Permanent Supportive Housing Policies

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) supports Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs that combine affordable housing units with voluntary supportive services. These services aim to help people with disabilities, chronic homelessness, or other vulnerabilities achieve housing stability. HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Program-funded grant recipients and subrecipients must maintain complete, up-to-date written records and procedures for each CoC Program funded project. These policies prioritize providing stable housing options with supportive services tailored to individual needs.

Inactive Household By-Name List Exit Policy

Background: The Inactive Policy is an integral component of maintaining a real-time by-name list, as well as a robust Coordinated Entry System. To ensure an efficient assessment and referral process, it is critical that the Targeted Homelessness Resource Coordinator and housing programs have the ability to contact and connect with households as soon as a housing opportunity becomes available. Without this policy, the Coordinated Entry System can experience delays in its referral procedures due to the time spent searching for households in the community that they have been unable to reach through multiple attempts, often for many months. Due to this loss of contact, it is difficult for the system to determine whether these households are still in need of housing. In some situations, these households may have self-resolved their housing crisis or relocated to another county.

Policy: If a household on the Chester County By Name List for Case Conferencing has had no contact with Coordinated Entry or Street Outreach for 60 days, AND they have had no services or shelter stays in HMIS for the past 60 days the household will be removed from the “Active Homeless List” and placed on the “Inactive List”. Street Outreach staff will advise all households added to the by-name list to maintain contact with a participating service provider at a minimum every 60 days. If a household on the “Inactive List” makes contact with any members of the homeless system, including outreach workers, drop-in centers, shelters, meal lines, etc., they will be moved from the “Inactive List” to the “Active Homeless List” and then can be referred to housing openings once they have re-engaged with the system, which may require a reassessment of their vulnerability and verification of homelessness status. If a household has had no contact with the Coordinated Entry, Street Outreach, or other Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) participating providers for 90 days, that household is eligible for removal from the by-name list and will be exited from coordinated entry programs and services. Inactive clients will be reviewed at Case Conferencing meetings prior to being exited from the by-Name List. The Case Conferencing group will designate a responsible party tasked with attempting contact with the household, when appropriate. Households that are closed are eligible for services upon re-verification of homelessness and reassessment of vulnerability.

Moving Up and On Policy

The Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness (CCPEH) and its partner providers are guided by the principles that:

1. Housing is a human right.

2. Families and individuals experiencing homelessness as defined by the HEARTH Act should receive housing first, regardless of any barriers to permanent housing stability.

3. Once housed, families and individuals exiting from homelessness should be provided supportive services to ensure their housing stability.

4. Housing resources (e.g., case management, housing location services, subsidies, and referrals to other services) should be flexible and customized to the unique needs, strengths, and living situations of a family or individual using a person-centered, progressive approach.

Consistent with these beliefs the CCPEH partnership has developed this Moving Up and On policy to ensure that all persons currently or formerly experiencing homelessness are provided the best opportunity to gain and retain permanent housing.

CCPEH and its partner providers understand that occasionally special circumstances may arise that are not explicitly covered by this policy. In such circumstances it is expected that a majority decision be made based on our guiding principles.

Moving On and Moving Up Eligibility

All Rapid Rehousing (RRH), Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program participants are eligible for Moving On. To access Moving On services, a program participant or their representative must submit a completed Chester County Moving Up and On Assessment form to appropriate provider agency. All final Moving On recommendations shall be decided by a council consisting of the participating housing program’s staff using the guidelines below.

This policy is primarily intended for use and application by housing provider agencies and the CCPEH Case Conferencing Group. Potential housing provider programs are as follows:

• Human Services Inc. RRH-PH for CTI

• Human Services Inc. RRH Families & Individuals

• Human Services Inc. RRH Families and Individuals

• Open Hearth Housing Options PSH & PSH for Chronically Homeless

• Human Services Inc. Safe Haven PSH

• Housing Authority of Chester County Homeless Preference Housing Choice Voucher

  Program

• Housing Authority of Chester County Mainstream Voucher Program

• Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program

• Affordable housing developers

Moving Up Guidelines: RRH to PSH or PH

RRH program participants should be considered for PSH or other Permanent Housing (PH) programs based on program availability, eligibility, and as part of a progressive engagement approach. Generally speaking, candidates for this type of intervention have evidenced difficulty in gaining or maintaining housing with RRH resources due the need for more intensive supportive services, financial need, or any combination thereof. Candidates with a strictly financial need, such as those on fixed incomes like SSI, should be considered for permanent housing resources.

