As many of you may have seen, the Senate Committee on Appropriations proposed its fiscal year 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) funding bill, which will cut funding for the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program to $66 million, rather than its current $900 million. That is just 7 percent of current funding being planned for use for fiscal year 2016. At this level of reduction, estimates reflect that Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC), as the state Participating Jurisdiction, would see funding for the HOME Program drop from $8.8 million to $669,318, a decrease of 93.62 percent. Covington, Lexington, Louisville, and Owensboro face higher percentage cuts.

*Estimates provided by COSCDA.

HOME funding is a vital piece in financing numerous affordable housing developments. HOME complements and supports many critical federal housing programs, including Section 202 housing for the elderly and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, making development financing feasible and achieving deeper income targeting. It also enables for-profit and nonprofit developers to provide affordable housing in their communities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has stated there would be an estimated 38,665 fewer affordable housing units available if this budget does not change. And that is where you come in. Please contact state Appropriations Committee Representative Harold Rogers, as well as Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, to urge them to save the HOME Program. The Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA) also has suggestions for awareness activities that can help educate necessary parties on the benefits to HOME funding.

If you have stories from persons who have benefitted from the use of these funds, we urge you to notify KHC, so we may contact them and make sure their story is shared with those who most need to hear it. To share a success story, please complete the KHC Success Story Request.

If you have any questions about the HOME Program in Kentucky, please contact Rob Ellis toll-free in Kentucky at 800-633-8896 or 502-564-7630, extension 257; TTY 711; or email rellis@kyhousing.org.

The Kentucky Department of Medicaid Services announced at a recent Kentucky Interagency Council on Homelessness meeting, beginning Wednesday, August 5, 2015, benefits will no longer be terminated from consumers during incarceration. Instead, their benefits will be suspended. This change will enable Medicaid consumers exiting from incarceration to reactivate their Medicaid benefits much more quickly and prevent them from losing benefits. The Department of Medicaid Services will also allow people to apply for Medicaid benefits while still incarcerated. According to the Department of Medicaid Services, until they are able to work out an electronic feed with the jails, the fastest way for Medicaid to be reactivated upon release of incarceration will be to upload discharge paperwork.

Stay tuned to KHC eGrams for more information. 

• Assisting people experiencing homelessness with the SSI/SSDI application process.
• Coordinating with SSA field offices, community organizations, and other federal agencies.
• Coordinating with other benefits and entitlements.
• Working with veterans and other special populations.
• Assisting SSI/SSDI beneficiaries post-entitlement.

The Balance of State (BoS) Continuum of Care (CoC) Advisory Board will meet Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at 10 a.m. ET, at KHC's U.S. 127 office, 1047 U.S. Hwy 127 South, Frankfort, Kentucky. A copy of the agenda is available upon request.

The press and public are invited to attend. Those outside of the Frankfort area may attend via Gotowebinar, but must register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6592548942204851457.  

The 2015 new and conversion project guidelines and pre-application for the Kentucky Balance of State (BoS) Continuum of Care (CoC) are now available. Agencies that submitted a new project intent to apply in May should use the 2015 Kentucky BoS CoC New and Conversion Project Guidelines/Pre-Application to complete the next step in the 2015 CoC application process.

Current CoC-funded Transitional Housing (TH) or Support Service Only (SSO) projects, needing to renew CoC funding in 2015, are the only entities eligible to apply for project conversion funding. Only conversion to Rapid Rehousing Housing (RRH) for individuals or families, or Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) dedicated to chronically homeless, will be permitted. TH or SSO programs that are changing program components to PSH or RRH will be given priority in reallocation funding over other new project applications.

Applicants should ensure their proposed project conversions will serve at least as many households annually as their current CoC project. All conversion projects will be scored using the renewal project scoring criteria.

To assist in preparing a pre-application with a leasing or rental assistance budget, a 2015 Leasing/Rapid Rehousing FMR Worksheet is also available online with 2015 Fair Market Rents (FMRs) linked in the document.

The 2015 KY BoS CoC New Project Scoring Criteria is also available.

