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Wyandot Center's Strategic'Housing and Care Plan for Homeless MentallyIlI

2001-2005 ,.

A priority at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is to move homeless persons into permanent housing. People should be helped to exit homelessness as quickly as possible through a housing first approach. For the chronically homeless, this means permanent supportive housing, a solution that will save money as it reduces the use of other public systems. (A Plan: Not a Dream How to End Namelessness in ten years. National Alliance to End Homelessness, 1999.) The philosophy of HUD is to provide for a Continuum pf Care ti)at will link persons to needed services so they will succeed in permanent h6iiSmg. Wyandot Center's Housing and Care Plan will work like a Continuum of Care process and will be specific to the needs ofthe.Mentally III and Dually Diagnosed. Wyandot Center's Housing and Care plan will assist Kansas City, Kansas in achieving several of the goals set forth in the Cranston-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act of 1990:

1. Ensure that every resident of the United States has access to decent shelter or assistance in avoiding homelessness .

. 2. Increase the Nation's supply of decent housing that is affordable to low-income and moderate-income families .

. 3. Improve housing opportunities for all residents of the United States. 4. Encourage tenant empowerment and reduce generational poverty in federally

assisted programs and public housing by improving the means by which self­sufficiency may be achieved.

Homelessness is defined as: • Sleeping in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings. • Sleeping in emergency shelters. • Living in transitional housing or supportive housing for homeless persons who originally came from streets or emergency shelters. • Being evicted within the

week from private dwelling units and no subsequent residences have been identified and lacking the resources and support networks needed to obtain access to housing.

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• Being discharged within the "week from institutions in which they have been residents for more thari 30 consecutive days and no subsequent residences have been identified and lacking the resources and support networks needed to obtain access to housing. . .

Over the last fifty years there has been an increased number of homeless mentally ill living on the streets. "Beginning in the mid-1950s the locus qf care for Severely and Persistently Mentally III (SPMI) persons shifted from state hospitals to the community. Prompted by the development of new medications, changing treatment philosophies, the civil rights movement, and significant new Federal funding for a nationwide network of community mental health centers, the number of patients ill> state hospitals dropped from 560,000 in 1955 to 216,000 in 1974, and to 100,000 in 1989. A related policy of diversion was begun, whereby the admission or readmission of patients to State hospitals for long-lerm care was strongly discouraged." (Creating Community: Integrating Elderly and Severely Mentally nz Persons in Public Housi'1g. Fublisped by HUD and HHS, 1993.) With this change in care philosophies, manycommunities were not prepared to deal with this influx of mentally ill persons. In 1990 the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Service's signed a Memorandum of Understanding pledging to develop collaborative efforts on behalf of special needs populations, including homeless persons with serious mental illness. Part of this memorandum was to increase cooperation among housing and service providers receiving Federal funds to help expand the range of supportive housing options.

1. Outreach

Part I: Existing Continuum of Care Components

Despite over \0 years of research and innovative program development, significant numbers of homeless individuals with mental illnesses who are living on the streets and in shelters of our cities have not been engaged in treatment or other supportive services. It is estimated that over half have co-occurring disorders of mental illness and substance abuse. Other co­

morbid factors may include AIDS, TB, physical ailments, and mental retardation. Childhood histories of abuse, and foster care are common, as is contact with the criminal justice system. (National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness, 2000). Funded through the Continuum of Care Supportive Housing Program (SHP) Grant, Wyandot Center's Project HOPE, is addressing the Outreach component of the

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Continuum in Wyandotte County. Homdess Case Managers provide outreach in the streets, shelters, state hospitals, and soup kitchen~.

