RD286 - Virginia’s Homeless Programs 2011-12 Program Year


Executive Summary:
Homelessness directly affects thousands of Virginians annually. According to the annual 2012 point-in-time count (*1) conducted by localities statewide, at least 8,392 individuals were homeless during a 24-hour snapshot in January 2012. Four to five times that number (33,568-41,960 individuals annually) may actually experience homelessness at some point during the year, according to national homeless studies. Many of these persons have special needs based on situations ranging from physical or mental disabilities to chronic substance abuse. Of the total homeless population, many are also victims of other circumstances such as job loss or domestic violence.

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) directly addresses the problems associated with homelessness by administering several core programs that provide financial support to local governments and nonprofit providers of housing and supportive services to the homeless. During the 2011-12 program year, DHCD administered the following:

• Child Care for Homeless Children Program (CCHCP)
• A $350,000 block grant to provide child care for homeless children.
• 318 children received child care through the program.

• Child Services Coordination Grant (CSCG)
• $330,453 in state general funds to coordinate services for children in shelters.
• 4,620 homeless children in 49 emergency and transitional housing facilities were assisted.

• State Shelter Program (SSG)
• $5,372,474 in state general funds to the State Shelter Grant (SSG).
• SSG served 25,022 persons through emergency, transitional, and seasonal shelters during 2011-12 program year.

• Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
• $1,682,166 in federal funds through the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
• ESG served approximately 6,522 individuals with homeless assistance services.

• Homeless Services Pilot Program (HSPP)
• $344,000 in state general funds for the Homeless Services Pilot Program.
• HSPP provided transition-in-place funding to serve 308 individuals (98 households).

• Virginia Promising Practices (VP3)
• $996,964 in state general funds for the Virginia Promising Practices Program (VP3).
• VP3 provided rapid re-housing funding to serve 1,276 individuals (503 households).

• Homeless Intervention Program (HIP)
• $4,650,000 million in state general funds.
• Financial assistance to prevent homelessness was provided to 4,158 individuals (1,507 households).

• Housing Opportunities to Persons with AIDS/HIV (HOPWA)
• $725,533 in federal funds through HUD.
• Funding was distributed through eight project sponsors across the state to serve 286 individuals (271 households) with HIV/AIDS with rent assistance and services. In addition, 210 family members benefited from these services.

• Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP)
• $11.4 million in federal stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) received in 2009 as a one-time three year grant for homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and related services.
• As of June 30, 2012, 100 percent of all funds had been expended by 23 sub-grantees.
• HPRP funds assisted 12,343 individuals (4,729 households) in three years.

This report serves as a means to report overall conditions and progress made related to the administration of the State’s homelessness programs in compliance with Budget Item 103 D.

"The Department shall report to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance, the House Appropriations Committees, and the Director, Department of Planning and Budget by November 4 of each year on the state's homeless programs, including, but not limited to, the number of (i) emergency shelter beds, (ii) transitional housing units, (iii) single room occupancy dwellings, and (iv) homeless intervention programs supported by state funding on a locality and statewide basis. The report shall also include the number of Virginians served by these programs, the costs of the programs, and the financial and in-kind support provided by localities and nonprofit groups in these programs. In preparing the report, the Department shall consult with localities and community-based groups."
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(*1) "2012 January PIT Count" (preliminary results)