Item Description:
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Agmt A2311867 with MN Housing Finance Agency to accept grant funds for the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program for homelessness prevention and Rapid Re-Housing services for homeless persons, 10/01/23-09/30/25, $13,550,000 (recv); supp appr of $1,620,000 to the HSPH 2023 budget; 2 limited duration and 3 permanent FTEs
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that Agreement A2311867 with the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program, providing funds for homeless prevention and Rapid Re-Housing services during the period October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2025, in the receivable amount of $13,550,000, be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the county; and the Controller be authorized to accept and disburse the funds as directed; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a supplemental appropriation of $1,620,000 to the 2023 Human Services and Public Health budget, including an addition of 1.0 Limited Duration FTE Case Management Assistant position, 1.0 Limited Duration FTE Office Specialist III position, and 3.0 Permanent FTE Human Services Representative positions, be approved; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that sponsorship and acceptance of grant funding for this program by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners does not imply a continuing funding commitment by Hennepin County for this program if these grant funds are not made available or when grant funds are no longer available.
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Background:
The Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1993 as an outcome-oriented grant intended to address issues of homelessness for families with children, single adults, and youth. Hennepin County has been a grantee since 1993. Most recently, the board accepted FHPAP funding on August 17, 2021 (Board Resolution 21-0321). Hennepin County has been successful in utilizing federal funds to further expand the FHPAP services since 1995.
FHPAP services are aimed at preventing homelessness and quickly re-housing people who become homeless. These include financial assistance to help prevent households from becoming homeless and Rapid Re-Housing services to help families, singles, and youth obtain housing. Services also include case management to help households stabilize in the community and work toward self- identified goals.
The Human Services outcome-focused model is considered a national best practice by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The FHPAP service model has been widely replicated across the country.
The following are the major outcomes results for the first twenty-one months of the current grant period biennium - October 1st, 2021 to March 31, 2023:
1. Percent of households that exited the program to permanent housing:
a. Homeless prevention: 89% (173 households)
b. Rapid rehousing: 71% (333 households)
2. Percent of adults that maintained or increased their income at program exit:
a. Homeless prevention: 74% (142 individuals)
b. Rapid rehousing: 72% (190 individuals)
3. Average number of days for households to move from homelessness into housing:
a. Rapid rehousing (only): 75 days
Prevention and Rapid Rehousing providers have been intentionally selected because of their ability to provide culturally specific services. For RRH this includes AICDC for the Native American Community and Edith House which prioritizes services to the African American community, primarily single adults, with both providers subject to available referrals from the Coordinated Entry System. Community Mediation and Restorative Services, Inc. (CMRS) prioritizes services to the African-American community, as does Isuroon.
Households served this biennium have dominantly been people of color, at 84% of Head of Households, and vs. 27% of people county-wide who identify as persons of color. The majority served have been African American heads of household (65%), Native American, (7%) and people identifying as more than one race (9%).
Minnesota Housing requires that the county evaluate outcomes through a racial equity lens. Hennepin County is working to monitor program outcomes for disparities and review/adjust programs and services to address any identified disparities in outcomes.
Organizations funded to provide services through this grant include:
• Agate Housing + Services (Formerly St. Stephen’s Human Services)
• Catholic Charities
• Comunidades Latinos En Servicios (CLUES)
• Community Mediation and Restorative Services, Inc. (CMRS)
• Edith House
• Isuroon
• Lutheran Social Services
• Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC)
• American Indian Community Development Corporation
• Simpson Housing
• The Aliveness Project
• The Link
• Vail Place
• Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA)
• YouthLink
This funding will also support Hennepin County’s administration of direct assistance for the Homeless Prevention. To accomplish this, the grant will support 3.5 current positions (3.0 Limited Duration FTE Human Services Representative and 0.5 Permanent FTE Human Services Supervisor positions) and the addition of 1.0 Limited Duration FTE Case Management Assistant position, 1.0 Limited Duration FTE Office Specialist III position, and 3.0 Permanent FTE Human Services Representative positions.
Current Action: Approve Agreement A2311867 and accept $13,550,000 in funding from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency’s FHPAP for the 2023-25 biennium (10/01/21-09/30/25). This funding will support Hennepin County’s and selected provider’s work in providing homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services.
Disparity Reduction: Work under this program is specifically targeted at reducing racial disparities and helps provide housing stability to people affected by systemic racism and the related impacts on education, income, and housing.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval