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Community Development - Community Programs
CDBG FY 2023-2024
Deadline: 12/7/2022
Partners in Housing Solutions, Inc.
Partners in Housing Solutions Santa Maria Program
Jump to: Pre-Application Application Questions Program Budget Tables Required Documents
USD$ 22,000.00 Requested
Submitted: 12/7/2022 6:21:32 PM
(Pacific)
Project Contact
Alma Harmsen
[email protected]
Tel: 805-714-0389
Additional Contacts
none entered
Partners in Housing Solutions,
Inc.
210 E Clark Ave.
Suite B
Santa Maria, CA 93455
United States
Executive Director
Alma Harmsen
[email protected]
Telephone805-714-0389
Fax
Web https://partnersinhousingsolutions.org/
Pre-Application top
1. What type of proposal is this?
Public service programs must answer this question and submit. Capital projects must continue.
2. What priority does this Capital project fall under?
-answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
3. Proposed Project Goal:
-answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
4. Project Description (Program Narrative):
-answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
5. Statement of Need: Provide a summary of the established need for the proposed project and the problems that will be solved as a result of the project.
-answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
6. Proposed date of construction or project start:
Some answers will not be presented because they are not part of the selected group of questions based on the answer to #1.
Capital
Public Service
-answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
7. Schedule:
-answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
8. Phasing:
-answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
9. Do Federal Labor Standards and Davis-Bacon prevailing wages apply? -answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
10. As a Public Service Applicant, indicate that you are aware that your Application deadline is not until Wednesday, December 7, 2022.
Yes
No
Documents Requested * Required?Attached Documents *
Budget for Proposed Capital Development Project
(Required for Capital project proposals)
download template
Agency Evaluation Worksheet (Required for Capital
project proposals)
download template
Application Questions top
Project Information
1. Please state the type of CDBG program / project you are applying for:
THIS IS A BRANCHING QUESTION. Different questions will apply based on your answer to this question. Please disregard any incorrect number sequencing.
2. Name of proposed program / project:
Partners in Housing Solutions Santa Maria Program
3. Location of proposed program / project:
(Street address, if applicable of proposed program / project):
210 E Clark Ave. Suite B, Santa Maria, CA 93455
Problem / Need Statement
4. Proposed Program / Project Description: Describe in detail the services that will be provided to Santa Maria residents with the requested CDBG funding and explain the established need for this program/project. What problems will this program/project solve or alleviate?
Include quantitative data to support your position.
Partners in Housing Solutions (PHS) was established to tackle the persistent issue of homelessness in Santa Barbara County by housing homeless individuals and families through our ever-expanding network of private landlords. Our name includes “partners” because our model only works in partnership with landlords and social service agencies.
We receive homeless client referrals from social service agency partners, such as CalWORKs, Domestic Violence Solutions, and New Beginnings. We then match each homeless client with a market-rate rental unit from our network of 193 property owners. Throughout the housing process, clients receive case management from the referring agency. PHS also provides clients with money management support, tenant responsibility training, regular checkins, and rental assistance. On the landlord side, we provide financial safety nets of up to $3,000 in addition to the security deposit, incentives to encourage them to rent to our clients, and a 24-hour turnaround landlord helpline. We emphasize serving homeless families with children and veteran families, as these populations are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of homelessness. In the five years since our inception, we have assisted more than 1,000 disadvantaged individuals in finding their permanent homes.
Some answers will not be presented because they are not part of the selected group of questions based on the answer to #1.
Public Services
Capital Project
CDBG funding will allow us to expand our housing support services to our clients in Santa Maria by supplementing service costs while we secure other funding sources. About 26% of the clients we house are in the City of Santa Maria. Service costs provided to over half of those clients were not covered through our CalWORKS contract, so we relied on other funding sources. Currently, we are seeking to provide housing support services for 11 households (28 individuals) in Santa Maria.
The need for our services has dramatically increased in the last few years. At the beginning of the pandemic, PHS began receiving four times the number of referrals and housing nearly twice as many clients per month than pre-pandemic— while also ensuring that those clients then remained housed. We were able to meet the demands of increased services with increased housing protections. As many of these are now ending, we are seeing an upward trend in referrals and homelessness once again, resulting in an increased need for our services.
