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How do you think HOME-ARP funds could be used to further address the eligible uses stated above? Please explain.

Respondent	Comment
Response 1
Response 2	TEST
Response 3	You should change this so they have to rank these against each other. That way the responder pick their first priority activity to last. Otherwise they may pick all as very important and you lose the determination of what is the most important.
Response 4	Not sure.
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Response 10	I do not feel educated enough to answer this question.
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Response 16	We are looking at developing affordable supported housing for people with disabilities as they transition into adulthood. This would include job preparation, financial literacy, assisted living sources and basic life skills.
Response 17
Response 18	Include mortgage assistance
Response 19	Youth and young adult programs are extremely important to allow for a time for individuals to express themselves and work through compounding trauma.
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Response 23	In my opinion I feel the homeless community under the bridges and sleeping in tents should receive assistance to provide housing, implement job programs, counseling, mental health therapy, and substance abuse programs to help one get on their feet.
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Response 25	Funding to domestic violence organizations
Response 26	NA
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Response 30	Clients not only need shelter, but basic necessities, beds, etc.
Response 31	There is a dearth of quality housing options for those with low-income.
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Response 34	We have seen the most effective way to serve people experiencing literal homelessness is to provide housing and supportive services that allow individuals and families to remain stably housed and receive the assistance they need. Currently, in Harris County there is a lack of affordable housing especially 1 bedroom units that are available to people experiencing homelessness. Increasing rent prices across the county only further exasterbate this issue and put people who are unstably housed at risk of falling into homelessness.
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Response 37	To possiblity extend housing assistance time for persons that may have exhausted funding under other grants, but need more time to be come housing stable.
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Response 42	Provide more financial support to individuals. Itâ€™s a growing population of homeless individuals in need
Response 43	These funds could provide emergency/permanent housing opportunities to at risk populations in our service areas.
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Response 49	To continually keep the programs improving and assisting the population they are serving.
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Response 52	By supporting the eligibility of those that are servicing said clients
Response 53
Response 54	First of explain to many in the community who are too busy to catch up on the news to know all the amazing changes HOME-ARP does. HUD has already sent the funding to participating jurisdictions (receivers of HOME funds). To spend HOME-ARP funding, all participating jurisdictions are required to: 1) determine needs and gaps â€“ which should include an analysis of racial and other disparities in need; 2) consult with Continuums of Care Public Housing Authorities and Veteran Serving Organizations â€“ review needs, priorities and potential resources to leverage; 3) develop an allocation plan â€“ a new allocation plan specific to HOME-ARP that states how the fund will be spent by each activity type including supportive housing and the populations served; and 4) post for a minimum 15-day public comment period. This should have trickled through Houston Housing and Community Development in the M A N Y virtual meetings they have with community leaders. That time could have been used to educate the community, many non-profits and at a loss as how to work with Beacon and Search to get folks into COC with Coalition of the Homeless and all the misinformation out here. They can help you place so many more folks in stable housing if you would communicate out of this department; collaborate with HHA; and train the nonprofits in HMIS. Watching 3 Gen Z kids in front of Lord Of The Streets yesterday 2 without masks do "intake" was a first and also sad because they could have been in a nice tent, sitting down and HOT could have been out telling folks to get down to LOTS not just for a hot meal but for housing intake or housing updates. I watch one every month and it's abysmal how these folks are spoken too and they are simply trying to figure out how to make those bullets points above happen for the neighbors who are being evicted en masse at the highest levels in the US; outpacing Chicago and NYC. Housing and Food Security are massively underestimated in this City. https://www.csh.org/2021/10/home-arp-and-supportive-housing-a-great-pairing/
Response 55	Funds for nonprofit Capacity building assistance is highly needed
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Response 58	There has been very little focus on Tenet-based rental assistance until disaster funding was available. Focus has mainly gone to long-term housing such as supportive housing that is limited in the number it can assist as well as limited in the number of beds available until someone leaves the program. Homeless prevention is a big part of managing homelessness.
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Response 65	I think all of the above are vital but providing the funds for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) (such as rental assistance, security deposits, utility deposits, and utility payments) to numerous and different types of agencies would be very helpful
Response 66
Response 67	help to get the homeless population off the streets into housing
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Response 72	Provide mental health/ drug addiction services-in patient and out patient- to help individuals
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Response 74	We have stop using the same companies that are first in line for all funding that don't even leave their office and have no idea whats going on in the streets we have voted brown and black into office and data shoes black are number 1 in all columns but we are always the volunteer and on the commercials and ask for our data! I have been in property management, real estate agent, domestic violence,n raped, evicted, lived in shelter,etc showed up to the most meeting including the first on acres home complete communities and never got funding Give to our organization so we have warehouses and funding for housing for we are connected to over 100 other minority ran non profits that non got funding! but we are boots on the ground. we are never going to advance no crime and no homelessness with lying data from companies that don't fear of never losing funding
Response 75
Response 76	Mental health services would be a huge benefit while in housing.
