Supportive Housing Program Desk Guide Section N: Annual Progress Report

This section will describe the Annual Progress Report (APR) and how it can be used as a tool for grantees, field offices, and headquarters to assess the progress of grantees in an operating year. Changes in the APR are the result of recent revisions in the APR format. The improved format is now available in HUDClips.

The purpose of the Annual Progress Report is to track program progress and accomplishments in HUD's competitive homeless assistance programs. The APR provides the grantee and HUD with information necessary to assess each grantee's performance.

Components of the APR

Basic Information - the APR collects general project information, including the dates of the operating year, the program type and component, and the goals of the project. For the Supportive Housing Program, the operating year is determined by when participants first receive housing or services in the project. This should coincide with the first draw of operating, leasing, or supportive services funds. Grantees should complete all questions, unless a written agreement has been reached with the HUD Field Office concerning which questions can be answered using estimates, or in rare instances, skipped.
Participant Entry Information - this section contains information, such as demographic and special needs information, about the participants in the project.
Participant Exit Information - this section contains information about the participant's income and the housing secured upon exit from the project.
Project Information - this section documents financial information, such as match and project expenditures.

History of the APR

The Supportive Housing Demonstration Program (SHDP) enacted by Congress in 1987, was the predecessor of the Supportive Housing Program. The SHDP program used the Grantee Annual Report (GAR) to document grantee progress. When the Supportive Housing Program was created in 1993, the APR became the reporting mechanism for grantee progress. Currently, all grantees should be using the APR to report their progress.

The regulatory authority to collect the information in the APR is contained in the program rule at 24 CFR 583.300(g), which states that "each recipient of assistance under this part must keep any records and make any reports (including those pertaining to race, ethnicity, gender, and disability status) that HUD may require within the time frame required."

In June, 2000, HUD introduced a revised APR. Grantees are encouraged to immediately begin using this improved version. While the new APR contains a substantially enhanced format, it continues to focus on program goals — assisting participants to obtain or remain in permanent housing, increase skills and income, and attain greater self-determination. Grantees will be able to shift quickly to the new format.

Cycle of the APR

When grantees are awarded funding by HUD, they should receive a copy of the APR at their start-up conference. The grantees are then aware of the information that they will be responsible for reporting on to HUD. After the end of the operating year, the grantee has 90 days to submit its APR to the HUD field office.

If the APR has not been submitted after 110 days, an "edit" in the LOCCS system will not allow the grantee to draw funds. The Field Offices remove the "edits" in the LOCCS system when the APR arrives and is approved.

The field office reviews the APR, seeking additional information or revisions as necessary from the grantee. This is a critical step in ensuring that project goals are being met and that correct information will be entered in a central database. The verification of the data can be done with the use of the original grant application and the technical submission document. When the APR is found acceptable, the APR is entered in the grantee file, where it can be referred to for monitoring purposes. A copy of the APR is sent to headquarters.

Headquarters enters the data into a data warehouse, and is able to use this information to respond to Congress and the general public, as well as to field office requests, regarding the implementation of the program.

Reporting on a partial-year in the APR

The APR is organized on an operating year basis. If a project receives an extension, then an APR is submitted for the operating year and another APR is submitted for the extension period.

Indicate on the cover page of the APR that the APR is for an extension period
Enter the beginning and ending dates of the extended period on the cover page and circle the number indicating the SAME operating year for which this is an extension
Report on the partial-year term in the APR itself

Annual Certification for Certain Projects

Grantees that received SHP funding for new construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation are required to operate their facilities for 20 years. They must submit an APR 90 days after the end of the first operating year and any year in which they use SHP funding for leasing, supportive services, or operations. For years in which they do not receive SHP funding, they must submit an Annual Certification of Continued Project Operation throughout the 20 years (contact local HUD Field Office).

Grantees that received Supportive Housing Program funding for new construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation are required to operate their facilities for 20 years.

I, __________________________________________, certify that the facility that received assistance for acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction from the Supportive Housing Program has operated as a facility to assist homeless persons from ______ (mo/yr) to ________(mo/yr). I also certify that the grant is still serving ____ number of persons at

and all the requirements of the grant agreement are being satisfied, including following the Supportive Housing Program regulations.