admin level, deemed greater than 7% and thus, many CoCs, including ours, did not get the 2 bonus points. Make sure admin is no greater than 6.99% or less so our CoC may receive the 2 bonus points in FY2013 and FY2014. TCHC will check the admin rates submit and will ask that they be reduced if deemed over 7%.

Admin Calculation:

eSNAPS Part 7K. Budget Summary Line 8 “Sub-total Costs Requested” x 6.99% = Line 9. Admin $

4 COVER SHEET FOR ALL FY2013 COC PROJECT APPLICATIONS

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION: (This person will be available the day the CPRC meets to make ranking decisions 1/14/2014 Noon – 4 pm)

Name: Email: Cell Phone: eSNAPS CONTACT: (Authorized user submitting your CoC Project Application in eSNAPS)

Name: Email: Cell Phone:

APPLICATION TYPE:

 NEW PSH Project  NEW RRH Project  RENEWAL CoC Project

CoC PROJECT APPLICATION CHECKLIST:

____Coversheet (All) ____Complete SNAPS Application in PDF format – All parts from 1A to 9B and attachments (All) ____Local CoC Project Application (All) ____Subrecipient Agreement Letter (If applicable) ____Collaboration Letter(s) with CHOs (PSH and RRH only) ____Match Commitment Source Letter(s) (All) ____Leverage Commitment/Documentation Letter(s) (All)

5 PART I: NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS

PSH Project Priorities:

New PSH projects must exclusively house the chronically homeless with the longest experiences in homelessness. Projects should target individuals with HMIS documentation of: 1) unsheltered or emergency sheltered homelessness for at least two or more years (continuous or in aggregate from recurring episodes of homelessness), and 2) a documented physical, severe mental illness, or chronic substance abuse disability, (documentation should be scanned and added as a critical document Touchpointwithin the ETO system) and/or, 3) chronically homeless veterans that with documented ineligibility for VA benefits. (e.g. declined by VASH). If funded, agencies will verify eligibility of a client through the HMIS Documentation of Homelessness function of the Coordinated Assessment System to assure that all funds are expended on the priority populations as stipulated in the HUD NOFA. As the CoC reduces the number of chronically homeless with two or more years of homelessness, the CoC will consider a change in this FY2013 RFP prioritization policy to decrease the threshold length of stay in homelessness.

New PSH Projects must be designed with a Housing First model with no preconditions such as sobriety, a minimum income or service participation requirements.

PSH Projects funded by FY2013 funds will participate in the Coordinated Assessment System by verification clients fit the prioritization profile set by the CoC and verified through the HMIS. The profile is persons with documented disability and a length of stay in homelessness of at least two years. As the targeted group population declines among the unsheltered and emergency sheltered, the CoC will consider a new target population of chronically homeless persons with less than two years of continual homelessness.

How to Apply:

1. Complete a New Project Application in eSNAPS for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). The eSNAPS application must include at least 2 additional performance measures (eSNAPS question 6b). All new projects will be funded by reallocation (eSNAPS Question 7A. 2.). Export to PDF and submit with the additional application information. A copy of the eSNAPS application template can be found in the appendix of this RFP. NOTE: eSNAPS will NOT work with Internet Explorer 10.0 or greater. It DOES work in Google Chrome.

2. Complete the CoC Project Coversheet and the CoC Application.

3. Email all in ONE PDF file to [email protected] by 5:00 pm Friday, December 20.

6 FORT WORTH/ARLINGTON/TARRANT COUNTY CONTINUUM OF CARE FY2013 COC PROGRAM NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING APPLICATION

RECIPIENT:

SUBRECIPIENT: (if applicable, signed subrecipient agreement letter must accompany application):

PROJECT NAME:

NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS and BEDS to be created for the chronically homeless:

TOTAL COC PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED: (eSNAPS Part 7K Summary Budget line 10)

I. ADDRESSING POLICY PRIORITIES AND PERFORMANCE GOALS:

1. ENDING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS: The CoC will be prioritizing CoC funds for the chronically homeless with the longest experiences in homelessness as documented in the ETO HMIS system. Describe how your agency will work directly with Contributing HMIS Organizations (CHO) that provide outreach to the unsheltered and emergency sheltered, to identify eligible clients and work together to rapidly house and stabilize these hardest to serve clients.

New PSH Projects must provide a letter of understanding between the CoC Applicant and one or more CHOs serving the chronically homeless detailing a cooperative agreement on identifying clients and assuring a coordinated transition into permanent supportive housing.

2. SUPPORTIVE SERVICES: RRH projects should maximize the amount of HUD CoC funding used for housing related costs. What specific non-HUD resources will be used to provide supportive services for the clients served?

