Senate Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1666 Community Development Corp. Special Needs Housing Opportunities Program
Requester:	Ray Hronchak		Organization:		Broward Community Development Corp.
Project Title:	Community Development Corp. Special Needs Housing Opportunities Program		Date Submitted:		01/28/2000 4:44:30 PM
District Member:	Walter Campbell		Service Area:		County
Counties Affected:	Broward
Recipient:	Broward Community Development Corp.		Contact:		Ray Hronchak
	305 Southeast 18th Court		Contact Phone:		(954) 764-2800
	Ft. Lauderdale 33316
Project Description:
This ongoing project provides permanent affordable housing to 335 very low-income families and persons with mental illness. The program addresses the housing needs of 335 homeless persons including families and individuals who have a diagnosis of severe and persistent mental illness or are dually diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder and a psychiatric disabiity. Focus is given to assisting the consumer in becoming self-empowered and self-sufficient. This reuqest seeks funding for 335 beds of permanent affordable housing. This program is part of a community-based system which provides a comprehensive, continuum of care aimed at achieving recovery and self-sufficiency for participants from homelessness. Consistent with Broward County's Consolidated Plan Priority I, III, IV and V and the National and Community Development objectives, this program is part of a collaborative effort between the Broward Community Development Corporation, the State of Florida Mental Health Program office, PEER Center, Archwasy, Nova SouthEastern University and the Henderson Mental Health Center.
Services Provided/Benefit to State:
The state benefits in this project by the provision of rental assistance to homeless and persons at risk of homelessness (special needs persons) in Broward County. Many of these people are considered revolving door clients at the hospitals with mental health facilities at a cost of approximately $250 or more per day. One such individual can cost the state approximately $7,500 per month when hospitalized. These persons often have themselves hospitalized when in need of a place to live to get themselves off the streets. This program is a cost effective and self-empowering method to offer these persons a rent subsidy and other supportive and habilitative services and avoid having them go to a psychiatric ward or other facility, because the rent subsidy costs beween $50 and $400, as opposed to $7,500 per momth minimum at a facility. Many of these individuals hospitalize themselves between four and nine times in a given year, costing the state an exorbitant amount of unnecessary expense which can be aleviated with programs such as these. This program has consistently performed well since the state began funding it in 1993, at annual amounts up to $270,000.
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
The success of this program is assessed primarily in terms of number of persons served, which has been over 250 each year since 1975.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:				$500,000
Total cost of the project:		$935,076

Request has been made to fund:			Operations
Is there Local Government or Private match for this request?						Yes
	Cash Amount:	$75,000		In-Kind Amount:		$360,076
Was this project previously funded by the State?						Yes
	Fiscal Year:	1999-2000		Amount:		$270,000
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?						Yes
	Amount:	$500,000
	Purpose for future year funding:				Recurring Operations
	Will this be an annual request?					Yes
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?						Yes
	Agency:	Children And Families, Department Of
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?						Yes
Is there a documented need for this project?						Yes
	Documentation:	Broward County's Consolidated Plan and DCF District 10's Adult Mental Health Annual Plan.
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?						Yes
	Hearing Body:	Broward County Legislative Delegation
	Meeting Date:	12/02/1999