Appendix D: Permanent Supportive Housing

Table of Contents

Part 1 – Requirements

Section 1 – Project Requirements

The Project shall meet all QAP application requirements, unless otherwise specified. The Project shall meet any additional requirements of this Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Appendix (additional requirements will be determined by IFA at its sole discretion). 

A Project shall meet the following requirements: 

  • Submit Exhibit 1HSA to IFA for review and approval during the date range specified in Section 2.1 of the QAP for the applicable round.
  • Submit Exhibits 2HSA and 1S-1 as part of the Application package for review and approval; 
  • Be proposed by a Full Team, consisting of at a minimum, a Developer, service provider, and property manager, that has successfully completed the Iowa Supportive Housing Institute as evidenced by Exhibit 1S-1. 
    • IFA will review the capacity of the Developer, property manager, and qualified service provider to provide PSH including their experience with such a Project;
  • Reserve PSH Units for persons experiencing homelessness as a percentage of total Project units to be elected in the Application. These Units shall be leased only to qualified persons experiencing homelessness (as defined below). Note that persons “at risk of homelessness” do not meet the definition of “persons experiencing homelessness”; 
  • Units reserved for PSH shall be dispersed throughout the Property rather than segregated; and 
  • If applicable, provide adequate supportive services space to allow for the delivery of any supportive services to be made available to tenants on-site. 

Definitions:

Persons experiencing homelessness” is defined for this appendix as an individual or family who meets the definition of Homeless from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 24 CFR Part 91.5. "Homeless" Definition-Cornell Law as follows: 

  1. An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: 
    1. An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground; 
    2. An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately-operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income individuals); or 
    3. An individual who is exiting an institution where he or she resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution; 
  2. An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that: 
    1. The primary nighttime residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of application for homeless assistance; 
    2. No subsequent residence has been identified; and 
    3. The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith based or other social networks needed to obtain other permanent housing; 
  3. Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with children and youth, who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition, but who: 
    1. Are defined as homeless under section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a), section 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832), section 41403 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2), section 330(h) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)), section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012), section 17(b) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)), or section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a); 
    2. Have not had a lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing at any time during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of application for homeless assistance; 
    3. Have experienced persistent instability as measured by two moves or more during the 60-day period immediately preceding the date of applying for homeless assistance; and 
    4. Can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse (including neglect), the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or two or more barriers to employment, which include the lack of a high school degree or General Education Development (GED), illiteracy, low English proficiency, a history of incarceration or detention for criminal activity, and a history of unstable employment; or
  4.  Any individual or family who: 
    1. Is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a family member, including a child, that has taken place within the individual's or family's primary nighttime residence or has made the individual or family afraid to return to their primary nighttime residence; 
    2. Has no other residence; and 
    3. Lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, to obtain other permanent housing. 

 

Section 2 – Qualified Service Provider Information and Reporting Requirements

The Applicant shall enter into a written agreement with the qualified service provider to provide supportive services to persons experiencing homelessness who will reside in the Project. The owner, property manager, and qualified service provider shall enter into a written agreement to forge an extensive, long-term partnership to provide PSH to eligible tenants. The Applicant shall submit the executed written agreement to IFA as part of the Carryover-10% Application. 

  1. Qualified Service Provider Capacity Determination

The Applicant shall submit a completed Exhibit 1HSA - Qualified Service Provider Capacity Determination form and a complete copy of the qualified service provider’s most recent independent audit (within the past 2 fiscal years) through the online Application during the date range specified in Section 2.1 of the QAP for the applicable round. 

The qualified service provider must have: 

  1. direct experience providing services to persons experiencing homelessness within the market area in which the proposed Project will be located; 
  2. the necessary experience, staffing and operational capability to deliver case management and services to persons experiencing homelessness residing in the PSH Units; and; 
  3. demonstrated the capacity to refer an adequate number of eligible tenants to occupy the PSH Units set aside for persons experiencing homelessness in the Project throughout the Compliance Period. 

IFA reserves the right to deny any proposed qualified service provider that has failed to comply with program requirements in the administration of any previous project funded by IFA through any of its programs. 

Collaborations or partnerships among agencies may be proposed to address the needs of PSH tenants as part of the capacity determination, although the lead qualified service provider must meet all threshold requirements for capacity determination. 