II. HMIS

1. Does your organization conduct a background check on all employees who access or view HMIS data?

7 PART II: NEW RAPID RE-HOUSING FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN

RRH Project Priorities:

Rapid Rehousing projects funded under the FY2013 CoC Program will only be used to house those families with children that are experiencing stays in one of the CoC’s emergency shelters or are unsheltered as documented in the HMIS. Domestic Violence families will also be eligible if they have documented stays at SafeHaven of Tarrant County emergency shelter which maintains a separate HMIS equivalent client database.

RRH Projects funded under the FY2013 CoC Program will participate in the Coordinated Assessment System in identifying eligible clients come from unsheltered and

RRH Projects must identify one of two basic CoC Rental Subsidy policies (*Note: the CoC Board of Directors will not adopt the formal CoC Rental Policy for Rapid Rehousing until the January 15, 2013 CoC Board meeting):

A. Income Based Subsidy: 30% of household income with a $50 minimum rent if an all bills paid lease. Reevaluation of client income must occur at 90 days, and every 30 days thereafter, OR B. Graduated Declining Subsidy: 100% subsidy for a maximum of first 3 months, 50% for maximum of next 3 months, 25% for next 3 months (months7-9) OR 0% depending on client stabilization progress. Reevaluation of client income must occur at 90 days, and every 30 days thereafter.

Both subsidy policies include a household major event clause that calls for a recertification of rent/income recalculation to be conducted for major life events such as: change of employment (new, loss, significant income change) birth of child, divorce/marriage, etc.

How to Apply:

1. Complete a New Project Application in eSNAPS for Rapid Rehousing (RRH). The eSNAPS application must include at least 2 additional performance measures (eSNAPS question 6b). All new projects will be funded by reallocation (eSNAPS Question 7A. 2.). Export to PDF and submit with the additional application information. A copy of the eSNAPS application template can be found in the appendix of this RFP. NOTE: eSNAPS will NOT work with Internet Explorer 10.0 or greater. It DOES work in Google Chrome.

2. Complete the CoC Application that will serve as the cover page for your agencies application.

3. Email all in ONE PDF file to [email protected] by 5:00 pm Friday, December 20.

8 FORT WORTH/ARLINGTON/TARRANT COUNTY CONTINUUM OF CARE FY2013 COC PROGRAM NEW RAPID RE-HOUSING APPLICATION

RECIPIENT:

SUBRECIPIENT: (if applicable, signed subrecipient agreement letter must accompany application)

PROJECT NAME:

NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS and BEDS to be created:

TOTAL COC PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED: (eSNAPS Part 7K Summary Budget line 10)

I. ADDRESSING POLICY PRIORITIES AND PERFORMANCE GOALS:

1. RRH PROJECTS: ENDING FAMILY HOMELESSNESS: RRH programs funded in FY2013 must serve unsheltered or emergency sheltered families as documented in the ETO HMIS System. If funded, agencies will verify eligibility of a client through the HMIS Documentation of Homelessness function of the Coordinated Assessment System to assure that all funds are expended on the priority populations as stipulated in the HUD NOFA. Describe how the agency will work directly with Contributing HMIS Organizations (CHO) that serve homeless families with children to identify target clients and work together to rapidly house and stabilize families.

New RRH projects must provide a letter of understanding between the CoC Applicant and one or more CHOs that provide unsheltered outreach or emergency shelter services to families that details a cooperative agreement on identifying households with children to be rapidly rehoused and assuring a collaborative transition into permanent housing.

2. RENTAL SUBSIDY: Describe which of the two CoC Rental Subsidy Options your agency will utilize in its program and how it will continually evaluate household income. (Income based or Graduated Declining Subsidy).

3. SUPPORTIVE SERVICES: RRH projects should maximize the amount of HUD CoC funding used for housing related costs. What specific non-HUD resources will be used to provide supportive services for the clients served?

II. HMIS

1. Does your organization conduct a background check on all employees who access or view HMIS data?

9 PART III: RENEWAL CONTINUUM OF CARE PROJECTS

How to Apply:

1. Complete a Renewal Project Application in eSNAPS for Rapid Rehousing (RRH). The eSNAPS application must include at least 2 additional performance measures (eSNAPS question 6b). Export to PDF and submit with the additional application information. A copy of the eSNAPS application template can be found in the appendix of this RFP. NOTE: eSNAPS will NOT work with Internet Explorer 10.0 or greater. It DOES work in Google Chrome.

