PHA Engagement of Homeless Households Follow-up Survey

Final 8/6/12

Appendix A. Follow-up Survey of PHA Engagement with Homeless
Households

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this follow-up survey to the recent Web Census of PHA
Engagement with Homeless Households. I believe you have reviewed my email and have a sense of the
topics that we will cover today. Depending on how your agency is organized, I would be happy to talk
with different people about the different programs you operate. As we go through the interview
questions, feel free to let me know if another person is more appropriate for answering some sections or
questions.
The first part of the interview will explore the [NAME OF PHA]’s involvement in addressing
homelessness in [NAME OF COMMUNITY], including your participation in community-wide planning
and policy-making and any partnerships you have with particular organizations that work with people
experiencing homelessness.
Next, I will ask some follow-up questions to your responses to the Web Census on your preference
systems for admission to the Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing programs.
Then, we’ll talk about barriers that homeless people may encounter in using the HCV and Public Housing
programs.
Finally, I may ask you some questions about other programs that [NAME OF PHA] administers.
Do you have any questions before we begin?

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Agency and Respondent Information: [PRE-FILLED FROM WEB CENSUS. NOTE WHO
PARTICIPATED IN THIS TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, ADDING NAMES AND
CONTACT INFORMATION AS NEEDED]
PHA name:

PHA ID Number:

MTW Designation:
Primary contact name _____________________________ Title __________________________
Phone Number________________________________ Email__________________
Other Contacts from Web Census:
Responder #2 name ___________________________________Title __________________________
Phone Number_____________________________________ Email__________________
Responder #3 name ___________________________________Title __________________________
Phone Number_____________________________________ Email__________________

[FILL-IN FROM CENSUS: PHA DOES/DOES NOT HAVE MTW AUTHORITY.]

IF AGENCY IS AN MTW PHA, PRE-FILL RESPONSES TO WEB CENSUS G.1.1, G.1.1.a, G.1.2,
G.1.3, AND G.1.4 SO INTERVIEWER KNOWS THIS INFORMATION UP-FRONT AND CAN
PROBE FURTHER DURING THIS CENSUS.]
G.1.1.
MTW Site (Y/N)
G.1.1.a. Description of program:
G.1.2.
How did the authority granted to
you under MTW enable you to
implement this type of program?
G.1.3.
Could the PHA have done
without being an MTW site?
G.1.4.
If no, what regulations would
need to be changed to allow for
non-MTW sites to implement
these programs?

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SECTION 1: PHA Role in CoC and with Specific Partner Programs
1.A. PHAs that Participate in the CoC
[FOR PHAs RESPONDING YES TO WEB CENSUS E.1.6]
E.1.6.

1.A.1. On the Web Census, you or one of your colleagues told us that [NAME OF PHA] participates in
the Continuum of Care for [NAME OF COMMUNITY TO BE FILLED IN FROM NATIONAL LIST
OF CoCs] or in another planning body that attempts to end homelessness. You indicated that…
[SUMMARIZE FROM PRE-FILLED RESPONSE TO WEB E.1.6 or E.1.7]
Can you give me more details about your participation? How would you characterize the PHA’s role?
What meetings do you participate in? Has your PHA made any commitments as a result of being part of
the CoC, or as part of another planning effort?
E.1.7.

1.A.2. Has the CoC (or another planning body) identified a particular group of people experiencing
homelessness on which to focus the community's efforts to reduce homelessness? By a particular type, I
mean a subpopulation within those experiencing homelessness—for example, people with chronic
patterns of homelessness, homeless people with disabilities, homeless families with children, homeless
veterans, or youth aging out of foster care. If so, please describe and explain.

1.A.3. Has [NAME OF PHA] been asked to provide or volunteered to provide a specific number of
public housing units or voucher over some period of time specifically for individuals or families
experiencing homeless? (I don’t mean to include here special-purpose vouchers allocated to the PHA by
HUD, such as HUD-VASH.) If so, how many and which program or programs? [IF NO unit or voucher
goals, SKIP TO 1.A.7.]

Over what period of time?

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1.A.4. Are the public housing unit or voucher commitments for homeless people in general or for
particular type or subpopulation of homeless people? Please explain.

1.A.5. Do you think you will meet these public housing or voucher commitment goals? If not, what are
the challenges or barriers to achieving them?

1.A.6. Has the PHA begun to provide these public housing units or vouchers? If not, why not? If yes,
what activities has the PHA undertaken to implement those goals? Are they reflected in your Annual
Plan?

1.A.7. Overall, what would you say is [NAME OF PHA]’s most important role in addressing
homelessness?