Staff may request additional clarifying information to confirm the information submitted in the Exhibit. IFA reserves the right to verify information contained in the Exhibit and to discuss the Applicant’s and Project qualifications. IFA also reserves the right to obtain and consider information from other sources concerning a qualified service provider and Project. 

  1. Reporting Requirements

The Project shall submit participant information for those tenants living in the Units designated for PSH utilizing the Iowa Homeless Management Information System (“HMIS”), according to HUD’s HMIS Data and Technical Standards. This includes minimum participant demographic information according to HUD’s standards for “Other Permanent Housing” (OPH), which means permanent housing projects that are designated for homeless people that provide housing and services but for which disability is not required for entry. If the qualified service provider qualifies primarily as a domestic violence service provider, the information shall be submitted in a database that meets HUD’s standards as a comparable database (DVIMS). 

Part 2 – Initial Application Review 

IFA will review the following as part of the Application submission.

Section 1 – Tenant Characteristics and Selection Process 

All bullet points below are part of the online Application and must be answered.

  • Describe the target population for the PSH Units in the proposed Project. 
  • Describe the tenant eligibility screening criteria for the PSH units, including any disqualifiers or prioritization criteria. Projects should demonstrate low-barrier tenant selection criteria for prospective PSH tenants.
  • Describe the outreach plan to bring potential tenants into the Project. If participating in a community’s Coordinated Entry system, as defined by HUD, describe this. (HUD Coordinated Entry Policy Brief). Coordinated Entry participation by the qualified service provider is considered best practice. If participation in Coordinated Entry is not planned, a detailed explanation must be provided. 
  • Describe proposed eviction mitigation practices for the PSH tenants. Explain the role the owner and property management company will play to implement eviction mitigation practices for PSH tenants in partnership with the qualified service provider. 
  • Describe the proposed plan to ensure effective communication among the owner, property manager, service provider, and all tenants. 

Section 2 – Supportive Housing Services Plan

Applicants must provide a supportive housing services plan that describes the types of services to be offered and how and where services will be provided to participants. Typically, a mix of supportive services to be made available to PSH tenants both on-site and off-site is expected. All services provided must be flexible and voluntary.

IFA requires the following services to be available and accessible to tenants as part of the supportive housing services plan:

  • Case Management
  • Assistance in obtaining mainstream benefits, increased income, and/or employment assistance and training
  • Financial Management and Budgeting

If any additional services will be provided by the Qualified Service Provider, they must also be included in the supportive housing services plan and meet IFA’s requirements for services noted above.

Section 3 – Participant Outcomes 

Describe planned participant outcomes and how they will be measured. The proposed indicators/measures should set a goal specifying the targeted percentage of PSH tenants who will achieve the proposed indicators/measures. Examples of participant outcome indicators/measures include but are not limited to the following:

  • Housing Stability Outcomes
  • Other Outcome Goals

The Qualified Service Provider should be accustomed to measuring these outcomes and provide to IFA a clear plan in the Application. Applicants with questions can reach out to IFA if guidance is needed.

Housing Stability Outcomes Indicators/Measures  Data sources and measurement tools 
Example: Long term homeless households will maintain stable housing 80% of homeless households will maintain housing for six months or more. HMIS length of stay data. 
Example: Exits to permanent housing. 80% of homeless households who exit, exit to permanent housing. HMIS exit data. 
Other Outcome Goals Indicators/Measures  Data sources and measurement tools 
Example: Maximize income and benefits for all households. 90% of households will apply for all benefits for which they are eligible within six months of program entry. Case records, HMIS income data. 
Example: Maximize income from employment for all households. 30% of households have increased income from employment within six months of program entry. HMIS employment income data. 

Section 4 – Additional Information

Describe the partnership between the owner, property management company, and qualified service provider, and any previous experience these entities have working together. 

If there is a source for project-based rental assistance identified, Projects must describe the source, the length and terms of the contract, and the number of Units covered under the contract. If no source of project-based rental assistance has been secured, please describe how PSH tenants are anticipated to afford rent.

If the Project is a rehab or acq/rehab, describe efforts taken to date to inform any existing residents in the Project. 

Describe efforts taken to solicit neighborhood feedback/input on the proposed Project.