Response 77	There is a serious shortage of low income permanent housing for the elderly. They have no place to go. We hundreds of elderly person on waiting lists on our properties. I get calls all day everyday from people in need of elderly housing. There is no place for them to go. The current trend of Tax Credit housing for the elderly is a joke. It will not serve social security recipients. There may be 10% of the units that are for very low income elderly. The rest are priced out of the income range for them. We serve hundreds of Section 8 202 income people and they wait years for housing. More projects need to be developed for very low income elderly with an inclusion of subsidized rent. We are looking at the next wave of people under the bridges if something is not done. Elderly people cannot live on the street very long.
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Response 85	Length of program enrollment should be extended. Amount of assistance should be increased, number of one-bedroom apartments available for homelessness prevention programs should be expanded. Overall program funding should be increased to allow for more case managers and navigators
Response 86	By letting smaller organizations have the opportunity to funding we can help more . My organization is on the ground we see things first hand in real time. Affordable housing is needed but small organizations are needing funds to be able to hire staffs when it comes to applying for food stamps when it comes to applying for Medicaid when it comes to applying for housing some clients don't even understand how to use a computer so using this money to be able to hire staff that's willing to help our clients succeed in learning and educating them on the day-to-day needs to be able to succeed to just have a daily life . Texas health human service offices is tell clients to stand outside to fill out a application . What about our people that can't read they are coming to get proper help that they need and the office is telling them you have to fill the application outside of the door why because they don't have enough staff so it's people going hungry people not having what they qualify for just because of staffing . Unique private Care center stabilizes house and educate you cannot even apply for identification in the state of Texas if you do not have a stable address we need to use this money to rework our systems and put better systems in place for our people. You can't do one without the other but if you're homeless and you're trying to get a job you can't even do that if you're not stable and don't have a stable address to get identification to even start your life.
Response 87	The homelessness should be addressed in two fronts: One, building the infrastructure for Affordable Rental Housing for people who can pay (have a job and are "stable"). Two, serving people who are not there yet, who need the temporary shelter, who need the supportive services, who need rental assistance. The goal would be to move them to the front One above (to get a job and be able to pay for Affordable Rental Housing or even better).
Response 88	there are many individuals and families that struggle to with income due to barriers of employment hours, childcare, skills, ESL, and mental health so these areas are where we find clients needs
Response 89
Response 90	We must setup an appropriate infrastructure to ensure that intake and eligibilty on the front end truly happens. A quality control mechanism as well a service fulfillment on the backend operations must also be established. This will be a critical key component regardless of which eligilbe category is acquired. This operational cost must be part of the funding allocation process.
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Response 94	I believe the uses listed above can address the homeless crisis. The problem our non-profit organization is experiencing, there are no governmental support ie $$ grants for the East End of Harris County so that non-profits like ours can address homeless. All the grant dollars are spent inside Houston or in the already grant-funded areas inside Harris County.
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Response 97	Housing is imperative for the health and well-being of all members of our community, including and especially those who are already homeless or those who are at the front door of becoming homeless, as Covid-19 pandemic continues to devastate our neighborhoods. In general, the expansion of homelessness prevention programs would subsequently help us relieve the burden this pandemic continues to put not only on our healthcare system but also on our law enforcement system. Homelessness is one of contributing factors to rising crime rates, increasing rates of incarcerations, substance abuse, not to mention itâ€™s adverse effects on mental health system. All of this comes at a great cost to taxpayers. Because of drastic drop in production, prices (food, rent, etc.) have skyrocketed. People are struggling to make the ends meet and provide for their families. Weâ€™ve heard such comments from some of our clients as â€œI will rather stay homeless because I canâ€™t afford roof over my headâ€ and/or â€œAt least as I am living out of my car, I can still buy food for my kidsâ€. Homelessness prevention programs need to be expanded to allow for more time with people in need. Solving homelessness involves not only housing, but a whole array of support services, which ensure that problem remains solved permanently or long term. Homelessness prevention programs need to have more staff members, which would allow for a lower â€œcase manager per clientâ€ ratio. This way our clients can be amply educated about various support programs that are available to them in the community. Case managers would be able to understand the needs of their clients better, would be able to expand their outreach to those in need of assistance.
Response 98	N/A
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