The Office of Homeless Services Advisory Board (OHSAB) in Cuyahoga County has adopted new guidelines for emergency shelters and supportive services. The changes are in response to the new HUD funding opportunities, which prioritize transitional housing, treatment services, and workforce-focused programs.

New Performance Standards

The board adopted a new set of Emergency Shelter Performance Standards, which include targets for utilization, average length of housing stay, and rates of return to homelessness. These standards were created by studying emergency shelters in the county and across the country.

The board also adopted updates to its Program Policy Committee (PPC) Governance Charter, which align with the Continuum of Care (COC) Charter recently adopted by the board’s Governance Committee.

Supportive Service Requirements

New supportive service requirements were adopted to align with HUD’s planned changes to its Continuum of Care NOFO. The new requirements will require projects to provide customized supportive services, and project participants will be required to engage in these services for 40 hours weekly.

The supportive services include case management, counseling, employment and education services, life skills, housing skills, physical health, mental health services, and substance use disorder treatment or recovery support.

Emergency Action Plans

The board also discussed the implementation of Emergency Action Plans into OHS programs, emphasizing preparedness, planning, response, and mitigation to natural and human-caused emergencies.

Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.