SENS. BROWN AND PORTMAN, REP. FUDGE URGE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE NORTHEAST OHIO’S HOMELESS CAN RECEIVE CRITICAL FEDERAL RESOURCES TO GET THEM BACK ON THEIR FEET
WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 23, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH), and Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11) wrote to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to express their concern that misinterpretation of an interim rule could keep struggling families from receiving vital housing assistance. In order to ensure Northeast Ohio homeless persons remain eligible for programs that could help get them back on their feet, Brown, Portman, and Fudge urged HUD to clarify its intentions.
“We are writing to express our concern about implementation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) interim rule requiring all Continuum of Care (CoC) programs to establish a coordinated assessment process for administering emergency shelter and rapid rehousing assistance,” the lawmakers wrote. “We support the intent behind the coordinated assessment requirement established by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act and believe that it can result in more effective assistance for homeless families. However, we are concerned that some interpretations of the interim rule may force homeless shelters and struggling families to choose between immediate shelter and future housing independence. We urge HUD to clarify its interim final rule to ensure that coordinated assessments are not used to exclude the neediest families from participation in HUD programs.”
Under the HEARTH Act, HUD requires all CoC facilities to coordinate a plan for administering emergency shelter and rapid rehousing assistance. As a part of this effort, homeless persons receive a needs assessment from a CoC which can then recommend the most appropriate housing assistance. But in some cases, local administrators are ruling individuals ineligible for federal housing assistance if they receive even temporary or emergency assistance from a shelter before visiting a CoC. This interpretation has forced struggling families to choose between immediate shelter and future housing independence.
For instance, The City Mission in Cleveland is a nonprofit that provides food, housing, and vocational training for area residents. But Northeast Ohioans could be ruled ineligible for future HUD assistance if they seek immediate housing at The City Mission for a night or two before they visit the Cuyahoga County CoC for a needs assessment. Brown, Portman, and Fudge are urging HUD to take steps to ensure that struggling families aren’t penalized for seeking immediate assistance and are able to receive the help that they need in the short term and long term.
Their letter to HUD can be read in its entirety HERE and below:
Mr. Mark Johnston
Acting Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20410
Dear Mr. Johnston,
We are writing to express our concern about implementation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) interim rule requiring all Continuum of Care (CoC) programs to establish a coordinated assessment process for administering emergency shelter and rapid rehousing assistance. We support the intent behind the coordinated assessment requirement established by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act and believe that it can result in more effective assistance for homeless families. However, we are concerned that some interpretations of the interim rule may force homeless shelters and struggling families to choose between immediate shelter and future housing independence. We urge HUD to clarify its interim final rule to ensure that coordinated assessments are not used to exclude the neediest families from participation in HUD programs.
This issue was brought to our attention by The City Mission, a Cleveland-based nonprofit that provides food, housing, and vocational training for area residents. While The City Mission does not receive any federal funds to provide its services, it does provide housing services for individuals and families referred through the Cuyahoga County CoC, and many of those who seek temporary shelter with The City Mission may go on to participate in HUD-funded rapid rehousing, transitional housing, or permanent supportive housing. In some cases, individuals first come to The City Mission for assistance and are referred by it to Cuyahoga County CoC for further assessment and assistance, though they may return to The City Mission for temporary housing before moving to a more permanent location.
But recent guidance from The City Mission’s local CoC indicates that, due to the HUD interim rule, individuals who are immediately assisted by The City Mission but report to the coordinated intake location as soon as possible will not be eligible for any future HUD funds, including funds that are not associated with emergency shelter or The City Mission. While we agree that it is beneficial to have a single, coordinated intake location to assess individuals’ needs and ensure that they receive appropriate accommodations, we are concerned that Cuyahoga County’s interpretation of HUD’s interim rule is overly restrictive and may cause unintended harm to families who seek temporary shelter with local nonprofits before receiving a coordinated assessment.
No hard-working family should not be denied an opportunity to get back on their feet. We urge you to review The City Mission’s efforts to comply with HUD’s coordinated assessment interim rule and ask you to clarify that individuals who receive coordinated assessments as soon as possible should remain eligible for vital assistance. Thank you.
