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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-407-MOU-Memorandum of Understanding – Foster Youth to Independence (FYI)1 Memorandum of Understanding – Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been created and entered into on July, 2021 by and between the following parties in relation to their application. · PHA: Orange County Housing Authority, 300 W. Tryon St, Hillsborough, NC 27278 · PCWA: Orange County Department of Social Services, 113 Mayo St, Hillsborough, NC 27278 · CoC: Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness, 300 W. Tryon St, Hillsborough, NC 27278 Introduction and Goals 1. PHA and PCWA’s commitment to administering the program. Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) and the Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) are committed to working collaboratively as it relates to the implementation and administration of the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative. In fact, the two (2) agencies have been working together on several other initiatives to increase affordable housing opportunities and mitigate homelessness for Orange County residents. The agencies have a standing working relationship with the Continuum of Care, Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness. The initiatives include a , HUD VASH Voucher Program, Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement Funding. Both agencies operate programs that build individual and family self-sufficiency for adults and youth - targeting those that are low income. Mini-briefings on various OCHA and DSSprograms between the partners have occurred over the past year. Both agencies are committed to sharing knowledge and will schedule any needed internal staff trainings as requested. 2. CoC’s commitment to cooperate with and assist the PHA and PCWA. Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness (OCPEH), as stated above, is currently collaborating with the Housing Authority and Department of Social Services on a number of affordable housing initiatives. The Directors of the Housing Authority and Department of Social Services sit on the Board of Directors for the Partnership, the OCPEH Leadership Team. The Partnership is also committed to the implementation of the FYI Initiative and will continue to cooperate and assist the Housing Authority and Department of Social Services as it relates to the new program. Furthermore, the Partnership to End Homelessness will integrate the prioritization and referral process for FYI-eligible youth into its coordinated entry process. DocuSign Envelope ID: 299E0F76-8269-4846-B50D-AD7354AC49E3 2 3. PHA and PCWA’s goals and standards of success in administering the program. Goal: The number of FYI-eligible youth securing safe, decent, sanitary and affordable housing will increase4. Identification of staff position at the PHA, PCWA, and CoC who will serve as the lead FYI liaisons. Lead FYI Liaison: Corey Root, Director, Orange County Housing Authority PHA staff position: Blake Rosser, HCV Program Manager, Orange County Housing Authority PCWA staff position: Nancy Coston, Director, Orange County Department of Social Services CoC staff position: Rachel Waltz, Manager Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness 5. This MOU shall be in effect upon signature and, in the absence of 30 days’ written notice of intent to terminate by any Party furnished to the other Parties, shall continue under the same terms as set forth in this MOU or any written amendment thereto. This MOU will be reviewed at periods not less than biannually by all Parties. DocuSign Envelope ID: 299E0F76-8269-4846-B50D-AD7354AC49E3 3 Statement of cooperation The PHA, PCWA, and CoC agree to cooperate with any program evaluation efforts undertaken by HUD, HHS, or a HUD or HHS-approved contractor, including compliance with HUD and HHS-approved evaluation protocols and data sharing requests. Define the population (youth) eligible for FYI assistance · FYI-Eligible Youth is defined as a youth that the PCWA has certified to be at least 18 years old, and not more than 24 years of age, and who has left foster care, or will leave foster care within 90 days, in accordance with a transition plan described in section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act, and is homeless or is at risk of becoming homeless at age 16 or older. Housing Search Assistance Both the Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) and Department of Social Services (DSS) will work together to provide housing search assistance, especially in low-poverty census tract areas. In addition, Orange County Housing Authority, through its Voucher Issuance Orientations, will provide information on how to conduct a successful search, as well as work with the County Housing Access Coordinator and other community partners to provide rental counseling, as needed. DSS, the CoC and other applicable community partners will participate in these, as well. The following is the protocol for providing the required assistance: · Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) will hold a briefing for landlords participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, upon receiving the HUD grant award, to familiarize landlords with the new program and seek their continued cooperation and participation. DSS and OCHA will create the briefing agenda together. Invitations will also be sent to landlords who participate in various DSS programs but who may not participate in current Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, as well. · OCHA and the CoC will also hold a briefing for homeless service providers and coordinated entry participants to share information on the FYI program and solicit their cooperation and assistance. As stated above, DSS will also be a part of the agenda during this briefing, too. · OCHA, DSS and the CoC will merge their respective listing of landlords and housing providers to create one