If it is detennined that an individual could benertt from mental health services, then Project HOPE, refers the individual to Wyandot Center's Homeless Program for homeless case management, medicine clinic services, therapy, vocational services, or outpatient drug treatment. "Recent research has demonstrated that the vast majority of homeless individuals who have serious mental illnesses are ~iIling to accept relevant, accessible mental health treatment and can remain in community-based housing with appropriate support. Achieving these goals depends on integrating existing services and entitlements more effectively. Offering integrated treatrnen\ for co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders, and developing a range of housing options are also critical." (Center fur Mental Health Services, 1994) .

The Department of Health and Human Services, in' collaboration with HUD, and the departments of Labor, Education, Veterans AffairS:-ana A!iiculture to help communities explore ways to achieve integration of systems that respond to the needs of homeless mentally ill individuals is called the ACCESS (Access to Community Care and Effective Services and Supports) program. The majority of ACCESS funds going to State mental health authorities are used to provide outreach and case-management services to hard-to­reach homeless persons with serious mental disorders. With new ACCESS funding, Project HOPE plans to improve Outreach by hiring two full-time Homeless Outreach Workers. Their responsibilities will include Outreach, responding to calls from concerned citizens, and educating downtown business owners and police on the issues of homelessness and mental illness.

2. Homeless Case Management Wyandot Center has four Homeless Case Managers who are funded by two grants,

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) and the Continuum of Care SHP Grant. PATH and HUD funds are used to support three levels of service that are necessary for success with homeless people who have a Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI):

• Outreach to those who are not being served by the mental health system • Engagement of these individuals in treatment and services • Transition of clients to mainstream mental health treatment, housing, and

supportive services. 43% of individuals who received PATH funded services were literally homeless, living on the streets or in emergency shelters .. " (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness: A Summery of Fiscal Year 1994 State Implementation Reports.)

Once Project Hope has identified a homeless mentally ill individual, they will refer that person to Wyandot Center's Homeless Program. A Homeless case manager will then fill out a crisis service plan with the homeless individual to identify that person's needs and assist that person in acquiring the supportive services to help the SPMI maintain independently in the community. These needs generally include securing appropriate and

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affordable housing, disability benefits or vocational assistance, medical benefits, drug and alcohol treatment, LD., and a range of other things.

3. Housing ,.

SPMI homeless individuals have difficulty meeting the need for safe, affordable housing for a number of reasons. "In addition to the sometimes-debilitating symptoms of the illness itself, they often have inadequate income, lack of ~ocial supports, and have alcohol and/or other drug problems. They also face the stigma associated with their illnesses and the fears of potential landlords or neighbors. Individuals with mental illness who lose the housing they have may find it difficult to secure another home, especially if they have a criminal history, eviction from public housing,.pr bad credit. It was discovered that the longer a person is homeless, the more serious his or her mental and physical disabilities are likely to be." (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homeles!mess: A Summery of Fiscal Year i994 State implementation Reports.) Our consumers and our case managers perceive appropriate and affordable housing and shelter as the largest gap in our COC system. \~ ~. .

• Emergency Housing Friends, families, the YMCA, motels; and shelters are the only immediate

placements for homeless mentally ill individuals in Wyandotte County. These places are not effectively meeting the need for housing because many times relationships with friends and families have been severed, shelter space is extremely limited (There are two emergency shelters, Shalom House for men which has 24 beds and Salvation Army for women which has 20 beds), and the YMCA and motels are expensive, and rife with drugs and violence. Wyandot Center paid $7,224 in a nine-month period in 2000-2001 to house SPMI individuals in motels and the YMCA. Case managers will also refer homeless individuals to detox facilities and drug treatment programs, but most of these are not equipped to deal with the needs of dually diagnosed individuals.

• Market-Rate Housing Private housing costs are prohibitive for SPMI individuals on fixed incomes of

Social Security. The 1990 Census shows that 16,685, or 27.9%, of the total households in KCK receive Social Security Income. Social Security checks range from between $500 and $800 per month. It is hard for many SPMI homeless individuals to pass the screening criteria for market landlords, because most landlords want monthly income to exceed 3 times the rent. In addition landlords want prospective tenants to have good credit and no criminal history. Some SPMI individuals do live in market-rate housing, but most rely on subsidized housing. The following chart outlines the cost of market-rate housing in Wyandotte County.

