 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| A |
|
|
|
Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR)
AHAR is a national report on homelessness in America, presented by HUD's (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) Office of Community Planning and Development. The latest AHAR draws from Continuum of Care funding applications for 2006, which report sheltered and unsheltered homeless populations across the United States, and from HMIS data on sheltered homeless populations.
Source: The Second Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development. March 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
| B |
|
|
|
Balance of State
The Balance of State includes the areas within a state that are not represented by a regional CoC. The state receives federal funding on behalf of these communities.
|
|
Bed Coverage Rate
The bed coverage rate is the total number of beds offered by programs participating in HMIS, divided by the total number of beds offered by all programs in the community.
Source: The Second Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development. March 2008.
|
|
Bed Inventory
Bed inventory refers to the number of emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing beds available for individuals or families. The inventory includes year-round beds, seasonal beds, overflow beds, and voucher beds.
Source: The Second Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development. March 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
| C |
|
|
|
CoC Grant Programs
The CoC grant programs outlined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act are: the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program, and the Single Room Occupancy Program. The Supportive Housing Program provides housing with supportive services to assist transitioning to independence. Shelter Plus Care provides rental assistance for homeless people with disabilities through the Tenant, Sponsor, and Project-based Rental Assistance, and Single Room Occupancy Rental Assistance Programs. The Single Room Occupancy Program (SRO) compensates building owners for the rehabilitation and maintenance costs of renting to homeless individuals who pay a fixed percentage of their income. The approach of these competitive funds reflects how homelessness is not caused merely by a lack of shelter, but involves a variety of underlying and unmet physical, economic, and social needs.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Homeless Assistance Programs. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/index.cfm.
|
|
Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
Beginning in 1974, the CDBG program is one of the longest continuously run programs at HUD. The formula-based Community Development Block Grants, allocated to 1,180 general units of local government and states, allow communities to address a wide range of unique community development needs. The grants are used to provide decent and affordable housing, improve living conditions, and expand individuals' economic opportunities. Eligible annual grantees are: principal cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA's); other metropolitan cities with populations of at least 50,000; and qualified urban counties with populations of at least 200,000 (excluding the population of entitled cities). Some non-entitlement localities also receive CDBG funds distributed by the states. HUD determines the amount of each entitlement grant by a statutory dual formula which uses several objective measures of community needs (including the extent of poverty, population, housing overcrowding, age of housing and population growth lag) in relationship to other metropolitan areas.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Homeless Assistance Programs. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/index.cfm.
|
|
Continuum of Care (CoC)
Initiated by HUD in 1994, the Continuum of Care program consolidates the McKinney program funds for Shelter Plus Care, Supportive Housing Program, and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation for SRO (Single Room Occupancy), into a single competitive grant process. A Continuum of Care (CoC) is an organizational structure that brings different community service providers together to address the needs of the homeless population within their jurisdiction. CoCs may be organized at the state level, or by regions, counties, cities, or combinations thereof. To be recognized as a CoC and apply for McKinney-Vento homeless assistance funds, jurisdictions must submit a Continuum of Care Plan. The CoC plan should demonstrate broad participation of community stakeholders. The plan should also identify the resources and gaps in the community's approach to providing services for individuals and families who are homeless, including outreach and emergency, transitional, and permanent housing.
Source: Continuums of Care for States. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Office of Community Planning and Development. Prepared by Abt Associates Inc. February 2001.
|
|
|
|
|
| E |
|
|
|
Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program, established in Title III of the McKinney-Vento Act, helps meet the needs of hungry and homeless people throughout the United States and its territories. EFSP distributes national funds to local programs through collaboration between national and state agencies. Funds are used to provide food, lodging, rent, money for utilities, repairs to facilities serving the hungry and homeless, and/or equipment necessary to feed or shelter people.
Source: Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. http://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/pages/about.htm.
|
|
Emergency Housing
Emergency housing is a short-term facility with limited stays of to 30-120 days, which focuses on stabilizing homeless persons before they move to other housing options. The definition of an emergency shelter may differ by shelter or state.
|
|
Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG)
The HUD Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program is a non-competitive, formula-based federal grant program designed to: improve the quality of existing emergency shelters for the homeless; make additional shelters available; meet the costs of operating shelters; provide essential social services to homeless individuals; and help prevent homelessness. Grantees, which include large cities, urban counties, and U.S. territories, must match ESG grant funds dollar for dollar with their own locally generated funds. State governments also receive ESG grants, but are not required to match funds.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Homeless Assistance Programs. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/programs/index.cfm.
|
|
|
|
|
| H |
|
|
|
Health Care for the Homeless
The McKinney-Vento Act established the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Organizations seeking federal funds to provide primary health and addiction services to people experiencing homelessness may apply to HRSA for a competitive HCH grant. HCH grantees include local public and private nonprofits, community health centers, hospitals, local health departments, shelters, and homeless coalitions. HCH projects serve homeless individuals and families who live on the street, in shelters, or in transitional housing.
