TO: Chair and Housing Authority Commissioners
THROUGH: Steve Powers, Executive Director
FROM: Andrew Wilch, Administrator
SUBJECT:
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Increasing authorized staffing for Homeless Rental Assistance Program
Ward(s): All Wards
Commissioners(s): All Commissioners
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Shall the Housing Authority Commission approve the addition of two full-time housing stability case managers for the Homeless Rental Assistance Program?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Approve the addition of two full-time housing stability case managers for Homeless Rental Assistance Program.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
If approved, these positions will be funded from the $1.4 million provided by the City of Salem in the City’s current budget for the Salem Housing Authority (SHA) for the Homeless Rental Assistance Program (HRAP). HRAP is a Housing First program to assist the 100 most vulnerable homeless persons in Salem secure housing. HRAP is one action to help make progress within the City’s strategic plan goal of affordable housing, social services and homelessness.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
Currently, HRAP has 61 individuals enrolled in the program. Of those, 39 individuals have been housed. All 61 individuals are receiving intensive case management services. By the end of FY17-18, SHA anticipates having over 100 individuals enrolled in the program and 80 individuals permanently housed.
Currently, the program has only two case managers. In order to meet the abovementioned outcome projections by the end of the fiscal year, the HRAP program needs two additional housing stability case managers. An effective Housing First model requires a low client-to-case manager ratio and should average 15-20 clients to every one case manager. Currently, SHA’s two case managers each have 30 clients on their caseloads and that number continues to grow at a rapid pace as clients are enrolled and housed.
The program is at a critical juncture. These two additional positions will enable SHA to continue to rapidly enroll clients in the program, provide intensive case management services to all clients, find available housing units, provide basic needs support, and ensure housing stability for housed clients.
With the addition of these two positions, HRAP will have four dedicated full-time case managers. This will put the staffing ratio at 25 clients to each case manager as the program approaches the end of the current fiscal year.
These positions will be funded out of the existing HRAP budget allocation of $1.4 million from the City of Salem. Expenditure projections through June 30, 2017 indicate there will likely be $162,561 of the $1.4 million allocated by the City that can be used to pay for these two positions lasting for one-year each. Continuing these positions through SHA’s 18-19 fiscal year, and the continuation of the HRAP program in general, will be dependent on funding made available through the City’s budget process for the upcoming City 18-19 fiscal year. Grant and other funding opportunities are also viable for the program.
The City’s current $1.4 million allocation, if continued at that level for the City 18-19 fiscal year, will be adequate to fully support the HRAP program goal of providing housing and services to 100 clients at the proposed staffing level of four HRAP case managers. This will have no impact to SHA’s FY17-18 budget, as the salary and benefits will be fully funded by the HRAP program budget.
Andrew Wilch
Administrator
Attachments:
1. Resolution 2226