Communities across the country have submitted questions to the HUD Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) Virtual Help Desk. Now you can meet the experts! Program experts will offer their insights, discuss frequently asked questions, and field queries from participants.

1. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Homelessness Prevention and
Rapid Re-housing Program
HPRP
Frequently Asked Questions
Sponsored by:
Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS)
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

2. Purpose
2
Discuss top 10 most frequently asked
questions
– Clarify requirements
– Explain intent
– Address misconceptions

3. 1. Eligibility Criteria vs.
Risk Factors
3
What is the difference between
eligibility criteria and
risk/targeting factors?

4. Eligibility vs. Risk Factors
continued
4
Sample risk/targeting factors from the HUD Notice:
– Sudden and significant loss of income
– Sudden and significant increase in utility costs
– Recent traumatic life event, such as death of a spouse, or
recent health crisis that prevented the household from
meeting its financial responsibilities
– Homeless in last 12 months
– Young head of household (under 25 with children or
pregnant)
– Current or past involvement with child welfare, including
foster care
– High overcrowding (the number of persons exceeds health
and/or safety standards for the housing unit size)

5. Eligibility vs. Risk Factors
continued
5
Participant eligibility:
– Do participants meet HUD’s minimum requirements?
Targeting:
– What target population will program serve?
– Targeting decisions impact program design and
program design decisions impact targeting

6. 2. Stability and Eligibility
6
Is an applicant required to have
an income to be eligible for HPRP
assistance?

7. 3. Eligibility under Prevention
vs. Rapid Re-housing
7
Homelessness Prevention
– Persons/households at imminent risk of losing
current housing and will be literally homeless
without (“but for”) HPRP assistance
– BUT FOR = 1) no other housing options AND 2)
no resources OR support networks to
maintain/obtain housing
Rapid Re-housing (Homeless Assistance)
– Persons/households that are homeless per the
HUD definition

8. Eligibility under Prevention vs
Rapid Re-housing - Example
8
Is a person living in a hotel eligible
for assistance? If so, would they be
served under the Prevention or
Rapid Re-Housing category?

9. 4. Identification Requirements
9
For HPRP assistance, what forms of
identification are acceptable? Must
each adult member of the household
show picture ID?
Are applicants required to provide a
Social Security Number in order to
receive HPRP assistance?

10. 5. Lease Requirements
10
Does a lease have to be in place in
order to pay rental assistance? Is an
oral lease acceptable?
In many cases, the lease has already
expired but the applicant's name is on
the lease and they have continued to
rent the unit. Is it ok to provide
assistance in this case?

11. Lease Requirements continued
11
In a situation where there are two
unrelated individuals on a lease - one
who is eligible, and one who is not –
can a grantee assist the eligible
individual?
Under HPRP, may a program
participant have a legal sublease?

12. 6. HPRP & Occupancy
Standards
12
Can HPRP assist a single individual in a
two-bedroom apartment if the rent is
reasonable for a two-bedroom unit and
the client meets all eligibility criteria?
Or can he only be assisted in a one-
bedroom unit?

13. 7. Combining HPRP and Other Types
of Assistance (Cost Type Rule)
13
If a participant is receiving rental
assistance through another program,
can they also receive HPRP assistance?
– Can HPRP clients receive assistance in HOME or
tax credit project?
– Is assistance from a local charity, foundation, or
church included in the cost-type rule?

14. 8. Utility-Only Assistance vs Rent
and Utility Assistance
14
If a client has an eviction notice and
meets all eligibility requirements but
does not have a utility shut-off notice,
can an agency provide both rent and
utility assistance? Or is a shut-off
notice always required to provide
utility assistance?

15. 9. Recertification
15
HPRP requires grantees to certify
eligibility of all program participants
every 3 months. Does the 3 month
period begin at applicant intake or
when the client first receives
financial assistance?
– What if there is a break in assistance?

16. Recertification: Documentation
16
What documentation is
required at recertification?
– If served under Prevention Assistance, is
another eviction notice required?
– If served under Rapid Re-housing, does
client have to be literally homeless again?

17. 10. Appeals Process for
Applicants Denied Assistance
17
Is there a specific process that
must be used when an applicant
is denied service and wants to file
an appeal?
– What about termination of assistance
and/or services to program participants?

18. 11. Indirect Cost
18
Are indirect costs eligible? If so,
how does a grantee/subgrantee
charge those costs to the HPRP
program?

19. 11. Indirect Cost
19
Indirect costs may be allocated to each eligible
HPRP activity, including grant administration, so
long as that allocation is consistent with an indirect
cost proposal developed in accordance with OMB
Circular A-122 (for non-profit organizations) or OMB
Circular A-87 (for local governments).
The total grant administration costs charged to
the grant, including both direct and indirect costs,
must not exceed 5% of the grantee’s total HPRP
grant amount.
Indirect costs charged to other 3 eligible activity
types are not subject to the 5% cap.

20. 11. Indirect Cost
20
If an organization does not have an approved
indirect cost rate, granteees/subgrantees may
allocate a reasonable proportion of their indirect
costs to the activity.
Example: An HPRP subgrantee employs ten
staff, four of which work full time on HPRP case
management and service activities. They can
charge 40% of monthly office lease/rent costs to
the Housing Relocation and Stabilization Services
category. As always, the grantee or subgrantee's
plan for direct-charging indirect costs must be
reasonable and supported by documentation.

21. 11. Indirect Cost
21
Can apply this policy retroactively, but
not required to
Subgrantees work with grantees
Maintain documentation when
applying indirect cost rates
If you have budget changes as a result
of this policy, submit a revised
substantial amendment

22. 22
Common Issues

23. Rent Reasonableness &
Moving Cost Assistance
23
Rent Reasonableness ≠ FMRs
Rent Reasonableness checks required
for Prevention and Rapid Re-housing
assistance
Moving Costs must be reasonable and
documented

24. Documentation,
Documentation,
24 Documentation!
Supporting documents for draws
3-month re-certifications
– Must meet all eligibility criteria
– Use 2010 AMI:
http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il
/il10/index.html
Payment of arrears must not exceed 6
months

25. Documentation,
Documentation,
25 Documentation!
Hotel/motel vouchers – remember, all
3 criteria must be met
Habitability standards
Lead-based paint assessments
– Must be completed for prevention and
rapid re-housing assistance

26. 26
Questions