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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 4459-06-2015 A Resolution NO. 4459-06-2015 ACCEPTING THE FINAL REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND ADOPTING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS WHEREAS, on August 26, 2014, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 4349-08-2014 appointing a Task Force on Permanent Supportive Housing to conduct an inventory of permanent supportive housing in Fort Worth and Tarrant County, investigate best practices among comparable cities, formulate appropriate criteria and evaluate alternative policies for the development of permanent supportive housing in Fort Worth and Tarrant County, and advise the City Council accordingly; and WHEREAS, after receiving input from citizens, developers, service providers, neighborhood advocates and other stakeholders, the Task Force on Permanent Supportive Housing adopted the attached Permanent Supportive Housing Guidelines and Recommendations on May 13, 2015 and reported on its conclusions and recommendations to the City Council on May 19, 2015. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS: Section 1. The City Council hereby accepts the report of the Task Force on Permanent Supportive Housing presented on May 19, 2015. Section 2. The City Council hereby adopts the Permanent Supportive Housing Guidelines and Recommendations prepared by the Task Force on Permanent a Supportive Housing and requests the City Manager to implement the recommendations as appropriate and feasible. Adopted this 2nd day of June, 2015. 4+ 00000000 ' ATTEST: Q 13 4 ... �4' *00q ®p Mary ays r, S �cr ary--- � °acro�oo®��a,"' f ORT WORT FORT WORTH, Permanent Supportive Mousing Guidelines and Recommendations j//i,,,/i /i//ii/ P / // // %%/�/i//%%//%i//a ,,,,,,, ,i,., „/„j� ,! Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is quality, affordable, accessible housing linked to mental health, addiction, employment, and other support services. PSH targets individuals and families who experience extreme poverty and have complex service needs. PSH provides comprehensive, intensive services that address the root causes of long-term homelessness (addiction, mental illness, chronic disease and disability). Increasing the supply of permanent supportive housing is integral to the City's work to promote orderly and sustainable development and to make Fort Worth the nation's safest major city. The City of Fort Worth affirmatively furthers fair housing and is committed to, focusing on the future, working together to build strong neighborhoods, developing a sound economy, and providing a safe community. Key concepts that relate permanent supportive housing to the City's mission and strategic goals include: 1. Permanent supportive housing delivered with a Housing First approach, improves public safety, reduces public sector costs, and helps the most vulnerable members of our large and fast-growing city, live better lives. 2. Permanent supportive housing is a subset of quality, affordable, accessible housing. 3. Quality, affordable, accessible housing that is well-designed, strategically located, and professionally managed is a financial and social benefit to neighborhoods and the community at large. i This document includes threshold guidelines and recommendations for developers of permanent supportive housing who are interested in obtaining City support for a project. These standardized expectations of the City Council provide direction for neighborhoods, lenders and underwriters, City staff, developers, property managers, and service providers. Developers who are considering projects that include PSH units are encouraged to make contact with neighborhood groups, elected officials, and City staff as early in their planning as practicable. 1. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is permanent—tenants hold leases and have the same responsibilities and rights as other tenants; acceptance of services is not a condition of occupancy. Page 1 FORT WORTH., Permanent Supportive Housing Guidelines and Recommendations 2. PSH units are affordable—households do not pay more than 30% of their income for rent. 3. Comprehensive case management services are accessible by tenants where they live and in a manner designed to maximize tenant stability and self-sufficiency. 4. PSH should utilize a Housing First approach, minimizing barriers to immediate access to housing for targeted populations. 5. PSH projects should have Problem Resolution/Lease Compliance Plans. Lease violations, such as late payment of rent, poor housekeeping, excessive noise, etc., will be addressed by the tenant, property management, and service provider, in an effort to eliminate the need for eviction. 6. PSH projects should have Tenant Community Integration Plans. Proximity to diverse opportunities does not qualify by itself. Active tenant engagement strategies should be included. 7. PSH development and program plan should be reviewed with the local Continuum of Care (CoC) and implemented in a manner consistent with CoC criteria. 8. Tenants for PSH units developed under these guidelines should be identified through the Coordinated Assessment System or an equivalent system and in accordance with the priorities set by the local CoC. Site Selection 9. Supportive housing should be sited in neighborhoods of a predominantly residential character. Surrounding residential property values should be stable, or increasing, unless: A. the site is part of a local community development effort for improvement, rehabilitation, or historic preservation. B. the site is part of a local community effort at placemaking, or a planned mix of commercial, residential and other uses. C. the site is in a transition area between a residential neighborhood and other uses, such as retail or other types of commercial enterprises. D. property values are decreasing community-wide, due to factors such as an economic downturn. In such instances, the neighborhood in which the site P is located should be viewed in relation to property values in other neighborhoods. Page 2 Permanent Supportive Housing Guidelines and recommendations 10.The site should offer a wide variety of social, commercial and health facilities that are similar to those found in a neighborhood of primarily unassisted housing of a similar nature. ILAccess should be available to public transportation and community resources such as grocery shopping, pharmacy, bank, employment, religious and educational institutions as well as medical and social services and community parks or recreational activities. Access routes by foot, bicycle or wheelchair should be available or developed wherever possible. Dispersion 12.The general purpose of dispersion, in relation to supportive housing, is to take full advantage of all that a community has to offer, and provide a high degree of choice to tenants aspiring to access those varied opportunities. 