Supportive Housing Program
The Supportive Housing Program (SHP) is one of three programs funded competitively under HUD’s Continuum of Care process. SHP is designed to develop/provide housing and related supportive services for people moving from homelessness to independent living. SHP has six program components, or approaches, for which funding may be requested. Each grant applicant may choose the approach that best fits the needs of their population.
These components are
- Permanent Housing for Persons with Disabilities,
- Transitional Housing,
- Supportive Services Only,
- Safe Havens,
- Homeless Management Information Systems, and
- Innovative Supportive Housing.
To learn more about each approach, go to HUD HRE.
Within these six components, SHP funding is generally available to support the following activities: acquisition and rehabilitation of housing facilities for homeless individuals or families; new construction of housing facilities; leasing of existing structures to provide supportive housing or supportive services, or leasing of individual units; supportive services (e.g. case management, behavioral health treatment, outreach); operating costs; development or implementation of Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS); and project administrative costs.
To access the guidebook for service providers on the Continuum of Care program produced by HUD go to:
http://www.hudhre.info/documents/CoC101.pdf
Eligible Applicants:
Eligible applicants include States, local governments, other government agencies (such as public housing agencies), private nonprofit organizations, and community mental health associations that are public nonprofit organizations. Applicants must apply for funding through their local Continuum of Care system.
Eligible Beneficiaries:
SHP helps homeless people who are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings, or those who are sleeping in an emergency shelter as a primary nighttime residence.
Funding Mechanism:
Grants under SHP are awarded through a national competition held annually. A notice of funding availability, published in the Federal Register, establishes submission dates and specific rules of the competition for applicants. SHP projects should be submitted through the community Continuum of Care system.
Changes under HEARTH:
On May 20, 2009, President Obama signed the Homeless Emergency and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009. The HEARTH Act amends and reauthorizes the McKinney‐Vento Homeless Assistance Act with substantial changes, including a consolidation of HUD’s competitive homeless assistance grant programs (Supportive Housing Program, Shelter Plus Care, and Section 8/ Single Room Occupancy Dwelling) into one program – the Continuum of Care Program. These changes will not go into effect until HUD has issued final regulations. For more information, visit the HUDHRE.