comprehensive listing through the Housing Access Coordinator position to share with FYI participants. · DSS is responsible for the housing search component and will begin the process by determining the housing needs for the FYI eligible youth. DSS has dedicated staff to assist with identifying available housing options, and these staff persons will work with the FYI participants utilizing the Housing Access Coordinator resources discussed above. For individuals who may need disability assistance, DSS will utilize its SOAR program to assist them to apply for and/or appeal to receive disability payments from the Social Security Administration. · For all individuals that have not found housing within seventy-five (75) days of receiving a FYI Voucher, OCHA will work with DSS to lend assistance in helping these families and individuals identify housing. Note that normally HUD’s HCV Program requires that 120 days be allotted before a voucher will expire. · DSS and OCHA certify that they will provide financial assistance, as available, for security deposits and utility connections, including utility arrears. The OCHA financial assistance will come from federal funds dedicated to DocuSign Envelope ID: 299E0F76-8269-4846-B50D-AD7354AC49E3 4 HCV Administrative Fees. DSS and OCHA will expand the current protocol for how these funds will be disbursed to include FYI participants. · Other collaborating local agencies in this component include CASA, Community Empowerment Fund, EmPOWERment, Inc., and Compass Center. These are some of the main non-profit housing, homeless and domestic violence providers in Orange County who serve the applicable populations. Services to be provided to FYI-eligible youths Orange County Department of Social Services, the PCWA, will provide or refer out for the following list of services for FYI-eligible youth, participating in the new program: 1. Basic life skills information/counseling on money management, use of credit, housekeeping, proper nutrition/meal preparation, and access to health care, i.e. doctors, medication and mental and behavioral health services. 2. Job preparation and attainment counseling (where to look/how to apply, dress, grooming, relationships with supervisory personnel, etc.) 3. Educational and career advancement counseling regarding attainment of their GED; attendance/financing of higher education; including successful work ethic and attitude models. 4. General literacy and GED assistance, as needed. Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) will provide the following list of services for FYI-eligible youth participating in the program: 1. Counseling on compliance with rental leases and HCV program requirements, as well as financial assistance and referrals for assistance on security deposits, utility hookup fees, and utility deposits, including arrears. DSS will also provide assistance and referrals for assistance on security deposits, utility hookup fees and utility deposits, including arrears. 2. Providing such assurances to owners of rental property as are reasonable and necessary to assist a FYI-eligible youth to rent a unit with a FYI Voucher. All the above services will be provided for a period of at least 36 months to FYI-eligible youth receiving rental assistance through the use of a FYI voucher, regardless of age. For example, a FYI-eligible youth enters the program at age 24 and 10 months, the PCWA or another agency/organization under agreement/contract with the PCWA must still provide 36 months of service, even though after two months the youth no longer meets the initial age of eligibility for FYI youth. PHA Responsibilities As the PHA, Orange County Housing Authority commits to: 1. Accepting youth certified by the PCWA, Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) as eligible for the FYI. OCHA will provide Orange County DSS with a “Referral Checklist” which will identify the pre- screening information that DSS should review before referring a client to the PHA. Upon receipt of the referrals and certifications from Orange County DSS, OCHA staff will compare the youth referred to OCHA DocuSign Envelope ID: 299E0F76-8269-4846-B50D-AD7354AC49E3 5 with the persons on OCHA’s Waiting List. If any of the names match, OCHA will assist these individuals in order of their position on the Waiting List according to OCHA’s admission policies. Any youth certified by Orange County DSS and not on OCHA’s Waiting List will be placed on the Waiting List. Presently, OCHA’s Waiting List is open to people meeting limited preference categories to include people experiencing homelessness coming through Coordinated Entry. OCHA agrees to also add the preference category of FYI youth who are currently not on the Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List. The re-opening of the Waiting List will be a targeted opening that will add FYI participants to any other currently-open preference categories. 2. Orange County Housing Authority certifies that it will review its current HCV Waiting List to determine if any youth ages 18-24 are living in temporary shelters or on the street and meet the definition of homelessness or have selected “homelessness” as a preference and may qualify for the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative. If so, these persons would be referred to the PCWA, Orange County Department of Social Services. However, no referral would be made without the individual’s consent. The review of the Waiting List and collection of consent forms would be conducted by OCHA. 3. Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) will conduct a final eligibility determination for Housing Choice Voucher assistance for the youth ages 18 - 24 referred by the PCWA, Orange County DSS, and place eligible youths on the HCV waiting list. 4. Orange County Housing Authority certifies that it will amend its Administrative Plan in accordance with applicable program regulations, if needed and especially as it relates to revising the current preferences. 