13.Integrated supportive housing combines designated supportive housing apartments, along with other affordable or market rate apartments, at a single location or building. This de-concentrated approach helps to spread supportive housing throughout a community. However, integrated supportive housing should include enough units to make the presence of on-site services, and property management staff specifically trained for supportive housing, to be financially and programmatically feasible. As such: A. integrated supportive housing should designate up to 33% of its units as supportive housing, with the rest of the apartments comprised of a mix of affordable or market rate apartments. B. larger integrated supportive housing developments can successfully fulfill the dual goals of efficiency and opportunity by designating a minimum of 10%, but at least 25 apartments, as supportive housing. C. small developments that are 100% PSH may be permissible when a specific benefit will be derived by the intended tenants of the development. Inclusion 14.All supportive housing models, including scattered site, single site, and integrated, require implementation of active engagement strategies to maximize tenant awareness of, or involvement with, community resources. 15.Where public transportation or accessible routes are not available or affordable for tenants to access community resources, the supportive housing project should include site based transportation services. Page 3 FORT WORTH., Permanent Supportive Dousing Guidelines and Recommendations 16.Supportive housing units should be distributed throughout an integrated supportive housing development as evenly as possible. Accessible or barrier free apartments may be concentrated on the first floor of buildings without elevators. 17.All tenants of integrated supportive housing developments should be afforded the same rights and responsibilities. Tenants of supportive housing units should not be identified as such, or subject to special rules or requirements. 18.All supportive housing developments, including integrated supportive housing, should promote or sponsor events or activities that encourage interaction between tenants. 19.All supportive housing developments should promote the development of tenant leadership in advisory capacities, or the organization of social activities. 20.The short and long term maintenance of all supportive housing developments should be detailed in the property management plan, asset management plan, or written maintenance procedures. This should include annual inspection and maintenance schedules, and a timetable for conducting capital needs assessments. The annual maintenance budget, and a capitalized replacement reserve and/or annual contributions to a reserve, should meet industry standards, and match anticipated needs for maintenance, repairs or replacement. 21.The written property management plan for supportive housing developments should describe all security measures to be implemented within the building and grounds. The deployment of security measures such as human resources, cameras and other equipment as needed should also be reflected in the project's capital, operating or services budgets. Recommendations 22.PSH project sponsors should establish Good Neighbor Agreements with other community entities (businesses, neighborhood associations, faith based institutions, etc.) A. The intent and focus of Good Neighbor Agreements (GNAs) should be to 1 foster engagement, communication, and interaction, between the various components of a neighborhood, to help guide their investment in its future. It should not be to single out a single group for scrutiny and i enforcement. B. The roles, rights and responsibilities of all parties participating in the GNA, should be spelled out in detail. a I 1 Page 4 ®IiT ©RTx., Permanent Supportive Housing Guidelines and Recommendations C. GNAs involving multi-family rental housing should be written early in the development process in order to harmonize design elements, tenant services, and neighborhood goals. An apartment building which prohibits smoking anywhere in the building or on the grounds will not mesh well with a GNA that addresses smoking in public on neighborhood sidewalks. An apartment building with no common areas may conflict with a GNA that references gatherings of groups in the neighborhood. D. Planning a GNA should involve the participation of neighborhood residents, neighborhood associations, businesses, schools, churches, civic organizations, public officials, and potential tenants. E. GNAs involving integrated supportive housing developments should be inclusive of all tenants as to its contents, distribution and use. These should not highlight and single out a single portion of the tenants of a building. All tenants should receive the same orientation as to the document's contents and purpose. F. Shared activities and opportunities for interaction should be encouraged by GNAs. The intent should be to convert feared strangers into friends and neighbors. Sharing common space in buildings, encouraging participation in neighborhood associations,joint neighborhood events, community gardens, connecting to local businesses as shoppers or employees, joining local congregations, etc. are all opportunities that could be encouraged. G. Regular, ongoing avenues of communication should be built into GNAs. Not just emergency meetings when a problem arises. H. A formal process of notification and resolution of grievances between the parties participating in the GNA should be included. I. A process of periodic evaluation of the GNA, and how it's working, should be included in the document. t 23.PSH projects should come in with full partnerships among developer, service provider, and property management entity. Documentation of this partnership via a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is highly recommended. 24.PSH should be near public transportation for tenants. 25.PSH should strive to connect with local community centers, faith based institutions and other community supports to connect tenants to the neighborhood. r Page 5 oRT ORTU, Permanent Supportive Housing Guidelines and Recommendations 26.Resident services should support stable tenancy via community building. Services models should be designed to incorporate Best Practices and Quality Standards for Permanent Supportive Housing, including Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, and Stages of Change. 27.Developers should strive to incorporate the following design elements: A. Space available for the provision of onsite case management and other services. B. Communal space to allow for resident services (i.e., classes, holiday parties, and other community building activities). C. PSH units have kitchen and full bathroom facilities. If this is not feasible due to structure or rehab options, bathroom and kitchen facilities shall be accessible and available. 1 j r i I i r Page 6 f