• Background
• Notes from New Orleans
• Publications and Papers
• Legislation
• Links

BACKGROUND

The Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) is facilitating the development of a strategic plan for permanent supportive housing targeted to people in greater New Orleans who earn below 30 percent of median income. TAC and other national experts along with advocates from New Orleans involved in permanent supportive housing envision the creation of a permanent supportive housing partnership model in the Greater New Orleans area that would assume the leadership and responsibility for developing and converting a permanent supportive housing strategy into action. There are five primary objectives for this on-site strategic planning activity, which include:

1. To conduct a strategic assessment of the capabilities and sustainability of local housing and service providers; and an environmental scan of national, state and local factors that could facilitate or constrain expansion of affordable and permanent supportive housing;
   
2. To engage key community leaders, housing developers, behavioral health/human services entities and advocates to form the nucleus of a new permanent supportive housing partnership in the greater New Orleans region;
   
3. To assure that there is a powerful voice for ending and preventing homelessness and developing permanent supportive housing linked with mainstream services in the Greater New Orleans area as redevelopment proceeds;
   
4. To integrate affordable and permanent supportive housing production for the lowest-income households within broader housing and community development activities in the region affected by Hurricane Katrina; and
   
5. To identify opportunities and strategies for national and local philanthropy to support and sustain a new permanent supportive housing partnership in Greater New Orleans that can promote this proven solution to homelessness throughout the redevelopment process and beyond.

New Orleans and the surrounding areas are confronting the single largest community development challenge in our nation’s history. However, in recovery efforts thus far, little attention is being paid to the needs of the lowest-income and most vulnerable people – people who need and can benefit from permanent supportive housing. With TAC’s help, this strategic plan will produce positive results for very low-income people with disabilities and those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and in the Gulf Coast Region.

This initiative is funded by the Melville Charitable Trust.

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NOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS

Bob Hohler, Executive Director of the Melville Charitable Trust
Nan Roman, President of the National Alliance to End Homelessness

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PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS
Supportive Housing for New Orleans: Welcoming Home People with Disabilities (December 2005) TAC worked in collaboration with the National Alliance to End Homelessness and a number of organizations to produce a concept paper calling for the creation of 10,000 units of mixed income supportive housing. The housing proposed would serve individuals with special needs who would typically face homelessness and would also house low-wage workers such as direct community support and health care workers, musicians, artists, and lower-wage workers in the hospitality and other critical industries.

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LEGISLATION

Disaster Voucher Program (DVP) takes the place of KDHAP

The Disaster Voucher Program (DVP) replaced the Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP) rental assistance program that expired on January 31, 2006. DVP was created through a $390 million supplemental appropriation in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2006. A notice of instructions ongoing temporary rental assistance for people displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita who at the time of the storms lived in public housing, had a voucher, or were homeless was posted on February 3, 2006 by HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH). The notice (PIH Notice 2006-12) is available on HUD's website.

There are no income eligibility or tenant contribution requirements for DVP’s rental vouchers, which can last for 18 months. A family’s KDHAP will be converted to DVP by amending their existing KDHAP rent subsidy contract and lease. These amendments must be completed by March 1, 2006.

HUD has established Referral Call Centers (RCCs) with a toll-free number (866-373-9509) to help families scattered around the nation. For families that lived in public housing or project-based Section 8 before the disasters, an RCC counselor can tell them whether their former home is ready for occupancy. If it is not ready, they will be assisted under DVP. If a family does not want to return to their public housing or Section 8 project-based unit, they can receive DVP assistance until September 30, 2007, at which time they must re-apply for permanent assistance.

Pre-disaster homeless families and families that received assistance through a Special Needs Housing program will get DVP assistance in combination with extensive case management services, which can be provided by Continuum of Care providers. However, PHAs must undertake additional eligibility determinations concerning crime, drug and alcohol abuse, and non-citizen status for DVP applicants who were homeless, lived in an emergency shelter or transitional housing, or lived in a non-Section 8 unit in a Section 202 or Section 811 project. In addition, admission to DVP is prohibited if the PHA determines that any member of a family is currently using illegal drugs, or was evicted from federally-assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity sometime over the last three years.

Read a two page summary on DVP prepared by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

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LINKS

The following organizations have important information related to housing and Hurricane Katrina.

Melville Charitable Trust

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

National Low Income Housing Coalition

National Alliance to End Homelessness

Corporation for Supportive Housing

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Unity for the Homeless

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