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| Homeless Assistance Program OverviewThe Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) makes available a continuum of services to homeless and near homeless individuals and families. A. INTRODUCTION Homeless Assistance Program funding is provided to county governments by the Department of Public Welfare. HAP funds help to assure: 1) homelessness can be avoided through a variety of prevention services assisting clients to maintain affordable housing; 2) people who are homeless can find refuge and care; and 3) homeless and near homeless clients are assisted in moving toward self-sufficiency. In order to more effectively meet the demand for homeless services, HAP funds are block granted to all 67 Pennsylvania counties. The Department informs counties of their annual HAP block granted allocation and they are responsible for determining how and for which program components the funds will be utilized. HAP funds are block granted to allow counties the flexibility needed to design a comprehensive homeless program that will address the housing issues of clients and assist them in reaching self-sufficiency. Emergency shelters serve a specific need, but it is expected that with the flexibility provided, counties will focus their HAP toward prevention and intervention services. If a county*s Pre-Expenditure Plan indicates major deviation from prevention and/or intervention services and appears to focus primarily on Emergency Shelter services, counties will be asked to justify the expenditures. Counties are more intimately acquainted with the local network of services available to people who are homeless and near homeless and more aware of the gaps which could be covered with flexible state dollars. HAP funds may also be used to develop innovative supportive housing services tailored to meet particular needs of people who are homeless or near homeless which may not be met within the HAP service components. This approach is intended to encourage coordinated planning for homeless and near homeless services among human service agencies, advocates, people in community, housing and financial representatives, food and shelter boards, and employment services. Block granting of state HAP funds allows counties the flexibility to insure needed services are available to homeless and near homeless adults and children. This document outlines the basic criteria and parameters for the Program. B. PURPOSE OF THE HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The intent of the HAP is to make available a continuum of services to persons who are at risk of becoming homeless and to those who are homeless and near homeless who can demonstrate that with the prevention and intervention services provided by the HAP they would be able to meet their basic needs in the immediate and near future. See Appendix E for the chart outlining the basic criteria for a continuum of services to the homeless. C. PROGRAM GOALS Homeless Assistance Program funds are made available to counties to mitigate the effects of homelessness on families and individuals through the provision of housing, prevention activities, and Case Management services. The primary goal of this program is to assist homeless families and individuals in becoming self-sufficient, which includes permanent living arrangements as the final goal. Equally important are the funds provided for prevention activities. Funding for prevention allows the near homeless to retain affordable housing or to move to more affordable housing, if necessary. Prevention remains one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to resolve homelessness. The Homeless Assistance Program is designed to address housing issues which are only a part of a holistic approach to promote self-sufficiency for people who are homeless. It is important that counties conduct coordinated planning for the HAP to enable providers to link clients to other services required to assist clients in becoming self-sufficient. Assisting clients in reaching housing related self-sufficiency may require the use of one service component for a limited time or the use of an array of housing services provided in conjunction with program supports. Rebuilding families can mean the strengthening of an existing family and/or the reunification of families with children in foster care placement or the return of an absent parent. The adult population is now more at risk of becoming homeless because of plant closings, changes in family structure, medical problems, and domestic violence. Also, fewer dollars are provided through General Assistance, which may negatively impact this population. Planning and coordination of services will enhance each county*s ability to develop new strategies to address the needs of the homeless population. The continuum of services model allows counties the program flexibility necessary to meet the needs of: rural and urban counties; homeless families and homeless individuals; programs with single service and multiple service provisions; and county-administered programs and subgranted programs. Program flexibility promotes better coordination of Homeless Assistance Program service components while encouraging the development of innovative approaches to service delivery. Planning and coordination with other county service programs will result in the identification of service needs, reduction of service duplication, and prevention of disjointed service delivery. HAP funds can then be leveraged to provide the most comprehensive, innovative, and cost-effective services to the homeless and near homeless. D. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES Counties receiving Homeless Assistance Program block grants will develop programs with the following objectives: Participation in a community service planning process to develop a continuum of services for homeless and/or near homeless persons. The community planning process should include staff from homeless service providers, state and local governments, human service providers, private foundations, local businesses, and investors, the financial community, neighborhood groups, and/or formerly homeless individuals. The partners and process for the continuum would be designed for the specific county. Homeless prevention services, especially for those individuals threatened with eviction or those at risk of becoming homeless in the future, should be strongly considered as counties develop plans for the expenditure of HAP funds. It is recommended that HAP providers coordinate with human service agencies in the development of a holistic plan to meet the clients* needs. To assure that clients have access to available resources and that services are not duplicated, counties may choose to establish a single point of entry for homeless or near homeless clients. This process may include a common application form to be shared by all involved agencies. Relationships should be developed with local landlords and other housing service providers to assist clients in obtaining and remaining in safe, affordable and permanent housing. E. COUNTY COORDINATED PLANNING PROCESS Counties should be looking at ways to use the Homeless Assistance Program to develop a continuum of homeless services. Emphasis should be placed on the development of prevention and intervention services to deal with clients before they become homeless. This can be achieved by collaborating with other providers of social services in your county. It is strongly recommended that counties become involved in a coordinated planning process for the delivery of HAP services. The county should make the commitment to plan cooperatively and, where appropriate, provide for an effective multi-program response to the needs of its homeless clients. The Department recommends that those counties which have already made this commitment continue their efforts and that those who have not give it serious consideration. Service coordination and collaboration has proven to be an effective way of meeting many of the program*s goals. When resources are combined, the HAP, the Department*s Human Services Development Fund (HSDF), and many other human service programs are powerful tools in supporting homeless and near homeless families and individuals. A coordinated HAP planning process must begin with the development of an overall view of the county's needs and the HAP service system should be designed to meet county needs within county resources. This planning process can occur in any organizational setting or structure. It is strongly recommended that the county prepare a coordinated plan in order to reach the appropriate goal of the process. If a process already exists, a narrative description should be included with the county*s Pre-Expenditure Plan. Coordination with committees convened to conduct HSDF planning is strongly recommended. The HSDF provides funding to counties for services to low-income adults in order to promote, improve, and sustain the quality of family life in Pennsylvania. Since HSDF can provide funding for the staffing of such a planning process, the HSDF can play a vital part in the development and ongoing operation of coordinated planning for persons who are homeless.
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