THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE FAMILY SUCCESS ADMINISTRATION DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS ACTION.
This action supports the Board's Value of "Approaching human services collaboratively and compassionately, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable," and the Goal to "Collaborate with public and private partners to find creative, equitable, and responsible solutions to systemic community problems, especially permanent supportive housing for persons experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness."
On December 7, 2017 the Coordinating Council of Broward County (CCB) became aware that there were approximately 450 families being housed in hotels due to being displaced by Hurricane Irma. Hotels were being paid directly by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through their Temporary Shelter Program (TSA). The immediate concern was a pending deadline of January 6, 2018, for this benefit, and it was unclear the extent to which these families were prepared to check out of the hotels into permanent housing situations. The CCB was also informed that the State had submitted a 28-day extension request to FEMA, which if approved, would take the benefit expiration date to February 10, 2018.
CCB members decided to host an assessment event, coordinated by United Way on December 16, 2017, to gain a better understanding of the individual needs of each of the displaced families; many community agencies, including Human Services Department, Family Success Administration (FSAD) participated. A majority of the families were referred for case management services to various agencies in Broward County, including FSAD, to plan for their permanent housing needs; almost all of the 450 families are involved at some level with community agencies, working in partnership to achieve stability, and others did not require further assistance.
On December 22, 2017, the State sent communication indicating that the extension request was approved as submitted, however there was a lack of clarity as to who the extension actually applied to. Many families thought they were granted an extension, and in fact were not, due to new and restrictive criteria; approximately 200 families were deemed eligible for an extension, and can only remain in the FEMA funded hotels until February 10, 2018. The CCB members did not become aware that the extension did not apply to all families until Friday, January 5, 2018. United Way agreed to extend hotel payments for the ineligible families through Monday, January 8, 2018, with the understanding that this could not be a long term solution given their limited resources. Broward CARES agreed to pay for an additional two-day hotel extension for non-Fort Lauderdale residents, and the City of Fort Lauderdale agreed to pay for an additional five-day extension for their residents.
The agreement between United Way and Broward County, which is the subject of item 37 on the agenda for January 9, 2018, is related and is intended to contribute to the limited assistance that these families would need to secure permanent housing and stability. These funds will be used to provide temporary case management, first and last months' rent, security deposits, and other related expenses. |