Source: National Coalition for the Homeless: Health Care for the Homeless Program. October 2005. http://www.nationalhomeless.org/health/hchprogram.html.
|
|
HOME Investment Partnerships Program
Communities, in partnership with local nonprofit groups, use HOME grant monies to build, buy, and rehabilitate affordable housing, or to provide direct rental assistance to low-income people. HOME is the largest federal block grant used for this purpose; each year it allocates approximately $2 billion among the states and hundreds of localities nationwide.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: HOME Investment Partnerships Program. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/programs/home/.
|
|
Homeless Children and Youth: McKinney-Vento Definition
Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines homeless children and youth as persons who "lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." This includes children and youth who are: living in shelters; spending nights in public or private places not intended for use as regular sleeping accommodations for humans; awaiting foster care placement; sharing the housing of other persons; living in temporary or outdoor settings; or who are migratory children in one of the above situations. This definition guides the McKinney-Vento education programs for homeless children and youth. For a more detailed definition visit The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) at: http://www.serve.org/nche/definition.php.
|
|
Homeless Families
For the purposes of this project, a homeless family refers to homeless parents or guardians accompanied by dependent children. Family composition may include two-parent families, single mothers or fathers, grandparents, or other legal guardians with children.
|
|
Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)
Homeless Management Information Systems are computerized data collection applications, which are operated by local Continuums of Care. HMIS stores longitudinal data on homeless individuals and families accessing services. It produces an unduplicated count of homeless persons, improves program operations, measures program performance, and coordinates services community-wide.
Source: The Second Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development. March 2008.
|
|
Homeless: Chronically Homeless Persons
HUD defines the chronically homeless as those who have been continually homeless for one year or more, with a disability of long duration. Although the working definition of chronic homelessness may vary by service provider or locality, approximately 10% of all single homeless adults are considered to be chronically homeless.
Source: Quarterly CT HMIS Data Report, 2007. Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. http://www.cceh.org/hmis_reports.htm.
|
|
Homeless: HUD Definition
Homeless refers to a person or family lacking a "fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence," who is: residing in places not meant for human habitation; residing in an emergency shelter or in transitional housing for the homeless; evicted (within one week) from a private dwelling; discharged (within one week) from an institution in which they have resided for more than 30 consecutive days; or fleeing a domestic violence situation. A broader definition applied to homeless children and youth includes individuals sharing the housing of other persons because of a loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason, or who are awaiting foster care placement. HUD uses these definitions to determine eligibility for their programs, which target resources to the most needy (literally homeless) populations.
Source: Partnership for Strong Communities: Housing Terms and Definitions. http://www.ctpartnershiphousing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=116&Itemid=1; The Second Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development. March 2008.
|
|
Homeless: Literally Homeless Persons
The "literally homeless" include unsheltered homeless people who sleep in places not meant for human habitation (including streets, parks, abandoned buildings, and subway tunnels), and persons who may use shelters or transitional housing on an intermittent basis.
Source: A Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People Revised. HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs, September 2006.
|
|
Homeless: McKinney-Vento Definition
McKinney-Vento defines homelessness as lacking "a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." This includes individuals or families living in shelters; sharing the housing of other persons due to the loss of housing; living in extremely low-income households that face imminent risk of homelessness; residing in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; maintaining a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (i.e. living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings).
Source: 111 P.L. 022, Div. B, Sec. 1003 (a)(2), http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ022.pdf
|
|
Homeless: Sheltered Homeless Persons
A sheltered homeless person resides in an emergency shelter or in transitional housing intended for people living on the streets or in emergency shelters.
Source: A Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People Revised. HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs, September 2006.
|
|
Homeless: Unsheltered Homeless Persons
An unsheltered homeless person resides in a place not meant for human habitation, such as a car, park, sidewalk, abandoned building, or on the street.
