Why the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program Is So Important

The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) arose from stimulus money the Obama Administration earmarked to assist in ending the recession it inherited from the Presidency of George W. Bush. Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, HPRP fills a critical hole in the safety net for individuals and families who are either teetering on the brink of homelessness or are newly homeless as a result of the economic disaster the U.S. has experienced during the past few years.

So what makes HPRP so different, and important, when compared to the other often meager types of available assistance?

Previously, individuals who needed expeditious assistance to recover from recent homelessness or imminent homelessness had practically nothing available to them in the way of emergency services or financial assistance. Although programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are designed to assist families in financial crisis, many of the individuals who receive help from HPRP aren't eligible for help from TANF, or any other programs, often for a variety of reasons.

In order to qualify for HPRP assistance, people mush have verifiable and stable weekly or monthly incomes that fall below poverty levels for their respective family size. They must also provide proof of recent homelessness or imminent risk of eviction, such as a detainer warrant or court papers ordering the eviction.

The beauty of HPRP over the few other sources of assistance available is that agencies participating in HPRP are able to help remove the huge barriers to housing that people who are newly homeless often face.

To fully understand the significance of this, the progression of trouble one experiences as one heads towards homelessness must also be understood.

Typically, an individual receives a layoff notice or a reduction in work hours. In short order, the bills that were previously no problem suddenly become a real dilemma. The individual often attempts to fight on by scrimping and cutting corners while also making arrangements with utility companies and landlords to "catch up" when work resumes. As the unemployment or hour reduction drags on, the person becomes two or three months behind in required payments. Shutoff notices for utilities arrive, landlords begin eviction proceedings, and if no assistance is found, the individual soon finds himself on the street.

Once the individual has reached homelessness, that person is now facing tremendous hardships, since it is exceptionally difficult to maintain or find employment while homeless. Additionally, there are now also a number of bills for essential services with high payoffs, deposits and reconnect fees that must be addressed, since they will present barriers that will keep the person from being rapidly re-housed. If a family is involved, the situation becomes nightmarish for them all and brings about a whole new set of problems that must be addressed before they can re-enter housing.

The primary goal of HPRP is to stop the descent into homelessness or to re-house people as quickly as possible, to stabilize the individual or family and support them financially until they are able to resume control of their lives once again. HPRP can assist in catching up on back rent, or in the case of recent homelessness, in paying off back amounts owed to landlords that pose a serious barrier when the individual attempts to rent a new residence. It works similarly for overdue or disconnected utility bills as well. HPRP can provide short-term housing in motels, pay for meals and food, cover the costs associated with storage and moving of belongings, and assist in ensuring that transportation is available for work demands. Where other types of assistance are usually limited to single or short-term application, individuals participating in HPRP can, at the discretion of the agency, receive help for an extended period of time.

Perhaps the only downside to HPRP is not related directly to services for clients. Instead, because it is what's known as a reimbursable grant, smaller agencies with tight budgets and limited cash flows are often hamstrung by their inability to raise the necessary cash on the front end to begin providing assistance to their clients in need. This has caused at least one agency in the Nashville, Tennessee area to withdraw from participating in the program and almost certainly creates a barrier for organizations around the country that otherwise could provide critical help to distressed clients.

HPRP is perhaps the most important tool we have to assist those who have been negatively impacted by the recession, but who have not yet spiraled into chronic homelessness. Although there are rather strict admission guidelines for potential clients, agencies are given wide latitude in what they are able to do with funds from HPRP. This allows the agency to provide not only incredible financial assistance, but also a variety of social services, along with training in budgeting, parenting and time management as well.

HPRP is such an important resource that it should receive a permanent place in the national toolbox to combat and end homelessness. Let's hope those with the power to ensure it does recognize its vital importance.

Photo credit: Steven Samra