(Tabl 00 I d d Plan) e 9 Kansas City, Kansas 20 -2004 Canso i ate Apartment Type Minimum Maximum

RentlMonth RentlMonth Studio $285 $450 One Bedroom $316 $480 Two Bedroom $450 $575 Three Bedroom $425 $675

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• Public Housing and Pl"Ojectl1ased Section 8 Most of Wyandotte Counties SPMI individuals rely on a rent subsidy to help pay

their rent. They usually apply to the Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority, and other project based section 8 apartments, some 'of which used to be elderly only high­rises, for permanent housing. "Until the Mid-1980's, public housing was filled with primarily elderly families and waiting lists were long. In recent years, several factors have reversed this trend, contributing to vacancies in thes.e developments and a shift in composition of the current population .. .increasing numbers of young, disabled persons are applying for and becoming residents of public housing. Many of these individuals have severe mental illnesses. As' young people their lifestyles are often significantly different from those of older residents." (CV'eating Community: Integrating Elderly and Severely Mentally nz Persons in Public H@using. Published by HUD and HHS, 1993.) In 1992 a U.S. General Accounting Office report showed that 51 % of all new admissions in the past year were disabled persons under age 62. "Currently there are 1,767 units ofhousicg su~;idized fQr the elderly and handicapped. Of these, 1164 units are owned arid managed by the Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority. Operators of subsidized housing for the elderly report that mixing young, handicapped tenants with elderly tenants has negative consequences for the elderly and occupancy. Elderly persons perceive the younger tenants to be a threat to their security and peace, In fact, managers of complexes with both young handicapped and elderly tenants report that the younger tenants have been the source of disturbances, and that in some cases elderly households have moved away to avoid the problems." (Kansas City, Kansas 2000-2004 Consolidated Plan) Since most public housing complexes are not equipped or educated to deal with SPMI and dually diagnosed individuals, SPMI and dually diagnosed individuals behaviors are often seen as odd or even threatening. In many cases SPMI individuals have been evicted from public housing due to decompensation, or increased symptoms of their illness. Experience has shown that these ElderlylDisabled buildings are where many of our housing related crisis calls come from.

• Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers A Housing Choice Voucher is another form of rental subsidy available in

Wyandotte County from the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Kansas. The voucher allows an individual to locate a landlord on his or her own, sign a lease, and begin receiving a subsidy for that unit; however, even when an individual has a rental voucher that would make housing affordable, access is still a crucial issue. Wyandot Center is finding that more and more landlords simply refuse to rent to people who have government subsidies, or their screening criteria rules out SPMI individuals on the basis of poor credit and rental history, criminal records, or not meeting income requirements that are the same as those for market rate renters. In Wyandotte County only 10% to 15% of apartment managers will now rent to someone with a rental voucher, and very few of those have vacancies at any given time. As a result, the Housing Authority's Section 8 program's occupancy rate is low. The low occupancy rate keeps them ineligible to apply for more and other types of Section 8 vouchers.

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• Supportive Housing througn t.he use" of Supportive Services Only "The new paradigm of supported housing posits that having a home in the

community is a right for persons with severe disabilities, and that a stable home is a prerequisite. for effective treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation." (Implementing a supportive housing approach, Blanch, 1988) Wyandot Center provides intensive case-management to interested SPMI individuals, and is therefore providing supportive housing through the use of a supportive servic~. "Intensive case management (the process of helping a person identify, secure and sustain a range of fonnal, infonnal, and personal resources) and the development of a more comprehensive community support system nave proven to help people succeed at community living."(Supportive Housingfor People with Psychiatric Disabilities in Kansas, University of Kansas) One of the main goals of intensive-case-management is to maintain housing. Many of these SPMI individuals live in public housing and project based section 8 residences. Recently other attempts have been made to assist in community integration of SPMI individuals by training Housing Authority staff on

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the issues of mental illness in a class called the 3Rs;Relapse, Recovery, and Rehabilitation, and through the use of satellite offices that were opened by Wyandot Center at some of the Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority public housing highrises and project based section 8 high-rises. The offices are staffed for a half-day twice a week to deal with crisis issues, deliver a variety of supportive services to help individuals deal with emotional challenges and stresses, cope with their mental disorder, overcome social isolation, and find satisfying relationships and activities.