Candidates for this intervention will be evaluated using the “Move Up Assessment Form”.

Final recommendations on who will be offered this intervention will be decided by a council consisting of the participating housing program’s staff. In accordance with client choice, participants will be offered this option and must accept to move up from RRH to PSH or PH.

Moving On Guidelines: PSH to PH

Moving On is a voluntary process. Households enrolled in PSH projects have all the rights of tenancy and may remain in a program for as long as they desire. Moving On helps maximizes participant choice by and is intended to promote self- sufficiency for households currently living in PSH.

PSH participants should be considered for PH programs based on program availability, eligibility, and when the participant/s have evidenced insufficient need for formal supportive services through a PSH program. Generally speaking, candidates for this type of intervention have achieved a lengthy period of housing stability in a PSH Program.

Candidates for this intervention will be evaluated by using the CCPEH Moving On Assessment Form.

Final recommendations on who will be offered this intervention will be decided by a council consisting of the participating housing program’s staff. In accordance with client choice, participants will be offered this option and must accept the move from PSH to PH. All participants must sign a waiver indicating that they understand and accept this action.

PSH participants who Move On should be offered case management support as needed.

Training Opportunities

The following training opportunities are available to CCPEH partner providers:

• General Overview

• For PSH and RRH Providers

• For Public Housing Authorities

• Supportive Services

• Assessment and Preparation

• HMIS Workflow

Templates and Forms

The following templates and forms are available from the CCPEH website at https://endhomelessnesschesco.org:

• Moving On MOU template

• HACC Intake Interview Letter

• Move On Assessment Form

• Move Up Assessment Form

Extreme Weather Emergency Shelter Policy

The Extreme Weather Emergency Shelter Policy is intended to provide a safe environment for Chester County residents experiencing homelessness during times of extreme weather events that are threat to human life or well-being. This policy is not intended to supersede any other county policy or department of emergency services policy.  

Extreme Weather Emergency Shelter Policy will be implemented in Chester County at any time the forecasted weather poses a threat to human life or well-being. This includes when temperatures are extremely low, high, any additional weather related event, or natural disaster that poses a threat to human life or well-being. Based on these factors, participating Emergency Shelters will check the weather forecast by 9:00 AM daily and determine if the Extreme Weather Emergency Shelter policy is to be implemented to provide warming centers and offer cold weather beds.  

Emergency Shelters contracted with the Chester County Department of Community Development have agreed to institute the Extreme Weather Emergency Shelter Policy guidelines when:

1. temperatures are forecast to be 35 degrees or below, including the wind chill factor

2. temperatures with a heat index of 90 degrees or above, including humidity

During extreme weather conditions, Emergency Shelters will make their extreme weather beds available, as applicable. Anyone on an Emergency Shelter List in CCCIMS who is identified as street homeless/living in a place not meant for human habitation will be prioritized for any available emergency shelter beds.

Extreme weather placements are for one night only. If the Emergency Shelter has an open standard bed available after an extreme weather placement, they can transition the individual or family to that bed. If it is determined that the extreme weather will persist, Emergency Shelters are to provide the current individual or family extreme weather placement until the extreme weather subsides.

Third party referrals (Hospitals, Mental Health Facilities, Drug & Alcohol Facilities, etc…) must still go through 2-1-1 in order to be seen by the Street Outreach Team.  No third party extreme weather or standard Emergency Shelter referrals will be accepted unless they come from 2-1-1.

Note that an exception to this policy is if an individual or a family shows up at a shelter during extreme weather conditions as described in the first paragraph after standard 2-1-1 or Street Outreach business hours; they should be given an extreme weather bed/unit if one is available and directed to contact 2-1-1 the next business day to get on the Emergency Shelter List.

