Agenda - 06-02-20; 6-a - Eviction Diversion Program and Approval of Budget Amendment #9-A

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5 Emergency Housing Assistance (January 1 - May 27, 2020) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Amount Hhlds Amount Hhlds Amount Hhlds Amount Hhlds Amount Hhlds Application and other Fees $300 1 Security $1,850 3 $775 1 $2,335 3 $500 1 Deposits Utility Deposits $552 3 $489 3 Rent $5,964 3 $5,344 5 $6,669 4 $25,090 27 $51,479 49 Utilities $11 1 $691 3 $215 1 $1,335 5 $1,140 4 Hotel Stays $1,241 3 $1,999 9 $22,307 11 $2,003 2 Misc. Housing Costs* $100 1 TOTAL $8,376 ** $8,050 ** $11,219 ** $48,732 ** $56,012 ** *E.g., bed/mattress in order to move into a unit **Some beneficiaries received multiple types of assistance, so the sum of the beneficiaries in the table above does not total number of unique households assisted. The total number of unique households assisted is 107. The average amount of assistance per household is$1,237, There are additional potential CARES Act allocations that can help replenish the fund to include Emergency Solutions Grant funding and Community Development Block Grant funding from the Town of Chapel Hill. The County Manager recommended to the Board CARES Act funds allocations for housing resources as follows: Amount Purpose $42,950 Eviction Diversion Temporary Legal Assistance $50,000 Housing Voucher Incentives $50,000 Short Term Rental Assistance $100,000 Risk Mitigation and Housing Stabilization fund $100,000 Foreclosure Prevention The Personal Responsibility And Work Opportunity Act of 1996 ("PRWORA") (8 U.S.C. § 1621(b)(2)) precludes nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants from receiving federal public benefits. These classifications of immigrants are eligible for public health benefits, emergency services, and program identified by the United States Attorney General as necessary for the protection of life and safety. An exception to the PRWORA nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants is for "short term, non-cash, in-kind emergency disaster relief." Nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants would be eligible for the eviction diversion programs legal resources under this exception. PRWORA prevented federal CARES Act from providing benefits to nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants. Nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants who pay taxes, using an individual taxpayer identification number ("ITIN") instead of a social security number, did not receive stimulus funds nor did they receive unemployment benefits. However, HUD has provided guidance that under the "protection of life and safety" exception Rapid Re-Housing funds are not subject to PRWORA Immigration-based restrictions. So any funds received for Rapid Re-housing could be used for nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants. However, consideration must be given to providing Rapid Re- housing funds to undocumented immigrants seeking to obtain citizenship when it is not known the affect receipt of those funds may have on the Public Charge Test.