Housing Subsidies Investing into solutions like tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) is one of the fastest ways to increase affordable housing units. Construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation can take years and be costly. Many different funding sources are required to make those projects work, while TBRA is already an existing line item. Additionally, rural areas do not typically have as much access to affordable housing funding as urban areas. Below are just a few examples of funding for housing subsidies providing scattered-site housing. Tenant-Based Rental Assistance through HOPWA (TBRA) – Funding is provided to an eligible client and the client selects a housing unit of their choice. HUD’s HOPWA Rental Assistance Guidebook offers an excellent look into designing an effective TBRA program. While TBRA currently exists in the continuum of services, it should be expanded to serve a broader population with high housing needs and no income. Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) – RRH is an intervention designed mostly for people experiencing literal homelessness. It provides a combination of short-term rental assistance and support services to help exit households out of homelessness quickly. RRH can be provided by multiple funding streams, including Continuum of Care Program, Emergency Solutions Grant, HOME-TBRA, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, and local government general revenue. RRH rolled out on a federal level in 2009 and has since become a nationwide best practice. When households are offered quick returns to stable housing and support services, they become more economically self-sufficient than if they were to remain homeless. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) – PSH is an intervention that provides longer-term supports, including both financial assistance to make housing affordable and intensive case management to ensure high acuity consumers are able to stabilize in housing. PSH can be funded a variety of ways, including site-based housing (described below), master leasing, HOPWA TBRA, HOME-TBRA, local government general revenue, and Continuum of Care Program. PSH is an evidence-based intervention demonstrating that people with long periods of housing instability and a disability(ies) have improved health and housing outcomes when provided with stable housing and comprehensive support services. Scattered-site housing provides an opportunity for consumers to integrate more fully into the community and be connected into their local neighborhood. Scattered-site housing is considered a best practice for people with disabilities as site-based housing is less integrated and can marginalize communities.
Site-Based Housing Site-based housing refers to multi-family style properties, where there are many units in one area and tenants in the program are living in one site or complex. Site-based housing is obtained through constructions, acquisition, or rehabilitation and is most often financed through local, state, and federal sources. An overview of how these sources can be utilized for rental is listed below. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) – CDBG is a HUD-administered federal program. Funds may be provided as a subsidy to housing developers. HUD provides CDBG grants on a formula basis directly to urban counties and larger cities, and to state governments to award on a competitive basis to non-entitlement communities. Eligible activities include acquisition, rehabilitation and, in limited circumstances, new construction. HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) – HOME is a HUD-administered federal program that provides funding for local communities to provide affordable housing for low- and very low-income residents. HOME funds can provide construction or acquisition/rehabilitation subsidies for affordable housing developers and tenant-based HOPWA NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 9
