Rehousing Agency Materials

Rehousing Agencies are NC DHHS- and NCCEH-approved funded agencies that are responsible for administering housing navigation, housing financial assistance, and case management for the households in their catchment areas. Rehousing Agencies are tasked with moving eligible households into units as quickly as possible and providing ongoing financial and case management services for each household for up to six months.

Map for Rehousing Agency coverage areas 

Back@Home Program Standards and Guidebook (June 2019 Version)
This resource outlines key information about the program and current policies and procedures.

Continuation Policy

Rehousing agencies need approval to provide rental assistance to households for longer than 6 months. This policy defines the process for continuation requests and approval. Rehousing agencies must submit continuation requests via a form that is linked in the policy document.

Sample Housing Stability Plan 

Termination Form

Rehousing Agencies will be tracking data through both a by-name list via Smartsheet and within HMIS. The HMIS workflow will be introduced soon. 

Smartsheet By-Name List

The by-name list of all people who received Back@Home assessments is only available to approved staff from Rehousing Agencies and state Back@Home partners. If a Rehousing Agency or partner agency would like to access the by-name list, email Ehren Dohler to request access.

Everyone with access to the By-Name List should read the By-Name List Guide and Data Dictionary for help entering data accurately.

Rehousing Agencies are responsible for attempting to serve everyone on the by-name list who were assessed for Back@Home in their catchment area. Agency staff should use the by-name list to prioritize people for Back@Home housing assistance and housing navigation services and to track their progress in housing households on the list.

All Rehousing Agencies will update by-name list information for each household once a week by midnight on Friday.

Referrals for new clients will come through a smartsheet list populated by 211. Download this guide to using the 211 referral smartsheet.

Assessments

Rehousing Agencies will use the following paper forms to assess households. Once HMIS data entry begins, these assessments will be done within the HMIS system. 

Eligibility Screen

Rehousing Agencies will use this form to establish eligibility and collect documentation.

This chart shows 50% of AMI annually in each disaster county. This chart shows 50% AMI monthly in each disaster county.

If a household is found ineligible after they have started working with the rehousing agency but before financial assistance has been expended, the rehousing agency should provide notice of their ineligibility using the Notice of Ineligibility Form.

Disaster Re-housing HMIS Entry Assessments

Starting in Feburary 2019, Re-housing Agencies should use these assessments for HMIS data collection and entry.

Head of Household Entry

Other Adult Household Member Entry

Child Household Member Entry

Listen to the recording of the training on HMIS forms and reports.

Interim Assessment

This form has been updated as of February 22, 2019.
This form should be completed when the household moves into the unit that Back@Home is assisting them with. This form will be completed for the Head of Household, however changes to other household member information will be recorded in the status update section of the form if changes have occurred. This form can be completed for other updates as needed as well. This will be the HMIS interim assessment for the Back@Home projects. Be sure to include all household members on the interim update in HMIS, but the housing information is only required for the Head of Household. Check out this guide for step-by-step instructions. 

Exit Assessment

This form has been updated as of February 22, 2019.

This form should be completed when you stop working with or providing all Back@Home services to the household. This information should be collected for each client. This will be the HMIS exit assessment for the Back@Home projects.

Disaster Shelter Assessment

As of February 2019, Rehousing Agencies should not use the Disaster SHelter and Supplemental Assessment forms for HMIS entry. They should use the DRH HMIS Entry Forms, linked above.

Supplement Assessment

As of February 2019, Rehousing Agencies should not use the Disaster SHelter and Supplemental Assessment forms for HMIS entry. They should use the DRH HMIS Entry Forms, linked above.

This form was made to accompany the DRH assessment mentioned above to create a comprehensive entry packet for Back@Home clients who stayed in the disaster shelters.

Check out this guide for step-by-step instructions. 

Rehousing Agencies will have a number of Unit Supports provided to them through Back@Home. 

Unit Database

A Back@Home Unit Database will be maintained by Socialserve for Rehousing Agencies. In order to identify units for households quickly, Socialserve will be recruiting landlords and maintaining a private database of units for Rehousing Agencies. Rehousing Agencies can also list units that they locate on this database if they choose. 

As units are identified through Socialserve and determined that they meet unit requirements, they will be entered into the Socialserve Back@Home Unit Database that is accessible to all Rehousing Agencies and closed to the general public. Rehousing Agency staff will be provided a log in for the Socialserve database.

For support in obtaining a login for Rehousing Agency staff or technical assistance accessing the database, email Socialserve.

Rehousing Agency staff can use the Socialserve Back@Home Unit Database to locate units for households and reserve units while applications are submitted. Once households identify a unit they want:

1. Rehousing Agency staff can reserve that unit by emailing the unit address and request to reserve. 
2. If the household rents the unit, the Rehousing Agency staff will email Socialserve to remove the listing.
3. If the household does not rent the unit, Rehousing Agency staff will email Socialserve to release the reservation on the unit.