1.A.8. Are there any changes you would recommend to the community-wide effort to plan and implement
a strategy for ending homelessness in [NAME OF COMMUNITY]? Is there anything that would make
[NAME OF PHA]’s participation more effective? If so, please explain.

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1.B. PHAs that do not Participate in the CoC

[FOR PHAs RESPONDING NO TO WEB CENSUS E.1.6]
1.B.1. For more than a decade, HUD has encouraged local housing and supportive service providers to
work together to develop a strategy to address homelessness through a planning process referred to as the
Continuum of Care or “CoC”. On the Web Census, you told us that [NAME OF PHA] does not
participate in the Continuum of Care for [NAME OF COMMUNITY TO BE FILLED IN FROM
NATIONAL LIST OF CoCs] or in another community planning body that attempts to end homelessness.
Is that correct?
[IF NOT CORRECT, GO BACK TO A.1 AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS WITH APPROPRIATE REPHRASING. IF NO, CONTINUE WITH A.2.2.]

1.B.2. Has your PHA ever in the past participated in the COC or another planning and policy-making
effort that attempts to end homelessness? If you did, why did your participation end?

1.B.3. In your view, are there problems or weaknesses in the way in which the local effort to end
homelessness is organized or has been designed? Please explain.

1.B.4. In your view, does [NAME OF PHA] play an important role in addressing homelessness?

1.B.5. [IF YES TO 1.B.4.] What is that role?

1.B.6. [IF NO TO 1.B.4.] Why not?

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1.B.7. Are there reasons you have not touched on already that [NAME OF PHA] has not been more active
in addressing homelessness?
[PROBES: HOMELESSNESS IS NOT A BIG PROBLEM IN THIS COMMUNITY, HUD PROGRAM
RULES LIMIT ABILITY TO SERVE HOMELESS PEOPLE, PHA OR ITS BOARD HAS OTHER
PRIORITIES, THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OTHER PROGRAMS OR AGENCIES, PHA NOT
RESOURCED TO SERVE THIS POPULATION (EG, IT’S A MORE TIME/RESOURCE INTENSIVE
POPULATION, PHA DOESN’T HAVE SERVICE DOLLARS, MORE ELI HOUSEHOLDS MEANS
FEWER TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS SERVED)]

1.B.8. Are there changes (environmental, fiscal, statutory, or other) that you think would lead your PHA
to participate in efforts to end homelessness?
[PROBES: INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS, CHANGE IN THE WAY THE LOCAL SYSTEM FOR
SERVING HOMELESS PEOPLE WORKS, CHANGES TO HUD PROGRAM RULES, CHANGES IN
CITY/BOARD/PHA LEADERSHIP, IMPROVEMENTS IN OTHER PRESSING NEED AREAS,
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES/FINANCIAL INCENTIVES]

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1.C. PHA Experience with Community Partners Providing Services to Homeless People
[FOR PHAs RESPONDING YES TO E.1.1 OR E.1.3. ALSO ASK IF ANSWERS TO SECTION 1.A.
OR 1.B. SUGGEST THAT THE PHA HAS SPECIFIC PARTNERSHIPS, REGARDLESS OF
REPONSES TO THE WEB CENSUS.]
1.C.1. In the Web Census, your PHA indicated that it has formal or informal relationships (formal
meaning there is a Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding between agencies, and informal meaning
there is no formal arrangement, just a partnership) with community organizations that provide services to
homeless people to…[SUMMARIZE RESPONSE TO E.1.5 TAKING INTO ACCOUNT [PRE-FILL
FROM WEB CENSUS E.1.2, E.1.4, AND E.1.5.]
E.1.2. # of community organizations providing services
to homeless people through formal
relationships with the PHA
E.1.4. # of community organizations providing services
to homeless people through informal
relationships with the PHA
E.1.5. For organizations with either formal or informal
relationships with the PHA, what types of
activities or functions do they collaborate on?

Please give me the name of each of the partnership programs or partner organizations and whether your
relationship is formal or informal.
Name of Partnership program or organization
e.g. Partner A

Informal/Formal?
e.g. Informal

[ASK 1.C.2 THROUGH 1.C.15 ABOUT EACH PARTNER AND PARTNERSHIP AND COMPLETE
THE TABLE AFTER 1.C.15 FOR EACH PARTNERSHIP]
1.C.2. Does the partner organization serve a specific subpopulation of homeless people or people with a
particular type of need?
1.C.3. What is the PHA’s role in the partnership?
[PROBES: DOES THE PHA: PROVIDE ACTUAL UNITS OR RENTAL SUBSIDIES FOR THE
PARTNERSHIP? CHANGE OR WAIVE THE RULES OF THE PHA’S PROGRAMS? PROVIDE
EXPERTISE ABOUT LOCAL HOUSING MARKETS AND AVAILABLE RENTAL UNITS?
ADMINISTER RENTAL SUBSIDIES FROM ANOTHER PROGRAM SUCH AS HOME OR
SHELTER PLUS CARE? PROVIDE SERVICES SUCH AS HQS INSPECTIONS AND RENT
REASONABLENESS DETERMINATIONS?]

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1.C.4. [IF THE PHA PROVIDES UNITS OR RENTAL SUBSIDIES] Has the PHA committed a specific
number of public housing units or vouchers to the partnership? How does that work? How is that number
determined? How does the PHA go about making the unit/vouchers available to the program?
1.C.5. How does the PHA decide whether assistance will be in the form of rental assistance or “reserved”
public housing units? If the assistance is in public housing, does the PHA house the homeless households
in the first unit that becomes available, or only in some properties in some locations? If the assistance is
vouchers, are applicants provided housing search assistance (by whom?). are homeless families
encouraged to find housing in certain locations--for example, because of access to services they use or to
transportation? Does the PHA track the amount of time it takes for homeless people (or, more narrowly,
people who have gotten a set-aside of vouchers because they are homeless) to use the voucher and
compares it to the time for other households. Does the PHA track the success rates of these vouchers
holders in leasing a unit, as compared to other voucher holders?
1.C.6. Who is eligible? For example, is it people who are about to lose their housing? Is it people who
are homeless on the streets or in shelters (or transitioning out of institutions)? Is it people who have been
through a program that provides housing and services to homeless people such as transitional housing or
permanent supportive housing?
1.C.7. Does the housing assistance begin during a transitional period when the household receives
intensive services and then continue after the household completes that program? This is sometimes
called transition-in-place. How well does this program model seem to work? How do you know this?
(Program monitoring, or other methods to assess effectiveness?)
1.C.8. Does the partnership use the PHA's vouchers in Low Income Housing Tax Credit projects with
which the program has special arrangements?
1.C.9. Does the PHA’s own staff provide housing-related services to participants in the program that go
beyond what people who are not homeless would get? If so, what type of services are provided?
[PROBES: EXTRA HOUSING SEARCH ASSISTANCE? HELP MOVING IN AND SETTLING?
ONGOING CASE MANAGEMENT? WHAT ELSE?]
1.C.10. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the PHA providing these services and not the
partner agency?

1.C.11. Is the housing linked to services—that is, are particular services an essential part of the program?
1.C.12. Is participation in services required?
1.C.13. What is the partner’s role? [PROBES: DEVELOP OR MANAGE HOUSING UNITS?
SELECT HOUSEHOLDS FOR THE PROGRAM? DETERMINE ELIGIBILTY FOR THE
PROGRAM? PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT? PROVIDE HELP FINDING HOUSING?
PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES? LANDLORD MEDIATION?]
1.C.14. What services does the partner organization provide? [PROBES: CASE MANAGEMENT?
HELP FINDING HOUSING? HELP MOVING IN AND SETTLING? HELP WITH LANDLORD
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ISSUES? EMPLOYMENT SERVICES? CHILD-FOCUSED SERVICES? MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES? SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES? PRIMARY HEALTH CARE? WHAT ELSE?]
1.C.15. Have other public agencies such as Mental Health or Corrections made an explicit commitment
to the program, and do they collaborate to provide services or housing placement?

Instructions on filling this set of tables are found before question 1.C.2
Partner A:
Describe:
____________________________
1.C.2 – Subpopulation served?
1.C.3 – PHA Role in partnership?
1.C.4 – Have a specific number of
units been committed to partnership?
If so, how does it work?
1.C.5 – Are “reserved” units first
come, first serve, or are they
designated in certain type of
properties?
1.C.6 – When is housing assistance
provided?
1.C.7 Does partnership provide
transition in place projects with
project based units?
1.C.8 Any special arrangements with
LIHTC projects to link vouchers to
PSH or other units?
1.C.9 – Does PHA staff provide
additional housing services?
1.C.10 Pros and cons of PHA
provision?
1.C.11 – Is the housing linked to
services?
1.C.12 – Is participation in the services
required?
1.C.13 – Service organization role in
partnership?
1.C.14 – What services does the
partner organization provide?
1.C.15 Have other public agencies
committed to the program?

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Partner B:
____________________________
1.C.2 – Subpopulation served?
1.C.3 – PHA Role in partnership?
1.C.4 – Are “reserved” units first
come, first serve, or are they
designated in certain type of
properties?
1.C.5 – When is housing assistance
provided?
1.C.6 Does partnership provide
transition in place projects with
project based units?
1.C.7 Any special arrangements with
LIHTC projects to link vouchers to
PSH or other units?
1.C.8 – Does PHA staff provide
additional housing services?
1.C.9 Pros and cons of PHA provision?
1.C.10 – Is the housing linked to
services?
1.C.11 – Is participation in the services
required?
1.C.12 – Service organization role in
partnership?
1.C.13 – What services does the
partner organization provide?
1.C.14 Have other public agencies
committed to the program?

Describe:

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Partner C:
____________________________
1.C.2 – Subpopulation served?
1.C.3 – PHA Role in partnership?
1.C.4 – Are “reserved” units first
come, first serve, or are they
designated in certain type of
properties?
1.C.5 – When is housing assistance
provided?
1.C.6 Does partnership provide
transition in place projects with
project based units?
1.C.7 Any special arrangements with
LIHTC projects to link vouchers to
PSH or other units?
1.C.8 – Does PHA staff provide
additional housing services?
1.C.9 Pros and cons of PHA provision?
1.C.10 – Is the housing linked to
services?
1.C.11 – Is participation in the services
required?
1.C.12 – Service organization role in
partnership?
1.C.13 – What services does the
partner organization provide?
1.C.14 Have other public agencies
committed to the program?

Describe:
Describe:

1.C.16. Do these partners help remove barriers that might otherwise hamper use of Housing Choice
Vouchers or Public Housing by homeless people? If so, how?
[PROBES: DO THE PARTNERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO MODIFY THE PHA'S USUAL
ELIGIBILITY SCREENING, FOR EXAMPLE FOR CRIMINAL RECORDS? DO THEY HELP
PERSUADE LANDLORDS TO RENT TO HOUSEHOLDS TRYING TO USE VOUCHERS? DO
THEY HELP PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS GET ON AND STAY ON WAITING
LISTS? DO THEY HELP PHAS FIND/LOCATE PEOPLE ON THEIR WAITING LIST? DO THEY
HELP FIND HOUSING THAT MEETS HQS? DO THEY HELP WITH MANAGEMENT OR
TENANCY ISSUES THAT MAY ARISE?]

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1.C.17. [FOR PHAS THAT HAVE MTW AUTHORITY]: Is there any way in which the authority
granted to you under your MTW Agreement made it easier for you to implement any of these programs or
partnerships? [TRY TO GET THE RESPONDENT TO BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE.]

1.D. [FOR PHAS THAT HAVE MTW AUTHORITY AND ANSWER NO TO WEB CENSUS
G.1.1]:
1.D.1. On the Web Census, your PHA indicated that you do not implement any programs specifically
aimed at homeless households. Why not?

1.D.2. Has anyone suggested that you use MTW authority for programs that serve homeless households?
If so, why did you decide not to do it?

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SECTION 2: PHA’s PREFERENCE SYSTEMS
Now, I’d like to ask you a series of questions about the preferences for admission to the Housing Choice
Voucher and Public Housing programs your PHA reported on the Web Census. Let’s start by confirming
your Web responses.
2.A. Questions for PHAs with Homeless Preferences in their HCV, project-based HCV, or Public
Housing programs [FOR PHAS RESPONDING YES TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
ON THE WEB CENSUS: A.2.2, A.2.3, A.3.4, B.3.3, OR B.3.4]
2.A.1. From the answers your PHA gave on the Web Census, my understanding is that…
[SUMMARIZE INFORMATION FROM WEB CENSUS FROM A PREFILLED TABLE BASED ON
WEB CENSUS QUESTIONS A.2.2, A.2.2.a.,A.2.2.b, A.2.3, A. 2. 4, A. 2.5, A.2.6, A. 2. 7, A. 3.3, A.3.4,
A.3.5, B.3.1, B.3.2, B.3.3, B.3.4, B.3.5, B.3.6, B.3.7, and B.3.8.]

Limited preference?
Number of units
Sub-population
Unlimited preference?
Subpopulation
Specific to homeless?
Homeless ranked highest
among preferences?
Homeless ranked same as
other preferences?

HCV
YES/NO
NUMBER
NAME
YES/NO
NAME
YES/NO
YES/NO

Project-based HCV
YES/NO
NUMBER
NAME
YES/NO
NAME
YES/NO
YES/NO

Public Housing
YES/NO
NUMBER
NAME
YES/NO
NAME
YES/NO
YES/NO

YES/NO

YES/NO

YES/NO

Have we understood correctly the information from the Web Census on your admission preferences to the
[Housing Choice Voucher, public housing, and project-based Housing Choice Voucher] program(s)?
Please explain anything that is incorrect.

