Supportive Housing Program Desk Guide Introduction

Information by State  Print version   Shp Deskguide Contents   Introduction   Detailed Table of Contents   A. Program Goals   B. Eligible Participants   C. Program Components   D. Eligible Activities and Match   E. Reserved   F. Important Dates   G. Conditional Approval and Program Cycle   H. Site Control Requirements   I. Grantee Responsibilities   J. Reserved for Project Financing   K. Calculating Resident Rents   L. Reserved   M. Reserved for Financial Management   N. Annual Progress Reports   O. Reserved for Compliance Monitoring   P. Technical Assistance   Q. Project Renewals   R. Grant Amendments   S. Grant Extensions   T - X Reserved   Y. Spending and Recaptures   Z. Reserved for Closeouts

What is the Supportive Housing Program?

The Supportive Housing Program (SHP) is a federal grant program authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. It is designed, as part of the Continuum of Care strategy, to promote the development of housing and supportive services to assist homeless persons in the transition from streets and shelters to permanent housing and maximum self-sufficiency.

The grants go to nonprofit organizations, local and State governments, and other governmental entities. They, in turn, give assistance using SHP funds to help homeless persons meet three overall goals: achieve residential stability, increase their skills and/or incomes, and obtain greater self-determination.

This federal grant assistance program is administered by HUD's Special Needs Assistance Programs Office. Grants under SHP are awarded through a national competition held annually. To learn how you can enter the national competition, please call your local HUD office.

SHP and the Continuum of Care

The Continuum of Care approach helps communities plan for and provide a full range of emergency, transition, and permanent housing and service resources to address the various needs of homeless persons. HUD believes the best approach for alleviating homelessness is through a community-based process that provides a comprehensive response to the different needs of homeless persons. The fundamental components of a Continuum of Care system are:

	Outreach and assessment to identify a homeless person's needs
	Immediate (emergency) shelter as a safe, decent alternative to the streets
	Transitional housing with appropriate supportive services to help people reach independent living
	Permanent housing or permanent supportive housing

SHP can provide funding for many of these components. It can provide partial support for outreach and assessment, transitional housing, permanent housing for persons with disabilities, safe havens, and supportive services to homeless persons in non-housing settings.

Why do you need this guide?

This guide describes the SHP grant process from grant award onward. It will take you through the life cycle of a grant, incorporating everything from very basic information to the intricacies of grant administration. The guide is not a substitute for the SHP regulations. However, it is a practical guide to issues that arise during project implementation.

Guide Sections

The guide really does take you from A to Z. Several sections throughout the guide have been reserved at this time so that information can be added or updated in the future

It begins in sections A, B, C and D with the basics -- goals, eligible participants, types of projects allowed, and eligible spending categories.

Following that, sections F through K deal with grant administration issues. Covered in these sections are: important dates, documents needed for the second phase technical submission, site control requirements, grantee responsibilities, project financing (reserved), charging participants rent and fees.

Section M describes the financial management aspects of the program, including Federal cost principles and administrative requirements, procurement, disbursement of funds, and audits.

Sections N through S explain a variety of other areas of implementation, including annual progress reporting, compliance monitoring (reserved) technical assistance, renewing projects and what to do if a renewal grant is not awarded. These sections also cover grant amendments and grant extensions.

Finally, Sections Y and Z cover the topics of spending and recapture of funds, and closeout procedures.

While the guide goes from A to Z, you may still need to talk with someone about SHP or your project. In those cases, contact your local HUD office. You may do this via e-mail, phone, or fax.

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