Unit Requirements and Support Services

Locating available units is a vital part of housing navigator services. All units that will be used for the Back@Home program must have:

1. Passed HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection
2. Fair Market Rent (FMR)* and Rent Reasonableness check
3. Debarment check

*For shared housing units, the Back@Home Shared Housing Policy determines the allowable FMR.

Support in Meeting Unit Requirements

If Rehousing Agencies can locate a unit and can quickly get a no-cost HQS inspection done, check for FMR and rent reasonableness and debarment on their own, then they are encouraged to do so in order to speed up move-in. Rehousing Agencies should retain the documentation of these efforts including inspection reports, FMR check, rent reasonableness paperwork, and debarment records.

If Rehousing Agencies locate a unit, but need help in completing the HQS inspection, FMR/Rent Reasonableness and debarment checks, they can submit a request to the NC Housing Finance Agency (NC HFA) via the Back@Home Portal for these services through one of two processes:

• Option A: If the unit is unoccupied and the utilities are on, the Rehousing Agency can submit a request for an inspection, FMR/Rent Reasonableness, and Debarment check. NC HFA will complete the requested services and either notify the Rehousing Agency that they are done or list them on the Back@Home Unit Database as noted on the form. 
  
  
• Option B: For units where utilities are not on prior to lease or in situations where the family needs to be moved rapidly into a unit, Rehousing Agencies can submit requests for inspections after the units are occupied. Once the unit is identified, the Rehousing Agency will submit a request for the FMR/Rent Reasonableness and Debarment check. If the unit passes, the Rehousing Agency can move the household in, turn on utilities, and then submit a request for an inspection. 

This document provides step-by-step instructions for both options. 

Landlord Recruitment

Rehousing agencies should ask every landlord to review and sign a housing assistance payment (HAP) agreement prior to lease-signing. The HAP should set expectations for the assistance Back@Home will provide and the expectations Back@Home has of the landlord. 

Rehousing agencies must use this agreement, unless they have an internal HAP agreement that has been approved by Back@Home. 

Each unit will receive an essential move in kit from a Rehousing Agency that includes a mattress, bed linens, towels, and pillows at move in.

Rehousing Agencies may directly order furniture and other move-in essentials for households. The Back@Home move-in assistance policy is available here. Only expenses that adhere to this policy will be reimburseable to rehousing agencies.

The policy for NCCEH to order move-in kits is below, but as of January 18, 2019, this process is not available to rehousing agencies.

Each household should complete a move-in kit form and adult or child bedroom form for each bedroom.

Households must need additional services or assistance from Back@Home besides a move-in kit to be eligible to receive a move-in kit. Households also must have attempted to get personal property assistance from FEMA and Red Cross before accessing Back@Home move-in kits.

If a household does not want or need items, they should not select a choice in that category.

To order a move-in kit, rehousing agencies should complete the following forms:

• Back@Home Move-In Essentials Order Form: Complete this form to order Move-In Essentials kits for your Rehousing Agency
• Back@Home Move-In Kit Order Form: Complete one Move-In Kit Form for each household
• Back@Home Adult Bedroom Kit Order Form: Complete one Adult Bedroom Kit Order Form for each adult bedroom
• Back@Home Child Bedroom Kit Order Form: Complete one Child Bedroom Kit Order Form for each child bedroom
• *Teenage children may receive an adult bedroom kit if needed.

This document provides step-by-step instructions on how to order move-in kits. Submit all forms via the smartsheet Furniture Order Form on the Back@Home Portal. Back@Home is working on a new process to fulfill other household needs. 

Back@Home is a disaster response housing program. The NC Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) is the paying agent on behalf of NC DHHS to reimburse re-housing agencies for housing navigation services, case management and financial assistance expenses for Back@Home. Rehousing Agencies will be reimbursed for assistance provided to households and staff costs through NCHFA’s reimbursement process.

List of current eligible expenses 
This guide was compiled to give initial guidance while the full process for reimbursements is developed. 

Rehousing agencies may use HMIS service transactions to track reimburseable costs. They may also use this services tracker.

To receive reimbursement and to track data quality and program outcomes, rehousing agencies can run this report in HMIS. 

Red Cross Rapid Impact Grants

Download the guidelines for eligible activities under the Red Cross Rapid Impact Grant. 

As Back@Home partners learn of resources available to help Rehousing Agencies and their households, these resources will be listed here. 

• Transportation- The Department of Transportation is offering transportation services via vans and buses. This flier outlines services available and who to call per county.
  
  
• School Services for Moving Families- Homeless school liaisons have a number of resources to assist families who are moving out of their home counties after the disaster. Follow this link for school liaison contact information. 

• Supports for Aging Adults- Each county has services available for aging adults to help them live in the community. Follow this link to see what services are offered in each of the disaster counties.