2.A.2. [FOR PHAS WITH MULTIPLE SUBPOPULATION PREFERENCES NOTED ABOVE] Do
you have a means by which you rank the different subpopulations with admission preferences?

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2.A.3. [FOR PHAs WITH LIMITED PREFERENCES: RESPONSE TO WEB A.2.2 IS YES; A.3.4
IDENTIFIES A HOMELESS PREFERENCE, OR B.3.3 IS YES].
A.2.2.
A.3.4.
B.3.3.

2.A.4. [FOR PHAS WITH LIMITED PREFERENCES FOR VOUCHERS] Please explain how the
preference that establishes a specific number of vouchers for a particular population works. Why have
you established this preference? How do you manage your waiting list or the process for taking in new
households to implement the limited preference? What is the process for identifying households that
might qualify for that preference? [PROBES: HOW DO PEOPLE NOT ALREADY ON THE WAITING
LIST GET ON? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WAITING LIST IS CLOSED? CAN PEOPLE
APPLY TO BE ON WAITING LISTS FOR SPECIFIC PROGRAMS? WHO DETERMINES
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM?] Why do you manage the process that way?

2.A.5. [FOR PHAS WITH LIMITED PREFERENCES FOR PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS OR
PUBLIC HOUSING] Please explain Please explain how the preference that establishes a specific number
of project-based voucher units/public housing units works. How do you manage your waiting list or the
process for taking in new households to implement the limited preference? What is the process for
identifying households that might qualify for that preference? Why do you manage the process that way?
2.A.6. [FOR PHAS WITH LIMITED PREFERENCES FOR PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS OR
PUBLIC HOUSING] Are the unit or program slots reserved in specific properties? If so, why did you
choose those properties? Who determines eligibility for the property?

2.A.7. [FOR PHAS WITH UNLIMITED PREFERENCES: RESPONSE TO WEB A.2.3 OR B.3.4 IS
YES] Please tell me about what features of your waiting list and preference system might bring homeless
people to the top of the waiting list sooner than if they were not homeless. What changes did you see after
you started using a preference for homeless people? Have you seen a large increase in the number of
households self-identifying as homeless? If so, how has this affected your workload - for example, time
required for verification/documentation of eligibility for preferences? If the PHA takes referrals through
the CoC's central intake system or from specific providers, have those providers seen an increase in
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households applying for assistance through those systems or providers ? How have they handled it?
[PROBE FURTHER ABOUT HOW A HOUSEHOLD THAT MEETS MORE THAN ONE
PREFERENCE CATEGORY WOULD BE TREATED AND WHERE A HOMELESS HOUSEHOLD
WOULD RANK COMPARED WITH HOUSEHOLDS QUALIFYING FOR OTHER PREFERENCES.]
2.A.8. I see that ….
[BASED ON TABLE AT START OF THIS SECTION AND ON THE ANSWER TO B.1.3.a,
SUMMARIZE ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PREFERENCES FOR HCVs AND PUBLIC
HOUSING].
Please explain why your preferences for homeless people differ between vouchers and public housing.
Do you believe that one program is a more effective tool than the other for providing housing for people
experiencing homelessness? If so, which do you see as more effective and why?

2.A.9. I see that …
[BASED ON TABLE AT THE START OF THIS SECTION, SUMMARIZE ANY DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN PREFERENCES FOR HCVs AND PROJECT-BASED HCVs].
Please explain why your preferences for homeless people differ between tenant-based and project-based
HCVs. Do you believe that one program is a more effective tool than the other for providing housing for
people experiencing homelessness? If so, which do you see as more effective, and why?

2.A.10. Can you provide an estimate of the number of homeless households (or an estimate of the percent
of all the households in your HCV, project-based HCV, or Public Housing program) that are admitted
each year because of your preference for homeless people?

2.A.11. Do you anticipate making any changes to the PHA’s preference system that might affect
homeless people? If yes, explain.

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2.A.12. [FOR PHAS THAT HAVE MTW AUTHORITY] Is there anything about your preferences for
homeless households that you would not have been able to implement without MTW authority? [TRY
TO GET THE RESPONDENT TO BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE.]

2.B. Definitions of Homelessness
[FOR PHAS WITH PREFERENCES—THOSE THAT WERE ASKED 2.A QUESTIONS]

2.B.1. In your Web Census, you indicated that [NAME OF PHA] uses the following definition of
homelessness in implementing the preference for homeless households or for a particular type of
homeless household. [SUMMARIZE AND CONFIRM PRE-FILLED WEB CENSUS RESPONSES D.1.
and D.2]

D.1
D.2

D.3.a.
D.4

Do you ask this question of every admitted
applicant?
When answering “no” on line 4c on the HUD Form
50058, the following occurs: (Options: You
yourself check “no” to Question 4C; Software autopopulates the answer as “no” when you leave it
blank; or Other.)
What definition of homelessness does your PHA
use to complete HUD Form 50058?
Is there a minimum amount of time that a person
has to be homeless in order to meet the PHA’s
definition of homelessness?

