Housing GSO: HRA Greensboro Affordable Housing Plan

SUPPORTIVE HOUSING

PROVIDE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ASSISTANCE | Recommendation

The City should release an RFP to solicit one or multiple non-profit service agencies to serve as program administrator/s. This will ensure City staff capacity is not overloaded in administering assistance, while also allowing residents to build a relationship with non-profit staff, who will be positioned to provide catered services to meet household need. The chosen non-profit administrator should have demonstrable experience in successful service provision to low-income households and monitoring of program outcomes. Specifically, the program administrator will need to determine

resident eligibility, perform habitability inspections, create a catered package of services unique to each resident, provide supportive services, monitor household success, maintain documentation, and provide monitoring reports to the City. Additionally, the City should work with GHA to assist residents who have experienced a crisis by giving them preference on the voucher waitlist.

Building on the work of the CFGG and GHC, a formalized program should offer short- term rental assistance for no more than six months rent to low-income residents in midst of a housing crisis. Eligible participants should reside in the City of Greensboro, be able to demonstrate they are in a housing crisis that can be addressed through short-term assistance, such as a natural disaster or health crisis, and demonstrate they earn below 50% AMI. The goal of the program should be to assist residents at risk of homelessness stabilize their current housing situation . It should provide both one-time or short-term funding and accompanying supportive services. The program should offer residents fair market rent based on their household size for around three months. The program can also offer short-term move-in assistance in the form of a security deposit and/or assistance with utilities. In some circumstances, additional assistance may be required for residents to get back on their feet. The program should provide assistance for a maximum of six months and/or be capped at a maximum of $3,000.

Housing Opportunity Fund Housing Stabilization Program Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh’s Housing Opportunity Fund Housing Stabilization Program* was established in 2019 to provide one time or short-term funding to individuals and families who are struggling with housing expenses including mortgage, rent and/or utility payments. The program is designed to assist participants to stabilize their current housing situation or facilitate access to appropriate housing, with the ultimate goal of preventing homelessness. It also provides legal eviction prevention services, including legal consultation and representation for eviction defense and/or related supportive services. The program anticipates it will be able to aid almost 200 households earning between 30% and 50% AMI on an annual basis. *See https://www.ura.org/pages/housing-opportunity-fund-programs

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