Special Needs Housing: Combating Homelessness

Alabama Housing Finance Authority:
Imminent Eviction Prevention Initiative

AHFA developed the Imminent Eviction Prevention Initiative to ease the crisis that disproportionately impacted very low-income renters when the federal eviction moratorium ended. As an offshoot of the Emergency Rental Assistance Alabama program, the initiative saved 3,000 renters at immediate risk of homelessness. Through a unique partnership with Legal Services Alabama, we enabled direct intervention, expedited case reviews, and emergency payments, benefitting both tenants and their landlords.

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation:
Dynamic Capacity Modeling

AHFC has developed a new, innovative way to combat homelessness: Dynamic Capacity Modeling (DCM). DCM utilizes available technologies to individualize the budgeting for persons experiencing homelessness. Unused funds are automatically recycled back into agency budgets. The complex calculations are handed behind the scenes so our partner agencies doing the work need only worry about one thing: the number of people they have the capacity to serve (updated in real time on their dashboards).

Illinois Housing Development Authority:
Asylum Seeker Emergency Rental Assistance Program

IHDA quickly developed the Asylum Seeker Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ASERAP) to help this vulnerable population find stable housing while they determined their next steps. Leveraging our extensive experience, knowledge, partnerships and resources, our goal was to help these families find safe, stable housing while they establish a new life here in Illinois.

Kentucky Housing Corporation:
The Housing Connectors Team Program

Since July 2020, Kentucky Housing Corporation has been allocated over 600 special purpose vouchers, and it will soon receive Stability Vouchers. To fully leverage the special vouchers, KHC created the Housing Connector Team to ensure swift lease-ups to EHV households. The HCT serves as a liaison among eligible households, case managers, landlords, and the HCV Department. It provides landlord outreach and negotiation, program referral, housing search, program application assistance and more.

MaineHousing:
Redesigning Maine's Homeless Response System

In 2022 MaineHousing and its partners attained a major goal in the redesign of the State’s homeless response system when the agency signed contracts for nine new regional homeless system Hub Coordinators. These new Hub Coordinators are a key part of Maine’s ongoing and collaborative effort to reach real-time, quality data on homelessness including a by-name list for each of the newly designated regional hubs, and to ultimately decrease homelessness across the state.

Oregon Housing and Community Services:
Reimagining Care, Housing is Health

After a strong showing of community support and broad enthusiasm for taking bold steps to test innovation, on September 28, 2022, Oregon’s 1115 Medicaid waiver demonstration was approved. Over a five-year period, Oregon will utilize more than $1 billion of federal resources to serve populations vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. Through this waiver, Oregon has achieved “first in the nation” provisions that set the tone for housing innovation.

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority:
WHEDA Foundation Housing Grant Program

The WHEDA Foundation has issued 1,286 awards totaling nearly $29 million to housing providers across the state since 1985. The housing grant program competition supports two separate housing categories, permanent housing (greater than 24 months) and Emergency/Transitional Housing (less than 24 months). With the additional $1 million in ARPA funds, WHEDA was able to double its impact to help the state’s most vulnerable residents access housing and supportive services.