2.B.2. Can you offer any insight on why the PHA uses that particular definition?

2.B.3. In your Web Census, you indicated that [NAME OF PHA] uses the following information to
determine whether a newly admitted household is homeless. [SUMMARIZE AND CONFIRM PREFILLED WEB CENSUS RESPONSE D.3.]

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2.B.4. In your view, does that definition or required documentation limit or prevent you from serving
some types of homeless people? If yes, please elaborate.

2.C. Costs of Preferences for Homeless People
[FOR PHAS WITH PREFERENCES—THOSE THAT WERE ASKED B.1 QUESTIONS]
2.C.1. To what extent do/does your homeless preference(s) affect your ability to serve other households—
that is, households than are not homeless but may meet other PHA preferences or have other needs?

2.C.2. Have your homeless preference(s) created additional costs or burdens to the PHA? If so, please
describe.
[PROMPTS: DOES IT REQUIRE MORE EFFORT TO FIND HOMELESS PEOPLE WHEN THEY
COME TO THE TOP OF THE WAITING LIST? HAVE YOU DONE ADDITIONAL OUTREACH TO
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO APPLY FOR YOUR PROGRAMS?
DO A LARGER SHARE OF APPLICANTS FAIL SCREENING FOR ELIGIBILITY? IS MORE
STAFF SUPPORT NEEDED DURING THE APPLICATION OR VOUCHER LEASE-UP PERIOD?
DOES IT REQUIRE A LONGER LEASE-UP PERIOD? ARE THE VOUCHER HOUSING
ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS LARGER OR ARE THE PUBLIC HOUSING RENTS LOWER? ARE
THERE MORE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IN PUBLIC HOUSING?]

2.C.3. [IF RESPONDENT HAS IDENTIFIED COST IMPACTS]: Are there ways that you have
mitigated these impacts? Please elaborate.

2.C.4. [IF RESPONDENT HAS IDENTIFIED COST IMPACTS]: Is there anything HUD could do to
help your agency reduce the costs associated with maintaining a homeless preference?
[PROMPTS: HUD CHANGING REGULATIONS, ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FROM HUD,
ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR ADMIN OR RISK-RELATED COSTS]

2.C.5. Are there positive impacts for your agency and/or community that you attribute to having a
preference for homeless people?
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2.C.6. [FOR PHAS THAT HAVE MTW AUTHORITY]: Is there anything about your MTW authority
that has made it possible for you to cover or absorb the costs of serving homeless people? Is there
anything that has made it possible for you to reduce the costs of serving homeless people?
2.D. Questions for PHAs without Homeless Preferences
[FOR PHAS RESPONDING NO TO WEB CENSUS A.2.2, A.2.3, A.3.4, B.3.3, AND B.3.4]
2.D.1. Have you ever considered establishing a preference for homeless households? Has anyone outside
the PHA’s staff—such as the PHA’s Board, the mayor, the city council, local public agencies, or
advocacy organizations—ever asked you to consider establishing a preference for homeless people?

2.D.2. If yes, what were the factors that led to your decision not to establish a preference for homeless
households? What was the primary factor? What were other important factors? [PROBE: WHEN WAS
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PREFERENCE CONSIDERED?]

2.D.3. Has anyone outside the PHA—such as the PHA’s Board or elected officials or advocacy
organizations—ever opposed a preference for homeless people that was proposed by the PHA?

2.D.4. What concerns do or would you have about establishing a homeless preference?
[PROMPTS: SUBSIDY COSTS, ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, PUBLIC HOUSING MANAGEMENT
PROBLEMS, OTHER HOUSEHOLDS WITH PRIORITY NEEDS, HOMELESS HOUSEHOLDS
WOULD NOT PASS ELIGIBILITY SCREENS, RELAXING ELIGIBILITY SCREENS WOULD NOT
BE DESIRABLE, SERVICES TO SUPPORT HOUSEHOLDS WITH COMPLEX NEEDS ARE NOT
AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.]

