The District of Columbia, Department of Health (DC Health) is requesting proposals from qualified applicants to provide services for Facility-Based Housing with Supportive Services.
Donor Name: District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health)
State: District of Columbia
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/19/2023
Size of the Grant: $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
The Facility-Based Emergency and Transitional Housing programs are designed to assist participating households that are seeking to exit or avoid imminent homelessness and move along the continuum to stable permanent housing. The services specifically supported under this funding opportunity are intended to be provided within the context of the full range of housing, robust housing case management, medical, behavioral health, education, employment and benefits access, and other supportive services available to low-income persons living with HIV in the District of Columbia. These programs are operationalized through central point of intake. All referrals for these services will be made through this organization.
Two housing services will be funded through this RFA. Both of these housing options could include additional staffing of a HAHSTA-funded Health Impact Specialist who helps to navigate and support the participant being successful in the implementation of their housing and services plans.
- Facility-Based Housing (Emergency) is housing for up to sixty (60) days within a six-month period. Eligibility for participation in the Facility-Based Emergency Housing program will be limited to people living with HIV with incomes at or below 50% of area median income (AMI) who also are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness – as defined by HUD for the homeless Continuum of Care. The main goal of this program is to successfully exit to transitional or permanent housing in the shortest time necessary.
- Occupancy (SRO) units, apartment units within the same location and 2) Scattered Site units (clients locate their housing units) that are located within the District of Columbia. Timeframes for all three housing types are within a target goal of eighteen (18) months, but not to exceed twenty-four (24) months.
Location of Services
Grantees must be located within the District of Columbia. Services must be delivered in the following settings:
- Single Room Occupancy (SRO) – Emergency or Transitional Housing
- Multi-unit Buildings in the same location – Transitional Housing
- Scattered Site Housing – Transitional Housing
Allowable Activities
Activities should include the following:
- Assisting participants to develop, implement, and manage a personalized permanent housing plan. The plan should include, as appropriate, elements of the initial psychosocial screening conducted as part of the entry into the Facility-Based Housing program.
- Assisting participants with financial literacy skills to work with participants to open an account in a banking type institution, of their choosing, so that upon exit of the program, participants will have funds available for down payment costs, background checks, security deposits, etc.
- Assisting participants with access to housing related services in collaboration with but not limited to Department of Human Services, Department of Employment Services, Department of Housing and Community Development, and/or Department of Behavior Health.
- Assisting participants to understand their eligibility for and the process of enrolling themselves (and any associated family members) in such benefits as food stamps, Medicaid, Social Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI).
- Assisting participants to maintain an ongoing connection with an ambulatory outpatient medical care provider and associated medical case management.
- Ensure access and utilization of medical service plans to ensure participants had contacts with medical case manager and providers.
- Assisting in connecting participants to workforce development, training, and employment search providers. Acknowledge the specific challenges that people living with HIV face when seeking and maintaining employment/educational goals and develop solutions that are documented to address the challenges.
- Support job seekers in navigating important considerations related to medical, legal, financial, psychosocial, and vocational issues.
- Identify individual interests, values, strengths, barriers and job readiness to assist job seekers in making well-informed decisions about employment.
- Provide information and guidance about employment related legal protections that cover people living with HIV.
- Conduct home visits at least quarterly at facility-based or scattered site housing locations.
- Address concerns and fears regarding benefits such as SSDI/SSI, housing subsidies, and health care through planning efforts.
- Focus on job retention during the crucial first several months of employment.
- Navigate participants to relevant substance use and/or mental health services.
Funding Information
The total funding amount of $2,800,000 will be made available in FY24 per the distribution below:
- Facility Based Housing with Supportive Services
- Transitional $500,000
- Up to four (4) awards
- Facility Based Housing with Supportive Services
- Emergency $400,000
- Up to two (2) awards
Period of Performance
The first budget period of this award is from December 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. After the first budget period, there will be up to three (3) additional 12-month budget periods for a total project period of December 1, 2023–September 30, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- Not-for-profit and community-based organizations are eligible entities who can apply for a grant funds under this funding opportunity. To accomplish these goals, DC Health seeks prospective applicants with extensive experience in the domains of housing and case management that promote self-sufficiency and housing stability as well as health and wellness. DC Health encourages applications that demonstrate a thorough understanding of the navigation of supportive services to ensure housing clients benefit from an array of services available including those that are non-HOPWA funded. Navigation of supportive services is intended to provide critically important support for individuals to maximize the likelihood of successful housing, self-sufficiency, and improved health outcomes.
- Prospective applicants must demonstrate their ability to assess the overall needs of participants, understand the extent to which those needs are met by leveraging services from multiple funding sources, create customized permanent housing plans that document assessed needs, and prepare participants for long-term, future housing stability.
- A critical component for all housing programs is the success of participants in developing and executing Individualized Housing Plans that maximize self-sufficiency and housing stability. Ensuring that participants have the necessary skills and tools to navigate and access appropriate housing destinations at program exit will be a key outcome used to determine funding awards.
- Considered for funding shall be organizations meeting the above eligibility criteria and having documentation of providing services (health and social services) to the target populations.
For more information, visit DC Health.
