Community Standards: Permanent Affordable and Supported Housing for homeless persons is the primary goal of the continuum of care.

The purpose of Permanent, Affordable & Supported Housing is two fold: (1) to provide access to supported housing for those homeless individuals and families with special needs (e.g., permanent disabilities) and (2) to assist those homeless individuals and families capable of maintaining independent living with minimal initial support to secure housing in the affordable housing market. Permanent, Affordable & Supported Housing may be accessed by homeless individuals and families from any phase of the Continuum of Care, provided that the Client meets eligibility criteria of the facility. Eligibility should include a demonstrated ability of the Client to maintain self-sufficiency during the emergency and/or transitional phases of their placement.

• Clients must be provided with housing appropriate to their needs (e.g., assisted living, single room occupancy, tenant based rental assistance,) with supportive services necessary to maintain residential and personal stability (e.g., after care case management, mental health treatment, medical care, recovery groups, domestic violence counseling, etc.)

For those Clients seeking market rate affordable housing, assistance shall include, but is not limited to: assisting the Client in locating suitable housing, assistance with housing applications and lease negotiations, application fees, first and last month's rent, short term rental subsidies, furniture stipends, utility deposits, start-up household supplies and groceries, mortgage and first time home buyer classes as appropriate. Such assistance shall include aftercare as described above.

• Providers assisting Clients in locating and securing affordable market rate housing shall insure that housing meets comparable market rent guidelines and housing quality standards established by local, state and/or federal ordinance, law and regulation as applicable.

Violations of permanent, Affordable & Supported Housing program rules may be grounds for terminating the provision of services to a Client, including, but not limited to rent subsidies.

In the event that a Client is at risk of losing Permanent, Affordable & Supported Housing and is in need of a placement more appropriate for their needs, every effort shall be made to provide additional services within the Continuum of Care to prevent a return to homelessness. Such services may include but are not limited to contract case management recovery plans signed by both the Client and an aftercare case manager defining steps needed to be taken by the Client to avoid eviction.

Landlord/Tenant based lease agreements, and local and state ordinances, laws or regulations governing tenancy thereof, shall govern breaches.

Permanent affordable and supported housing providers must base programs on Best Practice models such as those which focus on the Blended Management to achieve a Double Bottom Line. That is, it is recognized that in many affordable housing situations fair market rents are collected according to Federal rental affordability guidelines based on a percentage of income. At the same time, it is recognized that disabled formerly homeless individuals and families still require supportive services to maintain housing and self-sufficiency. Blended Management models integrate services with housing in such a way that facilities remain profitable for landlords, while at the same time, support and flexibility is extended to renters taking their disabilities into consideration.