Reserving Homeless Housing, Assistance, & Prevention Program (HHAP) Funding for Morbidity/Mortality Prevention

–Homeless persons left languishing on the streets with life-threatening and terminal illnesses
Has become a burgeoning crisis throughout the State of California–

–If each jurisdiction dedicated at least 10% of its non-competitive allocation of
HHAP funding, a collective $65 million could be committed to morbidity/mortality prevention–

(estimates of HHAP Funding by Urban Initiatives for counties, large cities, and continuums of care are listed in the tables below—official amounts by the state will soon be released)

During the coming months, the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (HHAP) will provide an additional $650 million for homeless assistance to California counties, largest cities, and continuums of care. A Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) is scheduled to be released by the end of the year and submission of applications for the non-competitive and allocated funds are due to the state by February 15, 2020.

Each jurisdiction has an opportunity to reserve an appropriate amount of HHAP funding that can be spent over five years for homeless persons languishing on the streets with life-threatening and terminal illnesses and especially for those who have also been aging on the streets.

Life-threatening Illnesses

Life-threatening illnesses are chronic and often incurable and have the effect of limiting a person’s ability to carry out daily physical needs and reducing a person’s life expectancy. Such illnesses include diabetes, neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and heart disease.

Terminal Illnesses

Terminal illnesses or progressive end-stage diseases are incurable and expected to result in premature death. Cancer, advanced heart disease, leukemia, HIV/AIDS, and chronic lung conditions are some of these progressive diseases.

Aging on the Streets

A preponderance of research on aging on the streets has revealed that Adults age 55 and older who are homeless have mortality rates four times higher than the general population. Also, cognitive and mobility impairments are likely to increase for seniors while languishing on the streets.

Homeless Prevention

Directing HHAP funding can also include designating funds to prevent persons with life-threatening and terminal illnesses from becoming homeless.

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities within the HHAP Program for morbidity/mortality prevention include

1. Outreach and coordination to assist vulnerable populations in accessing permanent housing stability in supportive housing;
2. Systems support for activities necessary to create regional partnerships and maintain a homeless services and housing delivery system;
3. Rental assistance and rapid rehousing;
4. Landlord Incentives (including, but not limited to, security deposits and holding fees); and
5. Prevention and shelter diversion to permanent housing.

Obligating and Expending Funds

HHAP Program legislation provides an opportunity to reserve an appropriate amount of HHAP funding that can be spent over five years for morbidity/mortality prevention as noted in number 3 below.

1. CoCs and large cities must contractually obligate no less than 50% of program allocations on or before May 31, 2023;
2. Counties must contractually obligate their full program allocation on or before May 31, 2023; and
3. funds must be fully expended by June 30, 2025.

Morbidity/Mortality Prevention: Implications for Next Steps

Supplement not Supplant

As stated on page 4 in the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP) Program Guidance,

“program recipients shall not use HHAP program funding to supplant existing local funds for homeless housing, assistance, or prevention. The intent of HHAP program funds is to expand or increase services and housing capacity. HHAP funds cannot replace local funds that are committed to an existing or developing homeless assistance program. However, if funds previously supporting a service or project end or are reduced for reasons beyond the control of the grantee and services or housing capacity will be lost as a result of these funds ending, HHAP program funds may be used to maintain the service or program and are not considered supplanting. Examples include, but are not limited to, a time-limited city and/or county tax or one-time block grant, such as HEAP.”

Thus, current services to unsheltered persons should be supplemented and not supplanted.

Establish an Initiative

Establishing a Morbidity/Mortality Prevention Initiative that supplements current services and resources for unsheltered persons by designating an appropriate amount of HHAP funds targeted specifically for homeless persons languishing on the streets with life-threatening and terminal illnesses and especially for those who have also been aging on the streets.

Reserve Appropriate Amount of HHAP Funds

An appropriate amount of HHAP funds should be reserved by counties, largest cities, and continuums of care through the HHAP legislative allowable timeframe of June 30, 2025 for morbidity/mortality prevention.

If each jurisdiction dedicated at least 10% of its non-competitive allocation of HHAP funding, a collective $65 million could be committed to morbidity/mortality prevention statewide as noted in the tables below.

Funding Allocations

As noted within the HHAP legislation, a county, large city, and continuum of care’s allocation will be based on the proportionate share of the total homeless population of the jurisdiction according to the 2019 homeless point-in-time count.

The official 2019 homeless point-in-time count will soon be released by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which will allow the state to designate the official allocated amount of HHAP fund for each jurisdiction.

Urban Initiatives is able to provide an unofficial estimate of allocated HHAP funds for each county, large city, and continuum of care after obtaining 2019 homeless point-in-time count data from continuums of care or through the media.

Continuums of Care

The following table provides an unofficial estimate of allocated funds for each continuum of care and 10% of the amount which could be set aside for morbidity/mortality prevention.

