2005 News

Attached is the award announcement from the 2005 HUD CoC competition for ALL 3 Arizona Continuums. Click here to view.

For Rural Arizona there are no surprises and "We were awarded EVERYTHING as requested".

This includes 28 NEW Permanent Supportive Housing units in rural Arizona comprising 3 new projects (1-Samaritan Initiative and 2 Hold Harmless) = 3 units within Mohave County, 4 in Coconino County, 8 in Yavapai County, 7 in Apache County, and 6 in Navajo County.

Statewide, $30,940,835.00 has been awarded which includes the 3 AZ CoC's and ESG (Emergency Shelter Grant Allocations).

Nationally speaking, President Bush awarded $1.33 billion in grant to serve thousands of persons homeless. For more information: http://www.hud.gov/news/

The Arizona Department of Housing has awarded two agencies funding from HUD HOPWA entitlement and State Housing Trust Fund for direct program administration with "Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS / HOPWA" in rural Arizona. The HOPWA program provides funding resources for homeless prevention/emergency housing activities such as: mortgage foreclosure, rental and utility payment assistance. In addition, HOPWA pays for program administration as well as supportive services not otherwise provided by Title I and II Ryan White such as: care coordination, nutrition supplements, transportation, and acupuncture.

 

Awards commencing July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006:

 

Northland Cares - $133,150.00 ($88,150.00 from HUD HOPWA Entitlement and $45,000.00 from State Housing Trust Fund)

 

Serving Apache, Coconino, Gila, Navajo, and Yavapai Counties. Recently, Northland Cares has added Navajo Nation to their list of served areas.

 

Mohave County Public Health Department - $75,850.00 (HUD HOPWA Entitlement funding)

 

Serving Mohave County which has the 2nd highest incidence of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the Arizona "Balance of State" jurisdiction.

 

Both agencies have been instrumentally involved in year around community and homeless planning efforts in 2004/2005 and have proven track records for successfully administering the HOPWA program in their respective areas.

 

 

 

The Arizona Department of Economic Security/Community Services Administration recently announced its awards for homeless programs.

 

Click here to view the DES/CSA announcement.

 

 

 

The HUD Continuum Application for 2005 was submitted to HUD in early June.

 

Some "Highlights" of the application contents:

 

Total requested funding - $2,526,314.00 (the current rural CoC homeless resources exceed $4 million with multi yr. funded grants)

 

20 Projects in total: 3 new projects (with 2 of those being Hold Harmless projects in Mohave and Coconino Counties/only CoC in AZ to do so)

 

Project Leverage - $4,006,490.00 (An increase of $226,580 over last year/2004)
 

New Development -141 new beds within Rural AZ: 67 new beds in Emergency Housing (52 for DV), 14 in transitional housing, 60 beds in Permanent Housing (57                            exclusively for Chronically Homeless/Housing First model)
 

Housing Emphasis - moved a total of $ 62,757 from Support Svcs. to Housing activities (Operations)
 

Project Performance - TH - 75.1% moved from TH to PH (HUD's goal is 60%), PH - 85.8% remained in PH 6 months or longer (HUD's goal is 70%)

 

HMIS Status - 75% of TH beds are reporting into HMIS, 75% of Perm Supp Hous reporting into HMIS, 70.51% Emerg Beds In & 50.56% of Family beds in (each CoC had to list "IF" they had met the 75% goal and if not … when would they; Emergency beds will be achieved by Dec. 2005)

 

We believe HUD will announce awards from the 2005 Continuum of Care application process this winter.

 

Click here to view the HUD Exhibit 1 in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

 

 

 

Colonias are rural communities located within 150 miles of the US-Mexican Border.  They often lack the basic necessities most Americans take for granted - running water, electricity, and paved roads.  These mostly unincorporated communities began to be developed in the 1950's and continue to exist for a variety of reasons, such as poor land use regulations.  Without safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, drinkable water, sewer and drainage systems, colonias struggle with issues often associated with "Third World" countries.

 

Click here for a list of communities in the Rural AZ CoC that are designated as colonias.

 

 

 

The theme is "The Rural AZ CoC was fully awarded ALL Homeless Program funding requested ... and then SOME"!  Essentially, all renewal projects were funded at the EXACT amount requested from the project priority page in Exhibit 1 of our application INCLUDING the renewal project in question (due to 2005/high FMR's and net effect with the rural bonus project) "US Veteran's Initiative - $350,368.00".

 

The "1st renewal" project for HMIS in rural AZ was awarded at $157,000.00. 

 

The rural AZ CoC was also awarded both NEW projects submitted consisting of Permanent Supportive Housing in La Paz, Yuma, and Yavapai Counties.

 

Bonus Project - the EXCEL group (La Paz & Yuma Counties) serving persons w/ Serious Mental Illness & Co-occurring DO.  The first and now ONLY HUD McKinney Homeless resource in La Paz County.

 

While the bonus was listed at "up to $750,000" ADOH applied for a Shelter Plus Care which statutorily awards for 5 years and funds at current Fair Market Rents (unknown at the time of the application) yielding $775,380.00 ($ 57,380 more than requested).

 

New Project - for Veterans w/ Psychiatric Disabilities in Yavapai County - US Veterans Initiative (Project Sponsor) The first scattered site permanent supportive housing resource in Yavapai County - funded at $100,000 for 3 years.

 

In the weeks to come Vic Hudenko and myself will be involved in a debriefing with our HUD state office and a representative from the HUD Headquarters in WA DC regarding the CoC's actual score ... and receive "Operating Instructions" for executing contracts with HUD.

 

I would like to acknowledge our HUD state office because every year they proactively rally for Homeless Program through our rural CoC and I believe the other 2 CoC's in our state.  Thank you "JOHN ENOS" , Lou Kislin, and Marty Mitchell!

 

For more information, visit the HUD website at www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/budget/2004/index.cfm.

 

Vicki VanDreel

Special Needs Housing Administrator

(602) 771-1024 / vickiv@housingaz.com

Arizona Department of Housing

1700 West Washington Street, Suite 210

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

 

 

 

April 1, 2005 is the date for the Ending Homelessness Conference hosted by the Arizona Department of Housing.  The conference will be held at the Heard Museum from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Join Dr. Sheila Harris, Director, Arizona Department of Housing, Director David Berns, Arizona Department of Economic Security, and Fred Karnas, Governor's policy advisor for Urban Affairs and Community Development at a one-day planning session to develop strategies for ending homelessness in Arizona.