Slide 1:
Community Housing Plans: An Opportunity for Advocacy
Presented by:
Ann V. Denton
The Enterprise Foundation
512.458.3200
Slide 2:
Assessing Need
Sources of data:
- State of Oregon Survey
- Advocacy organizations
- State Consolidated Plan
- Local Consolidated Plans
- Public Housing Authorities
- Service providers (including homelessness network)
Slide 3:
Assessing Need
Sources of data:
Also, you can assess need in your community for a specific purpose.Consult allies regarding data they may have, as well.
Slide 4:
Assessing Need
Personal Stories
- are an excellent way to “bring home” the need
- are one of many ways to include advocacy organizations
- can help you obtain press coverage of the need for housing in your community
Slide 5:
Assessing Need
Use of fact sheets and press releases:
After you have assembled data, it is valuable to create fact sheets and press releases. Having these items on hand can allow you to respond quickly to opportunities to get the word out.
Slide 6:
Assessing Need
Use of newsletters
Don’t forget to include your fact sheets and press releases in a wide variety of newsletters.
Slide 7:
Community Planning: Planning Advisory Committees
The state mental health authority is required to conduct a planning process annually in order to receive Mental Health Block Grant funds.
Slide 8:
Community Planning: Planning Advisory Committees
The Mental Health Block Grant report and application is overseen by the Planning Advisory Committee.
Slide 9:
Community Planning: Planning Advisory Committees
The PAC must include consumers and family members.
This is an opportunity to address the issues of housing and homelessness.
Slide 10:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
The Consolidated Plan is the community’s plan for affordable housing and community development activities.
The Consolidated Plan is the community’s application for funds in these categories.
The Consolidated Plan lays out performance measures for the community in these areas.
Slide 11:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
The Consolidated Plan is an application for the following funds:
- Community Development Block Grants
- Emergency Shelter Grants
- HOME Program
- Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS
Slide 12:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
The Consolidated Plan describes need, including an analysis of the housing market, describes the community strategy to meet need, and describes planned resource allocations.
Slide 13:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
The Plan must:
- estimate housing needs (for 3 or 5 years)
- describe “priority” housing needs
- estimate housing need by income category and family type
- distinguish between renters and owners
- describe housing needs of people with disabilities and HIV/AIDS
- describe homelessness and community strategy
Slide 14:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
Sometimes, communities overlook the neediest households.
Slide 15:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
Sometimes, communities target ALL of their resources to people just at or under the HUD definition of low income.
Or, communities choose to assist people in obtaining home ownership rather than to assist renters.
Slide 16:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
Low Income households are defined by HUD as at or below 80% of median family income. This varies by community.
In contrast, people on SSI (disability income) make less than $7,000 per year. People who are homeless may be making even less.
Slide 17:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
Review the current Consolidated Plan for your community.
- Does the plan include targeted resources for those most in need?
- Does the plan discuss homelessness? Housing needs of people with disabilities?
- Does the plan share resources between renters and home owners?
Slide 18:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
If you discover that your current Consolidated Plan does not meet the needs of the lowest income households in your community, here are some things you can do:
- provide data on the housing needs of your group
- provide examples of successful housing projects that can be copied
Slide 19:
Community Planning: The Consolidated Plan
Know what to ask for! Examples -
- A Fair Share of available resources for people who are most in need.
- Targeted resources to the lowest levels of income
- Tenant based rental assistance.
Slide 20:
Community Planning: The Continuum of Care
The Continuum of Care is a locally based planning process designed to create a continuum of services, supports and housing that will enable homeless people in your community to exit homelessness.
Slide 21:
Community Planning: The Continuum of Care
The planning process should be inclusive of
all stakeholders:
- People who are or have been homeless
- City leaders, other decision makers
- Service providers
- Housing providers
Slide 22:
Community Planning: The Continuum of Care
Your community must have “one, well-coordinated” planning process.
Slide 23:
Community Planning: The Continuum of Care
An effective Continuum of Care Planning Process is the basic minimum requirement for a competitive application to HUD for assistance under the McKinney/Vento Act.
Slide 24:
Community Planning: The Continuum of Care
What can you apply for?
- Supportive Housing
- Shelter Plus Care
- Single Room Occupancy
Slide 25:
Community Planning: The Continuum of Care
Each community is encouraged to have a Continuum of Care planning process. HUD has an organizational goal of 100% of affected communities will participate in this planning process.
Slide 26:
Community Planning: The Continuum of Care
The planning process should be year round, with intense activity occurring in preparation for the SuperNOFA submission.
Slide 27:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
Public Housing Authorities (as of 2000) must submit a five year plan to administer public housing and the Section 8 program.
Just like the ConPlan, the PHA Plan must be updated annually.
Slide 28:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
The plan must include a description of housing needs in the community served by the PHA.
The description must include the housing needs of people with disabilities, including people with mental illness.
Slide 29:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
The PHA Plan will tell you
- whether or not the PHA has designated their public housing units “elderly only” or if people with disabilities are eligible for public housing.
Slide 30:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
The PHA plan will tell you
- if the PHA has designated public housing units as elderly only, the plan must tell you how the PHA plans to obtain additional Section 8 vouchers for people with disabilities.
Slide 31:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
The PHA plan will tell you
- If people with disabilities are allowed in public housing units, the plan will describe eligibility, tenant selection and admission policies.
Slide 32:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
The PHA Plan must be developed with the input of a Resident Advisory Board.
Membership on the Resident Advisory Board includes residents of public housing units and current Section 8 recipients.
Slide 33:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
In addition to the Resident Advisory Board, the PHA plan must also have at least one public hearing prior to submission to HUD.
Slide 34:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
Opportunities for advocacy include recruiting a sympathetic member of the Resident Advisory Board.
Remember this can be a current recipient of Section 8.
Slide 35:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
Opportunities for advocacy include educating your group about the PHA plan and presenting information at the public hearing about the needs of people with disabilities.
Slide 36:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
What to ask for?
- A Fair Share of resources in this plan means a specific number of units or Section 8 vouchers designated for people with disabilities.
Slide 37:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
What to ask for?
- A Fair Share in this plan includes PHA participation in the Mainstream Housing resources annual competition.
Slide 38:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
What to ask for?
- A Fair Share here includes the planned use of Section 8 resources to help low income families achieve home ownership.
Slide 39:
Community Planning: Public Housing Authorities
What to ask for?
- A Fair Share includes ensuring that PHA operations explicitly plan for the participation of people with disabilities.
Slide 40:
Community Housing Plans: An Opportunity for Advocacy
Find your friends
- Coalition for the Homeless
- Affordable Housing Task Force or similar group
- Consumers Union
- Local housing non-profits
- Friendly agency staff and/or key public officials
- Anti-poverty, anti-hunger organizations
- Service Providers
Slide 41:
Community Housing Plans: An Opportunity for Advocacy
- Get involved
- Gather the information that will be needed in these processes - make friends with the planners! Form alliances with other like minded folk.
Slide 42:
Community Housing Plans: An Opportunity for Advocacy
Have accurate information on the need for affordable housing in your community.
Good sources of information include:
Slide 43:
Community Housing Plans: An Opportunity for Advocacy
- Educate yourself about issues (poverty, disability, homelessness) and learn the housing language
- Attend public hearings, provide written comments, involve your friends.