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HomeMy WebLinkAbouthome-stretch-matching-process-faqPSH Matching Process FAQ 510-567-8017 homestretch@acgov.org Updated 7/15/2022 P a g e 1 of 2 What is the PSH Pool and what does this mean for clients I am working with? The Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Pool is used to identify individuals experiencing homelessness who are likely to be matched to PSH opportunities in Alameda County. The PSH Pool is intended to focus attention on the most vulnerable households on the housing queue to ensure that these individuals get connected to the supports necessary for them to transition from homelessness into housing. The number of households in the PSH Pool is related to the number of PSH units that are likely to become available in a given year. If the inventory changes significantly and as needed based on data, the threshold scores will be adjusted. This is meant to provide transparency and allow service providers and households seeking assistance to know if the household is reasonably likely to have a PSH unit become available to them within a year. Please note that the housing queue is used to match households to other types of permanent housing as well. The PSH Pool is the people on the housing queue likely to get matched to PSH specifically. Households with a Housing Needs Assessment score above the PSH threshold score are considered part of the PSH Pool. Households in this group are likely to receive a PSH match within the next year if they are “document-ready”. The current threshold score for the PSH Pool is 90 for households with minor children and 80 for all adult households. What should I do if my client is in the PSH Pool? To be prioritized for PSH matches, clients in the PSH Pool must have the four core housing documents uploaded to HMIS, under the “Files” tab: • Government-Issued Photo ID (not expired) • Social Security Card (signed) or SSN Verification* • Verification of Disability (expires 12 months after the date signed) • Verification of Literal or Chronic Homelessness (within the last 12 months, will need to be updated at time of referral) Additionally, add your information in the “Contact” tab in HMIS to ensure that you are informed of available PSH opportunities. This also supports collaboration between service providers. A client that I am working with got a match; what does that mean? Based on the information in HMIS, the household meets the criteria for that PSH opening and they have been prioritized highly enough that they are being asked to submit documents for that program. This is an invitation to submit qualifying documents for that housing opportunity; it does not guarantee they will be referred or accepted to the program. Typically, three to six people are matched for each opening. People who submit their documents by the due date are usually referred. PSH Matching Process FAQ 510-567-8017 homestretch@acgov.org Updated 7/15/2022 P a g e 2 of 2 A client I am working with was referred to a PSH program; what does that mean? The documents requested on the match notification were submitted and the applicant seems to meet the criteria for that opening. Home Stretch sends the documents to the housing provider for their review. Home Stretch does not decide if a household is “approved” for housing. A referral to PSH does not guarantee acceptance into the unit/program. Single PSH openings often receive multiple referrals to ensure it is filled promptly. Referrals are processed in the order they are referred. There are often additional steps required after referral for an applicant to be approved. If the client’s referral is not processed for that opening, they will remain on or return to the housing queue and will be matched to other opportunities as they are eligible and prioritized. Please communicate with Home Stretch if a referral does not result in the individual becoming housed. The due date passed for a match notification; what should I do? Contact Home Stretch to see if documents will still be accepted. If the due date for a match notification has passed and Home Stretch has not received enough complete submissions, we will continue to match to the opening until a sufficient number are received. Complete submissions received by the due date will be given priority for PSH referrals. It is common that documents submitted late will still lead to a referral. If you want to know if there are still openings in a program for an expired match, please email homestretch@acgov.org with the client’s name and/or HMIS ID and the name of the program/property that corresponds to the match you are inquiring about. When do I upload documents to HMIS and when do I send them to Home Stretch? The four core housing documents should be uploaded to HMIS as soon as they are available, regardless of whether the person has been matched yet. Individuals who have the four unexpired core documents in HMIS will be prioritized for eligible matches. If your agency does not have HMIS access, please send the docs to homestretch@acgov.org and we will upload them. Once an individual has been matched, documents must be sent directly to homestretch@acgov.org, in addition to being uploaded to HMIS. This will alert our team to review the documents. Please note that all emails with client information should be sent by secure email. What do I do if I have more questions about Home Stretch? Email us at homestretch@acgov.org! We also encourage you to attend our next community training. We will send out information as trainings are scheduled. *If an SSN is not available, please let Home Stretch know so that we can attempt to match to openings without this requirement **New to Elemeno? Elemeno is an online platform containing tip-sheets, guides, videos, and other resources for the CHR, as well as for services related to Care Management, Health Plans, Housing, Mental Health, Primary Care, and Substance Use Disorder Treatment. Please use the self-registration feature by clicking “First time? Create an Account” and entering your organization email here.