Implementation of the HEARTH Act What’s Happened, What’s Coming Updated: April, 2013 Steve Berg

The HEARTH Act – Incorporating Solutionist Values

ProgramsSystems ActivitiesOutcomes ShelterPrevention TransitioningRapidly Re-Housing

HEARTH Act – A few details Consolidation yields two programs: Emergency Solutions Grants, and Continuum of Care “Old” ESG + HPRP = New ESG, funding “Rapid Re-Housing,” an important new advance CoC: Competition focuses more on performance, push on permanent supportive housing for chronic homelessness Expanded eligibility throughout

New Measures –Duration of homelessness episodes –Returns to homelessness –Number of people who become homeless Measures require evaluating performance in the entire CoC region Performance

Implementation – What’s happened so far New ESG rules are in effect for close to one year Changes to CoC were put in place for the 2012 competition, changes were made in the NOFA to deal with funding levels, “Tier 1” projects have been announced, “Tier 2” forthcoming.

Key items that cost money and may be in limbo CoC-wide administrative money Other increases in administrative money Bonuses for effective practices Bringing all interventions to scale

Funding outlook FY 2013: $1.929 billion after sequestration already enacted o $190 million minimum for ESG (may be more – to be released soon, down from $286 million for last year) o $1.739 for Continuum of Care (released late fall?) – probably insufficient to renew all existing projects; competition will be fierce

Funding outlook FY 2014 – Decisionmaking process just begun o ESG -- $346 million in Administration budget o CoC – Just over $2 billion in Administration budget, covers renewing existing grants and probably a small amount for new projects o Note – Administration budget assumes sequestration canceled.

Keys moving forward Efficiency, using cost-effective practices like rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing, with strong targeting Veterans – funding may no longer be an issue, now it’s all about local implementation Mainstream entitlement programs like Medicaid and TANF Advocate for more funding The poorest people need jobs