Dear VAHC members and friends,
In case you did not receive it though other networks, or have not yet had a chance to respond, please take the time to fill out the survey on specialized housing vouchers and supportive services (see below). Your responses will help inform the findings and recommendations of an AHS working group mandated by the Legislature in the State’s FY 20 Appropriations Act. The requested deadline is tomorrow, Friday, August 9, though I imagine late responses will be accepted.
Please note: The survey questions are primarily geared towards service providers and case managers. A separate survey geared more towards housing providers, including property managers, is being developed and should be available next week. Summer vacation schedules have prevented earlier circulation.
Thanks for your cooperation in this important effort to identify why Vermont is leaving critical federal rental assistance resources on the table and how we can avoid this in the future.
Best,
Erhard Mahnke, Coordinator
Hello,
The Legislature directed the Agency of Human Services (AHS) to convene a work group of multiple departments and external organizations to determine why certain federal housing subsidies have been returned due to underutilization.
We have developed a survey in an effort to get critical input from those who work directly with families and/or individuals who are experiencing homeless.
Please help us to collect input by sharing this survey link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GJBD9FM widely with your networks.
Specifically, we are looking for responses from housing case managers, housing service coordinators, retention specialists, and others, working for CoC partner agencies or Community Action Programs, etc. We also hope to get feedback from service providers who are supporting their clients on housing related challenges, no matter what their role – e.g., case managers working with families on Reach-up or on a Family Services case.
Please ask individuals to respond by Friday, August 9, 2019.
Thank you for your assistance!
For additional information on the legislative report, please see below.
Alison Harte Director of Policy and Program Integration Agency of Human Services
Project Background
The Legislature directed the Agency of Human Services (AHS) to convene a work group of multiple departments and external organizations to determine why certain federal housing subsidies have been returned due to underutilization.
Because the Point-in-Time (PIT) count and other data collected demonstrate a need for rental assistance among Vermonters experiencing homelessness, it is critical that the Legislative Report explore a variety of factors that could be contributing to underutilization.
Goal: to leverage the perspectives, expertise and access of working group members to support and the Agency’s response to the three primary questions in the legislative report:
The working group shall consult with community-based housing and human services providers to examine the following:
Whether existing expenditures on case management or other services for this vulnerable population could be utilized as match to draw federal specialized voucher funds and
Vermont’s current allocation of housing assistance funds to ensure Vermont maximizes the ability of the state to draw down feral voucher funds and
Any other recommendations the working group may make to help avoid further loss of these specialized vouchers