Housing and Self-Sufficiency Support Services for Low-Income and Homeless Families I. TOPIC Courtyard Apartments II. LOCATION Northwest Montana III. SUBJECT Housing and Self-Sufficiency Support Services for Low-Income and Homeless Families IV. SUMMARY Northwest Montana Human Resources (NMHR), a Community Action Agency serving four counties in northwestern Montana, is working with the city of Kalispell, Montana, to build 32 new rental units for low-income and homeless families. NMHR and the city have received support and financing from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) HOME Program, HUD's Supportive Housing Program, the Montana Department of Commerce, the Montana Board of Housing, and Glacier Bank in Kalispell. The city is using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and program income from HUD's Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) program to supplement the direct funding sources. Providing self-sufficiency support services is a vital component to this program. These services include comprehensive case management and activities designed to facilitate the move to self-sufficiency. A case manager helps residents gain access to employment and training services, public assistance programs, various counseling services, and other services that the resident and case manager identify as necessary to achieving self-sufficiency. Twenty-four units are currently occupied; eight more units are being constructed during the summer of 1995. V. SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE Developed a partnership between a city and a Community Action Agency to build 16 permanent housing units and 16 transitional housing units for low-income and homeless families and to provide comprehensive case management services to help the families achieve self-sufficiency. VI. CONTACT Douglas Rauthe, Executive Director Machel Poier, Project Director Northwest Montana Human Resources, Inc. (A Community Action Agency) P.O. Box 8300 214 Main Street Kalispell, Montana 59904-1300 406-752-6565 406-752-6582 (FAX) VII. CASE STUDY The Problem: Northwest Montana Human Resources (NMHR), a Community Action Agency serving four counties in northwestern Montana, administers the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 8 housing program locally. In 1993, while reviewing its Section 8 case load, NMHR saw that the waiting list grew continually and that finding clean, safe, and affordable placements was getting more and more difficult. At the same time, the city of Kalispell, Montana, identified a need for additional permanent low-income housing, and NMHR identified a need for transitional housing for homeless families and individuals. The local homeless shelter provides emergency shelter for up to one month, but affordable transitional housing opportunities upon leaving the shelter are scarce. The Approach Adopted: NMHR and the city of Kalispell agreed to build 32 new housing units for homeless and low-income individuals and families. The city owns 16 units, which are for permanent housing, and NMHR owns 16 units, which provide transitional housing to the homeless. How They Implemented The Approach: In the spring of 1993, the city and NMHR entered into a formal agreement to pursue the housing initiative. The city owned a piece of land on which the partners would build two eight-unit, one 10-unit, and one six-unit buildings with a courtyard in the middle. NMHR purchased half the land, will own 16 units when construction is completed, and will manage all 32 units. Beginning in January 1994, the partners applied to various potential funding sources and raised $1,628,500. The HUD HOME Program gave the city and NMHR $300,000 each, HUD's Supportive Housing Program gave NMHR $280,000, the city used a portion of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for infrastructure improvements on the land, the Montana Department of Commerce supplied $45,000 for construction expenses, the Montana Board of Housing is providing long-term financing to the city, Kalispell's Glacier Bank is providing long-term financing to NMHR, and the city used income from its Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) program to cover some expenses. Providing case management and self-sufficiency support services is a vital component to this housing program. NMHR uses Emergency Shelter Grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Community Services and HUD to partially fund its case management services. Additional case management support comes from the HUD Supportive Housing Program funds. Services include comprehensive case management and activities designed to facilitate the move to self-sufficiency. A case manager helps residents gain access to employment and training services, public assistance benefits, chemical dependency counseling services, life skills training, financial counseling, long-term affordable housing, and other services that the resident and case manager identify as necessary to achieving self-sufficiency. Results: Construction of the first three buildings (24 units) began in the spring of 1994, and they were ready for occupancy by December 1, 1994. The fourth building (eight units) is under construction and will be completed by the end of the summer of 1995. An associated benefit to the community has been the employment of more than 50 people in the construction of the apartments. The city rents its 16 units of permanent housing to low-income families and individuals at below-market rates ($275-$350 per month). NMHR uses a flexible scale to establish rents on its 16 units of transitional housing and tries to limit rent to no more than 30 percent of family income. The average rate is about $140 per month. VIII. KEY WORDS Case Management Community Action Agency Community Development Block Grant Department of Health and Human Services Department of Housing and Urban Development Emergency Shelter HOME Program Homeless Families Housing Low-Income Families Office of Community Services Partnerships Permanent Housing Section 8 Self-Sufficiency Support Services Supportive Housing Program Transitional Housing Urban Development Action Grant ref: nmhr.L4doc