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24th Annual Conference

Click here to register.

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June's member meeting was full of updates and we greatly appreciate all who joined us in attendance. Members heard updates including:

Janel Winter shared the latest news from DCA on the success New Jersey has shown in directing funds toward Emergency Rental Assistance in relation to the pandemic and our readiness for additional funds if Federal funding is redirected.

Kate Kelly guided attendees through the extensive work of the past 18 months of SHA's Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant and the subsequent Integrated Community Project Toolkit that is nearly ready for release.

Kate Leahy spoke to the progress made in a national review of practices as SHA works on a Housing Innovation Grant and the latest on the New Jersey Housing Navigation Program.

Steve Schoch updated attendees on SHA's Board activities and the plans for engagement in new strategic planning and strategic conversations.

Diane Riley helped update members with the latest from DMHAS and spoke of important upcoming SHA opportunities including the Multiple Employer Plan for retirement savings and SHA's 2022 Supportive Housing Conference.

Don't miss out on great opportunities and meetings by joining SHA today. Contact Joseph Christensen to learn more about member benefits and how to apply.

Become a SHA Member and get access to great meetings and many other great member benefits. Need more information? Email Joseph Christensen with your questions.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is notifying states that they now have an additional year — through March 31, 2025 — to use funding made available by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to enhance, expand, and strengthen home- and community-based services (HCBS) for people with Medicaid who need long-term services and supports. As the primary funder of HCBS nationally, Medicaid plays a critical role in supporting states’ efforts to strengthen these services for their beneficiaries.

This ARP funding allows states to identify and implement changes aimed at addressing existing HCBS workforce and structural issues. It will also help expand states’ capacity to provide critical services and meet the needs of family caregivers and people on HCBS waitlists. Moreover, states can use these funds to tailor HCBS activities based on the needs and priorities of their residents.

Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program NOFO

The deadline to apply for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is three weeks away. All applications for the FY21 YHDP NOFO must be submitted no later than June 28, 2022, at 11:59 PM EDT to Grants.gov. YHDP is an initiative designed to address systemic responses to youth homelessness and significantly reduce the number of youth experiencing homelessness. Through this NOFO, HUD will award approximately $72 million in up to 25 participating communities. All CoCs are encouraged to consider applying for the FY 2021 YHDP NOFO.

The HUD.gov YHDP page has several resources to help your community apply for this funding opportunity, including:

HUD has a new funding opportunity for qualitative research focused on the Stepped and Tiered Rent Demonstration (STRD). In the STRD, ten PHAs will be implementing alternative rent policies known as stepped rents and tiered rents. These policies might be easier for PHAs to administer and encourage assisted households to increase their income. The STRD is designed as an experiment, and HUD is already funding an independent impact evaluation (find the research design, data collection, and analysis plan at the following link: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/mtw/cohort2.html). The new funding for qualitative research is meant to complement the impact evaluation by documenting how assisted households participating in the demonstration experience the new rent policies.

To apply, visit: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=FR-6600-N-29D. The application deadline is July 7, 2022.

NEW JERSEY – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $99 million in funding to 56 public housing authorities (PHAs) in New Jersey to make capital investments in their public housing properties. The grant is part of $3.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2022 Capital Fund Program Awards to 2,813 PHAs in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

SHA applauds this funding and congratulates Members Jersey City Housing Authority and North Bergen Housing Authority on receiving a portion of these available funds.

On October 1, 2021, Day Services Rates (i.e. Career Planning, Community Inclusion Services, Day Habilitation, Prevocational Training - Group and Individual, and Supported Employment - Group and Individual) were increased due to one-time funding appropriated to the Division’s FY22 budget, as outlined in Payments for Day Services. As part of the rate increases, a portion was delivered as an Enhanced Rate requiring a monthly reconciliation. Further, due to the nature of the increase and one-time legislative language, all underspent funds must be distributed by the Division to service providers rendering the aforementioned services. To address, the Division will administer a proportional one-time lump sum payment to providers of the projected underspent funds.

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In April 2022, provider agencies who employ direct support professionals received an invitation along with instructions from the Division of Developmental Disabilities (Division) to participate in the National Core Indicators (NCI) Staff Stability Survey - 2021. Invitations were sent to the provider email address associated with the iRecord. The NCI Staff Stability Survey is open until June 30^th, 2022. It is critical that all eligible provider agencies complete this survey as it provides critical data on Direct Support Professional wages in New Jersey. 

If your organization has not received an invitation to participate please contact DDD.NCI@dhs.nj.gov. Please see the Division’s NCI Staff Stability Overview for more information.

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The Division is once again virtually conducting the NCI In-Person Survey (IPS), for individuals 21 and older who are receiving at least one Division-funded service in addition to Support Coordination. The 2021-2022 NCI IPS will be administered through June 30, 2022. 

Please see the Division’s NCI In-Person Survey Overview for more information. Questions regarding the NCI Staff Stability Survey or NCI In-Person Survey can be directed to DDD.NCI@dhs.nj.gov.

The New Jersey Assembly Housing Committee advanced a resolution this week urging Congress to include funding to increase affordable home production, prevent homelessness, and reduce housing instability in the any federal reconciliation bill. Investments targeting home affordability are part of the HouseNJ campaign agenda promoted by the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network).

A recent report by the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice found 75.9% of white households own homes in the Garden State, compared to 38.4% of Black households. The report said that inequity in home ownership is a key driver of the racial wealth gap in the state.

