OHFA Annual Plan - Ohio Housing Finance Agency

“Financing PSH is complicated. Housing and service providers must layer funds frommany sources…Operating and services funding typically is the hardest money to secure.It must be available on an annual basis and many funders have restrictions on howthe money can be used, including who can be served, the types of projects that can bedeveloped and the types of activities that can be funded. Urban, suburban and ruralcommunities all face this challenge.Plans to end homelessness are gaining momentum at the federal, state and locallevel. There is a pipeline of PSH projects in communities around Ohio that will meetthe needs of more than 1,000 long-term homeless individuals and families over thenext three years. Rural and urban communities across Ohio have worked with localhousing authorities, mental health boards and Continuums of Care to secure funding forsupportive housing operations and services. Despite this progress, there is a significantshortfall of operating and services subsidy that will limit the continued development ofPSH and keep homeless people in shelters and places not meant for human habitation fortoo long.“ 9Waiting lists demonstrate additional gaps in funding. For example,” housing data for (mentalhealth) consumers showed increased demand and less access. For supported housing thenumber of consumers waiting increased from 2,372 to 3,387 and the number waiting morethan a year increased from 17 percent to 21 percent between 2004 and 2008.” 10Best Practices Policies and Programs Relevant to PSHCSH Building BlocksThe Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) has been working to provide advocacy,leadership and financial resources for the creation of permanent, supportive housing forseventeen years. Their expertise and research of supportive housing have led them tothe identification of six building blocks 11 that have been present in successful permanent,supportive housing nationwide. The six key indicators that should be present to develop anadequate supply of successful permanent, supportive housing are:LeadershipHighly placed or influential policy leaders must be educated and motivated to advance thecause of permanent supportive housing in local and state government and with the mediaand public at large. These influential policy leaders may include elected officials, seniorstaff at key agencies, philanthropic and business leaders or leaders in the non-profit andadvocacy sectors. Their influence will usually lead to a better understanding of the needand value of permanent, supportive housing and lead to coordinated efforts of local andstate leadership in addressing the problem.Example: In Ohio, the Homeless Solutions Board of Dayton/Montgomery County wasdeveloped as a result of the leadership of the County Administrator, the City Manager andlocal elected officials investing in a committed ten year plan to end homelessness. Theplan has begun implementation for 750 units of PSH.Collaborative PlanningPermanent, supportive housing production and management is most successful whenplanning bodies are formed on a local and/or statewide basis to design and moveproduction goals and shift between big visions and fine details.9Permanent Supportive Housing Gap Program, as presented to the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and AffordableHousing, September 25, 2008.10Ohio Department of Mental Health, 2009 Community Plan Report System Performance Indicators11Corporation for Supportive Housing, Toolkit for Advancing Systems Change, Available Internet: http://intranet.csh.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=4028&stopRedirect=1114