While agency partners focus on case management, our resources are solely dedicated to housing, which relieves pressure off of partners and the system as a whole. Our program helps people with barriers to obtain housing who would otherwise be screened out of most landlords’ criteria. Oftentimes, people go through the entire process of receiving services and getting connected to financial resources, yet cannot secure housing due to other barriers. This is a very defeating outcome, and one that we are trying to remedy. Our services help ensure that our clients cross the finish line and meet their end goal of becoming housed long-term.
5. Based on the City of Santa Maria's Community Development Block Grant priorities for Fiscal Year 2023-24, which PRIMARY priority do you feel your program / project falls under? The priorities are not listed in order of importance. They are numbered for referencing purposes only. Priorities #1 and #2 will only be considered for CDBG public services funding.
6. Explain why you believe your program / project best fits the PRIMARY priority selected.
Refer to NOFA packet for the detailed description of each priority and choose only one subcategory under one of the four priorities.
Partners in Housing Solutions works with people experiencing homelessness and assists them in finding and securing permanent housing through our network of private landlords. We are one of few, if not the only, homeless service providers that offer housing support that is not limited to a specific demographic. Our clients have different levels of need and include at-risk youth, elderly, and underserved populations.
We are housing specialists and therefore able to devote all our resources to ensuring clients find housing and remain housed.
PHS has a unique approach and offers services to clients and the landlords who house them, which bridges the gap between the private and public sector. Pre-housing, we provide clients with housing search and placement services, including budgeting, navigation, communicating with landlords, and advocacy while they receive case management from our partners. Once housed, we offer them housing-related support services (i.e. tenant responsibility training and mediation), while they continue to receive support from our partners. PHS also offers services to the landlords who house our clients including a financial safety net, access to a 24-hour turnaround helpline, and incentives for eligible households. Both clients and landlords know that they can reach out to us any time for assistance, which is one of the reasons that our retention rates are so high.
As a whole, our services not only help people exit homelessness, but they also break the cycle by preventing future occurrences.
PHS houses people, but we also ensure they remain housed through the services we provide. Our housing retention has gone up in the last year. Currently, 92% of clients are still housed after one year, up from 85% last year. Recent data also shows that in Santa Barbara County, 14–22% of those housed fall back into homelessness within two years. However, for PHS clients this number is only 12.5%, which speaks to our quality and unique approach.
Target Population
7. At least 70 percent of the CDBG funding used must serve low- to moderate-income persons. How does your program / project benefit low- to moderate-income Santa Maria residents? Provide the income guidelines and requirements used to qualify participants for the proposed program/project.
Note: CDBG income limits can found on the City's webpage under General Subrecipient Resources www.cityofsantamaria.org/city-government/departments/community-development/special-projects-division/community- development-block-grant-cdbg-program
All clients seeking housing through Partners in Housing Solutions are currently homeless and considered low-income. Further, case managers from referring social service agencies collect copies of pay stubs, child support award letters, SSI rulings, etc., for each client to determine income level, which is included in our client application. We use HCD income guidelines based on HUD limits to qualify participants.
8. Check box or boxes of population category to be served by the proposed program / project:
Prevent homelessness and address critical emergency, at-risk youth, elderly and underserved populations
Expand educational and development opportunities
Provide affordable housing
Revitalize existing neighborhoods
Homeless
9. Out of all the boxes checked above, which population category will primarily be served by the proposed program / project?
Partners in Housing Solutions only works with people experiencing homelessness. Our clients include people from all the categories marked above.
Unit of Service
10. What is the total number of unduplicated persons OR households to be served OVERALL by the proposed SANTA MARIA program / project?
Please enter only for persons OR households (not both).
11. A.) Define the unit of service, other than persons or households, to be provided by the proposed program. A unit of service is the service that is being provided to the client under CDBG. B.) Provide the estimated units of service each person OR household will receive.
Example: A.) The unit of service can be defined as a bed night, meal, counseling session, etc.; B.) 1 person OR household equals (X amount) units of service; 1 person equals approx. 30 shelter bed nights. 1 household equals at least 5 units of service: initial intake interview, client budgeting process, housing search, landlord-client advocacy, and occupancy assistance.
Outcomes
12. Describe your short- and long-term goals and performance targets.
A.) Describe the intended outcomes for the program participants / beneficiaries; B.) What measures, tools and / or indicators will be used to demonstrate the outcomes?
