At the November 6th meeting, City Council approved a resolution to create a Houseless Services Grant Program using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other funds. The program funds are intended to be used to support community-based organizations in addressing houselessness, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Total funding available for the grant program is approximately $3,045,675.00.

The following project types are eligible to apply:

• New Safe Parking Start Up and Operations
• Existing Safe Parking Sites
• Shelter Services
• Outreach and Case Management for Unsheltered Individuals and Families in the Temporary Safe Stay Area at Juniper Ridge
• Housing-Focused Case Management and Houseless Prevention Services

Please see City Council materials linked below in the resources section for a full overview of eligible project types.

Applications open November 7, 2024, and will be considered until available funds are contracted or until December 7, 2024. To meet the ARPA funding requirements, contracts must be fully executed by December 31, 2024, and funds must be spent by December 31, 2026.

The City will host two informational sessions for potential applicants on November 7 at 3pm and November 12 at 10am. Attendance is not required and a recording will be linked here following the meeting. To inquire about attending an informational session or, if you are unable to attend an informational session and would like to schedule a meeting with staff, please reach out to Brook O’Keefe, Shelter Coordinator at bokeefe@bendoregon.gov.

To apply for funding, please submit a completed application, available here, and all required documents to Brook O’Keefe, Shelter Coordinator at bokeefe@bendoregon.gov no later than 5pm on December 7, 2024.

To watch the November 6, 2024, City Council Meeting or review the council materials, please visit the City Council webpage.

Informational Session for Potential Applicants

The slideshow from the Houseless Services Grant Program Informational Session are available in this document. 

Questions asked during the informational sessions and throughout the application period are posted below.

If your question is not answered here, please email it directly to Brook O'Keefe, Shelter Coordinator at bokeefe@bendoregon.gov. 

Housing Focused Case Management at the Temporary Safe Stay Area at Juniper Ridge:

Question 1: Can the $800,000 dedicated for Housing Focused Case Management at the Temporary Safe Stay Area (TSSA) be spent on case management services for clients who are east of the railroad tracks (outside the defined TSSA area)?  

Answer 1: The City of Bend has dedicated $400,000 toward housing-focused case management at the TSSA, and we will be respectfully requesting the County match those funds for a total of $800,000. These funds could be used to provide case management services for clients currently camping at Juniper Ridge outside of the TSSA to support them in moving inside the TSSA or to another more permanent location.  

Question 2: Can the funds being descoped be spent to assist clients who are currently camping at Juniper Ridge outside of the TSSA?  

Answer 2: Yes, the ARPA funds being descoped can be utilized for any of the eligible project types.  

Question 3: Is vehicle repair for clients camping in the areas outside the TSSA at Juniper Ridge an eligible expense?  

Answer 3: Vehicles being used for shelter in the TSSA must be operable. Repair of a vehicle currently within the TSSA or which is currently located at Juniper Ridge, but outside the TSSA and is in need of repair to move to the TSSA or to another more permanent location would be eligible. 

Question 4: What are the reporting requirements?  

Answer 4: The City is intending to partner with the lead agency for the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), NeighborImpact, to facilitate case conferencing meetings and to establish reporting systems. Providers will be required to enter data into HMIS and NeighborImpact will consolidate and deduplicate the data for a monthly report to the City. Reporting for other project types will be determined depending on the scope of the proposed project. 

Question 5: Will services be entered into HMIS?  

Answer 5: Yes, providers will work with NeighborImpact to enter services into HMIS.  

Question 6: How will we manage deduplication between providers?  

Answer 6: Providers will collaborate in a weekly case conferencing meeting. Additionally, if a client is working with more than one provider, those two organizations would need to work together to determine which provider will offer which resources. An ROI structure will be developed to ensure client information is protected and to facilitate collaboration.  

Question 7: Has the individual service plan been developed?  

Answer 7: Individual service plans are only required as part of the housing-focused case management at the TSSA. This document will be developed in collaboration with providers after agreements have been executed.  

