Program Name: Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP)

Contact: Susan Gehring, Health & Human Services Department. (Email)

Federal Agency: Department of Housing & Urban Development

Federal Grant Name: Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP)

Award Amount: $3,062,820

Type of Award: Formula Allocation

Programs Supported: Contractors: Austin Tenants’ Council, Caritas of Austin, Youth and Family Alliance (dba LifeWorks). The City of Austin is responsible for the data management & reporting component.

Program Description

HPRP provides financial assistance and services to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless and help those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized. HPRP includes data management activities to support integration with the community’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and ongoing federal reporting for the entire program.

Services include: outreach and intake, short-term case management to address housing stabilization, financial assistance (e.g., rent or utility assistance), emergency tenant/landlord mediation and legal services, and housing location and inspection.

HPRP targets clients from faith-based organizations, AISD (specific locations), homeless service providers, and those impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Client services were initiated December 1, 2009 following initial community planning and program development activities.

Request for Applications (RFA) were conducted for two components of the HPRP program: Fiscal Agent and HPRP Outreach and Intake Specialists. Contracts awarded:

• Youth and Family Alliance (dba LifeWorks). Fiscal Agent – $1,967,840 (for a two-year contract period). LifeWorks serves as the Fiscal Agent for the HPRP financial assistance component, processing and tracking payments to a large number of landlords and utility companies. LifeWorks was awarded this contract through a competitive process held in 2009. An estimated 2,000 individuals will be served over two years.
• Caritas of Austin. HPRP Outreach and Intake Specialists –$480,000 (for a two-year contract period). Caritas of Austin has hired four specialists (including a coordinator) to conduct community outreach and intake for HPRP, and serve as liaisons to AISD, the faith community and other homeless service providers. Caritas was awarded this contract through a competitive process held in 2009. An estimated 2,000 individuals will be served over two years.

Two additional HPRP components were awarded as an expansion of existing City-funded programs: Housing Locator and Inspector Services and Tenant Mediation and Legal Services. Contracts awarded:

• Caritas of Austin. Housing Locator and Inspector Services – $240,000 (for a two-year contract period). Caritas of Austin has expanded the existing City-funded Rapid Re-Housing Pilot Project with additional housing locators. The locators serve as the liaison between the landlord and the HPRP clients and conduct the required housing inspections. An estimated 800 HPRP households will be served over two years.
• Austin Tenants’ Council. Tenant Mediation and Legal Services – $120,000 (for a two-year contract period). Austin Tenants’ Council has expanded existing mediation services for HPRP clients to resolve tenant/landlord disputes and will secure allowable legal services for administrative court proceedings. An estimated 400 households will be served over two years.

The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, which engages in outreach, client screening, eligibility determination and enrollment, case management, and the authorization of direct financial assistance to stabilize client housing, was 100% expended through the end of December 2011. 2,517 people (comprising 1,002 households) have been enrolled with 2,229 people received homelessness prevention services and 303 homeless clients receiving assistance. (Total clients enrolled is an unduplicated count; other figures include clients duplicated between categories.)

This project is complete.

Job Creation: As of the end of December 2012, 9.3 jobs have been created or retained.