PHS measures our organization’s success by the number of people we house and how many remain housed. In 2023, 110 homeless individuals countywide and 28 individuals in Santa Maria will receive our housing support services, which include housing placement through our network of private landlords as well as ongoing support to ensure that they remain housed (money management support, tenant responsibility training, etc). We will continue to focus on homeless families with children and veteran families. Out of those individuals housed, at least 92% county-wide and 92% in Santa Maria will remain housed for at least one year. Additionally, we will increase our Santa Maria landlord network from 57 to 67 individuals.
Our long-term goal is to continue the Santa Maria program and further expand it. There is a growing need for our services in North County, and our goal is to further expand our program to meet the increased need. Approximately 70% of our clients reside in North County. Using our successful existing process, we plan to grow the scope of the program, with an emphasis on direct costs of services that will help us expand our reach in Santa Maria. CDBG funding would help us do this.
At Risk of Homelessness
Homeless Youth, 18-24 Years Old
Elderly
Victims of Crime
Persons with Mental Illness
Physically Disabled
Developmentally Disabled
Persons with AIDS/HIV
Unemployed
Language Barriers
Youth, 0-5 Year Olds
Youth, 6-12 Year Olds
Youth, 13-17 Year Olds
Families Living in Poverty
Families w/ Housing Burden
Substance Abuse Problems
At-Risk Youth
Other:
28Persons
Households
28.0028.00TOTAL
Collaboration
13. Will you collaborate with other partners in implementing the proposed program / project? If so, identify the collaborative partners and describe how the proposed program / project will be designed and implemented.
How will funding be distributed to each collaborative partner and what percentage of the requested CDBG funding will be provided to each partner?
One of our strengths as an organization is that we already have partnerships with other organizations, and we have systems in place that work. As mentioned previously, the first step in our process of matching individuals with rental units is receiving homeless client referrals from social service agency partners. Throughout the housing process, clients receive case management from the referring social service agency. We meet with partners regularly and address each client's progress and housing barriers.
In Santa Maria, we receive referrals from Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, CalWORKs, Domestic Violence Solutions, CityNet and New Beginnings. We plan to continue working with these partners to implement our housing services, and we are always open to new partnerships with other providers who may benefit from our services. This program will not include any subrecipients.
14. How do you cooperate or network with other existing related programs, organizations or community resources? Our organization was designed to be integrated in a network of partners. We understand that it is overwhelming to have multiple services under one roof. Even though we are solely dedicated to every aspect of housing, we understand that issues surrounding it are multifaceted. Therefore, partnering is key to our clients’ long-term success in stabilization and retention.
Communication is key and we stay in touch regularly for situations requiring immediate attention. Additionally, we meet with our partners weekly, biweekly or monthly (depending on the agency) to go over both housed and unhoused clients regarding their progress, and we modify our plan when necessary. We keep a weekly client list to keep track of progress and follow up on items, including referrals to other services and resources. This also helps us ensure we are not duplicating efforts and streamlines services.
Our strong relationships with landlords contribute to our success in housing people and helping them stay housed. We ensure that our landlords feel supported enough to take a chance on housing homeless clients with multiple barriers, and in return, our landlords trust working with us. In this way, we provide a bridge between the private and public sectors to find new solutions to the housing crisis. Our landlords often express their appreciation for our communication and professionalism. Feedback like this from our landlords reflects our mutually beneficial relationships:
“I have been a real estate agent for over 43 years and have rented countless properties. Working with Partners in Housing Solutions has been the easiest and most beneficial process I have ever experienced. Sylvia (case manager for CalWORKs clients) is awesome— she followed up with me at every step. She sent me a great tenant, one of the best I've ever had, and it's been a great success. Great service, great tenant— I would recommend Partners in Housing Solutions.”
15. Does the proposed program require parental participation or family involvement? If so, please describe in detail.
N/A
16. Do you utilize volunteers for direct services?
17. If answered "yes" to previous question, explain and indicate the total number of hours of volunteer labor used per year and for what purpose.
If you do not utilize volunteers for direct services because the circumstances do not allow for them or the situation is not appropriate, you may wish to make a comment to clarify your reasoning or answer "N/A".
N/A
Description of Agency Services
18. Describe in detail the services your agency provides and how they are unique from the services provided by other agencies.