Table 1. Continuums of Care and Estimated HHAP Allocation

Continuum of Care

Unofficial Estimated Allocated Funds

10%
of Funds

CA-500 San Jose/Santa Clara City & County CoC $12,200,000 $1,220,000
CA-501 San Francisco CoC $10,100,000 $1,010,000
CA-502 Oakland, Berkeley/Alameda County CoC $10,100,000 $1,010,000
CA-503 Sacramento City & County CoC $7,000,000 $700,000
CA-504 Santa Rosa, Petaluma/Sonoma County CoC $3,700,000 $370,000
CA-505 Richmond/Contra Costa County CoC $2,900,000 $290,000
CA-506 Salinas/Monterey, San Benito Counties CoC $3,400,000 $340,000
CA-507 Marin County CoC $1,300,000 $130,000
CA-508 Watsonville/Santa Cruz City & County CoC $2,700,000 $270,000
CA-509 Mendocino County CoC $810,000 $81,000
CA-510 Turlock, Modesto/Stanislaus County CoC $2,400,000 $240,000
CA-511 Stockton/San Joaquin County CoC $3,300,000 $330,000
CA-512 Daly City/San Mateo County CoC $1,900,000 $190,000
CA-513 Visalia/Kings, Tulare Counties CoC $1,300,000 $130,000
CA-514 Fresno City & County/Madera County CoC $3,100,000 $310,000
CA-515 Roseville, Rocklin/Placer County CoC $1,300,000 $130,000
CA-516 Redding/Shasta County CoC $1,600,000 $160,000
CA-517 Napa City & County CoC $500,000 $50,000
CA-518 Vallejo/Solano County CoC $1,500,000 $150,000
CA-519 Chico, Paradise/Butte County CoC $1,600,000 $160,000
CA-520 Merced City & County CoC $800,000 $80,000
CA-521 Davis, Woodland/Yolo County CoC $800,000 $80,000
CA-522 Humboldt County CoC $1,800,000 $180,000
CA-523 Colusa, Glen, Trinity Counties CoC* $500,000 $50,000
CA-524 Yuba City/Sutter County CoC $900,000 $90,000
CA-525 El Dorado County CoC $800,000 $80,000
CA-526 Tuolumne, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa Counties CoC $1,100,000 $110,000
CA-527 Tehama County CoC $500,000 $50,000
CA-529 Lake County CoC* $500,000 $50,000
CA-530 Alpine, Inyo, Mono Counties CoC $500,000 $50,000
CA-531 Nevada County CoC $1,300,000 $130,000
CA-600 Los Angeles City & County CoC $70,100,000 $7,010,000
CA-601 San Diego City and County CoC $10,200,000 $1,020,000
CA-602 Santa Ana, Anaheim/Orange County CoC $8,600,000 $860,000
CA-603 Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County CoC $2,300,000 $230,000
CA-604 Bakersfield/Kern County CoC $1,700,000 $170,000
CA-606 Long Beach CoC $2,400,000 $240,000
CA-607 Pasadena CoC $700,000 $70,000
CA-608 Riverside City & County CoC $3,500,000 $350,000
CA-609 San Bernardino City & County CoC $3,300,000 $330,000
CA-611 Oxnard, San Buenaventura/Ventura County CoC $2,100,000 $210,000
CA-612 Glendale CoC $500,000 $50,000
CA-613 Imperial County CoC $1,800,000 $180,000
CA-614 San Luis Obispo County CoC $1,400,000 $140,000

The following table provides an unofficial estimate of allocated funds for each county and 10% of the amount which could be set aside for morbidity/mortality prevention.

Table 2. Counties and Estimated HHAP Allocation

Counties

Unofficial Estimated Allocated Funds

 

10%
of Funds

Santa Clara County 11,290,000 1,129,000
San Francisco 9,319,000 931,900
Alameda County 9,331,000 933,100
Sacramento County 6,479,000 647,900
Sonoma County 3,433,000 343,300
Contra Costa County 2,670,000 267,000
Monterey, San Benito Counties CoC 3,141,000 314,100
Marin County CoC 1,203,000 120,300
Santa Cruz County 2,521,000 252,100
Mendocino County 750,000 75,000
Stanislaus County 2,237,000 223,700
San Joaquin County 3,058,000 305,800
San Mateo County 1,759,000 175,900
Kings, Tulare Counties 1,243,000 124,300
Fresno Madera Counties 2,917,000 291,700
Placer County 594,000 59,400
Shasta County 1,453,000 145,300
Napa County 376,000 37,600
Solano County 1,339,000 133,900
Butte County 1,525,000 152,500
Merced County 707,000 70,700
Yolo County 762,000 76,200
Humboldt County 1,713,000 171,300
Colusa, Glen, Trinity Counties 223,000 22,300
Sutter County 821,000 82,100
El Dorado County 750,000 75,000
Tuolumne, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa Counties 983,000 98,300
Tehama County 327,000 32,700
Lake County 433,000 43,300
Alpine, Inyo, Mono Counties 249,000 24,900
Nevada County 594,000 59,400
Los Angeles County 68,556,000 6,855,600
San Diego County 9,424,000 924,400
Orange County 7,980,000 798,000
Santa Barbara County 2,097,000 209,700
Kern County 1,547,000 154,700
Riverside County 3,270,000 327,000
San Bernardino County 3,033,000 303,300
Ventura County 1,941,000 194,100
Imperial County 1,644,000 164,400
San Luis Obispo County 1,309,000 130,900

The following table provides an unofficial estimate of allocated funds for each large city and 10% of the amount which could be set aside for morbidity/mortality prevention.

Table 3. Large Cities and Estimated HHAP Allocation

 

 

Large Cities (General population of 300,000+)

Unofficial Estimated Allocated Funds

 

10%
of Funds

Los Angeles 123,750,000 12,375,000
San Diego 21,333,000 2,133,300
San Jose 25,556,000 2,555,600
San Francisco 21,093,000 2,109,300
Oakland 21,122,000 2,112,200
Santa Ana 9,031,000 903,100
Anaheim 9,031,000 903,100
Sacramento 14,666,000 1,466,600
Fresno 6,604,000 660,400
Long Beach 4,987,000 498,700
Bakersfield 3,502,000 350,200
Riverside 7,401,000 740,100
Stockton 6,922,000 692,200

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