• Section 811 The Center for Developmental Disabilities operates two, Section 811 8-plexes,

that Wyandot Center provides supportive services for. Section 8 I I is another rental subsidy program funded by HUD. Each of the two buildings provides housing for seven individuals. The eighth apartment is to be used by staff and for respite care. Supportive services are made available to the residents upon request. There is a growing need for more Section 811 units since there is very seldom an opening at either 8-plex. There is a high degree of residential stability with this type of housing.

• CDBG and HOME Block Grants In Wyandotte County CDBG and HOME block grants are not being used for rental

assistance. The Unified Government uses these funds to rehab the existing housing stock, build new houses for Low Income households (Most SPMI individuals fall into the Very Low Income Bracket), and to provide a deferred second mortgage to first time home buyers in the CHIPS program. To date only a couple of SPMI individuals have actually been able to access these resources.

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Part II: Proposed solutions fo ,missing Continuum of Care components

The following flow chart shows how the ideal COC for SPMI individuals would look . . "

Streets

~ Outreach

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Drug and Alcohol Treatmeilt

/ t Safe haven _______

"~ ~ -----.. Pennanent -. Case-Management ~ Supportive &

\ t' ----* Permanent

, Mod ~ehab SR~. Housing

Shelters Mental Health Treatment

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2000 Housing Summit for KCK • Representatives from financial institutions recommended overreaching goals for

consideration and adoption at the Housing Summit, including the need to increase the quality and condition of available housing stock.

• The most important social service issue identified was the need for increased subsidized housing.

• The land use working group focused on land use issues around downtown KCK. The overriding land use issues include promoting community redevelopment and establishing patterns for successful neighborhoods.

Where there is limited or inappropriate housing, particularly for those who are chronically homeless (SPMI and Dually Diagnosed Individuals), an adequate supply of appropriate housing should be developed and subsidized. "Based on information in the 1990 Census 8, 617 (40%) of the 21,563 rental households in KCK are cost-burdened by housing costs. This represent s a 7% increase over cost-burdened rental households reported in the 1980 census ... Ofthese cost burdened households, 3,159 were severely cost-burdened, paying over 50% of their household income for housing. Many cost­burdened households compensate for their excessive housing costs by trimming their household budget in the areas of health care, food and other needed goods and services." (Kansas City, Kansas 2000-2004 Consolidated Plan) Many SPMI individuals are cost­burdened. Cost-burdened households are always at risk of homelessness.

Supportive Housing The most ideal transition for an SPMI homeless individual would be into some type of

supportive housing. Supportive housing programs are rental subsidy programs. The Study of a six year-old supportive housing program, put on by the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), confirms that supportive housing is a creative and effective solution to homelessness that also improves the quality of I ife and property values in neighborhoods where the complexes are located. The program provides tenants with access to supportive services, including job counseling, assistance with financial management, health services

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and substance abuse counseling. In h'iis .way supportive housing addresses the causes of homelessness- mental illness, substance abuse, and chronic illness, coupled with a lack of affordable housing and poverty. Residents hold l~ases, pay rent, and are expected to comply with lease provisions. Project Home in Philadelphia, awarded by HUD as a "Best Practice Program," utilized three different stages of supportive housing, outlined below, to best prepare SPMI homeless individuals for permanent housing.