All new projects applying for KY BoS CoC reallocation funding or any new funding that may be announced via the 2015 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) will be using the 2015 KY BoS CoC New Project Scoring Criteria.

The 2015 CoC NOFA may be released during the process of completing the pre-application. The NOFA will provide the HUD-required process for the HUD CoC application, including the application deadline. It will also specify eligible projects and HUD priorities. The 2015 KY BoS funding priorities are based on current state and federal homeless goals and should not vary with the 2015 NOFA.

All necessary documents are available on KHC's website, under Specialized Housing, Continuum of Care.

All parties interested in submitting new or conversion projects must submit a pre-application to Ruth Ann Cooper via email at rcooper@kyhousing.org by 5 p.m., Monday, August 10, 2015.   

Recipients of 2013 and 2014 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding, including Victim Service Provider (VSP) agencies, are required to submit a breakdown of ESG funds expended from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. In addition, the report must reflect the Match expended to the project for this reporting period.

All recipient agencies must complete their respective ESG Expenditures by Component Report for each grant that received funds this reporting period. The report must be submitted to Jill House, Kentucky Housing Corporation, 1231 Louisville Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, by 5 p.m., Friday, July 31, 2015. The form is available on KHC's website , under Specialized Housing, Emergency Solutions Grant, ESG Resources.

Failure to submit an ESG Expenditures by Component Report for each grant that received funds this reporting period will cause ESG funds to be suspended.

Kentucky Homeless Management Information System (KYHMIS) users will soon be able to access their invoices online! KHC is working with PNC Bank to use Automated Clearing House (ACH) to accept payment.  

As of July 1, 2015, Lexington CoC and BoS CoC may access the ACH system at:  https://www.payerexpress.com/ebp/KHC/. Select "Pay Now" for a one-time easy payment option. Your account number is your KYHMIS Agency Provider ID number. If you need to locate this number, please contact your agency's KYHMIS Subject Matter Expert. You will need your agency bank account number and bank routing number. If you have multiple accounts, please make sure that this is the account number that you wish to use to pay the specific invoice. Print your receipt for your agency's record keeping purposes. There is a print option on this page, so please make sure that you print the receipt prior to exiting the menu. For more directions on how to use the ACH system, please select HELP at the bottom of the main menu screen.   

The Louisville CoC has already had billing processed and will not need to access the ACH system at this time.

All required forms will be available online for download and submission to KHC electronically.

KYHMIS user license fees are due by Friday, July 31, 2015. Late fees of 10 percent will be assessed on unpaid balances beginning Saturday, August 1, 2015. Late fees of 20 percent will be assessed on unpaid balances beginning Tuesday, September 1, 2015. If license fees are not paid by Thursday, October 1, 2015, agency usage in the KYHMIS will be suspended.

If you have any questions, please contact Lena Columbia toll-free in Kentucky at 800-633-8896 or 502-564-7630, extension 448; TTY 711; or email lcolumbia@kyhousing.org.

This year, KYHMIS users will be able to submit the annual required documentation online! The following four documents must be signed and submitted by selecting Submit a Request within the HCA Help Desk by Monday, August 3, 2015, to remain compliant with KYHMIS:

• 2015 KYHMIS External Policies and Procedures 
• 2015 KYHMIS Participation Agreement 
• 2015 Security Monitoring Form (one per agency)
• 2015 KYHMIS User Confidentiality Agreement 

Failure to submit the required documentation by Monday, August 3, 2015, may result in agency licenses being suspended and/or withholding of draws until compliant.

The KYHMIS Privacy Notice has also been updated. All KYHMIS agencies are responsible for ensuring the current KYHMIS Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy are posted and available to all clients. These documents are available on the HCA Help Desk.

The updated KYHMIS External Policies and Procedures are now in effect. Slight changes have been made for clarification purposes. The document is available on the HCA Help Desk. KHC asks partners to review the document and reference it when addressing roles, responsibilities, and liabilities for their agency, users, and clients.

If you have questions, please contact Anne Colly Rose toll-free in Kentucky at 800-633-7630 or 502-564-7630, extension 259; TTY 711; or email arose@kyhousing.org.