The Street Outreach Team has the discretion to administer hotel/motel vouchers to those that are sleeping on the street or in a place not meant for human habitation when Emergency Shelter space is unavailable, on a case by case basis. When emergency shelter becomes available, the individual must leave the hotel and accept the shelter referral. Failure to accept emergency shelter will lead to loss of the hotel voucher.

Case Conferencing Prioritization Policy

The Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness is committed to ending and preventing homelessness in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The Partnership is open to and inclusive of community-based, nonprofit, private, and public organizations, as well as people with the lived experience of homelessness and concerned citizens. An elected Continuum of Care (CoC) Governance Board ensures the Partnership is aligned with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s policy and funding requirements. The Partnership provides guidance, advocacy, and community resources to support Chester County’s homeless crisis response system, which is led by the Chester County Department of Community Development and powered by a network of nonprofit service providers that provide a continuum of care to help all families and individuals exit from homelessness to permanent housing with stability.

Chester County’s Coordinated Entry System (CES) ensures equitable access to housing and supportive services for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. The two core elements of CES include 1) a toll-free Call Center accessed by dialing 211 for information, screening, and referral to homeless prevention services and street outreach and 2) a mobile street outreach team responsible for engagement, homeless verification, intake, and connection to services like housing and shelter. Our goal is to make homelessness a rare, brief, and one-time only experience.

Housing Resources in Chester County
Coordinated Entry can connect residents to any combination of the following housing resources when needed and available:

1. Homeless Prevention services including rental assistance and supportive services like food, employment and job training, legal aid, public benefits access, and mediation services to help residents continue to stay with family or friends.

2. Temporary Housing services for people that are living on the street or other places not intended for human habitation. These services include emergency shelter and transitional/bridge housing.

3. Rehousing services to help people experiencing homelessness to find, move into, and maintain permanent housing with a lease in their name. These services include housing location, time-limited rent subsidies (6 - 12 months on average), and light case management support to help households achieve their goals for health and economic self-sufficiency.

4. Supportive Housing services that provide long-term rent subsidies and/or wraparound services (if appropriate and available) for people with disabilities and/or have significant barriers to permanent housing stability. These services include permanent supportive housing and housing choice vouchers.

Given the limited housing resources in our community, Coordinated Entry connects residents to the minimum level of services necessary to end or prevent their experience of homelessness. This approach, called progressive engagement, preserves more intensive and costly services for the people who need them most.

Read the Case Conferencing Prioritization Policy

Anti-Discrimination, Equal Access, and Fair Housing Policies

The Chester County Partnership To End Homelessness (PA-505 CoC) is committed to fair, equal, and equitable access to housing and services for all residents experiencing homelessness in Chester County, Pennsylvania. All Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness member organizations are expected to comply with the following Governance Board-approved anti-discrimination, equal access, and fair housing policies.

In addition, all U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Grant and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funded service providers are required to comply with all federal and state laws, statutes, and regulations related to anti-discrimination, equal access, and fair housing, including but not limited to the following laws and regulatory citations:

• The Americans With Disabilities Act.

• The Civil Rights Act.

• The Fair Housing Act.

• The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

• 24 CFR 5.105 (a) - Nondiscrimination and equal opportunity.

• 24 CFR 5.105 (b) - Equal access to HUD-assisted or -insured housing.

• 24 CFR 5.106 - Equal access in accordance with the individual's gender identity in community planning and development programs.

• 24 CFR 100.202 – Prohibitions against discrimination because of handicap.

• 24 CFR 100.203 – Reasonable modifications of existing premises.

• 24 CFR 576.407(b) - Affirmative outreach.

• 24 576.500 (S) (1) - Records demonstrating compliance with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity requirements under 576.407(a) and the affirmative outreach requirements in 576.407(b).

• 24 CFR 578.93 - CoC Program Interim Rule - Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

• 24 CFR 578.103 (a) (15) - Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.

• Executive Order 13166, "Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.”

• Notice CPD-17-01: Notice Establishing Additional Requirements for a Continuum of Care Centralized or Coordinated Assessment System.

