Housing Assistance Council Service Coordination Technical Assistance Program

Seth Leonard
Seth@ruralhome.org

The Housing Assistance Council is offering technical assistance for organizations and agencies interested in building a resident service coordination program to support USDA 515 rental properties.

Service Coordinators:

• Assess service needs of residents and link them to the appropriate providers and community resources
• Facilitate programs and services such as health, wellness, job training, and transportation
• Develop a resource directory of local social service agencies and providers
• Assist residents with applications for benefits and entitlement programs
• Help residents to age in place and remain living independently in their own homes
• Advocate for adequate, timely, and cost-effective provision of services

Types of technical assistance activities:

• Assessment and identification of individual property and portfolio needs, including the physical locations at each property to determine if it is appropriate for service coordination or if off-site space will need to be secured
• Development of a Resident Services Plan or expansion and re-targeting of existing service plan, including assessment of organizational capacity to add this service
• Creation of a resident service coordinator budget and staffing plan or engagement with a third party provider partner, including making recommendations for hiring, training, and supervision of the service coordinator
• Evaluation of available social services in the property's geographic footprint
• Integration of services into USDA budget, with mid-year budget approval engagement if needed
• Implementation of ongoing tracking and outcomes measurements, including mandated compliance with USDA
• Creation of a shared Community of Practice and network for Rural Service Coordinators
• Long-term capacity building and Resident Service Coordination funding plan

Applicants Must:

• Be an elderly-designated property in the USDA 515 portfolio or have a naturally high population of occupants over the age of 50
• Be willing to provide anonymous residential demographic information to the AARP Foundation such as birth year, gender, ethnicity, race, income level, and household size
• Commit to participating in a survey to gauge satisfaction with the Service Coordination Technical Assistance Program

Technical assistance will be provided at no cost for 8-10 organizations/agencies.

The duration of the program is 24 months. The first 12 months will be spent doing intensive technical assistance. The second 12 months will be focused on measurement, adaptation, and implementation.

A link to the online application form is available on the program website.

Additional information:

• Program overview
• Implementation details

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the program reaches capacity.