2014 08 15 Bd Memo Complete

Office of the Superintendent Drew Educational Support Center

600 N. Lombard Street Wilmington, DE 19801

(302) 552-2630 FAX: (302) 429-3944 TDD Relay Service (800) 232-5470 [email protected]

August 15, 2014 MEMORANDUM TO:

Christina Board of Education

FROM:

Freeman L. Williams, Ed.D., Superintendent

RE:

Board Memo – August 15, 2014

1.

State Rental Assistance Program – DOE Pilot

(Attachment A)

Christina has agreed to participate in a pilot program Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) has created to provide rental assistance to families with students in Christina who may become or may be on the verge of becoming homeless. Titled “SRAP” the State Rental Assistance Program is designed to encourage stability for students and to reduce transportation time and costs. The target group for participation includes families where homelessness is perhaps situational and sudden. This is not proposed as a resolution for chronic or long term homelessness. Candidates for the program start the process by contacting the Homeless Liaisons located within each of our buildings. DSHA applications are completed and the process for submission to DSHA is reviewed by a small team within the Student Supports and Services Office. Criteria are set by DSHA and the district and include income level, length of time of homelessness, citizenship, etc. SRAP will provide approved candidates rent vouchers paid directly to an approved housing landlord for approximately one year or for as long as the candidate is in need. A two page summary of the program is attached. Christina will be working with all of the Building Homeless Liaisons to train them to identify potential candidates, assist in filling out the application, gathering supporting documentation, and submitting qualified candidates to DSHA for processing. The program is set to begin in September. 2. Calendar of Events August 18, 2014 Classroom Prep Day 5:00pm-7:00pm: Back to School Barbeque (KirkMS, SmithES, BrennenComplex)

Mr. David Resler, President; Mr. Frederick W. Polaski, Vice President; Mr. George E. Evans, Esq.; Mrs. Harrie-Ellen Minnehan; Mrs. Elizabeth Paige; Mrs. Shirley Saffer; Mr. John M. Young; and Dr. Freeman L. Williams, Executive Secretary The Christina School District is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age or Vietnam Era veteran’s status in employment or its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding compliance with the above may be directed to the Director of K-12 Services, Christina School District, 600 North Lombard Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, Telephone: (302) 552-2600

Board Memo August 15, 2014 Page Two

August 19, 2014 Professional Development 5:00pm-8:00pm: Glasgow HS Band Camp August 20, 2014 Professional Development 5:00pm-7:00pm: Back to School Barbeque (BayardMS) 6:00pm-8:00pm: Smith ES Back to School Night August 21, 2014 Professional Development 10:00am-12:00pm: "Clearing a Path to a Successful Future" - Bancroft ES 4:00pm-6:00pm: Stubbs ES Back to School Block Party 5:00pm-8:00pm: Glasgow HS Band Practice & Performance August 22, 2014 PK-12 SCHOOLS CLOSED (Offices Open) August 25, 2014 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (See below for the following grades/programs):    

Grades 1-6 and Grade 9 Grades PK-12, Delaware Autism Program (DAP) Grades K-12, Delaware School for the Deaf (DSD) Grades K-12, REACH Program

ORIENTATION DAY - Kindergarten Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits August 26, 2014 ALL STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOL (See Below)  Kindergarten through Grade 12  Montessori Academy at Christina - Newark/Wilmington Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits 3:00pm-5:00pm: Glasgow HS Band Practice August 27, 2014 Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits August 28, 2014 Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits 3:00pm-5:00pm: Glasgow HS Band Practice August 29, 2014 Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits

Mr. David Resler, President; Mr. Frederick W. Polaski, Vice President; Mr. George E. Evans, Esq.; Mrs. Harrie-Ellen Minnehan; Mrs. Elizabeth Paige; Mrs. Shirley Saffer; Mr. John M. Young; and Dr. Freeman L. Williams, Executive Secretary The Christina School District is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age or Vietnam Era veteran’s status in employment or its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding compliance with the above may be directed to the Director of K-12 Services, Christina School District, 600 North Lombard Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, Telephone: (302) 552-2600