5. Orange County Housing Authority certifies that it will administer the FYI and other vouchers in accordance with HUD’s applicable program regulations and requirements. 6. OCHA will, upon notification that vouchers have been awarded, train applicable DSS staff on the PHA’s HCV procedures. 7. OCHA will work with the PCWA and CoC to develop necessary data and tracking metrics for tracking and improvement purposes. 8. OCHA will participate in regular meetings (at least quarterly) with the PCWA and CoC to discuss progress and barriers of the program. 9. Orange County Housing Authority certifies that it will comply with the provisions of the MOU, as applicable. PCWA Responsibilities As the PCWA, Orange County Department of Social Services commits to: 1. Establish and implement a system to identify FYI-eligible youths within the agency's caseload, and to review referrals from the PHA and CoC. DocuSign Envelope ID: 299E0F76-8269-4846-B50D-AD7354AC49E3 6 2. DSS certifies that it will utilize the “Referral Checklist” created by the Housing Authority, which list the pre- screening information that DSS should review before referring a client to the PHA. DSS agrees to use the pre- screening tool to help minimize the number of referrals that potentially do not qualify for HCV assistance. 3. Establish and implement a system to identify FYI-eligible youth not currently within the agency’s caseload in cooperation with the CoC. ● Orange County DSS is an existing main partner and access site in the CoC’s coordinated entry process. DSS certifies that it will work with the CoC to establish and implement a system to identify FYI-eligible youth not currently in the agency’s caseload. DSS’ LINKS Coordinator under the Chafee Foster Care Independence Act program will work with all identified FYI-eligible youth and maintain a database of these participating youth. ● The LINKS Coordinator will employ the same outreach efforts currently being utilized for youth aging out of foster care and will provide supportive services to youth through a variety of community partners, including LIFE Skills Foundation, Carolina Outreach, and Freedom House, as well as internal DSS programs, i.e. NextGen (the youth WIOA program) or the regular WIOA jobs training programs, as age- applicable. Referrals to the Housing Authority will use the same process as described in Section 1 above. 4. Orange County DSS will provide written certification to the PHA that a youth qualifies as a FYI-eligible youth, based upon the criteria established in Section 8(x) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, and the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative Notice of Funding Availability for Fiscal Years 2021. 5. Orange County DSS certifies that it will commit sufficient staff resources to ensure that eligible youth are identified and determined eligible in a timely manner, including those individuals and families that come through the CoC coordinated entry process. In addition, Orange County DSS certifies that it will review its active caseload at least once a month (when the Housing Authority has FYI Vouchers available) to identify FYI-eligible youth, and refer them to the Housing Authority. Note that referrals will be made within 30 working days of receiving notification from the Housing Authority about voucher availability. 6. Orange County DSS certifies that it will commit sufficient staff resources to provide follow-up supportive services after the youth leases a unit. The source for this funding includes County funds from general appropriations and state funds from eligible sources. In addition, DSS will utilize community partners identified in Item B above to assist with the delivery of supportive services. 7. Orange County DSS certifies that it will comply with the provisions of the MOU, as applicable. 8. Orange County DSS certifies that upon notification that the FYI Vouchers have been awarded, it will inform PHA staff of its referral procedures. 9. Participate in regular meetings (at least quarterly) with the PHA and CoC to discuss progress and barriers of the program. CoC Responsibilities DocuSign Envelope ID: 299E0F76-8269-4846-B50D-AD7354AC49E3 7 As the CoC, Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness commits to: 1. Open its referral process to FYI-eligible youth that are eligible for the CoC’s coordinated entry process, OC Connect, either by experiencing homelessness or some other qualifying category. The CoC uses case conferencing with a by-name list through coordinated entry to assess housing and related service needs for all people in housing crisis, including youth, and will consult with service provider partners, including Orange County DSS and Orange County Housing & Community Development to determine if a FYI voucher is the appropriate level of assistance needed. 2. Assist youth who qualify for CoC program assistance, including Rapid Re-housing and Permanent Supportive Housing, with these programs through the standard coordinated entry process. 3. The Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness will participate in regular meetings conducted by the PHA and PCWA (at least quarterly). 4. The Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness will comply with the provisions of the MOU. This Memorandum of Understanding is signed by the following authorized representatives of the required agencies: ____________________________________________________________________________ Corey Root, Director Date Orange County Housing Authority ____________________________________________________________________________ Nancy Coston, Director Date Orange County Department of Social Services DocuSign Envelope ID: 299E0F76-8269-4846-B50D-AD7354AC49E3 7/21/2021 7/22/2021 8 ____________________________________________________________________________ Rachel Waltz, Manager Date Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness DocuSign Envelope ID: 299E0F76-8269-4846-B50D-AD7354AC49E3 7/21/2021