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RES 2023-0287 - Amend Omaha-Council Bluffs Consortium Consolidated Plan for FY 2021 HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 0 City of Omaha, Nebraska Jean Stothert, Mayor HOME-ARP Allocation Plan Submitted to U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development January 26, 2023 DRAFT HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 1 Table of Contents Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………….2 Consultation…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 Public Participation……………………..……………………………………………………………….. 4 Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis……………………………………………………….……5 HOME-ARP Activities…………………………………………………………………………..………. 15 HOME-ARP Production Housing Goals ………………………………………………………….16 Preferences …………………………………………………………………………………………………17 Limitations in a HOME-ARP rental housing or NCS project………………………………17 Appendix A - Consultations and Response Summary ……………………………………18 Appendix B - PHAs, DV, Veteran, Disability Contacts for Community Survey …27 Appendix C - Community Survey Response Summary …………………………………..43 Appendix D - Survey Responses ……………………………………………………………………47 HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 2 Introduction The following is the City of Omaha’s HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, following the template provided by HUD. For reference, the Metropolitan Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH) area is also known as NE-501 Continuum of Care, which covers Douglas and Sarpy Counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie County in Iowa. Consultation The City consulted with partner agencies, service providers, and people with lived experience by holding public meetings, focus groups, attending the established meetings of pertinent organizations, and circulating a survey to providers, advocates, and people with lived experience. The Metropolitan Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH), provided time for the City to facilitate discussions at the following workgroup meetings: ● General Membership - November 10, 2021 ● Street Outreach meeting - January 24, 2022 ● Provider Council - January 27, 2022. ● Youth Housing Providers - February, 8, 2022 During the consultation processes, the City made a concerted effort to engage people with lived experience and front line staff at service agencies. In addition to the aforementioned workshops, City staff attended meetings of MACCH’s Lived Experience Advisory Boards (general and youth). City Staff also held meetings with clients of the Stephen Center (shelter) and joined street outreach teams from August 2022 to November 2022 to meet people who were unsheltered and listen to their preferences, needs, and barriers. The specific meeting dates were: ● Youth Homeless Advisory Committee - January 20, 2022 ● Stephen Center Guest Focus Group - February 1, 2022 ● MACCH Lived Experience Board (General) - February 4, 2022 On June 29, 2022, City staff attended a local summit on housing insecurity and domestic violence. The summit was hosted by researchers from Creighton University who analyzed eviction and emergency rental assistance funds as it related to households who were attempting to leave or had left a domestic violence situation. The summit was also used to start building a resource map for those households. The City also developed a survey to gather feedback from providers and advocates about the gaps in services and housing types their clients experience and how they would prioritize the activities and qualified populations for HOME-ARP projects. The survey was distributed to HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 3 homeless service providers and partners, public housing authorities (PHAs), domestic violence and trafficking service and advocacy agencies, veteran service and housing providers, people with lived experience, and disability and civil rights organizations. The homeless service providers were contacted individually, through MACCH’s listserv, or the CoC’s Partners Facebook group. MACCH staff distributed the survey to their lived experience boards and other providers were asked to forward the survey to their participants, if appropriate. The surveys were sent out in November 2022 and responses were received through mid January 2023. The list of organizations consulted and a summary of feedback is located in Appendix A. However, this may be most easily accessible online and can be found at: bit.ly/homearp2 Throughout the consultation process, the most frequent comment was that there are not enough housing units that are safe, sanitary, and affordable to extremely low income households. Additionally, it has become increasingly difficult for rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and households utilizing Housing Choice Vouchers, Douglas County General Assistance, or other assistance programs to find property owners and managers that will accept vouchers when an affordable unit is found. Households experiencing homelessness often have significant barriers to obtaining housing including: ● Past Evictions ● Limited income, well below 30% AMI ● Locating unsheltered clients consistently ● Criminal history ● Lack of current address or rental history ● Significant mental health conditions ● Landlord intimidation ● Landlords not accepting assistance programs ● Transportation MACCH’s current prioritization evaluates people by their risk of COVID-19, placing people who are seniors over 65+ and/or have a chronic health condition (as established by HUD), and then HIV/AIDS status at the top of the community queue and then ranking people by their length of time homeless. Prior to establishing the COVID prioritization, veteran status (ineligible for VA housing) and chronicity were used to prioritize, a method that may return in the future. That prioritization was established as an alternative to the VI-SPDAT when MACCH began using coordinated entry, as the VI-SPDAT did not meet the needs of the community and is seen as a tool that unintentionally furthers racial disparities in access to housing programs. While the current method prioritizes the most vulnerable guests, it does mean that the rapid rehousing programs that are intended to stabilize households in a fairly short time (24 months at most) are often filled with households who need longer term rental assistance and services. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 4 Sixty three people responded to the survey. The list of contacted PHAs, veterans, domestic violence and trafficking advocates and service agencies, veteran services, and disability and civil rights groups can be found in Appendix B. Appendix C contains a summary of the survey responses. Appendix D contains the unedited survey responses, with names and titles of respondents removed. These three appendices can also be found at bit.ly/homearp2 This brief summary of the feedback received during consultation is expanded upon below in the Needs and Gaps Assessment. Public Participation Meeting Name Date(s) of Public Notice Date(s) of Public Comment Period Date(s) of Public Hearing HOME-ARP Informational Meeting Email - 10/8/2021 N/A 10/29/2021 2022 Action Plan Public Hearing (HOME-ARP section) Omaha World Herald - 1/13/2022 N/A 1/27/2022 Council Bluffs Community Development Meeting Daily Nonpareil - 8/4/2022 N/A 8/15/2022 2023 Action Plan Public Meeting Omaha World Herald - 7/27/2022 N/A 8/9/2022 HOME-ARP and Section 108 Public Meeting 1/11/2023 1/25/2023 to 2/24/2023 1/25/2023 The City of Omaha held multiple public meetings where HOME-ARP was discussed. This included holding a HOME-ARP informational meeting, which was announced through email and social media posts. The notice for public hearings and comment periods was advertised in three papers: the Omaha World Herald, the Omaha Star, and Mundo Latino (in Spanish). During the consultation and public participation processes, the City made a concerted effort to engage people with lived experience and front line staff at service agencies. City staff attended meetings of MACCH’s Lived Experience Advisory Boards (general and youth) and held a meeting with clients at one of Omaha’s shelters, the Stephen Center. City staff also participated in MACCH Street Outreach efforts. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 5 Over the past five years, the City of Omaha has expanded its efforts to make the public aware of opportunities to attend public meetings and participate in comment periods. This includes posting English and Spanish flyers in places of interest and utilizing virtual public meeting boards such as the Empowerment Network’s community calendar. Event reminders are sent using Facebook, Twitter, and Constant Contact. Simultaneous interpretation services are provided in Spanish and American Sign Language, and real time captioning is provided. Virtual meetings are offered through Zoom and livestreamed on Facebook, and meeting recordings are posted to Youtube as well as the Planning Department website. For a summary of the comments received during the public comment period, please see Appendix E. Needs Assessment and Gaps Analysis The most recent ACS Data is the 2021 5-year estimates; therefore, the 2021 HUD Income Limits will be used in this report. In 2021, the median family income was $87,800. The 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) and Housing Inventory Count (HIC) data will be used. 2021 HUD Income Limits for the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metro Area Persons in Family 1 2 3 4 5 Very Low (50%) $30,750 $35,150 $39,550 $43,900 $47,450 Extremely Low (30%) $18,450 $21,100 $23,750 $26,500 $31,040 Affordable Rent to 30% MFI $461 $528 $594 $662 $785 HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 6 Homeless Needs Inventory and Gap Analysis Table Homeless Current Inventory Homeless Population Gap Analysis Family Adults Only Vets Family HH (at least 1 child) Adult HH (w/o child) Vets Victims of DV Family Adults Only # of Beds # of Units # of Beds # of Units # of Beds # of Beds # of Units # of Beds # of Units Emergency Shelter1 293 80 924 n/a 20 Transitional Housing1 85 31 170 n/a 39 Permanent Supportive Housing1 195 81 602 n/a 326 Sheltered Homeless2 87 809 90 78 Unsheltered Homeless2 1 160 1 4 Data Sources: 1. Continuum of Care Housing Inventory Count (HIC), 2022; 2. Point in Time Count (PIT), 2022 Housing Needs Inventory and Gap Analysis Table Non-Homeless Current Inventory Level of Need Gap Analysis # of Units # of Households # of Households Total Rental Units1 125,966 Rental Units Affordable to HH up to $24,999 (At-Risk of Homelessness)2 8,774 Rental Units Affordable to HH $25,000- $49,999 (Other Populations)2 50,204 0%-30% AMI Renter HH w/ 1 or more severe housing problems (At-Risk of Homelessness)2 17,965 (79%) 30%-50% AMI Renter HH w/ 1 or more severe housing problems (Other Populations)2 12,830 (77%) Current Gaps (for households making less than $25,000)2 19,206 Data Sources: 1. American Community Survey (ACS)(2021 5 year estimate); 2. City of Omaha Housing Affordability Action Plan Homeless as defined in 24 CFR 91.5 HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 7 During the 2022 Point in Time Count (PIT), 1,346 individuals were identified as homeless - 1,010 in emergency shelters, 175 in transitional housing, and 161 identified as unsheltered. The total number of individuals experiencing homelessness was below the 15 year average. However, the number of unsheltered individuals has been increasing since 2019 and 2022 saw significantly more unsheltered individuals than than any other year. 2008-2022 Point In Time Count Data Year Total Homeless Sheltered (Emergency and Transitional) Unsheltered Chronic 2008 1,197 1,125 72 550 2009 1,262 1,201 61 322 2010 1,426 1,335 94 293 2011 1,580 1,544 36 281 2012 1,530 1,508 22 204 2013 1,476 1,459 17 180 2014 1,630 1,604 26 247 2015 1,481 1,437 44 262 2016 1,509 1,452 57 200 2017 1,389 1,332 57 290 2018 1,411 1,347 64 358 2019 1,410 1,364 46 343 2020 1,405 1,328 77 338 2021 1,190 1,096 94 288 2022 1,346 1,185 161 400 Similarly, 2022 saw the highest number of chronically homeless individuals (400) since 2008. During the 2022 PIT, 306 chronically homeless individuals were in emergency shelters while 94 were unsheltered. This means that 58% of unsheltered individuals were chronically homeless. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 8 Veterans accounted for 91 of the homeless individuals in 2022. This was the lowest number of veterans in the last 5 years and the number has been on the decline. Veteran-focused providers such as Victory Apartments and New Visions Homeless Services have expanded permanent housing programs over the last five years. Approximately 70% of homeless veterans were in emergency shelters and 30% were unsheltered. There were 60 youth (24 and under) identified in the 2022 PIT, 38 in shelter, 2 unsheltered, and 20 in transitional housing. The majority of unsheltered individuals (62.1%) were found within Omaha city limits, 26.1% were in the city of Council Bluffs, IA. Street outreach workers estimate that around 30% of unsheltered individuals migrate between Omaha and Council Bluffs, but most stay in one area. Demographically, Black or African American and Native American individuals are overrepresented in the homeless population. According to the 2021 ACS five-year estimates, Omaha’s population is 12.0% Black or African American and 2.0% of the population in Council Bluffs. However, 26.8% of the homeless population identifies as Black or African American. Native Americans make up 4.8% of the homeless population but only 0.4% of the population. The 2022 PIT shows a five year high in the number of homeless individuals experiencing mental illness and reporting substance abuse. Street outreach staff from several organizations have emphasized that fentanyl use has become very common among substance users, which is a concerning shift in the type of drug use. Point in Time Data on Mental Health, Substance Abuse, HIV/AIDS Year 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Mental Illness 351 450 409 425 576 Substance Abuse 400 399 341 332 480 HIV/AIDS 9 18 14 8 9 At Risk of Homelessness as defined in 24 CFR 91.5 According to 2021 ACS 5-year estimates, 14% of households in the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metro Area are making below $25,000, the top of the third income decile in the ACS data. This amount is comparable to the 2021 30% area median income (AMI) limit for a HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 9 household of 3 ($23,750). Households earning 30% AMI or less are most impacted by high rents and increasing prices. According to Legal Aid of Nebraska, 4,339 eviction cases went to court in Douglas County, NE in 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tenant Assistance Project (TAP) was established, providing volunteer lawyers to tenants who attended eviction hearings. TAP staff provided the City with data on its Douglas County clients during 2022. In that time, 1,039 households were provided with representation in court, with 58% of households served having incomes of 30% AMI or less, 28% having incomes 50% AMI or less and 14% having incomes 80% or less. For the period between April 1 and September 30 households served had a median income of $1,400 per month/$16,8000 per year with a median rent of $784.50, which is a severe cost burden. One hundred forty-five of those households indicated that they had no income at all, and 41.9% of participating households had at least one minor child. Fleeing, or Attempting to Flee, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, or Human Trafficking, as defined by HUD in the Notice During the 2022 PIT, 82 individuals identified as fleeing domestic violence. This number has stayed relatively stable over the last several years. The community survey responses stressed that the metro has a large number of people trafficked and exiting trafficking due to proximity along Interstate 80. The survey also indicated that while there are some resources available for these individuals, there are not enough beds or services. Individuals fleeing trafficking have substantial trauma histories and often addiction and mental health conditions and require intensive trauma-informed services and spaces that are not readily available. The Women’s Center for Advancement (WCA) is the largest domestic violence service provider in the metro. The table below shows the number of unique individuals (not times that services were provided) who received services from the WCA. The WCA also operated a rapid rehousing program for households fleeing domestic violence beginning in 2021, utilizing ESG-CV funding. In 2022, WCA was awarded CoC funding from HUD. Women’s Center For Advancement Services Provided Year 2,017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total Unique Clients Served 3,950 4,498 4,783 4,102 3,266 NA HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 10 Hospital Calls 462 583 543 332 304 335 Hotline Calls NA 10,819 9,020 8,338 11,178 8,102 Advocate Clients 2,737 2,950 3,117 3,035 2,548 2,361 Self Sufficiency Clients 387 613 513 1,062 686 1,219 Police Reports Received 5,874 9,195 6,215 6,627 7,009 6,045 Protection Order Assistance 488 638 563 239 475 411 According to the Women’s Fund of Omaha’s 2017 report Nebraska’s Commercial Sex Market, 675 individuals are sold for sex in Omaha per month, often multiple times a month. As with other QPs that have been discussed, there is a significant racial disparity among trafficked persons. When Backpage was still in operation, it showed that 50% of people being sold for sex in Nebraska were African American and only 39% white. Nebraska’s population is 5% African American and 89% white. 