Read the Anti-Discrimination, Equal Access and Fair Housing Policy

Pregnant Persons and Households with Infants Experiencing Homelessness Policy

People that are currently experiencing literal homelessness (Category 1 of HUD’s Definition of Homelessness – see HUD’s Homeless Definition Criteria Sheet) that has been confirmed by the Street Outreach Team and report a documented pregnancy or households who have an infant or young child (24 months old or under) will automatically be given top priority on the Emergency Family Shelter List, regardless of their VI-SPDAT score. The following is the process that should take place for this population:

• Anyone needing to gain access to the Emergency Shelter system must contact 2-1-1 to be assessed and referred to the Street Outreach Team.

  •  A person without children who reports being pregnant when calling 2-1-1 will be assessed, and referred to the Street Outreach Team to have their homeless status confirmed. If the person is sleeping outside or in a place not meant for human habitation, they will be placed on the Emergency Shelter List. Street Outreach staff will make a direct referral via telephone or e-mail to Safe Harbor of Chester County, Inc. if beds are available. Safe Harbor staff will prioritize this person for emergency shelter placement and offer them an available bed. If an emergency shelter bed is not available at Safe Harbor, Inc., Street Outreach staff has the discretion to administer a hotel/motel voucher, on a case by case basis in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the consumer.

  • Note: When emergency shelter becomes available, the individual must leave the hotel and accept the shelter referral. Failure to accept emergency shelter will lead to loss of the hotel voucher.

    • It is expected that Safe Harbor of Chester County, Inc. and the Emergency Family Shelter providers (Friends Association and the CYWA) will collaborate in order to ensure the transition of a person who is close to giving birth to a family shelter as soon as possible.

  • A person who is pregnant and has other children or a household with infant or young child (24 months old or under) will call 2-1-1 to be assessed and referred to the Street Outreach Team to have their homeless status confirmed. If the individual or household meets the literal homeless criteria listed above, the Street Outreach Team will make a direct referral via telephone or e-mail to one of the Emergency Family Shelters (Friends Association or the CYWA) if beds are available. If an Emergency Family Shelter unit is not available; Street Outreach staff has the discretion to administer a hotel/motel voucher, on a case by case basis in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the family.

  • Note:  When emergency shelter becomes available, the family must leave the hotel and accept the shelter referral. Failure to accept emergency shelter will lead to loss of the hotel voucher.

• If a pregnant person is placed in a hotel and gives birth prior to receiving placement into formal Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, or Permanent Housing; they will return to the hotel until such time as they can be placed into more stable housing. Any agency providing hotel vouchers to this population will make the necessary referrals to ensure the best care possible for the mother and child (Social Security, Medicaid, Maternal and Child Health Consortium, Chester County Health Department Home Visiting Program, etc.)   

* Rapid Re-Housing, Continuum of Care funding, and Section 8 Vouchers, will play a vital role in assisting these people and households in getting into Permanent Housing. It is imperative that the Emergency Shelters and all agencies that provide hotel vouchers for this population complete a SDPAT as soon as possible.  

Please contact the Chester County Department of Community Development at 610-344-6900 or by e-mail at ccdcd@chesco.org if you have any questions.

HUD’s Homeless Definition Criteria

The Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness utilizes HUD’s Homeless Definition Criteria for service prioritization within the Chester Partnership to End Homelessness Coordinated Entry System.

Read HUD’s Homeless Definition Criteria

Crisis Response System Residency Guidelines (Out of County Policy)

Context

All Counties throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania are required to have a housing crisis response system with a single point of entry to include centralized intake and coordinated assessment services. The goal of this Coordinated Entry System is to assist individuals and families who are HUD definition homeless and/or at-risk for homelessness find emergency shelter and achieve permanent housing stability more effectively given limited funding and available resources. In 2013, government, philanthropic and community leaders from Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties came together to establish and adopt in good faith a common standard for serving out of county residents. It is the expectation that other neighboring Counties will adopt these joint guidelines as a step towards streamlining services and support for residents experiencing a housing crisis. Chester County has remained a Housing First community and continues to remove barriers to effectively serve the most vulnerable residents of our County.

Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness Response System Residency Guidelines

People seeking homeless assistance typically have better and more viable support systems in their County of origin.  Discerning residency in the homeless population can be a challenge. The following guidelines have been drafted to inform decision making when verifying residency in the homeless population.