PHS is unique in that we are housing specialists. While our partnering social service agencies focus on case management, we are able to devote all our resources to ensuring clients not only find housing but also remain housed. Both clients and landlords know that they can reach out to us any time for assistance, which is one of the reasons that our retention rates are so high.
Moreover, we have access to an extensive network of private landlords, while other social service agencies mainly partner with public housing agencies. In this way, we provide a bridge between the private and public sectors to find new solutions to the housing crisis.
Yes
No
We are also one of if not the only program that provides housing support services to people experiencing homelessness countywide that is not limited to a specific demographic. For example, CalWORKs serves families with children, Domestic Violence Solutions works with people fleeing from domestic violence or trafficking, and New Beginnings serves veterans and veteran families as well as people experiencing vehicular homelessness. In the past five years, our landlords’ trust in PHS has grown, and they have become willing to house more vulnerable, chronically homeless clients. We take referrals from partners who serve diverse populations, including CityNet and PATH, who primarily work with chronically homeless individuals.
19. How long have you been in existence and provided services to the community? Partners in Housing Solutions was founded in 2015 to tackle the persistent issue of homelessness in Santa Barbara County by housing homeless individuals and families through our ever-expanding network of private landlords.
We have a strong team dedicated to our mission and we have a track record of success in housing clients and ensuring they maintain their housing. As mentioned above, we have housed more than 1,000 people since our inception in 2015. Our strength lies in our ability to maintain and build relationships with private landlords and clients. We ensure that our landlords feel supported enough to take a chance on housing homeless clients with multiple barriers. We provide a 24-hour turnaround landlord hotline for assistance with tenant issues. We also ensure that our clients have the support they need to retain their housing. We create a housing plan that is largely determined by their budget and ability to maintain housing after their assistance ends.
The clients we house have case management for six to 12 months after they are placed in housing. As mentioned above, despite the housing crisis that the pandemic has heightened, our latest data shows that our retention rate is 92% after one year.
CDBG Experience
20. Has your agency received CDBG funding in the past from the City of Santa Maria?
21. If YES, explain when your agency received funding and how your agency did in managing these funds. This includes providing information obtained during your most recent monitoring review by the Special Projects Team. If NO, explain how your agency is prepared to manage these additional CDBG funds and confirm that you are aware of the various reporting requirements imposed by this federal funding.
While PHS has not received City of Santa Maria CDBG funding before, we have received City of Santa Barbara CBDG and County of Santa Barbara Human Services/Basic Services funding in the past. We have a contract manager who has extensive experience with reporting requirements, including managing government grants that require additional reporting, such as the two mentioned here as well as California Emergency Solutions and Housing (CESH) and Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP). We are aware of all the requirements for grants such as Santa Maria CDBG.
Funding Sources
22. List the annual funding sources and amounts for the entire Agency or organization in the table below.
These figures should agree with the figures in the financial statements for your most recent prior fiscal year.
23. How do you offer a service that is both cost-efficient and effective? The average homeless person in Santa Barbara county is homeless for five and a half years. PHS houses the homeless, on average, in two to six months after they join our program. The annual cost of services (which includes medical expenses, shelter, food, and law enforcement costs) for a homeless person can be between $35,000 and $150,000 (“End Homelessness,” American Academy of Social Work and Welfare, 2015). In contrast, the cost to PHS to house one client is a fraction of this cost. We are a serviced-based program and the percentage of our budget allocated to service costs.
Yes
No
Federal Government
203,651.60State Government
249,831.52County Government
11,072.50Local Government
United Way
Contributions
16,500Fundraising
Program Service Fees
213,000Private Foundations
653.95Other
694,709.57694,709.57TOTAL
Not only are our services cost-efficient— they are effective. PHS serves as a liason and fills housing gaps that are not covered by other providers. In six years, we have placed more than 1,000 people in permanent housing and 92% of our clients remain housed for a year or more, which speaks to the quality of our work.