11% of Backpage ads were for people under the age of 21. 70-75% of people advertised on Backpage showed at least some indication of being trafficked and about 15% of those showed multiple factors that would put them at high risk. The Women’s Fund also issued a 2016 report, Nothing About Us Without Us: Sex Trafficking in Nebraska: the Survivor Voice. While this report is several years old, it is the most recent study available centered around trafficking survivors in Omaha and Lincoln. The report was developed based on interviews with survivors, to give voice to their self-identified needs and barriers to leaving trafficking situations. Two immediate needs were identified - trafficking-specific safe houses and substance abuse treatment. Safe houses should be designed to diminish fear and provide basic needs without any obligations. The survivors noted that the program needs of trafficked persons may be different than those leaving domestic violence. In consultations, trafficking-specific providers noted that more beds at dry facilities (where people cannot enter if using alcohol or drugs) are needed because substance abuse and addiction play a substantial role in trafficking, treatment needs to be available immediately and many survivors need a sober-living facility to aid them in becoming and remaining sober. This does not diminish the importance of facilities where people who are actively using drugs and/or alcohol may access shelter and services, however there are fewer sober-facility beds available to survivors. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 11 Other populations requiring services or housing assistance to prevent homelessness and other populations at greatest risk of housing instability, as defined by HUD in the Notice The City sent a request for information to four Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) in the area served by MACCH (one of which is not in the Omaha/Council Bluffs Consortia). These are the Omaha Housing Authority (OHA), Douglas County Housing Authority, Sarpy County Housing Authority, and Municipal Housing Authority of Council Bluffs. OHA provided data to the City of Omaha as a part of the Consolidated Plan development process in January, 2023. OHA has budget authority to support 4,905 Housing Choice Vouchers. The voucher waitlist opens approximately every other year. The list last opened in 2021, when approximately 3,000 households were added. At the beginning of 2022, there were 6,255 households on the list. During the year, 382 households were provided with a voucher and leased. 1,799 were removed from the waitlist for various reasons, including being ineligible to apply, not responding when contacted, or refusing a voucher offer. As of December 31, 2022, there were 3,746 people on the waitlist with 328 households in the process of receiving a voucher. Douglas County Housing Authority did not respond to a request for voucher data, however their website indicates that they have a wait time between three months and three years. The Municipal Housing Authority in Council Bluffs did not respond to a request for information. Lift Up Sarpy County did not respond to the questionnaire but did respond to the community survey. As part of the American Rescue Plan, the United States Treasury funded emergency rental assistance programs across the country. The City of Omaha partnered with MACCH to disperse these funds through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Between March 1, 2021 and December 30, 2022, MACCH and its partner agencies dispersed more than $92 million to 15,383 unique households. The Treasury required funds to serve households at or below 80% AMI and the City and MACCH prioritized households at 50% AMI or below. MACCH data shows that 68% of the households (10,460) were below 30% AMI while 21% (3,230) were at 30-50%. MACCH data indicates that the top three zip codes where funds were disbursed accounted for nearly 40% of all assistance: 1. 68111 - $15,851,204 2. 68104 - $12,695,692 3. 68134 - $9,121,198 According to 2021 ACS 5-year estimates, 68111 has the second highest concentration of Black and African American households in the metro and 68104 has the third. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 12 Together, one of the City’s partners, operates a crisis engagement program where people facing a variety of housing stability related issues can receive assistance ranging from information and referrals to case management and rental assistance. In 2022, Together received 9,836 calls to the crisis engagement line, compared to 3,741 in 2021. Of those calls, 1,272 were for general information and 1,114 resulted in assistance to clients. The top five services provided were: 1. Case management - 962 households 2. Prevention services (preventing an episode of homelessness) - 473 households 3. Rental Arrears - 290 households 4. Utility Arrears - 288 households 5. State IDS - 197 individuals The unmet housing and service needs of qualifying populations Homeless as defined in 24 CFR 91.5 Shelter utilization was high in the last six months of 2022. However, there were typically beds available for single individuals, especially men. In consultations, it was noted that beds for women there were more frequently unavailable. There is a high need for bottom bunk beds. Siena Francis House noted that their staff spends significant amounts of time working to help people access bottom bunks and Open Door Mission said they often have bunks in their women’s shelter but many people cannot or will not take them. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 13 Families, in particular, are underserved in Omaha’s community. Only three non-domestic violence shelters have units reserved for families: Micah House, Open Door Mission, and Stephen Center. At the August 15, 2022 public meeting in Council Bluffs, IA, Micah House stated that they usually have a wait list of approximately 25 families and 40 single women for their shelter space. In consultations, many providers noted that supportive services are not available to the degree that they should be. While best practices indicate that case managers should have a caseload of 15-20 households, but many programs exceed that amount. Households participating in rapid rehousing programs maintain their status as a QP1 subgroup. Those households that are soon to be or recently have exited rapid rehousing programs have a difficult time maintaining their housing placements. Because of the very limited number of permanent supportive housing units, households who could benefit the most from them are often not able to access them. The prioritization method used by coordinated entry (CE) to make referrals to housing programs exacerbates the issue as people entering rapid rehousing programs would often be better candidates for the higher services and longer rental subsidy provided by permanent supportive housing. By prioritizing households who are older, have significant disabilities, chronic illness, or a longer history of homelessness, the CoC is prioritizing those deemed most vulnerable in the community. However, those individuals are least likely to be able to increase their earned income to cover the rent payments of the units that they occupy while enrolled in rapid rehousing. They may also need the supportive services that rapid rehousing can provide for longer than the statutory limit of 24 months allowed in those programs. At Risk of Homelessness as defined in 24 CFR 91.5 Households at risk of homelessness (households that make less than 30% AMI) have a severe lack of affordable rental and for sale housing units available to them. The shortage is approximately 19,200 units. However, this calculation does not take into account households who could afford a higher rent but are living in lower-rent units, making the true shortage likely greater. While housing costs are certainly a top-line expense and concern putting people at risk of homelessness, other factors are also important. Many low income households either need to utilize public transportation or have unreliable vehicles, which can impact their ability to maintain employment. While there are some flexible assistance funds to address needs such as car repairs, appropriate clothing, and childcare, they are extremely limited and have become more so. For example, the Goodfellows organization previously allowed individuals seeking assistance to use their funding for self-identified needs; they now limit the use to rental and housing assistance. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 14 Between 2021 and 2022, Omaha, like many communities, had once-in-a-lifetime amounts of public rental assistance, which kept many people in their homes. However, as people have reached their service limitations, it is expected that more people will again become unstable in their housing and evictions for nonpayment of rent will continue to rise. While the TAP program can help households who come to eviction court, many people do not attend their hearings. Some people have inflexible work schedules or do not receive the notice of their court date, and likely just as many are discouraged and accept the eviction without attending their court date. While there is not currently a reliable tracking method, many people may lose their housing through an informal eviction process where they move out before a property manager files for eviction, sometimes in an arrangement to avoid having an eviction on their record. While HOME-ARP is not the funding source to address these particular problems, they are significant for households at risk of homelessness. Fleeing, or Attempting to Flee, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, or Human Trafficking, as defined by HUD in the Notice In the 2022 PIT, 82 adults without children identified as fleeing domestic violence in emergency shelter, unsheltered, and in transitional housing. The HIC showed only approximately 55 available units and 100 total beds for this population between emergency shelter, transitional housing, and rapid rehousing programs. For many people fleeing domestic violence situations, safety in their housing is often the top concern. Double locks, unlisted addresses, and locking windows are needed to provide safety and help families feel safe. Having space for one or more children is important as a high number of people leave with their children, if at all possible and having stable housing can play an important role in keeping their children with them through custody battles. Many people fleeing domestic violence have no income, which makes affordability all the more important. In consultations with trafficking providers, in particular, it was expressed that there are very few beds, especially in suitable spaces, for people escaping trafficking, especially youth. These individuals have a great need for specialized supportive services as well, as they generally will be learning to cope with trauma from their experiences. Other populations requiring services or housing assistance to prevent homelessness and other populations at greatest risk of housing instability as defined by HUD in the Notice People with a disability face similar challenges as others experiencing homelessness (e.g. lack of affordable units, lack of income, lack of supportive services, access to transportation). However, there are unique needs and barriers for people with physical disabilities, chronic illness, mental health conditions, developmental disabilities, etc. While there are some newer affordable housing units designed for people with disabilities, these HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 15 units often have long wait lists. Most of the affordable housing that is available in the Omaha metro is older and was not designed with accessibility in mind. While landlords are required to provide reasonable accommodations, modifications can be costly. Assistance to make modifications is not widely available, and oftentimes significant modifications are not possible. While wheelchair accessibility is most commonly thought of when accessible housing is discussed, disability advocates also stressed that the conversation needs to go beyond that. Other considerations are spaces that are fragrance, mold, and other toxin free, as they can be more difficult for people with chronic illness to tolerate. Mold is particularly difficult because it is not included in Omaha’s housing code and neither the City nor the county health department has a route to require property owners to properly remediate mold. Access to transportation and services for an individual’s disabilities are key to being able to maintain housing, but are in short supply. People who are currently staying in permanent supportive housing projects are Gaps within the current shelter and housing inventory; service delivery system In the summer of 2022, the City of Omaha hired RDG Planning and Design to prepare a Housing Affordability Action Plan (HAAP), which included a market assessment using data from the census, a survey with property owners and managers, and other local data. According to the HAAP, between 2010 and 2020, the number of households earning less than $24,999 (the 2022 Extremely Low Income limit for a household of 3 is $25,700) declined by 7,974 households and the number of units affordable to those households only declined by 2,453. However, with 34,228 households making less than $25,000, that still leaves a gap of 19,206 units affordable to them. Additionally, while available units declined for households making up to $50,000, there were more units created than additional households in incomes between $50,000-$100,000. Additional characteristics associated with instability and increased risk of homelessness The City has not identified further characteristics associated with housing instability. Priority needs for qualifying populations The priority needs for qualifying populations are: (1) production of rental housing units, (2) supportive services, and (3) non-congregate shelter, especially targeted for households fleeing domestic violence and trafficking. Additional priority needs were identified, but do not fall under the allowable activities for HOME-ARP. The City evaluated the level of need and gaps based on date from the 2022 Point in Time count and Housing Inventory Count, HMIS data, 2021 ACS 5-year Estimates, the feedback provided through consultations and the community survey, and the City’s Housing HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 16 Affordability Plan, which was developed in the same time frame as the engagement process for HOME-ARP. HOME-ARP Activities To solicit applications for funding and / or selecting developers, service providers, subrecipients and / or contractors, the City will issue a request for proposal (RFP) and follow an award process similar to the City’s existing HOME program. The City of Omaha will administer HOME-ARP funds, including the RFP process, awarding of funds and compliance of awarded projects. The City does not intend to engage in any of the eligible activities directly. Use of HOME-ARP Funding Funding Amount Percent of the Grant Statutory Limit Supportive Services $ 1,400,000.00 Acquisition and Development of Non- Congregate Shelters $ 2,000,000.00 Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) $0 Development of Affordable Rental Housing $ 3,558,158.00 Non-Profit Operating $ 0 0 % 5% Non-Profit Capacity Building $ 0 0 % 5% Administration and Planning $ 1,227,910.00 15 % 15% Total HOME ARP Allocation $ 8,186,068.00 The greatest need identified was for permanent housing units and therefore most funds will go to the production of rental units. To help residents maintain housing, supportive services need to be paired with those units, however that cost should be lower as property managers partner with permanent supportive and rapid rehousing programs where staff exists. Because of the difficulty of finding units for households that have other forms of rental assistance, the City has chosen not to allocate funds to rental assistance. The City has determined that there is a significant need, especially for households fleeing domestic violence and trafficking, for short term, non-congregate emergency shelter that some funds may be directed there, if a suitable project is identified. HOME-ARP funding applications will be reviewed and ranked according to the extent they address the priority needs identified in this Allocation Plan. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 17 The current housing inventory shows the City of Omaha needs more than 19,000 housing units affordable to people making below 30% AMI. Considering the additional barriers and lower income of most households experiencing homelessness, rental units targeted to their needs is the greatest need. The 2022 PIT showed a 15 year high of unsheltered individuals. The data indicates that additional shelter beds were available, suggesting that the typical congregate emergency shelter environment is not viable for all individuals, especially those with mental health conditions, accessibility needs, people working to become or maintain sobriety, or those fleeing domestic violence and trafficking. There is also a significant shortage of space for families, especially those with minor children, who may also be served by non-congregate shelter. Supportive services must be available to pair with the housing created through utilization of HOME-ARP funds, to ensure residents’ needs are met and the projects funded are sustainable. Funding tied to the rehabilitation or creation of housing often have affordability periods 15 years or more, while supportive service funding is typically year to year. The amount of supportive service funding targeted in this Plan is estimated to support 3 caseworkers, each with a caseload of approximately 15 individuals, for a period of 5-6 years. HOME-ARP Production Housing Goals Using the HOME-ARP Housing Production Goal Worksheet, it was determined that approximately 43 units between rental housing and non-congregate shelter can be produced with the Plan’s HOME-ARP allocation. The $3,558,158 is expected to be leveraged to create 21 units of rental housing and the $2,000,000 for non-congregate shelter will result in 22 units. There is a preference for rehabilitation projects as they will likely allow for units to be created at a lower per unit cost. The estimated production numbers assume $2,000,000 will cover 85- 90% of project costs for non-congregate shelter. This type of project will have limited, if any, revenue source and as such requires higher subsidy to be sustainable. The $3,558,158 for rental housing units assumes a subsidy of roughly 65% of unit cost. Again, with the intention to create units for households at 30% AMI or less, the potential for lower revenue is acknowledged. As noted above, the City of Omaha needs more than 19,000 housing units affordable to households making 30% AMI or below. Additionally, the Point In Time (PIT) count shows the number of unsheltered has substantially increased over the past several years and the number of chronically homeless individuals in 2022 was the highest since 2008. Allocating HOME-ARP funds to the development of rental and non-congregate units, paired with supportive service HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 18 dollars to support sustainability of funded projects, targets assistance to households with the greatest need. Preferences For rental housing projects, the City intends to give a preference to QPs 1 and 4 (homeless and “other populations”), prioritizing people who are exiting rapid rehousing programs and who are ready to move on from permanent supportive housing projects. For non-congregate shelter projects the City intends to give a preference to the qualifying populations who are fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking. If two non-congregate shelter projects are chosen, a preference for QPs 1 and 4 and establishing a prioritization CoC providers do not have enough permanent supportive housing to support the needs of households that need long term rental assistance and services. By supporting households ready to move on from permanent supportive housing with long term rental assistance and light- touch supportive services, additional openings in programs can be created. CoC providers also do not have enough suitable space for victims of domestic violence and those escaping trafficking to have a safe shelter with reliably open bed space to provide for the population that needs assistance. Referral Methods HOME-ARP projects will utilize the coordinated entry system (CE) as the sole referral method. All QPs will be eligible through the CE process. CE will need to be expanded to include all qualified populations and the City has initiated discussions with the Institute for Community Alliances (ICA, MACCH’s HMIS lead agency) and MACCH to establish a scope of work and estimated cost. The City intends to establish an assessment to prioritize households in the At Risk of Homelessness QP, if an HCV set-aside can be obtained, that will assess clients leaving rapid rehousing programs or who are ready to move on from permanent supportive housing projects but will likely re-enter homelessness without a long-term rental subsidy and access to lighter- touch supports. If HCV set-asides cannot be secured, the City plans to establish a preference for HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 19 the Homeless QP. Prioritization will then work with CE’s community queue for permanent supportive housing housing-eligible clients first, and then community queue for rapid rehousing. Limitations in a HOME-ARP rental housing or NCS project The City of Omaha will award points in the RFP for a Domestic Violence/Trafficking non- congregate emergency shelter program. If a sustainable project is proposed, the City of Omaha will impose a limitation to only serve households who qualify under the fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking definition. During the consultation process, both domestic violence and trafficking and general service providers noted that there are not enough beds at domestic violence and trafficking specific shelters to serve the population that is attempting to flee. Other qualified populations will have access to rental housing projects and, if funded, other non congregate emergency shelters. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 20 Appendix A - Consultations and Response Summary Agency/Org Consulted Type of Agency/Org Qualifying Population(s) Method of Consultation Feedback Metropolitan Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (NE 501) Continuum of Care Lead Agency Homeless, At risk of homelessness Regular in person and virtual meetings, survey participation Ongoing MACCH General Membership Meeting Continuum of Care General Membership Homeless, At risk of homelessness, Domestic Violence Facilitated conversation at a standing meeting The City attended MACCH’s General Membership Meeting on January 24, 2022. This meeting is attended by a higher number of frontline and supervisory staff and fewer executive and director level staff. The City facilitated a conversation around the needs of homeless clients and the system barriers and gaps that they face in obtaining and maintaining housing. JamBoard was used to allow frontline staff to provide anonymous feedback. The JamBoards are attached at the end of this list. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 21 MACCH Provider Council Continuum of Care Workgroup Homeless, At risk of homelessness Facilitated conversation at Provider Council's standing meeting The City regularly attends the Provider Council meeting and facilitated a conversation around HOME-ARP on January 27, 2022. This meeting is attended by high level leadership of Continuum members. The attendees at this meeting were: Tamara Dwyer - MACCH Gary Wickering - ICA Mike Wehling – Stephen center Joni Thomas – Nebraska Total Care Jeff Wibel – Community Alliance Linda Twomey – Siena Francis House John Turner - NIFA Mike Hornacek - Together Steve Frazee – Open Door Mission Kalisha Reed - YES Teresa Hunter - FHAS Sharlene Mengel – Salvation Army Ashley Flater Andrea Jacobs - ICA Nichole Schneider – Micah House Greg Cecil – HUD Mindy Paces – Heartland Family Service Brandy Wallar – New Visions In this conversation, we first reviewed the feedback provided by MACCH’s General Membership meeting. There were few comments in response. However Siena Francis House indicated that they spend a lot of time accommodating bottom bunk requests and Heartland Family Service agreed that they have been seeing many small landlords who are more lenient selling to larger, less flexible companies who raise rent. When discussing how access to HOME-ARP projects is prioritized, Siena Francis House noted that the number of chronically homeless individuals is growing every year and we should prioritize more permanent supportive housing. Together noted that if we have limited resources, we should be targeting our chronically homeless individuals. When asked to describe the population of and barriers to serving people fleeing domestic violence, there was no response. When asked to describe the perfect housing for the homeless population, it was generally agreed that we HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 22 need a variety of housing options. We keep developing the same types of projects and some people would be very happy with an SRO with shared kitchens and just a microwave. Accessible housing is a high need. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 23 Stephen Center Clients Lived Experience - Guests at the Emergency Shelter and residents in Permanent Supportive Housing programs Homeless, At risk of homelessness In person meeting The City met with clients from the Stephen Center on February 1, 2022. Most of what was discussed was about what was important to them in how projects are located and what rental housing opportunities look like. Priorities included being close to job and education opportunities, access to mental health care, housing that can easily be modified to fit a range of needs, easy access to medical care, and having staff providing services who are dedicated. Stephen Center is a sober living facility and for this group, it is important to have sober living spaces to maintain their sobriety. In general, they love the community around the Stephen Center and want the opportunity to build community in permanent housing, but still have their own space to be able to be by themselves. One gentleman is vision impaired and he expressed frustration that people with vision impairment cannot take care of themselves and also that one style of accommodation can fit all sorts of needs. He mentioned modifications such as markings on a stove or washer and dryer that are removable so that the next person who doesn't need them does not have to have them. Several people wanted space for a pet. The group as a whole felt very strongly positively towards peer support specialists. Omaha Housing Authority PHA At risk of homelessness, Other Populations Email requesting information and survey participation NA Douglas County Housing Authority PHA At risk of homelessness, Other Populations Email requesting information and survey participation Responded to the survey, but did not provide a response to the more specific data questions. DCHA has vouchers for clients but not enough housing units to accommodate them. Need units west of 72nd St with 1-5 bedrooms. Disabled individuals need case management to keep them in their housing. Most of the inquiries for assistance that DCHA receives come from households at risk of homelessness and households where someone has a disability. Would prioritize HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 24 those households. Municipal Housing Authority of Council Bluffs PHA At risk of homelessness, Other Populations Email requesting information and survey participation No response Sarpy County Housing Authority PHA At risk of homelessness, Other Populations Email requesting information and survey participation Sarpy County has vouchers with only a 80% lease up rate because we can’t find appropriately priced housing options. Our vacancy rate at all levels for the county is less than 3%. For Bellevue, it is less than 1%. Simply, we need more housing stock. Housing stability assistance to keep people in their current homes is needed and supportive services around financial education and training on how to be a better renter. HOME- ARP funds should have a preference for households experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness but no prioritization beyond that. Bellevue is an Entitlement Community but is interested in being part of the Omaha/Council Bluffs Lift Up Sarpy County Service Agency Homeless, At Risk of Homelessness, Other Populations Sarpy County does not have any shelters, which is limiting for people living in Sarpy County. Feel that we need larger units to house families and also noted that there has been an increase in people ages 55+ needing their services. Would like to see us prioritize families with children and households with someone with a disabling condition. Victory Apartments Housing Provider Homeless, At Risk of Homelessness, Veterans Called to establish a contact, emailed to request survey participation Victory Apartments works with formerly homeless veterans. Apartments are studios and one bedrooms, which are mostly sufficient for their clients. The most common supportive services they see a need for with their clients is mental health care access, and assistance with basic daily tasks such as cleaning, self-sufficiency, and budgeting. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 25 Douglas County Veterans Service Office Service Provider Veterans Requested survey participation The office said that they would suggest contacting New Visions Homeless Services and Victory Apartments, and saw that the City already had. They refer homeless veterans to those two entities. Heartland Family Service (DV) Service Provider, DV Emergency Shelter Domestic Violence, Homeless, At Risk of Homelessness Community Survey, MACCH General Membership Meeting Need more affordable studios and one bedrooms, accessible place for disabled folxs, double locks for safety, need long term income-based assistance for <30% AMI households. Challenges specific to households fleeing DV include safety concerns, DV issues in their current housing, leases that have both partner's names. A very high proportion of people served by HSF DV services (90%) struggle with housing stability. Chose homeless households and households fleeing DV for preferences because our homeless population is large and DV/trafficking survivors have unique barriers and are often not prioritized. Access to legal representation, accessible mental health therapy, employment readiness services. Currently these are things that are offered but they either have long waitlists or have several barriers to access and those aren't ideal for the folks that we serve. Our shelter is single room occupancy and we have been full and are turning people away daily since June. Even with 14 beds (which is large for a victim service provider) there needs to be more with low barrier expectations to access safe shelter. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 26 Women's Center for Advancement Service Provider Domestic Violence Trafficking, At Risk of Homelessness DV Providers Survey, MACCH general membership meeting Safety is important in rental housing, deadbolts, secure window locks, etc. Also, more types of housing options Rental assistance programs need to be less strict on qualifications and consider more than just income. Need more case managers working with clients seeking permanent housing. Barriers for those fleeing DV and trafficking include lacking financial resources, difficulty obtaining or keeping a job, having nowhere, especially with an unlisted address, in the Omaha metro, to flee where they are guaranteed a space. 40+% of DV/trafficking survivors struggle with housing stability and homelessness. Preference choices: Homeless, Chronically homeless, Households fleeing DV/Trafficking because these two groups are constantly in and out of shelters and are most underserved Project Harmony Service Provider Domestic Violence, At Risk of Homelessness DV Providers Survey, Phone Call Top priority was non congregate shelter because we currently have no housing for minor trafficking victims and minimal support services. They need case management, mental health services, help with basic necessities. Project Harmony does not provide housing services, but partners with other agencies that do and there are just not beds for minors. Agencies currently providing housing to adults could also be considered for expansion to serve minors (Boys Town, Catholic Charities, Rejuvenating Women, etc). 20% of 500 youth identified at-risk for trafficking and or being trafficked struggle with homelessness and housing instability. Preferences for households at risk of homelessness and fleeing dv/trafficking because those groups are lacking service and housing resources. Project Harmony currently has one case manager for trafficked youth and she has a caseload of more than 20. OPD receives 3,200 missing youth reports per year, while not all of those are trafficked, runaway children are most likely to be trafficked. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 27 Child Saving Institute Service Provider Domestic Violence, At Risk of Homelessness DV Providers Survey For the families we work with, there are a multitude of social and health issues that are impacting homelessness or near homelessness. These often need to be addressed along with identifying safe and affordable housing. There is a need for affordable housing and rental assistance. Most of our clients have children and most do not want to take their children to emergency shelter. It is the most challenging to identify housing for families especially those with more than 2 children and/or families with teenagers. Units with more than 2 bedrooms would be helpful. Also, for families fleeing, housing should be more long term rather than transitional. Options for smart security systems, security lighting, locks that are difficult to pick and flexible pet policies that allow dogs for survivor companionship and as an alert. Supportive services needed: I think the biggest need is mental health services, especially for those that don't have insurance (or high co-pays or deductibles if they have insurance). Estimates that 75% of the people they serve struggle with housing instability and homelessness. Preferences for individuals/families fleeing domestic violence and families with children because these groups don't have as many options and have more barriers. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 28 Rejuvenating Women Service Provider Domestic Violence DV Providers Survey Supportive Services is my #1 opinion of need. I feel you must address the reasons why there is homelessness such as mental health, addiction, and being a victim of human trafficking. You must help provide the services and tools necessary for one to recover then provide the rental housing plan or even emergency shelter until one gets into their own apartment with assisted funds until they can fully live independently. For rental housing: I believe there need to be private rooms available and with their children. They need to feel safe in their shelter which needs to be a locked facility outside of the city possibly and somewhere hidden in trees and fencing w a gated enclosure with a security guard. Rental Assistance: Ensure if it is affordable yet with a time limit they can obtain assistance. Supportive Services: We need more recovery and sober living homes and beds available for the influx of survivors. We also need more therapists who are specifically trained in trafficking especially when it involves family members. Hiring a counselor and grants to hire would be helpful as well. Non-congregate Shelter: There needs to be a better, clearer way to spot if the individual(s) are trafficked. We miss it a lot of times and it goes unnoticed. I also believe shelters need to be sober living which assesses the addiction which changes thinking and behaviors. Barriers: Not having affordable single living housing they can afford, It is difficult for them to pay off any debt, work on their credit scores, no vehicle or driver's license. 100% of people that Rejuvenating Women serves deal with homelessness and housing instability. Preferences for households at risk of homelessness and families with children because those at risk need to have the resources available for them as well as families. They need to be believed and we need to show we are before anything changes. Child trafficking is massive in the metro area. We need recovery housing focused on trafficking for our youth and, in HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 29 my opinion, toddler to teens. Catholic Charities Emergency Shelter, Service Provider Homeless, Domestic Violence Trafficking DV Community Survey Supportive services are what we need most. For rental housing, we need security, cameras, private rooms, and housing assistance. Barriers to accessing housing include application fund money and quicker access to housing i.e. Section 8 vouchers. 100% of people Catholic Charities DV shelter serves are homeless/facing housing instability. Preference for households fleeing HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 30 domestic violence/trafficking and families with children Appendix B - PHAs, DV, Veteran, Disability Contacts for Community Survey Name Agency Role Contact Type Email Joanie Poore OHA CEO PHA JPoore@ohauthority.org Jody Holston OHA Director of Public Housing PHA jholston@ohauthority.org Philisa Smith OHA HCV Director PHA psmith@ohauthority.org HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 31 DaShawna Young OHA PHA dyoung@ohauthority.org Rhonda Hodge- Mason Douglas County Housing Authority Executive Director PHA rhonda@douglascountyhousing.co m Beverly Valasek Douglas County Housing Authority Director of Section 8 PHA Beverly@douglascountyhousing.co m Jaime Gibson Housing Foundation for Sarpy County HCV Director PHA jaime@sarpyhousing.org Monica Battreall Housing Foundation for Sarpy County Housing Services Director PHA monica@sarpyhousing.org Caroyln Pospisil Director Sarpy County Housing PHA carolyn@sarpyhousing.org Tayna Gifford Lift Up Sarpy County Executive Director tgifford@liftupsarpycounty.org Amanda Ehrenberg-Koch Municipal Housing Authority of CB HCV Program Manager PHA aekoch@mhacb.org Benson Elmore Douglas County Veterans Service Office Director Veterans benson.elmore@douglascounty- ne.gov Claire Guinzy Douglas County Veterans Service Office Assistant CVSO Veterans claire.guinzy@douglascounty- ne.gov LaKeidra Roach Douglas County Veterans Service Office Assistant CVSO Veterans lakeidra.roatch@douglascounty- ne.gov Damon Hobbs Douglas County Veterans Service Office Assistant CVSO Veterans damon.hobbs@douglascounty- ne.gov Barb Rimel Douglas County Veterans Service Office Assistant CVSO Veterans brimel@douglascounty-ne.gov Kerri Miller Loos VA Mental Health Specialty Programs Director Veterans kerry.millerloos@va.gov Brandy Waller New Visions Homeless Services Veterans bwaller@newvisionshs.org Tom York Victory Apartments Veterans tyork@burlingtoncapital.com Roxanne Miller Blue Valley Community Action/SSVF Veterans rjackson@bvca.net Patty Howe Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home Volunteer Services Veterans Janette Taylor Women's Center for Advancement President/CEO DV jannettet@wcaomaha.org Tracy Scherer Women's Center for Advancement Director of Programs DV tracys@wcaomaha.org Teresa Houser Magdalene Omaha Founder/CEO DV teresa@magdaleneomaha.org Tesa Miller Magdalene Omaha Director of Programs DV tesa@magdaleneomaha.org HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 32 Brooke Zelansey Magdalene Omaha Residential Program Coordinator DV brooke@magdaleneomaha.org Mary Sivels Magdalene Omaha Peer Support Specialist DV mary@magdaleneomaha.org Jo Giles Women's Fund of Omaha Executive Director DV jgiles@omahawomensfund.org Tia Manning Women's Fund of Omaha Freedom from Violence Project Manager DV TManning@OmahaWomensFund.o rg Nick Zadina Women's Fund of Omaha Freedom from Violence Project Manager DV nzadina@omahawomensfund.org Survivor's Rising DV survivorsrisinginfo@gmail.com Andrea Edwards Heartland Family Service DV aedwards@heartlandfamilyservice. org Tomeki Cobbs YouTurn DV tomeki@youturnomaha.org Christon MacTaggart Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Executive Director DV executivedirector@nebraskacoaliti on.org Madeline Walker Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Human Trafficking Program Coordinator DV madelinew@nebraskacoalition.org Lee Heflebower Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence DV and EJ Program Specialist DV leeh@nebraskacoalition.org Katie Hansen Project Harmony Director of Centralized Intake and Anti- Trafficking Services DV khansen@projectharmony.com Taylor Newton Project Harmony Anti-Trafficking Youth Services Program Manager DV tnewton@projectharmony.com Natasha Stogdill Heartland Family Service Sanctuary Advocacy and Housing DV Nstogdill@heartlandfamilyservice. org Tenisha Joseph Heartland Family Service Sanctuary Shelter DV tjoseph@heartlandfamilyservice.or g Nicole Martinez Women's Center for Advancement DV nicolem@wcaomaha.org James Timmerman Women's Center for Advancement DV jamest@wcaomaha.org Sent to MACCH listserve HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 33 Posted on MACCH Partners Facebook Group Tena Hahn Black and Pink Interim Executive Director DV tena@blackandpink.org Jana Habrock Child Saving Institute, Family Empowerment Program Director of Prevention Services DV jhabrock@childsaving.org Lisa Battenhorst Boys Town DV Lisa.Batenhorst@boystown.org Denise Bartels Catholic Charities DV densieb@ccomaha.org Julie Shrader Rejuvenating Women DV julie@rejuvenatingwomen.org - Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) - Disability Advocacy and Service DHHS.Aging@nebraska.gov Shelby Seier All Kinds Accessibility Consulting Founder, Lead Consultant Disability Advocacy and Service Shelby@AllKindsAccessibility.Com - Alpha Life Improvement Disability Advocacy and Service alphalifeimprovementservices@gm ail.com Marie Carter ALS in the Heartland Events & Patient Services Coordinator Disability Advocacy and Service marie@alsintheheartland.org - Angel Guardians, Inc. Disability Advocacy and Service info@angelguardians.org Charlie Lewis Answers4Families Director Disability Advocacy and Service clewis4@unl.edu - Arc of Nebraska - Disability Advocacy and Service info@arc-nebraska.org Edison McDonald Arc of Nebraska Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service edison@arc-nebraska.org HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 34 Angie Ransom Assistive Technology Partnership - Disability Advocacy and Service angie.ransom@nebraska.gov Brooke Harrie Assistive Technology Partnership - iCanConnect (iCC) Contact for iCanConnect (iCC) Disability Advocacy and Service brooke.harrie@nebraska.gov - Assistive Technology Partnership - Disability Advocacy and Service atp@nebraska.gov Meaghan Fitzgerald Walls Assistology, LLC President and CEO Disability Advocacy and Service Assistologyomaha@gmail.com - Autism Action Partnership - Disability Advocacy and Service info@autismaction.org Leslie Bishop Hartung Autism Center of Nebraska, Inc. (ACN) President and CEO Disability Advocacy and Service LBH@ACNomaha.org Diane Pacal Autism Center of Nebraska, Inc. (ACN) Residential Services Director Disability Advocacy and Service dpacal@ACNomaha.org Roberto Mata Mayorga Autism Center of Nebraska, Inc. (ACN) Supported Services Coordinator Disability Advocacy and Service rmayorga@ACNomaha.org Lydia X.Z. Brown Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network Director of Policy, Advocacy & External Affairs Disability Advocacy and Service lbrown@awnnetwork.org - Better Living, Inc. - Disability Advocacy and Service hr@bliconnect.com Peggy Reisher Brain Injury Alliance - Nebraska Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service peggy@biane.org HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 35 Chris Stewart Brain Injury Alliance - Nebraska Resource Facilitator Omaha & Northeast Nebraska Disability Advocacy and Service Chris@biane.org - Brain Injury Association of Nebraska - Disability Advocacy and Service braininjuryinfo@biausa.org - Center for Holistic Development, Inc. (CHD) - Disability Advocacy and Service info@chdomaha.org Charles Drew Health Center Disability Advocacy and Service Katie Squier Children’s Respite Care Center (CRCC) Media Coordinator Disability Advocacy and Service ksquier@crccomaha.org Michele Benford Children’s Respite Care Center (CRCC) Client Care Coordinator, Southwest & Northwest Location Disability Advocacy and Service mbenford@crccomaha.org - Child Saving Institute - Disability Advocacy and Service csiinfo@childsaving.org Jaymes Sime Child Saving Institute President & CEO Disability Advocacy and Service jsime@childsaving.org Lisa Blunt Child Saving Institute Chief Operating Officer Disability Advocacy and Service lblunt@childsaving.org Becky Bounds Child Saving Institute Director of Child Welfare Services Disability Advocacy and Service bbounds@childsaving.org Tammy Grossman Child Saving Institute Executive Administrative Assistant & Facilities Supervisor Disability Advocacy and Service tgrossman@childsaving.org HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 36 Chelsey Haas Child Saving Institute Director of Marketing Disability Advocacy and Service chaas@childsaving.org Jana Habrock Child Saving Institute Director of Prevention Services Disability Advocacy and Service jhabrock@childsaving.org Katherine (Kathy) Hubbard Child Saving Institute Director of Early Childhood Education Disability Advocacy and Service khubbard@childsaving.org Lora Sladovnik Child Saving Institute Director of Mental Health Services Disability Advocacy and Service lsladovnik@childsaving.org Tina Rockenbach Community Action of Nebraska (CAN) Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service Director@canhelp.org Jill Connor Community Action of Nebraska (CAN) - Eastern Nebraska Development and Communications Manager Disability Advocacy and Service jconnor@encapomaha.org - Community Options Individual and Family Services - Disability Advocacy and Service angies@coifs.org - Developmental Disability Center of Nebraska (DDCN) - Disability Advocacy and Service radedokoun@ddcnebraska.com - Developmental Disabilities Division, Nebraska Health & Human Services General Information Disability Advocacy and Service dhhs.developmentaldisabilities@n ebraska.gov Tony Green Developmental Disabilities Division, Nebraska Health & Human Services Director Disability Advocacy and Service tony.green@nebraska.gov Jennifer Perkins Developmental Disabilities Division, Nebraska Health & Human Services Policy and Quality Management Disability Advocacy and Service jennifer.perkins@nebraska.gov HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 37 - Disability Rights Nebraska - Disability Advocacy and Service info@disabilityrightsnebraska.org Leah Janke Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service janke@dsamidlands.org Samantha Kruse Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands Special Events Coordinator Disability Advocacy and Service kruse@dsamidlands.org Amanda Clark Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands Program Coordinator Disability Advocacy and Service clark@dsamidlands.org - Duet (Formerly ENCOR) - Disability Advocacy and Service info@duetne.org Angie Howell Easterseals Nebraska Vice President Disability Advocacy and Service ahowell@ne.easterseals.com - Easterseals Nebraska Nebraska AgrAbility Contact Disability Advocacy and Service rpeterson@ne.easterseals.com - Envisions of Nebraska - Omaha Office - Disability Advocacy and Service envinc@aol.com - Epilepsy Foundation Nebraska - Disability Advocacy and Service nebraska@efa.org Kristi Berst Epilepsy Foundation Nebraska Executive Director CEP Disability Advocacy and Service kberst@efa.org Ballard Jones Epilepsy Foundation Nebraska Community Operations Manager Disability Advocacy and Service bjones@efa.org HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 38 Teresa Coleman- Hunter Family Housing Advisory Services, Inc. Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service admin@fhasinc.org Tiffiny Clifton Gotta Be Me Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service info@gottabeme.org Randy Squier Paralyzed Veterans of America Great Plains Chapter President Disability Advocacy and Service squier@greatplainspva.org - Hands of Heartland (Omaha) - Disability Advocacy and Service info@handsofheartland.com - HELP (Health Equipment & Long-term Planning) - Disability Advocacy and Service kurt@helpequipment.org Inclusive Communities Disability Advocacy and Service info@inclusive-communities.org Maggie Wood Inclusive Communities Executive Director, Development, Culture + Sustainability Disability Advocacy and Service maggie@inclusive- communities.org Cammy Watkins Inclusive Communities Executive Director, Operations + Programs Disability Advocacy and Service cammy@inclusive- communities.org Krysty Becker Inclusive Communities Communications Manager Disability Advocacy and Service krysty@inclusive-communities.org Hope UpHoff Integrated Life Choices Inc (Omaha Office) Area Director - Omaha Disability Advocacy and Service huphoff@ilc.net - League of Human Dignity (Omaha Office) - Disability Advocacy and Service Info@leagueofhumandignity.com HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 39 John M. Nania Learning for ALL Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service john@golearnall.org Devon McCave Love Community LLC - Disability Advocacy and Service dmccave.lovecommunity@gmail.c om Darian Stout Madonna School & Community Based Services Transition Disability Advocacy and Service dstout@madonnaschool.org Chris Miller Madonna School & Community Based Services Project Search Disability Advocacy and Service cmiller@madonnaschool.org Diane Cochran Madonna School & Community Based Services Adult Services Disability Advocacy and Service dlcochran@cox.net Ian Froemming Madonna School & Community Based Services Navigation Services Disability Advocacy and Service ifroemming@madonnaschool.org Toody Moffatt Madonna School & Community Based Services Advancement Disability Advocacy and Service toody@madonnaschool.org Andrea Eischen Madonna School & Community Based Services Marketing Disability Advocacy and Service aeischen@madonnaschool.org John Burt Madonna School & Community Based Services President Disability Advocacy and Service jburt@madonnaschool.org Mark A. Smith Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Chair of MCCD, Munroe-Meyer Institute on Genetics and Rehabilitation Disability Advocacy and Service msmitha@unmc.edu Meaghan Fitzgerald Walls Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Vice Chair of MCCD, Assistology, LLC Disability Advocacy and Service assistologyomaha@gmail.com HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 40 Jennifer Pollock Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Secretary of MCCD, Millard Public Schools Disability Advocacy and Service jlpollock@mpsomaha.org Nancy Flearl Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD, NE Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired Disability Advocacy and Service nancy.flearl@nebraska.gov Rachael Johnson Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD Disability Advocacy and Service rachael.annette94@gmail.com Erik Olson Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD Disability Advocacy and Service eolson1@outlook.com Taryn Schaaf Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD, Brookstone Village Disability Advocacy and Service tschaaf@vhsmail.com Lisa Sherman Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD, Faith Christian Church/OPD Disability Advocacy and Service pastorlisa@faithomaha.org Stephanie Skavdahl Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD, Outlook Nebraska Disability Advocacy and Service sskavdahl@outlookne.org Douglas Switzer Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD, Douglas R. Switzer, PC, LLO Disability Advocacy and Service wheelsofjustice81@gmail.com Lora Young Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD, League of Human Dignity Disability Advocacy and Service lyoung@leagueofhumandignity.co m Gerald M. Kuhn, II Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD) Member of MCCD, City of Omaha ADA Coordinator, Human Rights and Relations Department Disability Advocacy and Service gerald.kuhn@cityofomaha.org HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 41 - Munroe-Meyer Institute -- See UNMC - Disability Advocacy and Service munroemeyer@unmc.edu - Mosaic - Disability Advocacy and Service info@mosaicinfo.org Carrin Meadows National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Nebraska Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service cmeadows@naminebraska.org Brent Koster Nebraska AIDS Project (NAP) - Omaha/Southwest Iowa Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service mitchd@nap.org - Nebraska Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE) - Disability Advocacy and Service neapse@apse.org Ian Froemming Nebraska Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE) President Disability Advocacy and Service ifroemming@madonnaschool.org Cheryl Montgomery Nebraska Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE) Public Policy Liaison Disability Advocacy and Service cmontgomery@northstarservices.n et Shari Bahensky Nebraska Client Assistance Program (CAP) - Disability Advocacy and Service shari.bahensky@nebraska.gov Carlos Servan Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCBVI) Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service carlos.servan@nebraska.gov John C. Wyvill Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service john.wyvill@nebraska.gov Shauna Dahlgren Nebraska Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Co-Conveners Disability Advocacy and Service sdahlgren@ne.easterseals.com HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 42 Christi Crosby Nebraska Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Co-Conveners Disability Advocacy and Service kolbf.ne@gmail.com Kristen Larsen Nebraska Council on Developmental Disabilities Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service dhhs.ddcouncil@nebraska.gov Charlotte "Charlie" Lewis Nebraska Resource and Referral System Project Director Disability Advocacy and Service clewis@nrrs.ne.gov - Nebraska's Statewide Independent Living Council (NESILC) - Disability Advocacy and Service info@nesilc.org - Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation - Disability Advocacy and Service marketingteam.vr@nebraska.gov NFSN, Nebraska Family Support Network Disability Advocacy and Service info@nefamilysupport.org North Omaha Area Health (NOAH) Disability Advocacy and Service noahclinic@cox.net North Omaha Community Care Council Disability Advocacy and Service mail@noccc.org Brenda Council North Omaha Community Care Council President Disability Advocacy and Service bcouncil1225@gmail.com Laurie Ackermann Ollie Webb Center, Inc.- DBA Career Solutions, Inc. Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service lackermann@olliewebbinc.org Bill Reay Omni Behavioral Health- DBA Omni Inventive Care President / CEO Disability Advocacy and Service Bill.Reay@omniic.com HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 43 Megan Riebe Reay Omni Behavioral Health- DBA Omni Inventive Care Vice-President Disability Advocacy and Service Megan.Reay@omniic.com Outlook Business Solutions Disability Advocacy and Service info@outlookbiz.co Outlook Nebraska Disability Advocacy and Service info@outlookne.org Glen Thomas Persistent Grace Pastor Disability Advocacy and Service gthomas@smlutheran.com People First of Nebraska Disability Advocacy and Service PeopleFirstNebraska@outlook.com - Prime Home Developmental Disability Services, Inc. - Disability Advocacy and Service office@primehomedds.com - PTI-Nebraska (Parent Training and Information Nebraska) - Disability Advocacy and Service reception@pti-nebraska.org Mike Tufte PTI-Nebraska (Parent Training and Information Nebraska) Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service mtufte@pti-nebraska.org Natalie Garcia PTI-Nebraska (Parent Training and Information Nebraska) Hispanic Outreach Coordinator Disability Advocacy and Service ngarcia@pti-nebraska.org QLI Disability Advocacy and Service QLI@QLIomaha.com - Radio Talking Book Service (RTBS) - Disability Advocacy and Service info@rtbs.org HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 44 Jane Nielsen Radio Talking Book Service (RTBS) Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service jnielsen@rtbs.org Bekah Jerde Radio Talking Book Service (RTBS) Assistant Director Disability Advocacy and Service rjerde@rtbs.org - Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare - Disability Advocacy and Service contact@regionsix.com Rejoice Developmental Disabilities Services LLC Disability Advocacy and Service info@rejoicedds.com Sheena Reynolds Remedy Road LLC Co-founder Disability Advocacy and Service sheena@remedyroadllc.com Anton Reynolds Remedy Road LLC Co-founder Disability Advocacy and Service anton@remedyroadllc.com - Sheltering Tree Community - Disability Advocacy and Service info@shelteringtreecommunity.co m Simple Senior Solutions Disability Advocacy and Service info@sssomaha.com Stephanie Swerczek Simplified Financial Solutions LLC Owner Disability Advocacy and Service stephanie.swerczek@gmail.com - Stephen Center - Disability Advocacy and Service info@stephencenter.org Michael Wehling Stephen Center Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service michael.wehling@stephencenter.o rg HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 45 Beth Robbins Ellis Stephen Center Community Engagement Manager Disability Advocacy and Service beth.ellis@stephencenter.org Lori Swift Stephen Center Community Resource Manager Disability Advocacy and Service lori.swift@stephencenter.org - Take Flight Farms - Disability Advocacy and Service contact@takeflightfarms.org Britt Sommer The Community Supports Network, Inc. Omaha Area Director Disability Advocacy and Service bsommer@thecsnetwork.com Lesedi Nato- Thomas The Community Supports Network, Inc. Omaha Area Program Coordinator Disability Advocacy and Service lnatothomas@thecsnetwork.com Touch of Gold Disability Advocacy and Service info@touchofgoldcare.com - United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska - Disability Advocacy and Service ucp@ucpnebraska.org Anne Brodin United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska Executive Director Disability Advocacy and Service anne@ucpnebraska.org Sara Tselentis United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska Development Director Disability Advocacy and Service sarah@ucpnebraska.org Kori Kelley United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska Community Outreach Director Disability Advocacy and Service kori@ucpnebraska.org - UNMC/Munroe-Meyer Institute University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities - Disability Advocacy and Service munroemeyer@unmc.edu HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 46 Karoly Mirnics UNMC/Munroe-Meyer Institute University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities Director Disability Advocacy and Service karoly.mirnics@unmc.edu Amy S. Nordness UNMC/Munroe-Meyer Institute University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities Associate Director Disability Advocacy and Service asnordness@unmc.edu Melonie S. Welsh UNMC/Munroe-Meyer Institute University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities Community Engagement Director Disability Advocacy and Service Melonie.Welsh@unmc.edu - VIBF (Veterans in Business Forum) - Disability Advocacy and Service info@veteransinbusinessforum.org Sarah Sjolie The Wellbeing Partners CEO Disability Advocacy and Service sarahs@thewellbeingpartners.org Sheena Helgenberger The Wellbeing Partners Director of Community, Innovation & Advocacy Disability Advocacy and Service sheenah@thewellbeingpartners.or g Erin Bearinger The Wellbeing Partners Communications Coordinator Disability Advocacy and Service erinb@thewellbeingpartners.org Leah Whitney Chavez World Speaks Executive Director/ Founder Disability Advocacy and Service leah@worldspeaksomaha.org - WhyArts - Disability Advocacy and Service info@whyartsinc.org Appendix C - Community Survey Response Summary Organization Responses Count All Kinds Disability Consulting 1 HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 47 Assistology, LLC 1 Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska 1 Catholic Charities 1 Child Saving Institute 1 Douglas County General Assistance 3 Douglas County Housing Authority 1 FHAS 2 Front Porch 3 Heartland Family Service 5 ICA 1 Life Community Outreach 1 Lift Up Sarpy County/Sarpy Housing 2 Lived Experience 2 MACCH 2 Metro Housing Collaborative 1 Munroe-Meyer Institute, UNMC 2 NE DHHS - Developmental Disabilities Division 1 Nebraska Aids Project 1 NE DHHS 1 Omaha Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (Chair) 1 Project Harmony 1 Rejuvenating Women 1 Sheltering Tree 1 State of Nebraska - ADA Coordinator 1 Stephen Center 1 Together 19 Victory Apartments 1 Women's Center for Advancement 3 Total: 62 Survey Responses Homeless Services 38 PHAs 3 Veterans 1 DV/Trafficking 8 Lived Experience 2 Disability/Civil Rights 11 Total: 63 Eligible Activities Prioritization HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 48 Rank 1 2 3 4 Points Rental Units 21 8 17 16 158 Rental Assistance 7 24 18 13 149 Supportive Services 15 15 13 9 140 NCS 18 12 8 24 148 Population Preference Total HSP DV/T Vet LExp PHA Dis Homeless 16 11 2 1 2 0 At Risk of Homelessness 15 7 2 0 2 4 Fleeing DV/Trafficking 16 6 7 0 1 2 Veterans 2 1 0 1 0 0 People 65+ 5 4 0 0 0 1 Disabling Condition 16 9 0 0 2 5 Chronically Homeless 21 16 2 0 0 3 Families with Children 25 18 3 1 1 2 Other 6 4 0 1 0 1 Homeless Services Prioritization Rank 1 2 3 4 Points Rental Units 10 4 11 13 87 Rental Assistance 4 16 13 5 95 Supportive Services 11 12 9 6 104 NCS 13 6 5 14 94 HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 49 Lived Experience Prioritization Rank 1 2 3 4 Points Rental Units 1 0 0 1 5 Rental Assistance 0 0 2 0 4 Supportive Services 0 1 0 1 4 NCS 1 1 0 0 7 PHA Prioritization Rank 1 2 3 4 Points Rental Units 2 1 0 1 12 Rental Assistance 0 2 1 1 9 Supportive Services 1 0 2 1 9 NCS 1 1 1 1 10 Veteran Services Prioritization Rank 1 2 3 4 Points Rental Units 0 0 0 0 0 Rental Assistance 0 0 0 0 0 Supportive Services 0 0 0 0 0 NCS 0 0 0 0 0 (Veteran prioritization counted in PHA table) DV/Trafficking Prioritization Rank 1 2 3 4 Points Rental Units 4 0 3 1 23 Rental Assistance 0 3 2 3 16 Supportive Services 3 2 2 1 23 HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 50 NCS 1 3 1 3 18 Disability/Civil Rights Prioritization Rank 1 2 3 4 Points Rental Units 4 3 3 0 31 Rental Assistance 3 3 0 4 25 Supportive Services 1 3 6 0 25 NCS 2 1 1 6 19 HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 51 Appendix D - Survey Responses HOME-ARP has four primary eligible activities. Please rank which of these activities you feel are most needed to address homelessness and housing instability in the Omaha metro. Timestamp [Acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of rental housing] [Tenant Based Rental Assistance] [Supportive Services] [Acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation for non-congregate emergency shelter] Briefly, why did you choose that order? If the City supports acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of rental housing, do you have any suggestions on what that should look like? Examples: where people are looking to live, number of bedrooms in units, other features that are commonly needed or requested. 11/21/2022 15:05:16 1 4 3 2 11/21/2022 15:19:56 3 2 4 1 11/21/2022 16:10:15 1 2 3 4 All locations and numbers of bedrooms are needed to accommodate the vast and varied people in need. 11/22/2022 6:38:19 4 2 3 1 More reliable safe homes and apartments no mold torn down foundations etc 11/22/2022 11:13:55 3 4 1 2 Should be scattered all over the city. Bedroom sizes 1-4 11/22/2022 12:28:04 2 3 1 4 There are not enough cm in the field to keep up with the calls from the community with those living on the streets, we are in a housing crisis, no one can afford any of the rental places in the community. On a bus line, near grocery stores, by a school, at least 2 bedrooms. There also needs to be a building for those who can not live near schools and being newly acclimated back into the community. The person(s) taking the applications understand the homelessness HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 52 community and not discriminate against them. There needs to on sight case management to teach the resident's how to live, budget etc. 11/26/2022 10:07:38 3 1 4 2 It was tough to rank because they are all important pieces and without one, another might not be successful. I think having accessible housing and supportive services (if/when needed and wanted) would be most beneficial to getting folks out of homelessness and stay out of homelessness. I think people need to be around their support network, even with reliable transportation, because it’s best that their support and resources including employment is easy and quick to get to regardless if they drive, walk, bike, or ride bus. Realistically this type of housing would be most beneficial in north, south, mid, and east Omaha but ideally it would be in every part. Though taking into consideration that west Omaha is just not accessible overall fir various reasons for folks who lack readily available resources around them. We do need an increase in all size units and I believe that buildings with various size units would be great. Not just a building full of single household units. Shared housing is a great concept for single folks too so maybe bigger units would benefit all household types and sizes. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 53 11/26/2022 17:17:46 1 3 4 2 My experience in PSH (case management) and RRH (program coordinator) is that housing under FMR is increasingly unavailable, and I believe if we do not address the lack of housing (the root cause of homelessness) we will not end homelessness and will continue to play musical chairs. I ranked emergency shelter second because it is necessary to have options available to individuals experiencing literal homelessness to prevent harm including weather- related fatalities. Rental assistance is 3rd. Due to continued stagnant wages, we will always need this. I ranked supportive services last because I believe though they can help individuals address precipitating conditions leading to their homelessness, such as mental health, SUDs etc. ultimately homelessness is a housing issue and should be addressed as such. Note: A higher skilled level of care for individuals with SUDs who are not interested in abstinence should be created. The affordable housing plan gives good insight on this re: more housing "in the middle" // not high density, not single family. I would also underscore the importance of developing higher level of care housing for aging individuals, and those who need more skilled care but want to continue to use substances. ADA accessible. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 54 11/28/2022 11:42:41 4 3 2 1 There is a need in Adult Protective Services for emergency shelter for adults transitioning out of one setting while awaiting placement in a different setting. (i.e.: discharged from hospital with recommendation to move to Nursing Facility or Assisted Living, but space not available at time of hospital discharge). Secured entry, security cameras on the premises (thinking about those that are fleeing from DV) 11/28/2022 14:59:06 4 2 3 1 NCS has shown to be a successful and needed intervention in the Omaha community, assisting tenants with rental subsidies is a huge need that is difficult to find funding for, and we are always lacking in supportive services needed to help people stay housed. I would strongly support making sure any owner of rental housing works closely with an organization like Metro Housing Collaborative who can provide supports and mediation for the tenants and owners. 11/28/2022 15:30:02 1 2 4 3 Access to affordable housing is primary to ensuring the outflow from the homelessness system can overcome the inflow. So I would prioritize both my #1 and #2 choice equally. Similarly, both supportive services and non- congregate shelter are essential to meeting the needs of highly vulnerable individuals, so I would rank those equally, as well. Close to necessary amenities (public transit, grocery stores, social services), mixed unit options for varying household sizes, but with an emphasis on increasing access for single adults. 