Programs

State Homeless Emergency Grants Program (SHEG)

• Assists households who are unsheltered homeless, sheltered homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless and have income at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
• Assists homeless households with housing, medical, and other types of expenses arising from emergency needs, including rental deposit, rent, utility deposits, and utility costs.
• Requires households to demonstrate a financial emergency directly tied to eviction risk or as a direct barrier to moving into permanent housing.
• Assists with housing costs to prevent imminent eviction, including reasonable back rent and utility arrears, to maintain or secure a lease.
• Facilitates access to emergency medical care, medications, and medical-related supplies, with supporting documentation.
• Supports transportation, job-hunting, and public assistance-related expenses that help participants to gain employment or increase income to afford housing.

Housing Placement Program (HPP)

• Assists eligible Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) families who are homeless or at imminent risk, with incomes below 250% of the 2018 federal poverty level.
• Conducts participant assessments and coordinates with landlords to assist families in transitioning into rental housing.
• Provides support to help families exit homelessness quickly, return to stable housing in the community, and prevent future homelessness.
• Conducts outreach to prospective landlords willing to rent to households with Welfare to Work or Section 8 vouchers.
• Provides case management service or serve as the liaison between tenant and landlord to maintain healthy housing relationships.
• Provides one to three payments of any combination of security deposit, first month’s rent, utilities deposit or past due utilities, if necessary.
• Assists households with increasing their income to sustain permanent housing.

Homeless Outreach Program

• Provides outreach services to unsheltered homeless individuals and families, connecting them with emergency shelter, permanent housing, or critical services designed to help homeless individuals and families.
• Assists individuals and families access permanent housing as rapidly as possible by assisting with quickly locating and accessing housing options and connecting them to services and supports that will support housing stability.
• Provides urgent, non-facility-based care, including civil legal services, to help secure permanent housing.
• Assists individuals and families to connect to services to meet their basic needs and access services offered by the homeless system.
• Assist individuals and families to develop housing plans, obtain needed documents for housing application processes, and obtain income through public benefit and employment.

Homeless Shelter Program

• Provides emergency (E) or transitional (T) shelter to help increase health, housing, and social stability, aiming for long-term self-sufficiency and permanent housing.
• Provides immediate, safe, and low-barrier shelter for individuals or families with no viable housing alternatives.
• Assists with rapid access to permanent housing by removing barriers and expediting housing placement processes.
• Assists with accessing income and benefits, and community services to promote housing stability and prevent evictions or returns to homelessness.
• Assists individuals and families to develop housing plans, obtain needed documents for housing application process, and obtain income through public benefit and employment.
• Identifies and locates suitable housing options and provide support through housing location and application processes.
• Provides tenancy skills and help participants understand lease obligations. Provide shelter expectations that do not go beyond common lease.
• Provides 24-hours 7 days per week access to the shelter facilities.
• Allows re-entry into the program for those who have accessed services before.
• Prohibits banning participants from services without prior authorization from funder.

Rapid Re-Housing Program (RRH)

• Assists households experiencing unsheltered or sheltered homelessness with incomes at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
• Assists unsheltered homeless, sheltered homeless, and individuals and families at imminent risk of becoming homeless individuals and families to access permanent housing as rapidly as possible.
• Assists with locating and accessing housing options.
• Provides move-in and rental assistance.
• Provides case management and post-housing services to promote long-term housing stability.
• Prevents evictions and reduces the risk of returning to homelessness.

Homelessness Prevention Program (HP)

• Assists households who are imminently at-risk of homelessness within 14 days and have income at or below 50% of the AMI.
• Prevents homelessness by addressing imminent housing crisis through stabilization services and short-term financial assistance.
• Assists with referrals, resources, and information to help households retain or obtain permanent housing.
• Provides financial assistance for rent, security deposits, utility payments, and arrears with strict limits.

Housing First Program (HF)

• Assists households who are imminently at-risk of homelessness within 14 days and have income at or below 50% of the AMI.
• Prevents homelessness by addressing imminent housing crisis through stabilization services and short-term financial assistance.
• Assists with referrals, resources, and information to help households retain or obtain permanent housing.
• Provides financial assistance for rent, security deposits, utility payments, and arrears with strict limits.

Family Assessment Center (FAC)

• Assists unsheltered homeless families transition to permanent housing.
• Delivers services consistent with the HF approach.
• Provides safe, appropriate, and immediate temporary low-barrier shelter for families who have no viable alternatives.
• Offers families immediate access to outreach, shelter, and permanent housing as appropriate, without unnecessary prerequisites.
• Provides 24-hours 7 days per week access to the shelter facilities.
• Provides services focused on helping families access permanent housing as rapidly as possible and preventing returns to homelessness.
• Provides or assist participants in connecting to services to address physical and mental health, addiction, employment, educational, and legal needs.
• Provides homeless prevention and rapid rehousing financial assistance by assessing and identifying households who can move on to permanent housing resources.
• Provides Critical Time Intervention (CTI) to all households exiting to permanent housing. CTI is an evidence-based practice designed to support people through transitions, build skills and network support, and help solidify households' base in the community.

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
(HOPWA)

The provider listed below serves as the administrative lead and provides services on Maui, Kaua`i and Hawai`i Island.

• Provides permanent housing placement with security deposits and ongoing rent subsidies for homeless persons with HIV/AIDS.
• Provides ongoing to maintain stability in housing.
• Provides short-term rent, mortgage and utility assistance (STRMU), which is a short-term homelessness prevention and intervention benefit.

Emergency Solutions Grant Program for Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (ESG-RUSH)

• Assists eligible individuals and families to address the needs of eligible families and individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability in certain areas impacted by the Maui wildfires.
• Provides time-limited housing support, financial assistance, and stabilization services through Rapid Re-housing and Homelessness Prevention activities.
• Financial assistance: Eligible costs consist of the first and last month’s rent, security, and utility deposits.
• Case management and supportive services: Housing stabilization, sustainability supports, and linkages to other needed community services.
• Street outreach for unsheltered homeless families and individuals
• Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)
• Participants must have resided in the areas affected by a major disaster declared pursuant to the Stafford Act on or after December 20, 2019 (in this case, Maui wildfires which occurred on August 8, 2023)
• Participants must have needs that will not be served or fully met by FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance and other existing federal disaster relief programs.

ESG RUSH Components:

• Homelessness Prevention (HP) for households at risk of homelessness: Households must meet the criteria for Category 2 of the “Homeless” definition of imminent Risk of Homelessness. Housing relocation and stabilization services and short-and/or medium-term rental assistance as necessary to prevent the individual or family from moving to an emergency shelter, a place not meant for human habitation, or another place described in paragraph (1) of the homeless definition. The costs HP are only eligible to the extent that the assistance is necessary to help the program participant regain stability in their current housing or move into other permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.
• Rapid Re-housing (RRH) for homeless households: Households must meet the criteria for Category 1 of the “Homeless” definition or meet the criteria under Category 4 of the “Homeless” definition. Provide housing relocation, stabilization, sustainability supports, rental assistance and linkages to other needed community services (commonly referred to as case management or supportive services) for households. The costs RRH are only eligible to the extent that the assistance is necessary to help the program participant into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing. RUSH service providers, in coordination with their local Coordinated Entry System, will identify potentially eligible households according to RUSH RRH program prioritization.
• Incorporate data into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): ESG-RUSH funds are to be used to set up the ESG-RUSH Project and incorporate it into HMIS for accurate data collection and reporting. To ensure compliance with program and HMIS requirements, the Provider shall develop and facilitate training; review and monitor data quality; and analyze data and create reports for program compliance.