2.D.5. [FOR PHAS RESPONDING YES TO WEB CENSUS A.2.1 OR B.3.1] From the answers your
PHA gave on the Web Census, you do have preferences in your [Housing Choice Voucher
Program/Public Housing program] for some types of households, although not for homeless households.
According to those answers, you have preferences for households that: [PREFILL BASED ON WEB
CENSUS A.2.5 AND B.3.6] Is this accurate?
Voucher preference

Public housing preference

Are current residents of the
jurisdiction
Have severe rent burden
Live in substandard housing

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Voucher preference

Public housing preference

Have been displaced by public
action
Have been displaced by a
declared national disaster
Are veterans
Are elderly
Are people with disabilities
Are non-elderly people with
disabilities
Are people with disabilities
transitioning from nursing homes
or institutions
Are victims of domestic violence
Are families referred by public
child welfare agencies for family
unification
Are youth aging out of foster
care

2.D.6. [ASK IF PHA HAS SEVERAL PREFERENCE GROUPS]. Which of these groups is the most
important from the standpoint of the PHA's mission?

2.D.7. What are the reasons it is important for [NAME OF PHA] to serve those households?

2.D.8. If you had a preference for homeless households, would that affect your ability to serve the types
of households for whom you now have preferences? How would it do that?

2.D.9. Although you don’t have a preference for homeless households, presumably you served some
households that were homeless at the time they were admitted to the Housing Choice Voucher or Public
Housing program. Can you provide an estimate of the number of households each year (or an estimated
percent of all the households in your HCV or Public Housing program) that were homeless at the time
they were admitted? [IF ESTIMATE(S) PROVIDED, ASK B.4.4a AND b. OTHERWISE SKIP TO
B.4.5.]

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2.D.10. In your Web Census, your PHA indicated that you use the following definition of homelessness
in responding to the question on HUD FORM 50058 about whether a household was homeless at the time
of admission. [SUMMARIZE AND CONFIRM PRE-FILLED WEB CENSUS RESPONSES D.1, D.1.a
and D.2.]
D.1
D.2..

D.3.a.
D.4.

Do you ask this question of every admitted
applicant?
When answering “no” on line 4c on the HUD Form
50058, the following occurs: (Options: You
yourself check “no” to Question 4C; Software autopopulates the answer as “no” when you leave it
blank; or Other.)
What definition of homelessness does your PHA
use to complete HUD Form 50058?
Is there a minimum amount of time that a person
has to be homeless in order to meet the PHA’s
definition of homelessness?

Is that the information on which your estimate of the number of homeless households you serve is based?

2.D.11. In your Web Census, your PHA indicated that you use the following information to determine
whether a newly admitted household is homeless. [SUMMARIZE AND CONFIRM PRE-FILLED WEB
CENSUS RESPONSE D.3.]
Is that the information on which your estimate of the number of homeless households you serve is based?

2.D.12. In your view, is there anything HUD could do to create more incentives for PHAs to use the
Housing Choice Voucher or Public Housing program to address homelessness? Please explain.

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SECTION 3: Barriers to Using the HCV and Public Housing Programs
[ASK THESE QUESTIONS OF ALL PHAS]
3.A.1. In your response to the Web Census, your PHA (identified some/did not identify any) [BASED
ON RESPONSE TO WEB CENSUS F.1.1] barriers that homeless people may encounter in using
Housing Choice Vouchers or being admitted to public housing.
3.A.2. [FOR THOSE IDENTIFYING BARRIERS: RESPONSE TO WEB CENSUS F.1.1 INDICATES
BARRIERS] You indicated that…
[GO OVER EACH BARRIER BASED ON PRE-FILL RESPONSES TO WEB CENSUS F.1.1.]

Tell me more about why that is a barrier.

Barrier [PRE-FILLED]

Why a problem

3.A.3. [FOR THOSE NOT IDENTIFYING BARRIERS: RESPONSE TO WEB CENSUS F.1.1 IS
NONE] Please describe why, in your view, homeless households are able to use Housing Choice
Vouchers or public housing without significant barriers.
3.A.4. [FOR ALL PHAS] When assisted households have violated program rules and you plan to evict
them from public housing or terminate their voucher, do you take any steps to help them avoid becoming
homeless?
[PROBES: NOTIFY THEIR CASEWORKERS, CONNECT THEM WITH SERVICES, WORK WITH
THEM DURING A PROBATIONARY PERIOD, WORK OUT A TRANSFER TO HOUSING THAT
BETTER SUITS THEIR NEEDS]

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3.A.5. [FOR PHAS THAT RESPONDED YES TO WEB CENSUS F.1.3.] In your PHA’s Web Census,
you described some policy, procedural, or programmatic changes that you have made to make it easier to
serve homeless people. [SUMMARIZE BASED ON PRE-FILLED RESPONSE TO WEB CENSUS
F.1.3] Tell me more about what you have done and how it has worked.
[PROBES: HAS IT GONE THE WAY YOU EXPECTED, HAVE YOU HOUSED MORE PEOPLE
THAN ANTICIPATED, HAS IT ENABLED YOU TO DO WHAT YOU WANTED RELATED TO
HELPING HOMELESS PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, DO YOU HAVE ANY LESSONS
LEARNED FOR OTHER PHAs THAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERING SOMETHING SIMILAR?]
F.1.3.

