WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — Shelter officials worry it will be more difficult for people to stay out of homelessness now that a waitlist for new housing vouchers has been closed until further notice.
Due to a funding shortfall, federal rental assistance provided through a Michigan State Housing Development Authority program won’t reach as many lower-income peoples and families facing homelessness.
MSHDA cannot issue new Housing Choice Vouchers, with a few exceptions, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development informed the agency. A waitlist prioritizing people facing homelessness who are seeking rental assistance to secure stable housing will have to wait until the list reopens and reapply. There’s no word on when that could happen.
While people already in the program will continue to receive rental assistance, MSHDA is barred from issuing new vouchers with a few exceptions. The agency can still issue new ones through the Project-Based Voucher program, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, and Stability Voucher program.
“We’re probably going to see more length of stay at the shelter,” said Dan Kelly, who directs the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. “And more people waiting for beds.”
The association operates the Robert J. Delonis Center, a shelter for adults in Ann Arbor.
“Without (new vouchers) we have one less tool to do the job and get people into housing. Basically, it will limit people’s options,” Kelly said.
Due to the housing crisis, the Delonis Center has seen the average length of stay increase to around 150 days, up from about 90, in several years, he said.
“We continue to see that rise, and this not being available means people who need beds aren’t able to get into beds because people are already using them.”
A record number of people needed shelter last winter, he said, with the association serving as many as 193 people on a given night. During winter, more sheltering options become available, with churches, county facilities, and other locations taking people in.
This summer, with fewer options available, there are about 143 people waiting for a bed,” he said.
While organizations can explore other subsidy options for their clients, he said, those “take longer.”
Alpha House, an emergency shelter for families off Jackson Road, runs a rapid re-housing program and covers housing subsidies for up to a year.
Executive Director Shonagh Taruza is “very worried,” she said.
“We’ve been doing it as a stop gap measure until they can get Housing Choice Vouchers,” Taruza said. “By the time they are graduating out of the program, they are at risk of losing housing again.”
With a homeless preference waitlist closed and applications expired, “there are people who have lost their spots,” she said.
She said family homelessness has been trending up with “no sign of slowing.” About 120 families on average in the county are waiting for housing.
“It feels like we’ve set ourselves up for a mess that we’ll be untangling for years.”
Alpha House had to convert offices into more bedroom space for families. A play area in the basement will be converted into a communal living space to house multiple families.
In May, HUD released funding renewal calculations of MSHDA’s Housing Choice Voucher program for the remainder of the year, according to a release county Human Services Policy Specialist Kristin Kunes emailed July 1 to the county Continuum of Care listserv.
“When reviewing the data, the funding HUD provided did not support current and projected HCV program costs for the remainder of the year. Based on this, HUD determined MSHDA’s HCV program to be in a shortfall,” according to the release.
According to a MSHDA, the duration of the shortfall “is uncertain,” officials said in a question-and-answer document, “however, it’s expected that MSHDA will be working with the HUD Shortfall team at least through the end of 2024.”
“MSHDA will inform partners prior to re-opening the waiting lists to ensure adequate time to locate and prioritize individuals and families that are experiencing homelessness for entry to the waiting list.”
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