Timeline
24. What is the proposed start date of construction / project? -answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
25. Phasing
-answer not presented because of the answer to #1-
Program Budget top
Revenue
Total Prior Year's
Budget for SM
Program
Total Annual Budget
for Proposed SM
Program
CDBG Portion of
Budget for Proposed
SM Program
Percent of
CDBG
Investment
CDBG Grant/City of Santa Maria
(same as amount requested)) USD$ 22,000.00 USD$ 22,000.00 USD$ 1.00 CDBG Funding from another subsidiary USD$ 8,172.00 USD$ 12,799.00 USD$ 0.00 Grants from other Gov't Agencies USD$ 81,183.00 USD$ 70,914.00 USD$ 0.00 United Way USD$ 0.00
Contributions USD$ 3,520.00 USD$ 3,875.00 USD$ 0.00
Special Events/Fundraising USD$ 0.00
Legacies & Bequests (Unrestricted) USD$ 33,870.00 USD$ 13,568.00 USD$ 0.00 Membership Dues USD$ 0.00
Program Service Fees USD$ 0.00
Other (Specify in Narrative) USD$ 34.00 USD$ 39.00 USD$ 0.00 Total USD$ 126,779.00USD$ 123,195.00USD$ 22,000.00USD$ 0.18 Expenses
Total Prior Year's
Budget for SM
Program
Total Annual Budget
for SM Program
CDBG Portion of
Budget for SM
Program
Direct Assistance to Individuals USD$ 13,079.00 USD$ 3,750.00 Salaries USD$ 73,437.00 USD$ 80,523.00 USD$ 14,800.00
Professional Fees USD$ 6,189.00 USD$ 7,033.00
Supplies/Publication/Printing USD$ 2,706.00 USD$ 2,825.00 Occupancy/Utilities USD$ 6,923.00 USD$ 9,830.00 USD$ 7,200.00 Travel/Mileage USD$ 1,320.00 USD$ 1,500.00
Other (Specify in Narrative) USD$ 23,126.00 USD$ 17,734.00 Capital - Design & Engineering
Capital - Property Acquisition
Capital - Construction
Capital - Financing/Legal
Capital - Relocation
Capital - Demolition/Clearance
Capital - Site Improvements
Capital - Admin/Activity Delivery
Capital - Off site Improvements
Capital - Other (Specify in Narrative)
Total USD$ 126,780.00USD$ 123,195.00USD$ 22,000.00
Program Budget Narrative
Other Revenue: This revenue stream is our unrestricted revenue from interest income that is used for the PHS City of Santa Maria housed clients.
Salaries: This line item includes service costs for housing support services. Salary items include total wage, taxes, and benefits.
Application ID: 424008
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Occupancy/Utilities: This item includes a portion of our rent for our Santa Maria office, which we recently expanded in order to better serve our clients in Santa Maria.
Other Expenses: This includes bank fees, insurance, program costs, HHAP grant expenses, marketing, and risk reduction (landlord safety net).
Tables top
% of Annual budget
Households or
Individuals
(Indicate one)
CDBG
Portion of
Budget
Annual Budget for
Santa Maria
Program (must
match the budget
tab)
Percent of
CDBG
Investment
OVERALL Annual
Number of Persons /
Households served by
Santa Maria Program
REQUIRED Minimum
number of CDBG
Persons/Households
served
Individuals $ 22,000 $ 123,195 18 % 28 5
Total $ 22,000 $ 123,195 18 % 28 5
Required Documents top
Documents Requested * Required?Attached Documents *
List of board of directors and local advisory board, if applicable. If N/A, please submit a written statement in lieu of the required attachments.
PHS Board of Directors
Copy of board authorization to apply for this grant.
PHS Board Authorization
Agency's organizational chart
PHS Organization Chart
Certificates of insurance covering Worker's
Compensation and General Liability (it is not
necessary to name City of Santa Maria as additional
insured at this time)
PHS Certificate of Insurance
Current and prior year's financial statements
PHS Financials 10.2022
Most recent annual audit report (if your agency does
not perform an annual audit because it is not required
to, please submit a written statement in lieu of the
required attachments.)
PHS 2021 Reviewed Financials
Most recent Form 990 and Schedule A Federal Tax
Return
PHS 2021 Form 990
Budget information for the current fiscal year and next fiscal year (if budget for next fiscal year is not yet
available, please submit a written statement in lieu of the required attachments.)
PHS 2022 Budget
PHS 2023 Budget
Capital Projects ONLY: Three (3) bids required, with at least one (1) bid coming from a local contractor.
Failure to submit may result in an incomplete
application.
Organizational structure: List the total number of
employees for your agency by job title/classification
and salary/wage range for each job/classification.
download template
PHS Organizational Structure