New and Existing Safe Parking Sites:

Question 1: If a provider would like to use moveable pod units, can service providers apply for pod funding 

Answer 1: If an applicant is interested in utilizing pod units at a new site, please reach out to Brook O’Keefe, Shelter Coordinator at bokeefe@bendoregon.gov. There may be additional opportunities for the purchase of pods outside of this grant program.  

Question 2: Should I include funding for site prep for pods or other temporary structures in my application? 

Answer 2: Yes, if your organization anticipates needing funds for site prep (landscaping, etc.) or other necessary supplies to operate, please include those in the budget. Please note, the safe parking code requires that all structures be temporary and moveable. 

Shelter Services:

No questions specifically related to Shelter Services have been submitted yet.  

Housing-Focused Case Management & Houseless Prevention Services:

Question 1: Do people served need to live/reside in Bend or can they be in another City but have a housing opportunity in Bend? 

Answer 1: If there is a connection to homelessness and/or housing in Bend, funds can be used to provide housing-focused case management and houseless prevention services, including costs reasonably associated with move-in.  

Question 2: Are costs associated with securing ID or other necessary documentation eligible?  

Answer 2: Yes, this type of expense would be associated with housing-focused case management. If you are applying to provide services associated with any of the other four eligible project categories, please include client assistance as part of your budget for providing the required housing-focused case management. If your project does not fit into the other categories (ex. case management for clients at permanent supportive housing), please apply under this category and include client assistance in your detailed project budget. 

Question 3: Can funds be used for security deposits and/or rent arrears? 

Answer 3: Yes. Housing-focused case management & houseless prevention services can be used for payment of arrears and security deposits for clients who are currently experiencing houselessness, have previously experienced houselessness, or who are at risk of experiencing houselessness.  

Question 4: If a person is leaving an abusive situation, but they secure housing before actually becoming houseless, will this situation still qualify for funding?  

Answer 4: Yes. This would qualify as it would prevent an at risk household from experiencing houselessness. 

Other Questions: 

Question 1: Is there a preference to spend the ARPA funds in year 1 or year 2? Are there any mid-year time bound requirements for spending? 

Answer 1: Agreements must be fully executed by December 31, 2024 and funds must be fully spent by 12/31/2026. Spend down of funds within that period is flexible.  

Question 2: Is there software that must be used? Can funds be used to cover software or technology? 

Answer 2: Yes. All providers are required to enter data into the Homeless Management Information System. If your organization utilizes other software, such as internal case management software, or needs additional technology to perform the work proposed in the grant application, and expenses are reasonable, those expenses would be eligible. 

Question 3: Providers serving clients fleeing domestic violence are not able to enter data into HMIS. Can other software be used instead?  

Answer 3: Yes. Other similar and generally accepted software can be used. 

Question 4: What kind of budget format should be used? 

Answer 4: Projects must submit a detailed budget with their application. Organizations may choose to submit their full organization or program budget, but we are going to be looking specifically at the funds being requested from this grant.  

If an organization is proposing providing more than one type of eligible project, please submit one application, but multiple detailed budgets. 

Question 5: Is there a match requirement? 

Answer 5: No match is required.  

Question 6: What is the cap for administrative expenses?  

Answer 6: The proposed cap is set at 10% of the project budget, however, this grant is designed to be flexible. If your organization needs more than 10% to provide the proposed services, please include the requested about and the reason in the application or detailed project budget.  

Question 7: What is the Employees Seeking Assistance policy included in the list of policies and procedures on the application? 

Answer 7: The list of policies and procedures are the items we are intending for organizations to have in place for these grant funds. Organizations do not need to have these in place yet. Organizations do not need to wait until they have all of these in place to apply.  

The Employee Seeking Assistance policy is specifically to establish how your organization would approach a situation where an employee needs to access the services your organization offers (ex. employees seeking shelter).  

Question 8: Are there income guidelines?  

Answer 8: No, there are no income requirements for households to access services in any category?  

Question 9: Which funding sources can be used for which eligible project type?  