Safe Haven Shelter- Low demand, supportive services available

Mod Rehab (SRO) Congregate housing with intensive supportive services available. Can be permanent housing, or transitional. Residential Drug & Alcohol Treatment for Dually Diagnosed

(*) Programs that exist in Wyandotte County

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Permanent Housing &

Permanent Supportive .- Housing

*Section 811 *Section 8 'Public Housing *Proje~t Based Section 8 Shelter Plus Care Mainstream Section 8 *Market-Rate Renting *Home Ownership

(Bold Face) Successful housing programs for SPMI homeless individuals that need expansion or development.

Principals of Supportive Housing • Resident empowerment and independence • Supportive services are accessible, flexible and target residential stability. • Safe, clean, well managed and affordable housing that is available for people who

have been homeless, are extremely low income, or are at significant risk of homelessness; and have some chronic health issues such as mental illness, substance abuse, or HIV/AIDS.

• The Housing is permanent, with no limit on the length of stay, and housing retention is an important goal of all project partners.

• Tenant selection criteria and outreach/property management practices are designed and implemented to reach people and retain tenants who have difficulties and barriers to accessing housing and healthcare.

According to the April 2000 issue of Psychiatric Services, housing supports for persons who are homeless and have mental illness have a positive long-term impact on homelessness. Also, the Corporation for Supportive Housing program has shown that supportive housing has provided substantial benefits to local economies through contracts for services, taxes, jobs, and other related economic activity. Most remarkably property values in 7 of the 9 neighborhoods where units are located, increased significantly over 5

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years. In addition, the study indicated that the majority of neighbors and local business owners interviewed for the evaluation said that the neighborhoods looked better or much better than before the supportive housing projects were completed, and that supportive housing developments helped revitalize the neighllorhoods.

The following are some types of supportive housing and supportive services that can build the infrastructure necessary to end the cycle of homeless ness for the mentally ill and dually diagnosed in Wyandotte County. .

1. Safe Haven For many people with mental illness who have been living on the street, the transition to permanent housing may need to start with a small, highly supportive environment where an individllal can rest, feel safe, and be subj ect to relatively few \~ immediate service demands. By offering a non­intrusive, low demand environment in which to · build trust slowly, Safe Havens provide an opportunity for individuals alienated from mental health services to become re-engaged in needed treatment and services. Outcasts on Main Street the

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Report of the Federal Task Force on Homelessness and Severe Mental Illness, describes a Safe Haven as a "Portal of Entry" to the service system, which will help individuals to overcome obstacles necessary to obtain and succeed in permanent housing.

Safe Haven is a facility that: • Provides 24-hour residence for eligible persons who may reside for an

unspecified duration; • Provides private or semi-private accommodations; • May provide for the common use of kitchen facilities, dining rooms, and

bathrooms; • May provide supportive services to eligible persons who are not residents on a

drop in basis • Limits overnight occupancy to no more than 25 persons.

After visiting Safe Havens in Philadelphia, Kansas City, Missouri, Wichita, and Tulsa, Wyandot Center has determined that there is definitely a need for a Safe Haven in Wyandotte County. (See Appendix A for Needs Assessment) It will offer a more cost effective solution to the problem of homeless for the mentally ill, by reducing the amount time a person is in a state hospital, and reducing the amount of money from state and federal programs used to temporarily house mentally ill individuals in hotels and motels.