A new bill in New Jersey could have real estate appraisers face penalties for discriminating against a homeowner, buyer, or their agents because of their race or nationality under a proposal state lawmakers began advancing this week. Under the bill (S777) appraisers who are found to lower a house’s appraisal because of race, color, creed, or national origin could have their licenses, certifications, or registrations revoked or suspended or be subject to fines. It would be up to the New Jersey Real Estate Appraiser Board to determine if actions are discriminatory. (NJ.com, June 5, 2022)

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing released the results of its first comprehensive consumer survey on access to mental health and substance use care showing there are significant unmet substance use and mental health care needs, far more than physical health needs.

Results from the 2022 Access to Care survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, show a staggering 43% of U.S. adults say they needed substance use or mental health care in the past 12 months did not receive that care and identified numerous barriers that stand between them and needed treatment.

The 2022 Access to Care survey is available on the National Council website.

As outlined in Internal Revenue Service Notice 2022-05, the Agency is granting the following relief, excerpted from the Notice below:

 C. PLACED IN SERVICE DEADLINE

close of calendar year 2022 (that is, December 31, 2022).

• If the original placed-in-service deadline is the close of calendar year 2021 and the original deadline for the 10-percent test in § 42(h)(1)(E)(ii) was before April 1, 2020, the new placed-in-service deadline is the close of calendar year 2022 (that is, December 31, 2022).

• If the original placed-in-service deadline is the close of calendar year 2021 and the original deadline for the 10-percent test in § 42(h)(1)(E)(ii) was on or after April 1, 2020, and on or before December 31, 2020, then the new placed-in service deadline is the close of calendar year 2023 (that is, December 31, 2023).

• If the original placed-in-service deadline is the close of calendar year 2022 (and thus the original deadline for the 10-percent test was in 2021), then the new placed-in-service deadline is the close of calendar year 2023 (that is, December 31, 2023).

If you have questions, please e-mail your requests to the LIHTC mailbox at NJHMFAtaxcredits@njhmfa.gov. Access forms, checklists, policies, previous developer bulletins and more under the Developer Tab, on the NJHMFA website.

TRENTON – First Lady Tammy Murphy introduced Connecting NJ, New Jersey’s first-of-its-kind network of partners and agencies dedicated to helping New Jersey families thrive. The website – www.NJ.gov/ConnectingNJ – centralizes information and referrals to state and local wellness services, including healthcare for mothers and children, early education programs, domestic violence support, addiction treatment, financial and housing assistance, home visiting programs, behavioral health services, and more. As a single point of entry for community members in need, Connecting NJ simplifies the process of accessing care.

Formerly known as Central Intake, the Connecting NJ brand launch includes a new website that provides community resources, programs, and services that help families care for children from pregnancy to age five. The rebrand supports a recommendation in the Nurture NJ Maternal and Infant Health Strategic Plan to improve and transform the referral system as the state continues to act as a national leader in tackling the maternal and infant health crisis.

Minority-owned developers, women-owned developers, and related stakeholders can respond to a request for information (RFI) on the barriers to accessing capital. The information will help inform the development of a Diverse Developer Fund. Responses are now due July 1st, 2022.

Whether you're seeking to update a community room, or have a full building of new apartments that need furnishing, CORT offers options to manage any space you can imagine. Whether renting or purchasing, CORT brings great offerings to the table.

Take a look at some recent designs in community rooms and shared spaces.

This 2.5 hour workshop is designed for CSS staff who develop and submit plans to the IME. Workshop participants must bring a de-identified IRP in development or have previously been submitted and received feedback but are not currently on hold to discuss and review. This will be entirely practice-based, and participants must be willing to bring a de-identified plan and provide feedback to others. Participants will work in small groups led by a SHP CSS staff. Each participant will present their plan, ask questions, and receive feedback and suggestions from those in their group. CSS programs should limit registration to 1 to 2 staff.  

The CSS IRP Development Workshop will be remote and held live through Zoom on Tuesday June 14th, 9:30 am until 12:00 pm. Space is limited, so licensed staff and RN’s should register as soon as possible. Registration information must be for the staff attending the training. 

If you have any questions regarding the CSS IRP Development Workshop, please contact Emilie Banz, Shelley Buchbinder, or Earle Leitch. 

Join the Social Security Administration for a national meeting to learn about their Equity Action Plan in support of President Biden’s Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. We will convene the meeting via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, June 16, 2022, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET.

Please register by Wednesday, June 15, 2022, to learn more about this historic plan. After registering, you will receive a follow-up email with the meeting agenda and Microsoft Teams link. Please share this invitation through your networks.

If you have any questions, please email OEA.Net.Post@ssa.gov.

June 16, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:15 PM EDT

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is sponsoring a webinar on Thursday, June 16, 2022, from 1:00 - 2:15 PM EDT to offer some practical road maps for making profound and sustainable change at the systems level. Participants will hear from leaders that are taking steps such as revamping coordinated entry to factor equity into new housing subsidies to statewide plans.

Click here to register today   

Once a year, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) and the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) host public forums to provide information on available services for individuals with disabilities and receive input from the community. This year, you can choose to join us virtually on either July 12th or July 21st.

The public forum registration is now open from June 1^st to July 1^st.

To attend these forums please click on the link and register. The forums will be virtual so you must register to attend.

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Members can post jobs to find applicants within the wider supportive housing community. Click on the button to visit our job page.