• To be considered for housing and/or homeless assistance services in Chester County (including Case Conferencing), the individual or families last permanent address must be in Chester County. The call to 2-1-1 must also be from within Chester County. If someone calls from outside of the County, they will be immediately referred to the coordinated assessment provider in that region.

• Exceptions to this policy would include Chester County residents that are currently in a hospital or other treatment setting outside of Chester County.

• If an individual or family calls 2-1-1 from Chester County but discloses during the intake process that their last permanent address was outside of Chester County, the 2-1-1 Call Specialist will directly refer them back to their home County’s Coordinated Entry System.

• If the Chester County Street Outreach Team determines that an individual or household is not from Chester County diversion back to their home County will be conducted. This can include but is not limited to providing financial assistance transportation.

• Individuals and families whose last residence was outside of Chester County will not be referred for Emergency Shelter or offered Case Conferencing except under the following circumstances:

• The individual or family reports that they are fleeing domestic violence (Category 4 of HUD’s Definition of Homelessness – see attached). These cases will be immediately referred to the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County (DVCCC) during the initial 2-1-1 call. If it is determined that the individual or family is fleeing domestic violence but there are no emergency shelter units available through DVCCC, they may be considered for emergency housing resources. The Chester County Street Outreach Team will require a signed DVCCC “Consent to Release Personal Information” to verify that the caller contacted DVCCC and that no other resources are available at that time.

• The individual or family is literally street homeless and/or sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (Category 1 of HUD’s Definition of Homelessness) and it is determined by the Chester County Street Outreach Team that they are currently in Chester County through no fault of their own.

  • Examples of this scenario could be a veteran that was discharged from the VA Medical Center and cannot return home or an individual or family was that was discharged from an institutional setting in Chester County and cannot return to their home County. Note that this information must be confirmed by Chester County Street Outreach Team. Even in these cases, every effort will be made to assist the individual or family to return to their original place of origin through robust diversion efforts. If after all reasonable efforts to divert the individual or family have been made but they can still not return home, they may offer Emergency Shelter and/or Case Conferencing. These situations will be determined on case-by-case basis by the Chester County Street Outreach Team.  

• The individual or family comes to Chester County to take refuge from a natural disaster as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), cannot return to their place of origin due to safety issues and has no other available resources to assist them in securing temporary or permanent housing (or those resources have been exhausted). Note that documentation confirming the individual or family’s status must be provided to the Street Outreach Team in order to be considered under this exception.   

The above-mentioned examples are the only exceptions to the Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness Response System Residency Guidelines. All other individuals or families that are not from Chester County will be referred to the Coordinated Entry program from their place of origin. A client simply getting Medicaid benefits in Chester County or the fact that they are working with an organization in Chester County will not supersede the policies above. Outlier or special circumstances not accounted for in the policy should be brought to the attention of the Chester County Department of Community Development.

Please contact the Chester County Department of Community Development at 610-344-6900 or by e-mail at ccdcd@chesco.org if you have any questions.

Notice Establishing Additional Requirements for a Continuum of Care Centralized or Coordinated Assessment System

The Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness Governance Board adopted CPD-17-01 Notice Establishing Additional Requirements for a Continuum of Care Centralized or Coordinated Assessment System. It is effective as of July 26, 2018. 

Read policy CPD-17-01 Notice Establishing Additional Requirements for a Continuum of Care Centralized or Coordinated Assessment System

Prioritizing Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness and Other Vulnerable Homeless Persons in Permanent Supportive Housing

The Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness’ Governance Board adopted CPD-16-11 Notice on Prioritizing Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness and Other Vulnerable Homeless Persons in Permanent Supportive Housing. It is effective as of July 26, 2018. 

Read policy CPD-16-11 Notice on Prioritizing Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness and Other Vulnerable Homeless Persons in Permanent Supportive Housing

CPD-15-02 Appropriate Placement for Transgender Persons in Single-Sex Emergency Shelters and Other Facilities

The Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness’ Governance Board adopted CPD-15-02 Appropriate Placement for Transgender Persons in Single-Sex Emergency Shelters and Other Facilities. It is effective as of July 26, 2018. 

Read policy CPD-15-02 Appropriate Placement for Transgender Persons in Single-Sex Emergency Shelters and Other Facilities