2. Complete the CoC Project Coversheet and CoC Application.

3. Email all in ONE PDF file to [email protected] by 5:00 pm Friday, December 20.

10 FORT WORTH/ARLINGTON/TARRANT COUNTY CONTINUUM OF CARE FY2013 COC PROGRAM ALL PROJECTS RENEWAL APPLICATION

PROJECT TYPE: (PSH, RRH, TH, SH, SSO, HMIS, CoC PLANNING)

RECIPIENT:

SUBRECIPIENT: (if applicable, signed subrecipient agreement letter must accompany application)

PROJECT NAME:

NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS and BEDS provided:

TOTAL COC PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED: (eSNAPS Part 7K Summary Budget line 10)

I. ADDRESSING POLICY PRIORITIES AND PERFORMANCE GOALS:

1. PSH RENEWAL PROJECTS ONLY – ENDING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS: CoCs will be evaluated on the extent to which they are prioritizing the chronically homeless in all CoC Program-funded permanent supportive housing–not just those units that are dedicated to that population. CoCs and projects are strongly encouraged to prioritize the chronically homeless in non-dedicated permanent supportive housing beds as they become available through turnover. 16 points within the competition are offered for CoCs that increase the total number of PSH beds dedicated for use by the chronically homeless. HUD will give maximum points to CoCs where 85% of PSH beds are dedicated for the chronically homeless. Currently, the CoC has 1,315 McKinney-Vento funded PSH beds of which 709 are dedicated to the chronically homeless (53%). Provide the number of beds that will be dedicated to the chronically homeless with the longest experiences in homelessness with FY2013 and FY2014 CoC renewal funds made available through turnover.

2. PSH RENEWAL PROJECTS ONLY - ENDING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS: The CoC will be prioritizing CoC funds for the chronically homeless with the longest experiences in homelessness as documented in the ETO HMIS system. Agencies will be required to verify eligibility of a client through the HMIS Documentation of Homelessness function of the Coordinated Assessment System to assure that all funds are expended on the priority populations as stipulated in the HUD NOFA. Describe how your agency will work directly with Contributing HMIS Organization(s) (CHO) that provide outreach to the unsheltered and emergency sheltered homeless, to identify chronically homeless individuals with the longest experiences in homelessness (two years or more) and work together to rapidly house and stabilize these hardest to serve clients.

11 PSH Projects must provide a letter of understanding between the CoC Applicant and one or more CHO(s) serving the chronically homeless detailing a cooperative agreement on identifying clients and assuring a coordinated transition into permanent supportive housing.

3. RRH RENEWAL PROJECTS - ENDING FAMILY HOMELESSNESS: RRH programs funded in FY2013 must serve unsheltered or emergency sheltered families as documented in the ETO HMIS System. Agencies will be required to verify eligibility of a client through the HMIS Documentation of Homelessness function of the Coordinated Assessment System to assure that all funds are expended on the priority populations as stipulated in the HUD NOFA. Describe how the agency will work directly with Contributing HMIS Organizations (CHO) that serve homeless families to rapidly house and stabilize families who are unsheltered or staying in emergency shelters.

Renewal projects must provide a letter of understanding between the CoC Applicant and one or more CHOs serving families detailing a cooperative agreement on identifying households with children to be rapidly rehoused and assuring a coordinated transition into permanent housing.

4. RRH RENEWAL PROJECTS ONLY - RENTAL SUBSIDY: Describe which of the two CoC Rental Subsidy Options your agency will utilize in its program (30% of eligible income OR 100%/50%/25%/0% graduated declining subsidy).

5. TH RENEWAL PROJECTS ONLY: - HUD recognizes that transitional housing can be an effective tool in many communities for addressing the needs of specific subpopulations–such as homeless youth, domestic violence survivors, and the homeless with substance abuse issues. However, recent research shows that transitional housing is generally more expensive than other housing models serving similar populations, it is often more service-intensive than most homeless households need, and that the criteria for entry into many transitional housing programs are so rigorous that transitional housing beds are under-utilized because homeless households cannot overcome the barriers to entry. HUD is strongly encouraging CoCs and recipients to carefully review the transitional housing models within the geographic area for cost-effectiveness, performance, and for the number and type of criteria used to determine eligibility for the program and determine if rapid re-housing may be a better model for the CoC’s geographic area. Describe how your TH model can improve transitions to permanent housing, reduce the average lengths of stay (less than 24 months), and increase the overall number of households served in a year.

6. SSO RENEWAL PROJECTS ONLY: HUD continues to emphasis funding for housing over supportive services. In FY2013 and FY2014, CoC’s that put Supportive Services Only projects in Tier 2 will receive bonus points. Detail how your supportive services directly impact housing for clients.

7. SSO RENEWAL PROJECTS ONLY: In the event your SSO grant were to be reallocated for new PSH or RRH in the Community Projects Review Committee prioritization and ranking process, how would your agency continue to provide the supportive services currently funded through the CoC Program grant?

II. HMIS

1. Does your organization conduct a background check on all employees who access or view HMIS data?

12