Attachment A State Rental Assistance Program – DOE Pilot SRAP Overview: The Delaware State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) is designed to serve low-income households who are eligible to receive continuing supportive services and who require affordable housing to live independently in the community. The Program features rental subsidies administered by the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) for populations referred by the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families. Once successfully housed through SRAP, case managers from DHSS, DSCYF, or an approved service provider continue to ensure that households have access to supportive services, as needed. Participation in supportive services is voluntary, however, and is not a condition of participation in SRAP. Target Populations: SRAP serves eligible applicants from the following populations: 1. DHSS clients exiting state-supported or privately run long-term care facilities who require affordable housing to transition to community-based care. 2. DHSS clients exiting the Delaware Psychiatric Center who are eligible to receive supportive services and require affordable housing and supportive services to live safely in community. 3. Youth at least 18 years old who have not yet reached their 21st birthday, who left foster care at age 16 or older, are receiving supportive services from the Division of Family Services (DFS), and require affordable housing to live safely in the community. 4. Families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the imminent placement of the family’s child or children in out-of-home care, or in a delay of discharge of a child or children to the family from out-of-home care. 5. Current youth participants in the Family Unification Program who are determined to be eligible for transition into the State Rental Assistance Program. 6. Applicants identified by case managers as at-risk of being admitted to or of requiring supportive services from a state-supported institution due to a lack of adequate and affordable housing. Program Funding: SRAP was launched in FY2012 with an initial allocation of $1.5 million from the Bond and Capital Improvements Act (Bond Bill). In FY2013, that amount was increased to $3 million, and became a line-item in the General Fund. The DHSS Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health has also provided additional funding specifically to support their clients ($800,000 in FY2012, $1.1 million in FY2013, and $800,000 in FY2015). Total Program funding received to date amounts to $13.2 million. This has created and sustained approximately 617 rental vouchers for qualifying households. SRAP Production: Program Production numbers include vouchers issued (participants currently seeking housing), as well as units leased (participants have secured a rental unit and have signed a lease). These numbers reflect Program activity through August 1, 2014.

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Attachment A State Rental Assistance Program – DOE Pilot SRAP Production and Pipeline: Applications Pending

Vouchers Issued

Units Leased

Total

Applications Pending

Funds Reserved

Vouchers Issued

Funds Reserved

Units Leased

Funds Encumbered

Application, Vouchers and Units

Total Funds Reserved and Encumbered

(#)

($)

(#)

($)

(#)

($)

(#)

($)

56

$476,000

189

$1,606,500

428

$3,383,472

673

$5,465,972

SRAP-DOE Pilot Program: In 2014, DSHA is partnering with Christina School District (CSD) to extend SRAP assistance to families who are identified by CSD representatives as having a precarious housing situation, and who require rental assistance to locate and secure affordable housing in close geographic proximity to where their children currently attend school. A designated amount of $1 million will be set aside from existing SRAP funds to serve referrals from this population. This funding will allow DSHA to offer and administer rental housing subsidies to 100 families for a time period of 12 months each. Documented Need: The Delaware Department of Education (DOE) reported in 2012 that statewide, homeless families identified within the education system included counts of 1,592 families doubled-up for cause; 250 families in hotels/motels; and 157 families in shelters. There is plenty of literature that describes the impact of an unstable housing situation on a child’s education. Beyond the detriment to the student, the McKinney Vento Act requires that students who are in homeless situations have the same access to educational services and opportunities as other students. This includes a requirement that a homeless student be given the opportunity to stay in their school of origin without incurring transportation costs. Families temporarily living outside their established geographic areas rely on transportation funded jointly by DOE and the school district to continue sending their children to their home schools (rather that uprooting them and sending them to a new school in close geographic proximity to their new housing setting). In 2012, this cost DOE approximately $3 million. Expanding the SRAP program to homeless families with students in the school system is consistent with the two original pillars of the program – to offer a better quality of life to the people receiving housing assistance, and to provide housing services in a way that allows the state to offset the costs of the program through cost savings or cost avoidance. Program Development and Implementation: DSHA will coordinate with Christina School District (CSD) to create a pilot SRAP-DOE program. Applications for housing assistance will be completed by the family in cooperation with homeless service coordinators within the schools. DSHA will process applications, inspect the units, and process rent subsidy payments to the participating landlords. Families will have a choice of housing and will be assisted in locating available and affordable rental units by the homeless service coordinators using the “Delaware Housing Search” website (www.delawarehousingsearch.com), the Affordable Housing Services Directory, and other housing resources that may be helpful to the family. DSHA will monitor how much demand there is for the program and how many applications are filed and will open or restrict the program accordingly.

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