Loading...
2016 Annual ReportCommunity Housing Support Services Program (CHSSP) Annual Report-Year 1 (4/1/2015 – 3/31/2016) Case Manager began in position 7/13/15 Targets Target #1 Creation, completion, and utilization of an intake/risk assessment tool The Community Housing Support Services Program (CHSSP) Case Manager currently utilizes an adaptation of the National Outcome Measures survey (NOMS), a data collection system providing objective measures of household functioning across up to 18 domains, in order to determine baseline functioning and to assess immediate risk at intake, to measure progress at six-month intervals, and to capture overall progress at discharge. The referral form that was previously used for intake and assessment is still retained in the file, as it captures detailed vital data on income, court involvement, arrearages, and other collateral information necessary for budgeting and immediate short-term service planning, e.g., a plan to resolve the outstanding Housing Court case. The NOMs tool, paired with the referral form, enables the Case Manager and the client household to identify targeted areas of service needs with an eye toward not only resolution of the immediate housing crisis, but also intermediate- and long-term stability. See attached NOMs and intake forms. Target #2 Creation, completion, and utilization of a Stabilization Plan/Action Plan The CHSSP’s customizable Stabilization Plan form tracks (1) progress toward the primary goals of tenancy preservation and arrearage payment, (2) progress across all 18 domains that are collaterally supportive of the household’s success, and (3) the outcome of and follow-up on community services referrals to support long-term stability. The Plan specifies customized target goals and concrete action items for areas of identified concern based on the NOMs assessment, in addition to the standardized goal of resolving any immediate threats to the tenancy (e.g., arrearages). The Plan will prioritize long-term stability through income maximization, financial literacy, and workforce development in addition to the currently-captured short-term goal of tenancy preservation. See attached Plan. Target #3 Creation, completion, and utilization of an Outputs and Outcomes Tracking database In Year One, the Case Manager and Assistant Program Director began consultation with Andrea Miller, a data analyst who has worked with the Hampden County Continuum of Care and with CHD’s SAMHSA-funded Supportive Housing Program, to identify best practices in data collection and outcomes measurement for the CHSSP given its structure, resources, and grant guidelines. Ms. Miller will work with CHSSP to design a data collection system that meets the program’s needs and assists all staff in quickly accessing reliable and useful real-time data for reporting purposes and for future grant development. Outputs Output #1 Number and nature of outreach activities to property managers of multi-family properties in Northampton and other relevant stakeholders in the Northampton housing community The CHSSP Case Manager has recently made contact with the new Resident Services Coordinator at the Meadowbrook property development and throughout Year One of the grant performed outreach to the property management at NHA, Meadowbrook and Hathaway Farms. Additionally, the Community Housing Support Manager facilitates the processing of any pending applications for rental assistance with property managers and/or attorneys. The Case Manager meets with attorneys for NHA and Meadowbrook at each Housing Court session and receives updates and referrals from these attorneys. In Year One of the grant, the CHSSP Case Manager and Assistant Program Director met with Housing Court Judge Robert Fields to detail the program to the Court; as a result, the Honorable Judge describes the services of CHSSP, as well as other community resources, to all Housing Court parties at the beginning of each session. Output #2 Number and nature of life skills/financial literacy workshops offered to community housing residents to increase housing stabilization Ms. Driscoll-Sbar partners with each household to develop an individual budget at point of referral and has to date completed 28 initial budgets. Households have been expected to update their budgets upon any change to their income or as rental arrears have been determined or partially paid off. All households presently on the Case Manager’s caseload budget monthly in order to account for natural fluctuations in income and expenditures for every month of their stabilization (e.g., holiday or birthday spending, tax refunds, unexpected vehicle expenses). Critical goals of budget planning include: maximizing income, decreasing debt, and identifying savings targets. Additionally, the Community Support Housing Manager identifies at budget sessions all community resources that can stabilize household money management (e.g., decreasing food expenditures through utilization of the Northampton Survival Center). A new focus in Q4 of