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2. Mod Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Another type of housing that can be developed is the Section 8 Moderate

Rehabilitation (SRO) Program, a rental subsidy program. It functions as supportive housing, when it is coupled with supportive services. This program is being used in new and innovative ways across the country. Wyandot Center's

Homeless Team visited a site in Philadelphia at 1515 Fairmount, operated,by Project HOME, which had rehabbed an existing building and created two permanent residences for men and women witli a primary diagnosis of a chronic mental illness. \~ - ' These programs provide affordable SRO apartments to formerly homeless rrien and women who require regular,

, but not full time, supportive services and supervision. These services are

tailored to the specific needs and goals of each resident. The services offered are case management, mental health services and health care, substance abuse counseling, Adult Education programs, and vocational services. They had also incorporated into the building a cafe, called the Back Home Cafe, that employed residents, and sold breakfast and lunch to the surrounding community. Another one ofHUD's Best Practice sites is on 43,d street in New York City, called ___ .,-__ . 60 minutes did an expose on it, praising it for its innovative approach to assisting the homeless. (See Video) The SRO units might be in a rundown hotel, a YMCA, an old school, or even in a large abandoned home.

3. Permanent Housing (For Disabled Homeless Individuals) Long-term community-based housing and supportive services for homeless

persons with disabilities is intended to enable this special needs population to live as independently as possible in a permanent setting. The supportive services may be provided by the organization managing the housing or coordinated by the applicant and provided by other public or private agencies.

4. Residential Drug Treatment for SPMI Homeless Individuals Wyandot Center should consider developing or partnering in the development

of a residential drug treatment center for SPMI homeless individuals, since current Wyandotte County programs are not meeting the need. The Department of Health and Human Services offers a grant called Addictions Treatment for Homeless, with awards averaging between $400,000 and $600,000 per year in total costs.

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5. Kansas City, Kansas Housing AutjlOrityPublic Housing and Project Based Section 8

There is a need to increase the staffing at some of Wyandot Center's satellite offices, Jike Central Park Towers and Wyandotte Towers, to full-time by getting more case managers, attendant care workers, and occupational therapists involved. In doing so, Public Housing and Project Based Section 8 will operate more like Permanent Supportive Housing. Assigning treatment teams to work at certain buildings would provide quicker response for crisis intervention, better monitoring of individual recovery, as well as make other elderly residents and staff members feel more secure knowing that Wyandot Center is there should problems arise. , ,

6. Section 811 I Wyandot Center should continue its collaboration with the Center for

Developmental Disabilities in developing more Section 811, scattered site, 8· plexes. There is already a working and appfC;vea grru':tt that can be updated. Wyandot Center should also provide support to the Mental Health Association of the Heartland's future Section 811 applications. In 2001 the Mental Health Association of the Heartland is applying to develop three, 6-plexes. Wyandot Center should provide the supportive services. 1bis will allow SPMI homeless individuals more subsidized housing choices. The needs assessment and gaps analysis will show how many units should be built over the next 5 years. (Appendix A)

7. Shelter Plus Care Section 8 Vouchers The Mental Health Association of the Heartland has expressed the desire to

apply for Shelter Plus Care Vouchers in the 200 I Continuum of Care grant. The Wyandot Center should contract with them to be the service provider, and assist them in the application process.

8. Mainstream Section 8 Vouchers Wyandot Center will continue to encourage the Housing Authority of Kansas

City, Kansas to apply for Mainstream Section 8 Vouchers for disabled individuals. Wyandot Center will also encourage the Housing Authority to work with the Homeless Coalition of Wyandotte County to find ways to outreach landlords and increase occupancy in its existing Section 8 program.

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Part III: Project Funding and Leveraging

1. Continuum of Care HUD Grant ,

A. Supportive Housing Program Safe Havens, Permanent Housing for homeless individuals with disabilities, and InnovatiVe Supportive Housing are partially funded through the COC SHP grant.

Eligible Applicants • States • Local Governments • Public Housing Authorities • Private nonprofit organizations with 501 c3 tax exempt status • Cornmunity mental health associations that are public nonprofit

organizations

Eligible Activities • Acquisition • Rehabilitation • New Construction • Leasing • Supportive Services • Operating Costs • Administrative Costs

Funding Limitations • Acquisition and Rehabilitation- in each project, the SHP grant for

acquisition and rehabilitation is limited to between $200,000 and $400,000.

• New Construction- Grants for new construction are limited to $400,000.

