In The News
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2022 HUD Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress
On December 16, 2022, HUD published its Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. This report outlines findings of the Point-In-Time (PIT) count and Housing Inventory Count (HIC) conducted in January 2022. The report provides national, state, and CoC-level PIT and HIC estimates of homelessness, as well as estimates of chronically homeless persons, homeless veterans, and homeless children and youth.
The AHAR report shows several CoCs in the State of Florida leading the nation in the number and percentage of individuals experiencing homelessness. The Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas County (FL-502) has one of the largest number of people experiencing homelessness in a largely urban CoC (1985).
Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council (FL-509) has of the highest percentage of people, in all categories, experiencing unsheltered homeless (82.6%). Of this, 93.2% are individuals and 59% are families with children. In addition, Heartland Coalition for the Homeless (FL-517), Doorways of NW Florida (FL-515), and United Way of Suwanee Valley (FL-518) are part of the top 5 CoCs in the nation with unsheltered homelessness at 93.7%, 88.4% and 83.4% respectively. Heartland Coalition for the Homeless has absolutely no shelter units for individuals experiencing homelessness and reported 100% of individuals experiencing homelessness as unsheltered.
Other notable Florida numbers:
Behind California, Florida accounted for the 2nd highest share of homeless veterans, at 7% of their homeless population. The Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas County reports 26.1% of their homeless population as veterans.
Brevard Homeless Coalition and Opening Doors of NW Florida report the 4th and 5th highest percent of chronic homelessness, at 91% and 90% of individuals experiencing homelessness as severely disabled and homeless for a long time (chronic).
Although Florida has seen the largest decrease (46%) in homelessness from 2007-2022, there is still work to be done at individual CoCs across the State. Additonal shelter space is needed, as well as targeted assistance to chronically homeless individuals and veterans, who need additional supportive housing opportunities.
All In: The New Federal Stategic Plan
Earlier this month, the Biden-Harris administration released a federal plan for ending homelessness in America. All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness‘s goal is to reduce homelessness by 25% by 2025. FCEH and Florida’s CoCs are committed to working toward that strategic goal, which includes collaboration across sectors, systems, and jurisdictions and building on the success of Housing First, which has been instrumental in reducing homelessness across the State in the past 10 years. FCEH and the CoCs are also committed to including those with lived experience and increasing education and improving the systems of care by utilizing their knowledge.
The plan was developed by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) with public input from more than 500 people with lived experience, as well as leaders, providers, advocates, housing developers, and other partners from 600 communities. The State’s Council On Homelessness was included in a listening session earlier this calendar year. We want to thank everyone that provided feedback regarding the plan.
The “Housing First” model of care treats housing as the immediate solution to homelessness, but not the only solution. Housing First is not housing only, many people need support to stay housed, and services are required to ensure long-term success. This model works because it treats people with dignity, personalizes their housing plan and service plan, and recognizes that—without housing—every other aspect of a person’s life suffers.
The plan sets a goal for the US Government to:
- Urgently address the basic needs of people in crisis;
- Expand the supply of and access to affordable housing and high-quality support;
- Build better systems to prevent people from losing their homes;
- Collaborate across sectors, systems, and jurisdictions;
- Rely on data and evidence of program performance
- Include people who have experienced homelessness in the policymaking process to dismantle systems that create disparities.
Today, USICH and the White House also announced a new initiative to help cities and states reduce unsheltered homelessness. The 19 federal agencies from USICH will work with select state and local governments to accelerate the implementation and effectiveness of strategies to get people off the streets and into homes.
“Housing should be treated as a human right,” said USICH Executive Director Jeff Olivet. “Many Americans ask, ‘Is it possible to end homelessness?’ The answer is, yes, the United States can end homelessness by fixing systems—not by blaming the people being failed by them. With All In, the Biden-Harris administration outlined a set of strategies and actions for doing just that. Now we must scale what works and develop new and creative solutions to build a future where no one experiences the tragedy and indignity of homelessness—and everyone has a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable home.”
USICH will host webinars in 2023—starting in January—to help partners and communities use All In to develop local and systems-levels plans to prevent and end homelessness, set state and local goals to reduce homelessness by 2025, hold the federal government accountable, and learn more about federal programs, strategies, and actions to prevent and end homelessness. Keep your eyes open for these webinars.
We invite CoC member agencies to join FCEH’s bi-weekly peer-to-peer meetings to discuss the implementation of the plan, including any changes that are suggested by USICH and HUD in the future.
2022 HUD Income Limits Continue
The FY 2023 median family incomes and income limits would ordinarily be based on the ACS 2020 estimates. Due to the lack of 1-year ACS 2020 estimates, HUD intends to base the FY 2023 median family incomes and income limits on ACS 2021 data.
Since 2014, HUD has released median family incomes and income limits in March or April of each year. Because the special tabulations of ACS 2021 data HUD needs for median family income calculations will not be available until early 2023, HUD intends to delay the release of FY 2023 median family incomes and income limits until on or about May 15, 2023.
2023 Fair Market Rental Rates
HUD published their updated Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for the Fiscal Year 2023. These FMR rates are in effect as of October 1, 2022.
FMRs are published annually by HUD. FMR is an estimate of the amount of money that should cover gross rents (rent and utility expenses) on 40 percent of the rental housing units in an area. 2023 FMRs, on average, increased by an average of 10%, enabling more households with housing vouchers to access affordable, stable housing.
For FY23, HUD used private sector data to estimate changes in FMRs to better align with market conditions. The basic methodology that HUD uses to estimate FMRs remains the same.
For more information, please review the FMR Factsheet FAQs
To review the updated FMR Rates, please visit:
HUD Releases the FY2022 CoC NOFO and Non-Competitive YHDP Renewals
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it will provide $2.8 billion in competitive funding to homeless services organizations across the country for supportive services and housing programs for people experiencing homelessness. The funding opportunity reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to equity and evidence-based solutions to address homelessness. It also reinforces the Administration’s commitment to boost housing supply and lower costs by supporting local engagement to increase the supply of affordable housing.
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HUD Updates
- New Presentation: Understanding System Performance by Household Types Using Stella P
- HUD-VASH Data from HOMES Made Available to VAMCs
- Now Open: FY 2020 NOFA for Housing Assistance for Victims of Human Trafficking
- From Our Partners: Building State Medicaid-Housing Agency Partnerships Webinar Materials Available