Answer 9: The City and the County have an existing agreement for general shelter operations funding. The $750,000 remaining from this funding must be used for shelter, which could include safe parking. The City has allocated $400,000 specifically for housing-focused case management at the TSSA and has respectfully requested the County match those funds. That $800,000 must be used in that eligible project type. The remaining approximately $1.5 million can be used at any of the five eligible project types.  

Question 10: What are the geographic locations where funds can be used?  

Answer 10: Funds can be used in the City of Bend and in areas where you would reasonably expect that the individual accessing the services would typically access services (social services, grocery stores, etc.) or housing in Bend. An example of this would be a client who is currently experiencing houselessness in areas like China Hat Road where the individual would likely engage with a service provider, go to the grocery store, or live in housing in Bend if it were available.  The exception is services at the Temporary Safe Stay Area, which must be provided in the TSSA.  

Question 11: Are applications limited to 501(c)(3) organizations?  

Answer 11: Yes. 

Question 12: Is my project eligible?  

Answer 12: This grant was developed relatively broadly and can encompass most programs working with individuals experiencing houselessness. We recommend applying to allow our internal review team to see the full details of the proposed project and determine whether it fits within the scope of the grant. 

Question 13: Where do I enter the project budget? Should I enter the full organization budget?  

Answer 13: Please enter the total amount you are requesting in each eligible project type in question 2. Additionally, the requested document section asks for a detailed project budget. This is where we are asking for more information on what types of expenses the funds will be used for (supplies, personnel, client assistance, etc.). 

If you are only requesting funding for a portion of a project, we may ask for additional information on other funding sources during the review process. 

Question 14: What should I put for the proposed start date? 

Answer 14: Your proposed project start date will depend on the scope of work. The proposed start date will be the date you anticipate the first phase of your project to be operational. 

Question 15: What if we do not have one of the policies and procedures listed on the application? 

Answer 15: The list of policies and procedures are the items we are intending for organizations to have in place for these grant funds. Organizations do not need to have these in place yet. Organizations do not need to wait until they have all of these in place to apply. 

If your organization has a similar policy and/or procedure that you believe may meet the requirements of the one listed, please note that in your application. 

Question 16: Is Uniform Grant Guidance training required? 

Answer 16: No, organizations are not required to have received Uniform Grant Guidance training to receive funding. This may be considered in the review process.  

Question 17: We are a victim service provider and cannot comply with some of the certifications. How should we address this in our application?  

Answer 17: VSP organizations should submit an additional note providing an explanation as well as stating they will meet the requirement to the extent possible.  

Question 18: What should be submitted for Internally Prepared Financial Statements?  

Answer 18: If your board approves financials, please submit the most recently approved financial statements. If not, please submit a Profit and Loss statement from the past year.  

Question 19: If multiple agencies are collaborating on one project, who should submit the application?  

Answer 19: If multiple entities intend to collaborate on a project, please submit one joint application.  

Question 20: If we are requesting funding for multiple project categories, should we submit more than one application?  

Answer 20: No. One application can be used to apply for multiple funding categories. 

The majority of our houseless neighbors have lived in the area for years. According to the 2024 PIT Count, 62% of people experiencing houselessness in Deschutes County have lived here for 5 years or longer.

Many people experiencing houselessness are employed and working toward more stable housing opportunities. However, in Central Oregon, they are often met with high housing costs and many rental units require large deposits. Market rent in Bend is approximately $1,686*. The Department of Housing and Urban Development finds that anyone paying more than 30% of their income to housing costs is considered “cost burdened” and anyone paying more than 50% of their income to housing costs is “severely cost burdened.” To avoid being cost burdened, a single individual making minimum wage and working full time would need housing less than $740 per month.

 *CoStar. Q1 2024

Addiction is a complex disease and is often accompanied by its own set of misconceptions. Although unchecked addiction can be a triggering event for someone experiencing houselessness, it is often accompanied by other risk factors or events.

The 2023 PIT count showed that only 8% of people experiencing houselessness in Central Oregon identified having a disabling substance abuse disorder.