Tips and Resources
What technical assistance resources are available
for CoCs and Grantees?
To assist recipients and subrecipients understand the updated
definition of homeless, and administer their programs in compliance
with the amended regulations, HUD is developing guidance and
training materials. The following materials are currently
available:
- Determining Homeless and At-Risk Status,
Income and Disability Webinar - This webinar provides
a comprehensive introduction to HUD's Homeless Definition Final
rule. After reviewing this webinar, viewers should be able to
apply the criteria under the homeless definition and understand the
basic documentation requirements.
- At-a-Glance - Criteria and Recordkeeping
Requirements for Definition of
Homeless- This two-page
document, to be posted on the HRE shortly and attached to this
listserv, provides a high-level overview of the criteria for each
category of homelessness (page 1) as well as the corresponding
recordkeeping requirements for each category (page 2). This
document does not contain the same level of detail that can be
found in the regulation.
- At-a-Glance - Criteria for Definition of
At Risk of Homelessness-
This one-page document, to be posted on the HRE shortly and
attached to this listserv, provides a high-level overview of the
criteria for each category of at risk of homelessness. This
document applies to recipients of Emergency Solutions Grants funds
only. This document does not contain the same level of detail
that can be found in the regulation.
HUD is continuing to prepare additional documents to create a
comprehensive library of guidance documents and training materials
on the definition of homeless. The following materials are
anticipated in the near future:
- Notice on Limitation on Use of Funds to Serve Persons
Defined as Homeless Under Other Federal Laws-This Notice
provides guidance to Continuums of Care (CoCs) and recipients of
Supportive Housing Program (SHP) and Shelter Plus Care (S+C)
program competitive grant funds in FY2011, regarding the
limitations imposed in Section 422(j) of the McKinney-Vento Act, as
amended by the HEARTH Act. This Notice provides further
clarification on information in the Notice of Funding Availability
(NOFA) Questions and Answers: A Supplement to the FY2011 CoC
Homeless Assistance NOFA and Application. The subject Notice
is only applicable to those recipients whose approved FY2011
applications (new or renewal) proposed to serve families with
children and/or unaccompanied youth.
- Recordkeeping Requirements for Homeless, At Risk of
Homelessness, Income, and Disability Webinar - This
webinar will provide a comprehensive introduction to the
recordkeeping requirements established in HUD's Homeless Definition
Final rule.
- Determining and Documenting Homeless and At-Risk
Status, Income, and Disability User Guide-this document
will assist readers in understanding the definition of homeless, at
risk of homelessness, income, and disability, as well as provide
templates and tools to assist case managers and intake workers
document homeless status, at risk of homeless status, income, and
disability status.
- Frequently Asked Questions-this document will
provide answers to frequently asked questions that are being
received, and answered, through the Help Desk. At the end of
this listserv, SNAPS will provide a few of the frequently asked
questions, along with the answers, that are being received, and
their answers, to assist readers until this document is
posted.
HUD appreciates your patience as these are being completed -
many of your questions will be answered once these documents are
published.
For questions on the requirements set forth in this regulation,
please visit the Virtual Help Desk on the HUD HRE. HUD has
taken great care to anticipate questions and include as much detail
in the regulations and notice as possible. Therefore, please
make sure to read both documents, in their entirety, prior to
submitting a question to the Help Desk, as this will reduce the
duplicative questions and responses and increase the response time
for questions that are not addressed in the regulation.
What Questions Has HUD Received On the Homeless
Definition?
HUD has received many questions on the definition. Below
are a few of the most frequently asked questions and the response
we have provided. Please remember to submit questions that
you may have to the Virtual Help Desk on the HRE located
at: http://www.hudhre.info/index.cfm?do=viewHelpdesk.
Select "CoC Policy" under the program/system dropdown and "Homeless
Definition" under the Topic dropdown to be routed most quickly to
the appropriate person who can answer your question.
Is an individual or family who qualifies as homeless
under Category 2 (imminent risk of homelessness) or Category 3
(homeless under other federal statutes) eligible for permanent
supportive housing under the SHP or S+C program?
While persons who meet the criteria of Category 2 or Category 3
of the homeless definition are defined as homeless, they are not
eligible for permanent supportive housing through the SHP or S+C
programs because they are not coming from the streets, emergency
shelter, safe havens or transitional housing as required in the FY
2011 NOFA. All permanent housing projects funded in the FY
2011 CoC Competition must continue to abide by the limitation on
permanent supportive housing set forth in the NOFA in Section
III.E.2.d(3).
My SHP/S+C project received funding in FY 2011 CoC
Competition and has an operating start date of January 1,
2011. Since the definition does not go into effect until
January 4, 2011 can I use the new definition in my
project?
SHP and S+C projects that received funding in FY2011 CoC
Competition must use the revised definition when
administering their projects. The definition published in the
Federal Register on December 5, 2011 applies to all SHP and S+C
projects funded in the FY 2011 CoC Competition, including those
with an operating start date between January 1, 2012 and January 3,
2012.
Are SHP and S+C projects funded in the FY 2011 CoC
Competition expected to use the amended definition
ofchronically homeless that was published in the
amendments to the Consolidated Plan rule on December 5, 2011 in the
Federal Register?
No, the amended definition of chronically homeless does not
apply to projects funded in the FY 2011 CoC Competition.
Projects funded in the FY 2011 CoC Competition should continue to
use the definition of chronically homeless found in Section I.D.3
of the 2011 Continuum of Care NOFA.
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