• Match - the recipient must match SHP funds for acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction with an equal amount of funds from other sources. The cash source may be the recipient, the Federal Government, State and local governments, or private resources. Matching funds must be committed during the second phase of the application process.

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• Share and Operating. Costs~ the applicant must share in the operating costs. The SHP grants forthis'activity are limited to 75% of the costs in the first 2 years and 50% in the third year .

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B. Mod Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy (SRO) The SRO program is authorized by section 441 of the Stuart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act Under the program HUD el).ters into Annual Contributions Contracts with Public Housing Authorities (PHA) in connection with moderate rehabilitation of residential properties that; when rehabilitation is completed, will contain multiple single room dwelling units. These PHAs make Section 8 rental assistance payments to participating, owners on behalf of homeless individuals who rent the rehabilitated dwellings. The rental assistance payments cover the difference between a portion of the tenant's income (30%) and the unit's rebt, which must be within the Fair Market Rents (FMR) established by HVD. Rental assistance for SRO units is pro\iided for a peri9d of 10 years. Owners are compensated for the cost of some of the reh~iIitation (as well as'the other costs of owning and maintaining the property) through the rental assistance payments. To be eligible for assistance, a unit must receive'a minimum of$3,000 of Rehabilitation, including its prorated share of the work to be accomplished on common areas and systems, to meet section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQS). Assistance provided under the SRO program is designed to bring more standard SRO units into the local housing supply and to use those units to assist homeless persons. The SRO units might be in a rundown hotel, a YMCA, an old school, or even in a large abandoned home. At least 25% of the units must be vacant at the time of application so that significant portions of those served are homeless individuals.

Eligible Structures may be of any type, but when rehabilitation is completed, the unit must meet the definition of SRO housing. SRO housing is defined as a residential property that includes multiple single room dwelling units. Each unit is for occupancy by a single eligible individual. The unit need not, but may, contain food preparation or sanitary facilities or both.

Ineligible properties include: (a) units that are receiving Federal funding for rental assistance or operating costs under other HUD programs; (b) nursing homes; (c) penal, reformatory, medical, or mental health institutions; (d)and owner­occupied units.

Eligible Rehabilitation Costs: The $3,000 expenditure per unit includes the costs of materials and labor to perform rehabilitation. Kitchen facilities are not included in this.

Ineligible Costs: • Luxury items such as swimming pools • Contingency fees • Costs attributable to owner labor

• • •

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Any rehabilitation on-Units other than SRO apartments or efficiency units Furniture, supportive services, transportation, or other non-housing costs. Acquisition costs

Annual Contributions Contract A PHA must submit the following to the field office for review and approval prior to ACC execution:

• A proposed Schedule of Allowances for Tenant-Furnished Utilities and other services.

• • If applicable, proposed variations to the acceptability criteria for HQS. • Fire building codes appljcable to each project. Buildings require the

installation of sprinklers to protect all major spaces in the building, hard­wired smoke detectors, and other fire and safety improve.ments required by state and federal law.

• An Administrative plan, including proc~ures for establishing tenant outreach; a HUD-approved policy regarding temporary relocation; and a mechanism to monitor the provision of supportive services.

• Estimates of required Annual Contributions..

2. CDBG, HOME, and ESG In 1994 HUD started requiring cities to develop a consolidated plan,

combining the housing needs and strategies with the funding plans of the existing federal formula programs. For Kansas City, these programs are the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), and the Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESG). These are Block Grants awarded to the city. Since" ... The Unified Government will cooperate with local service providers to identify a project to address the housing needs of very low-income, disabled households" (2000-2004 Kansas City, Kansas Consolidated Plan), Wyandot Center should be applying to the city for some of this money.