3.A.6. [FOR PHAS RESPONDING TO SECTION 1.C OF THIS SURVEY.] Have any of the
partnership arrangements that we talked about earlier helped you overcome barriers to serving homeless
people? If so, how did that work?

3.A.7. [FOR PHAS THAT HAVE MTW AUTHORITY] Has your MTW authority given you the
ability to overcome any of the barriers homeless people may face in using the Housing Choice Voucher or
Public Housing program? [TRY TO GET THE RESPONDENT TO BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE.]

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SECTION 4: Other Programs Administered by the PHA
4.A. Special-purpose vouchers
4.A.1. Based on HUD’s administrative records, [NAME OF PHA] has some special-purpose vouchers.
Please confirm that you have [PRE-FILLED BASED ON HUD INFORMATION]:
HUD-VASH: [YES/NO]
Non-Elderly Disabled (NED): [YES/NO]
5-year Mainstream: [YES/NO]
Family Unification Program (FUP): [YES/NO]
4.A.2. [ASK FOR EACH PROGRAM] Has your experience with serving people with special needs under
[NAME PROGRAM] influenced your policies for serving homeless people?
HUD-VASH
NED
5-Year Mainstream
FUP

4.A.3. Has your experience with people with special needs under [NAME OF PROGRAM] affected your
capacity to serve homeless people? Please explain.
[PROBES: HAVE THEY LED TO CHANGES IN POLICIES OR PROCEDURES? HAVE THEY
BUILT STAFF SKILLS OR CAPACITY?]

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4.B Other programs serving homeless people

4.B.1. Based on your responses to the Web Census, [NAME OF PHA] serves homeless people through
one or more programs other than Housing Choice Vouchers or Public Housing. [ASK FOR EACH
PROGRAM IN TURN] You have [NAME OF PROGRAM] and that program serves about [XX]
homeless people. [IF NO OTHER PROGRAMS IDENTIFIED AS SERVING HOMELESS PEOPLE,
SKIP TO 4.B.5.]

[PRE-FILL WEB RESPONSES]

HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
State or locally funded rental assistance
Section 202
Section 811
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units (no
rental assistance)
HUD McKinney-Vento Supportive Housing
Program
HUD McKinney-Vento Shelter Plus Care
HUD McKinney-Vento Section 8 SRO
Moderate Rehabilitation
Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing
(HPRP) –-prevention
HPRP—rapid re-housing
Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation (not
McKinney-Vento)
Rural Housing Service Section 515 housing
HUD multifamily private assisted housing
(Section 8, 236, etc.)
HOPWA
Other [specify]

Administer this type
of program?
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No
□
Yes
□
No

Approximate number of units or
slots for homeless households
Number of units: ___________
Number of units: ___________
Number of units: ___________
Number of units: ___________
Number of units: ___________
Number of units: ___________
Number of units: ___________
Number of units: ___________
Number of households:
___________
Number of households:
___________
Number of units for homeless:
___________
Number of units for homeless:
___________
Number of units for homeless:
___________
Number of units for homeless:
___________
Number of units: ___________

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4.B.2. Is there anything I
haven’t mentioned that
you do differently?

4.D.3. Is it easier to use
[NAME OF
PROGRAM] to serve
homeless people than it
is to use regular Housing
Choice Vouchers or
public housing? Why or
why not?

4.B.4. Are you working
with community partners
to serve homeless people
in [NAME OF
PROGRAM]? Please
identify the partners and
describe how that works.

HOME TenantBased Rental
Assistance
State or locally
funded rental
assistance
Section 202
Section 811
Low-Income
Housing Tax
Credit units (no
rental assistance)
HUD McKinneyVento Supportive
Housing Program
HUD McKinneyVento Shelter
Plus Care
HUD McKinneyVento Section 8
SRO Moderate
Rehabilitation
Homeless
Prevention and
Rapid Rehousing (HPRP)
–-prevention
HPRP—rapid rehousing
Section 8
Moderate
Rehabilitation
(not McKinneyVento)
Rural Housing
Service Section
515 housing
HUD multifamily
private assisted
housing (Section
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8, 236, etc.)

HOPWA
Other [specify]

4.B.5. Have the partnerships you have built for these programs also improved your ability to serve
homeless households with your Housing Choice Voucher or Public Housing program?

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SECTION 5. Closing

5.A. Is there anything else you would like to tell me about concerning [NAME OF PHA]’s engagement
with homeless people?

Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with me today.

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