CHA boosts funding for Service Connector program up to $20.5 million in 2005 - Metropolitan Planning Council

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CHA boosts funding for Service Connector program up to $20.5 million in 2005

For the second year in a row, the CHA is increasing the budget of the Service Connector, a key program for public housing residents in need of social services.

On Nov. 16, 2004, the CHA Board approved a significant increase in funding for the Service Connector program, which provides social services to more than 11,000 public housing residents. The program will receive $20,563,987 during FY2005, a 66 percent increase over its previous annual budget. This is the second year in a row that funds for the program are expanded.  In 2003, the program was allocated $17 million to be used during 15 months ending in December 2004.

The population served by this program includes:

  • Residents with stable residency in buildings not scheduled for demolition or rehabilitation until 2005 or after 
  • Residents living in scattered-sites and
  • Residents with either temporary or permanent housing choice vouchers (HCVs) issued since Oct. 1, 1999.

The Service Connector program was created by the CHA in 2001 as part of its 10-year Plan for Transformation, in an effort to outsource the delivery of social services to public housing residents. One of the key goals of the program is to help families meet some of the admission requirements that are in place at mixed-income sites throughout the city (see table below).

The Chicago Department of Human Services (DHS) has been the agency in charge of administering the Service Connector program, which has gone through deep changes since its inception. Many of these changes were informed by research and recommendations set forth by key stakeholders -- the CHA's own monitor, the University of Chicago, and research from the MPC report Temporary Relocation, Permanent Choice: Serving Families With Rent Vouchers During the Chicago Housing Authority Plan for Transformation . (see table below)

Currently, DHS contracts with 9 community-based organizations, with offices throughout the city and at CHA family developments, to deliver services. According to the CHA, the additional funding will be used to increase staff capacity to provide:

  • More outreach services;
  • Substantive expertise in service areas critical to a family’s success in permanent or temporary housing; 
  • Increased program monitoring and oversight for continuous quality improvement; and 
  • New partnerships and linkages to specific resources in neighborhoods where residents are relocated.

For updated information on the program, including a list of agencies and their locations, click here.

CHA households not served by this program include:

  • Families in the midst of relocation, or "moving households." They include residents living in buildings scheduled for imminent demolition or rehabilitation (and therefore in need of relocation); residents selected to move into new or renovated developments; and residents who will need a supportive housing environment to attain stability in their new homes. These families are assisted directly by the CHA and its relocation and service contractors. The CHA is also contracting with developers to assist families preparing to move into their permanent units. Developers and their providers will offer case management to these families to help them meet site-specific criteria.
  • Seniors living in CHA developments. Resident service coordinators and the Chicago Department of Aging currently provide supportive services to senior residents throughout the moving process. H.O.M.E., a nonprofit service organization, also provides support to seniors.  
  • Families using Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) issued before Oct. 1, 1999. The HCV program offers participants services to support their move toward economic independence. The services include a self-sufficiency program, a home ownership program, support to assist families in moving to low-poverty neighborhoods, and access to funds to make units accessible. NOTE: These general services, along with home visits to keep families informed about opportunities and progress of the Plan for Transformation, are also available to the subset of HCV holders who received their vouchers after Oct.1, 1999.

Keywords

Housing

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