According to HUD, each of these programs set forth three basic goals, which closely relate to HUD's overall major commitments and Priorities. These are:

1. To provide decent housing, which include the following provisions: • Assistance to homeless persons to attain affordable housing; • Retain existing affordable housing stock • Increase the availability of permanent housing that is affordable to low­

income Americans without discrimination; and • Increase supportive housing that includes structural features and services

to enable persons with special needs to live in dignity. 2. To provide a suitable living environment, which include the following

provisions: • Improving the safety and livability of neighborhoods; • Increasing access to quality facilities and services; • Reducing the isolation of income groups by deconcentrating housing

opportunities and revitalizing deteriorating neighborhoods ...

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3. To expand economic Qp'portunities, which include the following provISIons: .

• Creating jobs accessible to low-and very-low income persons; • Providing access to credit for conuil~nity development that promotes long

term economic and social viability; and • Empowering low-and very-low income persons in federally assisted and

public housing to achieve self-sufficiency." (Kansas City, Kansas 2000-2004 Consolidated Plan)

, . Wyandot Center's Housing and Care Plan is working to achieve these

three goals. , I

A. CDBG -Funds may be used for property acquisition, clearance and demolition, education and other public/community services, property rehabilitation, matching other federal grants, assistance to nonprofit ,~rg~izations, and program planning and administration. Wyandot Center should submit proposals for' CDBG Funds to the Director of Housing and Community De'{elopment. Proposals can be submitted at any time during the year for review and consideration.

B. HOME Funds may be used for tenant based rental assistance.

C. ESG Funds may be used for homeless prevention services, and rehabilitation and operating costs for shelters.

3. Department of Health and Human Services Grant for Addictions Treatment for Homeless

Funds are to be used for cooperative agreements to enable communities to expand and strengthen their drug and alcohol treatment systems for homeless individuals with substance abuse disorders or with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders. Funds can be used for the development of a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility.

4. Affordable Housing Tax Credits Developers who participate in the construction or rehabilitation of rental

housing units for low-income households can receive a credit on their federal income tax for a portion of the equity investment in the project. The Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing administers the program.

S. Department of Commerce and Housing'S Housing Trust Fund Funds are used to provide gap financing for certain housing projects (Rental

Housing and Housing with Supportive Services). Funds can be used for rehabilitation and improvement of existing housing and rental subsidies. These should also be applied for to assist in the Leveraging process.

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6. Neighborhood Revitalization Act . Under the NRA program, property owners investing at least 5% of the current

property value improvements can receive an abatement of up to 95%, of the increaseiI property tax resulting from the inlprovements, for a period of up to 10 years.

7. Affordable Housing Program ~

This program is sponsored by the Federal Housing Finance Board to assure that Federal Savings and Loans were committing funds to affordable housing development .. Each Savings and Loan iii required to contribute a portion of their profits to the AHP fund for affordable housing. In mrn, the savings and loan organizations can apply for these funds on behalf of community nonprofit groups who sponsor housing programs for low income households. The AHP funds are loaned to the sponsoring group at low to no interest for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or financing of housing ,for low-income families. \r- __ .

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Appendix A Needs Assessment and Consumer Surveys .

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AppendixB The following chart could aid in 1dentifying eligible structlfres for rehabilitation

Neighborhood # of Vacant Units For Rent For Sale Other Boarded up Northeast 1,380 799

, ~11 370 237

Northwest 635 349 100 186 59 Kensington 322 175 83 64 4 Riverview 1,330 711 163 456 102 Armourdale 117 54 13 50 12 Shawnee Heights 187 100 38 49 14 Rosedale 857 641 59 157 53 Argentine 352 149 33 170 51 Turner-Morris 241 123 53 65 6 Coronado, Bethel 873 529 129 215 72 Quindaro Bluffs Muncie 315 234 20 61 9 Victory Hills 581 426 92 63 4 Nearman Hills 51 11 17 23 2 WestemKCK 91 17 30 44 1

Total 7,332 4318 1041 1973 626 "Chart from 2000-2004 Kansas CIty, Kansas ConsolIdated Plan"