11/29/2022 17:06:04 4 2 3 1 Would love to see the prioritization of physical accessibility, and options for larger families. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 55 11/30/2022 9:37:26 3 2 1 4 As a community we need more supportive services around mental health, budgeting, etc. Next, we need more tenant based rental assistance programs because quite a few of individuals that come to us are on SSI/SSDI which makes for a very limited income or their backgrounds cause barriers to housing normally. We need more housing in general that is safe and affordable. I added the Aquisition or rehabilitation for non-congregate emergency shelter last because I believe we need more housing in general to be able to accommodate those in the shelters already. Safe and affordable housing. More housing doesn't help if it is not affordable. We are seeing a lot of older individuals with disabilities so more ADA accessible units such as wider doorways, less stairs, handlebars in the restroom. We aren't seeing a lot of 1 bedroom available. 11/30/2022 9:38:07 4 1 2 3 Vouchers similar to section 8 are extremely helpful when it comes to housing clients, many of them are on a fixed income such as social security so I see that as the first need. Second would be case management services because many need wrap- around services after they are housed in order to maintain that housing. Third, I work at a Non- congregate shelter and I see the benefits of households having separate areas. Fourth, of course rehabilitation and We need a lot of 1 bedroom apartments that are accessible to disabled persons such as those who can't do stairs (more apartments with elevators or first floor units) HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 56 remodeling of existing units is desired but not my first priority. 11/30/2022 9:50:10 3 4 2 1 We as a community cant house hardly anyone as my clients dont make 3 times the rent. This is a huge problem and or crisis in Omaha. studios, one bedrooms, handicap accessible, medical facility close, grocery store close 11/30/2022 10:48:22 4 2 3 1 We need more properties to be able to house clients at first off, then they need case management to keep the unit, the voucher option is hard for the chronically homeless clients. They don't normally qualify for section 8 because of background challenges. The housing needs to be on a bus route, near services, grocery store. Also because omaha is so split it would be hard to identify one part of the city. 11/30/2022 13:16:37 4 3 1 2 People mainly want to live near and around downtown since it is closer to their services as well as bus routes. 2 bedrooms is a huge need. Many displaced families are sharing studios or one bedroom apartments mainly because 2 bedrooms are extremely more expensive 11/30/2022 15:12:38 2 3 4 1 Non congregate shelter can be used to serve any demographic and gives folks a safe The bus line is the most important to ensure folks are able to access what they need HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 57 place before housing 11/30/2022 15:16:58 2 3 1 4 I feel like Supportive Services help people maintain stability in the home and without it will lead to more instability. Options for larger sized households, more options for Council Bluffs 11/30/2022 15:21:45 3 1 2 4 11/30/2022 15:22:35 1 4 2 3 I was considering immediate need as most important Family needs 11/30/2022 15:27:26 1 2 3 4 11/30/2022 15:33:57 4 2 3 1 I think non- congregate shelter is important and crucial in the process of housing and keeping people housed once obtained. It has been shown to work! I also think it is a great way to get people off the street quicker so they can focus on housing instead of surviving. I think more tenant based rental assistance falls after that, as that would be beneficial to assist the transition between street homeless and housed. I placed supportive services after because it is important to have once someone is housed. Lastly I placed construction or rehab of rental housing because while I do believe this to be necessary, I think the first three I listed are needed first. I think more diverse areas where housing would be located around Omaha would be beneficial. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 58 11/30/2022 16:15:44 4 3 2 1 Because I have seen how well the NCS model works and if there were more availabiliy, more people would be able to receive the assistance in finding housing. There is a giant need for and lack of supportive services. Financial assistance isn't the only thing most people need in order to maintain permanent housing. If you are in a program and it ends, you lose case management support. Having more vouchers is fine, but you have to have buy in from property owners or they are useless. There is already a fight for every available unit that accepts a voucher. I think the most important is that a portion of them are built in the areas where there are new employment opportunities. Putting them all Downtown, North Omaha, and East Omaha doesn't help people access the resources they need to become independemt. 11/30/2022 21:34:41 3 2 1 4 Non congregate shelters show amazing results and we need more rental units in our community. Income based 12/1/2022 7:39:20 4 2 1 3 More support is needed. There are places that can be redone to accommodate the need. Secure entry and dry building 12/1/2022 9:17:03 4 3 2 1 A lot of people out there stuggling paying their rent with children, that work hard and still stuggle. Spread over the city , not in one location. Like regular houses 12/1/2022 10:14:08 3 1 2 4 The cost of living is outrageous and housing costs are far beyond majority of people's incomes. We need more accessible housing 3 and 4-bedroom homes are extremely difficult to come by. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 59 options with realistic rental amounts. 12/1/2022 14:32:28 4 3 2 1 NCS's connect people with housing and income while providing a safe, temporary home, so that is why it is my first choice. My second choice was Supportive Services because there is a shortage of ongoing case-management that would see someone through to being successful. I made Tenant Based Rental Assistance my third choice because I know that even though someone receives a subsidy, they can still neglect paying rent, which is why ongoing case- management would hold people accountable and help people sustain. I didn't understand what acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of rental housing was, so I made it my last choice. Just decent housing not run by slumlords. I have heard of way too many properties that aren't up to code and aren't suitable living environments. We need to provide people with adequate housing because every person deserves dignity, respect, and care. 12/1/2022 15:19:35 1 2 3 4 The most important thing is more affordable housing. There is a drastic lack in the city now. Close to downtown or midtown so they can access services. One to two bedrooms. There is a severe lack for larger families as well. 12/1/2022 15:44:41 3 4 1 2 I feel supportive services is where we lose people, they need further support once they are housed, for many reasons. We need more shelter. Period. I think the main thing is making it affordable, secondly, accessible to bus routes, grocery stores, people can get to work, kids can safely get too school, HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 60 and having multiple bedrooms for families would be amazing. 12/6/2022 13:21:49 1 3 2 4 12/6/2022 13:41:57 3 2 1 4 12/6/2022 14:24:42 2 3 1 4 We need to keep people housed so they stop cycling through homelessness to housed Handicap accessible, small complexes. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 61 12/7/2022 18:55:50 3 2 1 4 Supportive services are critically needed within existing shelter and outreach programming to add trauma-informed, housing- focused supportive services that meet people where they are at. If we can increase the number of people exiting shelter and unsheltered situations into safe housing options, we will create more space for people needing shelter tonight (improve inflow in existing emergency resources). Rental assistance is needed to support people with very low income to become re- housed. MHC has demonstrated that there are rentals available in the Omaha metro area, but the affordability is a challenge and tenant based rental assistance is a critical tool in making existing housing resources an option for unhoused people. The Omaha metro area needs more affordable housing, as demonstrated by the housing study that was published in April 2021. https://omahafoundation.or g/wp- content/uploads/2021/05/H ousing-Affordability- Assessment-of-Needs- Priorities.pdf That study states: "Currently, 98,500 households need affordable housing of some kind to not be housing costburdened, but there are fewer than 20,000 dedicated affordable units." HOME ARP should be used, in part, to tackle as much of the affordable housing crisis as possible and create affordable rental units to increase local stock. While non-congregate emergency shelter has been a huge asset to the Omaha community, a focus on safe, permanent housing is critical to meeting goals related to "ending homelessness" in this community. If non- congregate models can be flexible in nature and support extended stays as a "bridge" to permanent housing, that is a great option and important to focus on in the Omaha metro area. However, strong supportive services and permanent housing need to I would suggest speaking with the Metro Housing Collaborative (MHC) team about what trends they are seeing, and what's not available. They are a local expert when it comes to current availablity and gaps. Generally, there is a shortage of studio, one-bedroom, two- bedroom and larger units that are truly affordable for people with low income. These needs to be near public transit lines, and since public transit is limited and fairly infrequent, these units need to be centrally located near commonly wanted services and stores/businesses. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 62 be primary goals associated with this funding. 12/8/2022 8:38:48 1 3 2 4 We need more rental options for our clients. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 63 12/9/2022 14:20:56 4 3 2 1 There is a major shortage of affordable and suitable housing options for the lower and middle income families. There needs to be a focus on rehabilitating current properties first, then expedited construction of new properties tailored to fill these gaps. Once those properties are ready, families will need assistance with affordability based on their income and situation. Supportive services will them be needed to assure sustainability and upkeep. Shelters should never be more than 1-2 night stay and therefore any money set aside for shelter should be in processes and operations so that they are to be more efficient in developing housing options for folx. Non- congregate shelters should be a norm and no other option should be available. There is always a shortage of larger family units which includes units with more than 3 bedrooms. If the city supports this, apart of receiving these funds should be the inability to practice source of income discrimination on applicants for the units. The city should also require that the units stay affordable and that the property owners maintain a certain standard of living per unit or home HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 64 If the City supports tenant based rental assistance, do you have any suggestions on what that should look like? What types of supportive services do you see a need for to help people establish and maintain housing stability, especially those exiting homelessness? Please note if these are services that exist but are not widely enough available or if you are unaware of anyone providing the service. If the City supports acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of noncongregate emergency shelter, do you have any suggestions on what that should look like? Noncongregate emergency shelters provide private rooms for people in need of emergency shelter, rather than the traditional dormitory style shelters. These funds cannot provide operational costs to noncongregate shelters. Is there a group of people that you find to be particularly over represented and/or underserved ? If you were in charge of establishing preferences for the order in which qualified households will receive access to HOME-ARP programs, where do you see the greatest need in our community? Please choose your top two. Briefly, why did you choose these groups? Is there anything that you'd like to expand on or add? What do you feel is important that we have not asked about? Homeless, Individuals/Fami lies fleeing domestic violence/traffick ing These are the 2 most at risk groups and the hardest to get back on their feet once in that situation. I feel that data management could be a good thing to include in the planning, by including HMIS in the conversation you have the opportunity to not duplicate data streams. African American Families are generally always over represented in data. Families with children, Homeless Most vulnerable and have the hardest time finding large enough units. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 65 If should be broad and flexible enough to cover people in a variety of near/homeless situations in order to make the intended impact. Supportive services should include housing counseling that will not only address the immediate issue, but that will extend to help stabilize the family and allow them to maintain and retain their housing unit while working towards greater independence. I am not sure how it should look, but this seems to have worked well for hotel conversions. Other families requiring services or housing assistance to prevent homelessnes s. Families with children, Individuals/Fami lies fleeing domestic violence/traffick ing I chose children and fleeing families because they are victims of someone else's actions and may be deprived on some semblance of normalcy but for these efforts. The need for housing counseling cannot be overlooked or undervalued for the difference it makes in keeping people housed when they understand ways to ensure their housing success. Each household should get monthly assistance that they have access to once exhausted they can reapply again in and or volunteer to earn more help if needed like trade. Housing stability program services offered to the community that focuses on just that. Shelters that offer safety too our members of the community both male and female Women’s rights in the shelters Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies, Individuals/Fami lies fleeing domestic violence/traffick ing More common in our community Organizations that are not popular but are actively doing their part and no support Possible mitigation funds for participating landlords Budgeting, sustainability, case management, advocacy, mentoring, money management Rehab an old hotel elderly Homeless, At Risk of Homelessness These two groups cover most of the unchecked options. It's open and vague I understand the need for this but they need to be flexible and the turn around needs to be much quicker- 2-3 weeks is unacceptable. Outreach, Case management in the field not making clients go to them- they can not make it appointments due to lack of transportation or resources. Flex funding for the case managers so they are able to access birth certificates, id's etc. including deposits, bus passes etc. quicker WOMAN low barrier only- Those that are medically fragile and over 55. Families with children, People 65+ We have a huge population of individuals are are over 60 and have so many aliments - and are living on the streets- this is only growing. We need to prioritize those that are living on the streets that are over 60- we are losing them daily- especially when hospitals are discharging to the streets. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 66 I’d be curious as to what this looks like currently in Omaha. Do we have TBRA? Where is it mostly used? What types of households have access to it? What is considered successful for this type of housing/program use? We need many different kinds of supportive services. I often wonder with unsheltered folks if we could provide like an aftercare case management type service wether they have some type of rental assistance or not. Probably could be for both unsheltered and sheltered homeless households honestly. Most situations when someone goes to housing outside of supportive housing, if they were working with someone, that ends as soon as they are housed or is drastically limited. I think someone having a go to support person to help them navigate various things like mental health resources, medical resources, homeless prevention, mediation, food, cleaning, transportation, employment, or whatever, would be a great benefit for many. Even if it’s just someone to build a trust with if they ever do need anything. I know it’s a lot and often times the resources needed are not available but it could be a good start. Also expanding street outreach services and by that I mean hours and days of availability. Other specific things could include child care, transportation, cleaning services, mental health (both ongoing and acute) I could go on and on about this category. This would need to be more accessible than what we currently have. Like serving anyone who needs it. I know that increasing the amount of beds would in turn increase the accessibility of it because currently they do need to try and serve the most vulnerable due to the limited about of beds available. I also think it would be beneficial to maybe offer this type of bed to folks who are pulled for housing on any type of list. Helping them stay connected to the program and possibly helping them locate a unit for vouchers that do not have case management included with it. I’m not sure if that makes sense or doable but that is a first thought I’ve had. Folks exiting RRH or other time limited supportive housing that need the rental assistance and have not had luck securing that before RRH ends. Families experiencing homelessnes s mostly because they generally have to be more resourceful because there isn’t enough family emergency shelter available so they more often than not don’t fall under literal homelessnes s because of where they stay. I think families with children and other household types that have to do things like stay in a motel or double up or couch surf could benefit under a preventative category if we were able to help them find At Risk of Homelessness, Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies This is very hard to determine but logically thinking, if we have good supports lined up, chronically homeless is our biggest sub population and would be most helpful to get those folks in housing but because of their chronic homelessness they would at least need access to some great case management services. I think since chronic homelessness includes disabling conditions we would be taking care of that one at the same time. The reason I selected at risk of homelessness is because that population is severely underserved in our community and because of that we haven't really known how great that population is until ERAP and other preventive resources were available. I think it has been clear that we need some more structure around ongoing homeless prevention programs and likely won’t know it’s full impact and need until that is established. I could probably talk for days on all of this. More than just a survey to get all my thoughts out. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 67 and move into permanent housing. So maybe I mean the folks that fall into the temporary housing categories. Those folks are often missed and cycle through for years because they are considered housed but not actually in a permanent housing situation. Oh I probably could think of many things for this one too. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 68 No We need more ACT team options beyond Community Alliance, and CA's should be expanded. We also need higher level of care/skilled nursing integrated into facilities that would be accessible to individuals who use drugs & alcohol. Better collaboration with medical professionals and stronger relationships with psychiatric residency programs at UNMC and Creighton. No Not from my experience. I would defer to clarity data. Homeless, Individuals/fami lies with disabling conditions SSA benefits do not provide enough money to keep individuals housed. Those on the streets or in shelters are at the greatest risk of experiencing harm and death. Na Case management, home health aides, mental health services Should include: Case management, home health aides, mental health services Underserved : #2 and #3 Families with children, At Risk of Homelessness If housing stability for families with children was more prevalent, CPS may see fewer cases coming in. Emergency shelter for those at risk of homelessness would provide a temporary reprieve while APS clients are awaiting their non temporary residence. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 69 Again, working with property owners who are associated with Metro Housing Collaborative or other agencies like InCommon or Together, so that there is tenant and property owner support will be important. You could also work with OPS school social workers to identify families in need. Make sure there are inspections for the units. Assistance should be based on a sliding scale and try to avoid sending participants off a benefits cliff who receive this support. We have heard many developers of market rate apartments (like Clarity) say they would be interested in designating units if these subsidies were available. Front Porch would also be happy to connect our awardees to the City to utilize these funds for units that are designated for low-income families and individuals. Peer-to-peer navigators who have lived experience of housing instability is desperately needed in our community. Adaptive reuse of former buildings for NCS projects is important. Having units designated for specific underserved populations and high vulnerability groups. Access to mental health and medical needs is important. LGBTQIA+ Community, Black individuals and families, Native American/In digenous individuals and families Families with children, BIPOC We don't have enough shelter spaces for families to not be separated, BIPOC individuals are over represented and underserved in our current system, if I had to add a 3rd it would be People 65+ who should not be in congregate shelter due to health concerns It's so important that these funds go to NCS , other types of transitional housing, and tenant assistance instead of traditional congregate shelters. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 70 Would be a good option to use in a "move on" model, for households who are exiting from supportive housing (RRH or PSH) who still need an ongoing rental subsidy but have already stabilized and are in community-based housing. For households who need a little longer to achieve financial stability in the open housing market. Ongoing supportive services to assist in housing location and retention. Supportive services to prevent returns to homelessness, including case management and legal supports. The current model we have in operation is working well and a model for further development. Would advise addressing the concerns of our unsheltered neighbors in what a noncongregate facility could provide that is unavailable at traditional emergency shelters, which would encourage them to leave their unsheltered situation and enter NCS. Category 1, followed by Category 2 (with eviction notice received) - though some of Category 2 could be served through new programmin g available under ERA 2. Individuals/fami lies with disabling conditions, Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies We have a growing chronically homeless population in our community, and they often have the fewest resources available to them. They also exhaust more of our existing resources than the other categories. Same for those with disabling conditions (though I would also prioritize people 65+ if I could select 3 options, as I feel they go hand-in- hand). Housing is the solution to homelessness. We need programs that operate in a Housing First/Low Barrier manner and we need to have the supports available to increase sustainability. We should explore other funding opportunities available through ARP for certain populations, including those households with children and school-age families, as there are other resources that could intervene, thus allowing further use of HOME-ARP for those without other options. n/a site-based support services (on site); move-in coordination (furniture, moving trucks, storage, household essentials); shared housing support / education / facilitation. Would love to see NCS sites acquired / rehabbed for multiple populations: re- entry from justice system and foster care system; new americans / new arrivals; single head of household and inter- generational living. Underserved : Persons with disabilities; persons re- entering after being system impacted; new americans Families with children, Individuals/fami lies with disabling conditions My biggest priority request is that whatever is elevated, that accessibility is high on the list of requirements (both trauma informed design and physical accessibility - if units / NCS are chosen). HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 71 Make it affordable. Alot of these individuals are on very limited income. Also making it easier to rent with evictions or convictions. Budgeting-Alot of these individuals either had no income coming in or lack the knowledge of budgeting. Employment services-a lot of people have issues finding work or they don't have transportation to get to work, or they have issues applying because they don't have a permanent address. Mental Health- Establishing more mental health services. N/A 4. We see alot of people that are not considered homeless because they are couch surfing. Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies, Individuals/fami lies with disabling conditions Individuals or Families that are chronically homeless and with disabiling conditions are the most vulnerable in our city. N/A More landlords accepting the vouchers. Wrap-around case management services that includes budgeting, helping make appointments, referrals for mental health services, ride to job fairs, etc. Once they leave shelter, our case management services end here at STEHP and I really wish we had more agencies that could help with wrap-around. I work at a NCS so I could go on for days about what it looks like. We have meals catered in and they are placed in single use containers and are able to be microwaved in the residents room. They are allowed a limited number of personal items to prevent hoarding and "getting too comfortable", they abide by a curfew and lots of rules, just as any shelter. Weekly room searches and inspections for contraband and cleanliness are completed. There is no congregating in an interior area such as the lobby or hallways but they are able to congregate outside. Those with fixed incomes (example: someone receiving SSI who only makes 841 a month but is supposed to pay all of their bills, rent, etc with 841 a month in this economy) The wait lists are too long for the income- based properties Individuals/fami lies with disabling conditions, Families with children It was extremely hard to narrow it down to only two, but those who are most vulnerable in our society come to the top of the list, which includes children and disabled individuals. People over 65 also are included in that list. Not at this time HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 72 it should go automatically by income, so people have money to pay other things such as utilities and food wrap around services, light case management, supportive care, financial budgeting, like NCS No Veterans, Homeless I work with them every day and see the need mental health supportive homes based on income and have on site supportive services is what i believe is moslty needed On going case management is very important!! Skills on how to be a good tenant and access resources. Many of the clients I house don't have the skills to keep the unit clean, maintain communication with the landlord which causes them to loose the unit. When a client is housed thru general assistance they have no access to services and they often end up back on the streets. Individuals/fami lies with disabling conditions, Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies These two populations are the hardest to house and keep housed. Checks given to landlords that cover X amount of months of rent Wrap around services for after people are housed. Many time people still don't know how to navigate their assistance, benefits, or resources. People or color and the LGBTQ are underserved Homeless, Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies They are the biggest threat of hunger, lack of medical needs, resources, and shelter One time assistance to help stabilize aftercare provided after RRH programs and exit from shelter to housing Funding to rehabilitate old hotels is one that has worked all over the country. Single rooms with a bathroom in each, using private funds to operate to provide services and intensive case management. DV is over represented and single older folks experincing homelessnes s and folks with animals are underserved . TRANS folks are not represented at all People 65+, Trans/ folks with animals they are under served Non congregate provides a place for people to rest, a place for them to heal and provides safety that they do not receive in congregate shelters No Rental assistance and case management services. More street outreach. No. No Families with children, At Risk of Homelessness Have seen alot of parents with children at risk of becoming homeless. No HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 73 More Mental Health Services and support for individuals who have mental illness Provide more non congregate hotels throughout the city. Individuals/fami lies with disabling conditions, severe MH disorders Need based funding as primary Mental health counseling and financial acumen training Existing NCS could use help Homeless are underserved Homeless, Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies Just based on observation Noncongregate shelters provided stability, safety, security and a chance to feel as if a space is their own. Underserved - LGBTQ and those with animals Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies, Mental health Case management while housed through this assistance program. Maybe prioritizing by need, such as families, chronic homeless, disabling condition, domestic violence, etc. It would be amazing to be able to have case management to refer homeless clients to after housed since street outreach can no longer work with them and many of our street homeless folks just need some extra support and a warm handoff. Possibly another NCS facility run like the one Together has to provide more room for more people to be reached. At risk of homelessnes s At Risk of Homelessness, Families with children Families with children should be a priority always because kids need to be advocated for and in a safe, stable environment. I put at risk of homelessness next because I feel like there is a gap in services for those folks and they are often left waiting to become homeless to receive services. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 74 Have discussion with landlords, property owners, and realty companies about it. If there aren't enough people willing to accept them, vouchers are useless. There might need to be an incentive for them to be willing to accept them. Wrap around service and aftercare are crucial for most of the population I serve and there aren't many resources for it. From my experience, a portion of the people I have housed struggle when the program ends or assistance runs out. Not everyone is ready in a specific time period. They don't necessarily need as intensive case management, but having someone to check in with them, or someone they can call with question or needs would be huge. I currently work in Omaha's only NCS. We are doing an outstanding job of housing people while giving them a safe and healthy place to live. We have case managers officed in the building providing housing focused intensive case management 5 days a week, security 24 hours a day, and guest services 24 hours a day. All of this while operating in a building that had been neglected for years and needed alot of work. If the next NCS were to be a building that was ready to go from day one, more people would be helped more efficiently. People that have pets, LGBTQIA+, and people that are recently homeless are underserved for sure. The way the COC prioritizes for Rapid Re- Housing doesn't match the intent of that model. It's understanda ble why that is how we prioritize, but it can mean that someone who has only been homeless for a short period of time won't get pulled for |RRH until they have been on the streets or in shelter for along time. Once you are in a shelter it's hard to get out. I see that most people that get pulled for housing out of shelter aren't pulled because shelter staff did an assessment and referred At Risk of Homelessness, Families with children I think often, those populations might be able to stabilize faster with limited financial assistance. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 75 them to Coordinated Entry. Outside agencies are often the ones doing that. Not full rent support everyone should have a little buy in. More resources for food utilities and rental assistance. Give us the money for more non congregate shelters in our community for different groups of folks and we wills show you the results. No Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies, People 65+ They are the most underserved. Give people a chance to be helped and have compassion towards their situation. Case management needs to be more intense. Dry shelter and needs to have more situations for families. Elderly. Not everyone is given same chances Families with children, Homeless Families not given same opportunities and chronic homeless we find is harder to keep in contact. No Surrounding houses After care with them The hotels work real well 3 Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies, Families with children I talk to alit of people and there struggling out here HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 76 More accessible housing subsidies are necessary. The vast majority of housing options are either at market or well above market value. Budgeting and money management is desperately needed. Wrap around services for people utilizing assistance is also. Places specifically for families Elderly, fixed to low income, single parent families, African American/Hi spanic/Nativ e American communities are all underserved . At Risk of Homelessness, Families with children These are the groups I see and work with the most, especially families with children. As though being at risk of homelessness wasn't bad enough, now they have to figure out how to stay away from CPS due to the inability to find alternate housing and shelters are at their capacity. Income-based assistance is ideal. If someone is unable to pay their portion for whatever reason, there should be an option for assistance in case of emergency. Make budgeting classes more well-known, offer employment services if a client ends up losing their job while being checked on, and have ongoing case- management more available in general since it is hard to refer someone to one of the few organizations that have it. Private rooms and bathrooms, free laundry room, fridges and microwaves in the rooms and maybe other cooking materials (or a communal kitchen) LGBTQ+ population is underserved , as well as those struggling with mental health Families with children, Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies Families that are on the verge of homelessness don't want to go to shelters because they'd likely be separated and, depending on the shelter, it isn't the safest environment. That's why I think families should be considered. Not sure. I do know that if it's like Section 8 or Rapid Rehousing, it will be very difficult to find landlords to accept it. The City would need to factor this in and actively recruit landlords. Or, as in other cities, outlaw discrimination against the source of the tenant's rent payment. Budgeting, referrals to medical care and behavioral health care, assistance with applications for benefits (SSI/Medicaid/SNAP), basic cooking/cleaning skills as needed, making sure the tenant understands their lease and how to deal appropriately with landlord and neighbors. Rehabbing/upda ting old hotels can work well. Together's STEHP would serve as a great model. No Families with children, Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies Chronically homeless folks are at risk of dying on the street. Children should not be homeless. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 77 I'm honestly not sure of all the programs or what is available, as I am new to this field. However, I meet with people every day that tell me they lost their housing and just plain couldn't make ends meet. I've sat in meetings where there is a lot of talk about folks needing wrap around services, further assistance with every day things. From the limited time working here and through my own lived experience, there needs to be better drug rehab avail to people, not just a 30 day treatment but long term treatment. People aren't fully detoxed and their sent out expected not to relapse when they're sent into the same environment they came from. You don't have to look much further than out your back door to find an addict, no matter where you live these days. People are dying on waitlists to get into treatment. This wold be amazing. It would get so many people off the streets, I was shocked to find out how many people are scared to go to shelters due to past experiences, women and trans especially. It's mind- blowing the conditions they'll endure before going to a shelter where they have a roof over their head, out of the elements and a meal; that says a lot.... People 65+, Families with children The. number of people entering homelessness age 65 and older is growing and children always come first. These are the two most vulnerable groups imo. I could go on for hours/days/ months/years about the dire need in addressing the opioid/meth/fent epidemic. Homeless, Chronically Homeless individuals/fami lies Homeless, Individuals/Fami lies fleeing domestic violence/traffick ing HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 78 High quality supportive services are very much lacking within Omaha's shelters and outreach team. Where there are small effective teams (there are!!), they are not big enough to have a large impact systemwide. They would greatly benefit from being able to lean on a robust supportive service team that is housing-focused and trauma informed. ReImagine Omaha's Strategy #3 (Housing Peer Navigation) speaks to this need more deeply. In short, a Housing Navigation Peer Team is critical, in partnership with shelters, outreach teams and MHC, to offer much needed housing- focused support to unhoused people. This should be led by people with lived experience of homelessness, as shelter participants are asking for (people who have "been there"). Recent focus groups involving three shelters and a youth drop in center made clear the urgent need for stronger supportive services within emergency shelters, outreach teams and drop in centers. A focus group participant said the following: “It’s almost like if you get the right person, you get what you’re looking for or more help. I am grateful for Stephen Center and I’m safe here, but I was trying to do it all on my own. Sometimes you can’t do it all on your own but you feel like a bother. Hunt and fish and peck and try to find the right person.” A robust peer support staff team should go into emergency shelters and join outreach teams on the streets. This team would responsive to focus group participant input and include people with lived experience of homelessness as peers. These individuals should be well trained and supported, well paid to care for themselves and their personal needs, and held accountable to high service delivery standards that result in people exiting sheltered and unsheltered homelessness into safe housing in the community. The team would identify people who can exit unhoused situations with support, engage in the housing search process, utilize MHC resources (i.e.,available units in the community, landlord incentives) and housing problem solving flexible financial assistance when needed. The goal would be to connect people to move in support as they sign their new lease, and offer an ongoing service if the person wants and needs anything during this transition period from being unhoused. A peer housing team should be available to people at all hours of the day. It should look like the incredible local models that Front Porch Investments has supported, and Together Inc. has provided services for. That model is based on national best practices and is proven effective in re-housing people, supporting them where they are at, building strong relationships, and being trauma informed. Homeless as defined in 24 CFR 91.5; Fleeing, or Attempting to Flee, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, or Human Trafficking (referred to herein as domestic violence/sexu al assault/traffic king). --while at-risk folx are also over represented and overserved, the above groups are where I recommend focusing this assistance. Homeless, Individuals/ Families fleeing domestic violence/tra fficking People experiencing homelessness are increasing within the Omaha metro area and the housing market is less affordable than ever, which points to further increases in homelessness if the community doesn't respond immediately. Prioritizing those two (homeless; people fleeing DV) would result in many of the other groups also being prioritized (example: there is a rising # of people 65+ experiencing homelessness; Omaha has a high % of people who qualify as chronically homeless) It's important to be really intentional about who ultimately delivers these services. Please consider elevating organizations with culturally tailored services and approaches, who hire and support people with lived experience of housing instability. This is who participants in shelter and outreach programs are asking for, because they "get it" and they are able to build relationship and trust with people currently experiencing a housing crisis. Please also elevate organizations that pay people at/above a living wage, so staff members can care for themselves well and therefore show up well for others. HOME-ARP Allocation Plan 79 Appendix E - Public Comments Submitted Nicole D Engels (Planning) <nicole.engels@cityofomaha.org> Feb 9 mtg comments 1 message Bev H <bevhornig24@gmail.com>Tue, Feb 14, 2023 at 12:31 PM To: hcdcomments@cityofomaha.org Thanks for the opportunity to participate in the meeting with a virtual option. Here are my comments: 1. Someone at the virtual meeting asked about the possibility of providing housing for just one area of need. It sounded like that was not possible-the housing has to open to all or none. I was wondering if, with a lot of collaboration, could one group form that had representatives from several Omaha non-profits that serve various populations, where their input could provide housing pertinent to each of their needs? For example, I can see where victims of Domestic Violence & those with children would need and benefit from a separate, secure entrance from mentally ill homeless persons. If a "village" type layout could be built with different townhome/apartment style units each separated by a fenced-in garden, playground, secure entrances might accommodate one category of need in each building/group of buildings. Adding a central resource office where residents could get help with finding the help they need for various aspects of their life--someone trained and informed of city, county, public, private organizations they can turn to for help (utilities, education, jobs, loans, financial, taxes, transportation, healthcare, mental health, childcare, etc) would be a huge bonus to such a project. It would also provide on-site supervision which could prevent violence or vandalism (AND video surveillance would be essential!). 2. I listened to a podcast on NPR a few days ago about this business/organization in the Twin Cities area. They work with local skilled workers to build quality housing to address the affordable, sustainable housing needs there. Please take some time to check out their website: https://www.norhart.com/about/ 3. Also, I've been encouraging people looking into this option for a few years now. Container housing-Fair Deal business in Omaha: https://www.wowt.com/content/news/Marketplace- built-from-shipping-containers-opening-403363306.html. An older article about Ben Gray looking into containers as housing options: https://www.wowt.com/content/news/Councilman- looks-into-shipping-container-homes-as-affordable-housing-option-566819181.html Washington Post article about container housing in Phoenix: https://www.washingtonpost. com/opinions/2023/02/13/shipping-container-homes-homelessness-solution/ I've been on the Omaha Refugee Task Force Housing Committee for years and decent, affordable housing has been our foremost priority. I'm a retired ESL teacher who saw first hand the terrible conditions of apartments my students lived in-by Benson HS (run by Landmark) and the 34th & Lake fiasco. I laud all of you involved in trying to address this long-time issue. Good luck with all your endeavors and I hope many people with a passion for doing this RIGHT will step up and collaborate on the best solutions that serve our community. This is a unique opportunity to utilize these ARP funds for the long-term benefit of everyone in our community--knowing we're doing our best to help the vulnerable. Thank you! Bev Hornig -- "Be the change you want to see." -Mahatma Gandhi Nicole D Engels (Planning) <nicole.engels@cityofomaha.org> Outreach "Lovefest" Pete Miller <pmiller@togetheromaha.org>Thu, Feb 16, 2023 at 10:06 AM To: "Nicole D Engels (Planning)" <Nicole.Engels@cityofomaha.org> Hi Nicole, This plan seems great! I think there is definitely a need for a non-congregate shelter specifically for vicms of DV and trafficking. There is also a real need for affordable housing for people transioning from RRH and PSH. In the RRH program I work in, we don't have any parcipants housed in properes where they can connue to afford to live once our program subsidy is done. We are reliant on people geng an ongoing subsidy, which is extremely difficult. Also, having worked in PSH programs, I know that people who receive intensive case management services can, in some cases, aer several years, graduate from needing PSH. Right now, however, there are very few opons for them to transion into affordable, independent housing. Having HCV set- asides for graduang RRH and PSH parcipants would prevent recidivism and create openings for people in need. Thank you, Pete From: Nicole D Engels (Planning) <Nicole.Engels@cityofomaha.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 11:19 AM To: aedwards@heartlandfamilyservice.org <aedwards@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; aferguson@commall.org <aferguson@commall.org>; akellogg@commall.org <akellogg@commall.org>; albeedoc@gmail.com <albeedoc@gmail.com>; amohr@heartlandfamilyservice.org <amohr@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; awieseler@healomaha.org <awieseler@healomaha.org>; dackerman@commall.org <dackerman@commall.org>; eryan@heartlandfamilyservice.org <eryan@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; jboos@sienafrancis.org <jboos@sienafrancis.org>; jmcfarlandconsulting@outlook.com <jmcfarlandconsulting@outlook.com>; jsnyder31@hotmail.com <jsnyder31@hotmail.com>; jwiese@yesomaha.org <jwiese@yesomaha.org>; Kirsten Fleury <kfleury@togetheromaha.org>; klimbach@ heartlandfamilyservice.org <klimbach@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; Katy Schelker <kschelker@togetheromaha.org>; kurt.mcgee@douglascounty-ne.gov <kurt.mcgee@douglascounty-ne.gov>; lcoleman@heartlandfamilyservice.org <lcoleman@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; lvukov@endhomelessnesstoday.org <lvukov@endhomelessnesstoday.org>; lwinston@commall.org <lwinston@commall.org>; maustin@heartlandfamilyservice.org <maustin@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; mbayliff@ heartlandfamilyservice.org <mbayliff@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; Mikayla Kitrell <mkitrell@togetheromaha.org>; mrose@sienafrancis.org <mrose@sienafrancis.org>; mvirmond@heartlandfamilyservice.org <mvirmond@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; mzamora@commall.org <mzamora@commall.org>; nicole.engels@cityofomaha.org <nicole.engels@cityofomaha.org>; njfbundy@yahoo.com <njfbundy@yahoo.com>; nsakas@heartlandfamilyservice.org <nsakas@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; nshannon@ heartlandfamilyservice.org <nshannon@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; nstogdill@ heartlandfamilyservice.org <nstogdill@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; nursemelissasavestheworld@outlook.com <nursemelissasavestheworld@outlook.com>; nvenutro@commall.org <nvenutro@commall.org>; okahler@heartlandfamilyservice.org <okahler@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; operez@heartlandfamilyservice.org <operez@ heartlandfamilyservice.org>; Pete Miller <pmiller@togetheromaha.org>; psmith@yesomaha.org <psmith@yesomaha.org>; sarah_c_hughes@uhc.com <sarah_c_hughes@uhc.com>; smiller@newvisionshs.org <smiller@newvisionshs.org>; swilson@heartlandfamilyservice.org <swilson@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; tfuston@commall.org <tfuston@commall.org>; thelm@heartlandfamilyservice.org <thelm@heartlandfamilyservice.org>; tjoseph@heartlandfamilyservice.org <tjoseph@ heartlandfamilyservice.org>; Tina Murray <tmurray@togetheromaha.org>; tommyyd@nap.org <tommyyd@nap.org>; tyandell@vnatoday.org <tyandell@vnatoday.org>; wpecoraro@healomaha.org <wpecoraro@healomaha.org> Subject: Outreach "Lovefest" [Quoted text hidden] Nicole D Engels (Planning) <nicole.engels@cityofomaha.org> HOME-ARP Comment 1 message Brandy Wallar <bwallar@newvisionshs.org>Thu, Mar 2, 2023 at 12:40 PM To: hcdcomments@cityofomaha.org, "Nicole D. Engels (Plng)" <nicole.engels@cityofomaha.org> On behalf of New Visions Homeless Services, we would like to express the need for additional Permanent Supportive Housing for Veterans experiencing homelessness. Operating the state's largest transitional housing and non-congregate shelter programs for veterans, it is becoming increasingly harder to locate landlords that will work with veterans that have several barriers, such as criminal history, poor credit, physical/mental health/substance abuse diagnoses, or have an eviction on their record. Many other communities of our size have been able to achieve Functional Zero pertaining to veterans' homelessness, reflecting a milest one, which must be sus tained, that ind i cates a community that has mea surably solv ed homelessness fo r a p opulation . When i t’s ach i eve d, homel essness is rare and brie f for that popu latio n. With an a ging v eteran population that has i ncreas i ngly mor e barriers i n fr ont of them it is important to have more p ermane nt supportive housing to keep them safe l y hou sed. Thank you for the opp ortunity to submi t these comments . Brandy Wallar President and CEO New Visions Homeless Services Email: bwallar@newvisionshs.org Phone: 712-322-7570 Website: www.newvisionshs.org "Providing help, hope, and opportunities to our neighbors experiencing hunger and homelessness in the Council Bluffs/Omaha community."