FY2016 has been working with households around cost- effective banking, i.e. moving accounts from high-fee nationalized banks to free or low-cost local banks. Output #3 Number of households receiving case management services through various referral sources Referral Source Number of Referrals YTD  Singe Room Occupancy Food Pantry 2  Word-of-Mouth Referral (Neighbor) 1  Housing Court 17  Property Management 8  Output #4 Number referred and enrolled in the CHD Representative Payee System There was 1 identified household who was slated to begin a CHD representative payeeship in January 2016 but the household resolved their Housing Court case without the use of the payeeship and remains in good standing to date. A second household would have been eligible but chose instead to use a familiar representative payee. Finally, a third household was already enrolled with ServiceNet for collateral services and chose to establish representative payeeship with that agency. The Case Manager and Assistant Program Director met with CHD’s Fiscal Services office in early 2016 to establish representative payeeship protocols, but to date no households have required use of the system, which remains available upon demand. Output #5 Number and nature of referrals to other agencies/systems for assistance with issues affecting housing stabilization, including completed and tracked referrals There have been 8 referrals to the Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program, two of which have already been approved. Three additional RAFT applications are still pending, and three were denied because of income eligibility requirements. There were three referrals to Community Action; two received rental arrears payments and one received both rental electrical bill arrears payment. Two households applied for DTA benefits, were approved, and subsequently began to receive cash benefits and SNAP. Data Points Data Point #1 Number of households identified as rent burdened (defined by paying 40% or more of monthly income for housing costs) Four unsubsidized households were identified in Year One as rent-burdened. Three households were able to increase work hours in order to increase income; the last household is currently looking for additional work and paying weekly, rather than monthly, to alleviate the rent burden. Data Point #2 Number of notices to quit at defined number of community housing sites Community Housing Site Number of Notices to Quit (NTQ)  Meadowbrook 12  Northampton Housing Authority 7  Hathaway Farms 1  Hospital Hill 1  Service Net 1  Home City Housing 2  Community Builders 1  HAP Single Room Occupancy 2  Total 27  One household never received a NTQ. Data Point #3 Number of completed evictions There were no completed evictions for households served by the CHSSP in the reporting year. Outcomes Outcome #1 : Number of evictions prevented 28 evictions have been prevented as a result of CHSSP intervention. 25 of those households remained in place, one moved in with family but was not evicted, and one was permitted to leave housing without an eviction and entered shelter. One referred household never received Notice to Quit. Timeline and Narrative for Remaining Work The nature of the activities will remain the same for the remainder of the grant period. Much of the Case Manager’s work will consist of: Representation of CHSSP activities in Housing Court Screening and accepting Housing Court referrals for stabilization and support Providing resources, referrals, and information to households referred by Housing Court who are ineligible for CHSSP assistance (e.g., households living outside Northampton) Stabilization services for eligible households Initial risk assessment Monthly stabilization planning Referral tracking Budget development and tracking Financial literacy counseling Referral to CHD’s representative payee system (or other relevant rental assistance resource) The Center for Human Development will continue to make available voluntary representative payeeship services at no cost to households receiving Social Security payments. In the upcoming grant year, the CHSSP will continue to emphasize prospective planning to supplement its demonstrated strength in crisis response and will continue to refine the system of monthly stabilization planning. Additionally, the CHSSP Case Manager will continue to develop relationships with community stakeholders in order to broaden the network of referral sources and to continue to identify new resources relevant to the population served. Finally, the Case Manager will begin to deliver group sessions on financial literacy and budgeting in the upcoming year. Report of Expected Funds to be Spent Funds awarded: $195,000.00 Funds invoiced to date: Invoice Quarter Amount invoiced  Q1FY2016 $14,129.65  Q2FY2016 $15,776.72  Q3FY2016 $13,745.68  T otal invoiced: $43,652.05  Funds remaining: $151,347.95  (Finalized Q4FY2016 invoice is pending) As detailed in the timeline and narrative above, the nature of the activities completed to date will continue.