Source: A Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People Revised. HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs, September 2006.
|
|
Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD aims to increase homeownership, support community development, and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. HUD offers both non-competitive (formula) and competitive homeless assistance grant programs. Competitive grants fall under the umbrella of Continuum of Care programs.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://www.hud.gov/about/index.cfm; A Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People Revised. HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs, September 2006.
|
|
Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA)
The HOPWA Program awards grants to address the specific needs of low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. HOPWA grants (given to local communities, states, and other nonprofit organizations) provide housing assistance and related supportive services. As part of HUD's Consolidated Planning Initiative, HOPWA works in partnership with communities and neighborhoods to manage federal funds appropriated to HIV/AIDS programs.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program. http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/aidshousing/programs/.
|
|
|
|
|
| M |
|
|
|
McKinney-Vento Grants for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
The McKinney-Vento Education Grants are formula grants given to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The grants support an office for the coordination of the education of homeless children and youth in each state. These offices gather comprehensive information about homeless students, and find ways to overcome the obstacles children and youth face in order to regularly attend school. These grants also help State Education Agencies (SEA's) ensure that homeless children, including preschoolers and youth, have access to education. The Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs Office of the U.S. Department of Education administers the program.
Source: U.S. Department of Education. http://www.ed.gov/programs/homeless/index.html.
|
|
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, signed into law in 1987, is the first major federal legislative response to homelessness. The programs and grants created under the McKinney-Vento Act provide a range of services to the homeless, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, food assistance, education, job training, primary health care, substance abuse treatment, and some permanent housing. While the McKinney-Vento Act has established many valuable initiatives, cuts in federal funding threaten the effectiveness and reach of these programs.
Source: "McKinney-Vento Act, NCH Fact Sheet #18." National Coalition for the Homeless, June 2006. http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts.html.
|
|
|
|
|
| P |
|
|
|
Permanent Supportive Housing
Permanent supportive housing is affordable housing with supportive services designed to help people maintain their housing. This type of housing has no limit on length of stay and no stipulation that tenants move out if their service needs change. Permanent supportive housing is designed and intended for (and is for the most part occupied by) people who have been homeless or are at risk of homelessness. These people often have special needs, disabilities, or other substantial barriers to maintaining housing stability. Permanent supportive housing may be scattered site, clustered, single site, mixed tenancy, or mixed use.
Source: Partnership for Strong Communities: Housing Terms and Definitions. http://www.ctpartnershiphousing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=116&Itemid=1.
|
|
Point-in-Time Counts
Point-in-time counts are estimates of the number of persons experiencing homelessness on a given day and inform estimates of the numbers of the sheltered and unsheltered homeless nationwide. The counts, taken locally, include persons who are: chronically homeless, severely mentally ill, substance abusers, veterans, unaccompanied youth, and living with HIV/AIDS. PIT counts tend to capture people who use shelters often or have been homeless for longer periods of time, and might overlook those who use shelters episodically, are doubled up with family members or friends, or experience a short-term housing crisis.
Source: The Second Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development. March 2008.
|
|
Precariously Housed Persons
Precariously housed persons are at imminent risk of becoming literally homeless. They double-up with friends and relatives, or spend extremely high percentages of their earnings on rent.
Source: A Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People Revised. HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs, September 2006.
|
|
Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)
The PATH program was created under Title VI of the McKinney-Vento Act. PATH is a formula grant program that funds supportive service delivery for individuals with serious mental illnesses, as well as homeless or at-risk individuals with concurrent substance use disorders. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides technical assistance to states and local providers funded by the PATH program.
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: PATH. http://pathprogram.samhsa.gov/.
|
|
|
|
|
| T |
|
|
|
Transitional Housing
Transitional housing provides the support needed for participants to move into permanent housing. Transitional housing differs from permanent supportive housing in that it has a time limit on occupancy, usually of no more than two years. Definitions of transitional housing vary by shelter and state.
Source: Partnership for Strong Communities: Housing Terms and Definitions. http://www.ctpartnershiphousing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=116&Itemid=1.
|
|
|
|
|
| U |
|
|
|
Unduplicated Count
An unduplicated count is a count of homeless people who have stayed in an emergency shelter (not including domestic violence shelters) or in transitional housing. Unduplicated counts are recorded in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Since they count each individual only once over time, they are used to gather longitudinal data on persons using shelters.
Source: The Second Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development. March 2008.
|
|
|
