Housing Subsidy Program - Division of Developmental Disabilities
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5/18/21
“The Division of Developmental Disabilities Housing Subsidy Program”
Presenter:
Ms. Courtney Davey
Supervisor for the Division of Developmental Disabilities Housing Subsidy Unit
May 18, 2021
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The New Jersey Department of Human Services
Division of Developmental Disabilities
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Housing Subsidy Program
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SHC and DDD Functions
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Supportive Housing
Connection (SHC) Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) Functions
Functions
• Process housing • Determine eligibility and policy.
subsidy referrals • Facilitate signatures for tenants who have a legal guardian
approved by DDD. through Bureau of Guardianship Services (BGS).
• Conduct housing • Facilitate collection of tenant and landlord data for
inspections for admissions and internal moves in provider-managed
unlicensed settings. settings.
• Administer housing • Conduct monthly reconciliation of tenant residential changes
payments. in provider-managed settings that impact payments.
• Conduct annual • Determine housing subsidy eligibility for individuals in
tenant Supports Program and Community Care Program seeking a
recertification. self-directed setting.
• Review move requests.
• Determine eligibility for one-time funding.
• Resolve inquiries from residential providers, SCAs, families,
individuals and stakeholders.
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Housing Subsidy Program Eligibility
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Supports Program Community Care Program
Housing subsidy for one-bedroom Housing subsidy for one-bedroom
apartment. apartment.
Must meet DDD’s Published Rent Must meet DDD’s Published Rent
Standards (Fair Market Rate). Standards (Fair Market Rate).
Rent directly with third party landlord. Rent directly with third party landlord or
DDD residential provider.
Eligible for own apartment/ shared living Eligible for group home, supervised
arrangement. apartment, own apartment or shared
living arrangement.
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Housing Subsidy Program Eligibility
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Eligibility criteria for individuals in the Supports Program or Community Care Program,
who are seeking a housing subsidy for a self-directed, unlicensed rental unit:
Active Medicaid.
Current NJCAT assessment.
Currently receiving or planning to receive DDD-funded, disability-related services.
Individuals on the Community Care Program Waiting List who have been reached in
the current fiscal year initiative.
Please note: DDD-funded housing subsidies provide rental assistance only and do not
provide funding for disability-related services and supports. Before applying for a
housing subsidy, it is important that an individual work with their support coordinator
to ensure their budget can fund needed services within the desired rental unit.
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Planning
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• A request should not be submitted to DDD if the
Has the proposed living individual is pursuing other living arrangements.
arrangement been finalized? The planning team should meet and discuss the
supports/services the individual will need.
• The names of all household members should be
Who will be living in the included in the DDD Housing Subsidy Program
proposed living Eligibility Determination Form.
arrangement? • DDD must approve all household members.
Is the individual’s budget • DDD-funded housing subsidies provide rental
assistance only. The SCA must review the
sufficient to cover needed individual’s existing budget to ensure it is sufficient
services within the proposed to cover the services needed in the desired living
setting? arrangement.
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Types of Residential Settings
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A setting owned, rented, or leased by the licensee, regardless of
any underlying residency agreement with the individual(s)
Provider served, in which services are coordinated by a single service
Managed provider that manages all aspects of residential services for one
or more individuals residing in that setting.
A setting in which an individual (or their authorized
Self- representative) elects to manage all aspects of service provision
Directed by using Self-Directed Employees (SDE), multiple Medicaid/DDD
approved service providers, or a combination of these.
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Is Licensure Required?
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17.7.9.3.1 Need for Licensure
The following factors inform the determination that a setting must be licensed under the provisions
set forth in N.J.A.C. 10:44A – Standards for Community Residences for Individuals with
Developmental Disabilities:
Individuals residing in the setting are on the CCP; – AND –
The setting is provider managed (see definition in Section 18.1); – AND –
The individual residing in the setting, as documented in the ISP, requires personal guidance as
defined in Section 18.1.
Personal Guidance – the assistance provided to an individual with intellectual/developmental
disabilities on a daily basis in activities of daily living because they require help completing such
activities of daily living and/or cannot direct someone to complete such activities when physical
disabilities prevent self-completion; or there is a documented health or mental health problem
requiring supervision of the person for the protection of the individual or others. In the absence
of a court determination, the planning team determines the need for personal guidance for each
individual, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:44A-4.3(c)
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Submitting a Request
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Who submits the Supports Program: Support coordinator initiates the
request? process by submitting a DDD Housing Subsidy Program
Eligibility Determination Form.
Provider managed settings (group home/supervised
Who submits the
apartment licensed with NJ DHS): DDD residential
request?
providers are responsible for arranging housing payments.
Moving from provider managed settings to self-direction: Support
coordinator submits, through iRecord, verification that the
planning team has met and agreed in writing that the individual
Who submits the (and guardian, if applicable) has elected to self-direct services. If
request? planning team members are in agreement with the proposed
service delivery model and have verified that the planned services
can meet the individual’s health and safety needs, the upport
coordinator submits a DDD Housing Subsidy Program Eligibility
Determination Form.
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Requests for Live-in Aides
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For a variety of reasons New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) reviews
applications for individuals under services with the Division requesting a live-in aide.
Standards for live-in aides will be those established by DCA and a determination will be
made solely by DCA. Should DCA approve a live-in aide they will administer the
housing subsidy for the individual and the live-in aide (two-bedroom unit) under their
SRAP (State Rental Assistance Program) program. The two-bedroom unit must meet
criteria set by DCA. The individual would still contribute 30% of their income toward
the monthly rent. If DCA does not approve a live in-aide the individual will be referred
back to the Division and a housing subsidy may still potentially be provided minus the
live-in aide.
The assigned support coordinator of individuals seeking a live-in aide may initiate the
process by contacting DDD’s Housing Subsidy Unit at DDD.HousingSubsidy@dhs.nj.gov
to request an application.
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Application Process: Supports Program/CCP self-direction
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• The planning team meets
and finalizes the proposed
living arrangement.
The support coordinator completes If approved, the
and submits the DDD Housing individual is
Subsidy Program Eligibility referred to the
Determination Form via iRecord. SHC • The SHC issues a
The support coordinator emails welcome packet
DDD.HousingSubsidy@dhs.nj.gov to to the individual
advise the document has been
uploaded. • A DDD Housing Subsidy
Unit staff responds with an Individual has (90)
eligibility determination days to identify a
within 10 business days. rental.
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SHC Welcome Packet
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The first page of the welcome packet includes:
1. Individual’s name.
2. Number of bedrooms they are approved for.
3. Name and contact information for the assigned SHC staff.
The completed welcome packet documents listed below should be submitted to the
assigned SHC staff once a unit has been identified.
1. Request for Tenancy Approval (two page document that is signed by the
individual/legal guardian along with the proposed landlord).
2. DDD Rental Subsidy Agreement.
3. Income verification (current Social Security Administration Award Letter
and/or the last four consecutive paystubs).
4. Most recent bank statement.
5. Copy of birth certificate and Social Security Card.
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SHC Welcome Packet continued
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NOTE: SHC staff are not
Household
All units must DDD employees. They do
members and not recognize DDD-
have a monthly specific language, use
additional
rent that is DDD MIS #’s or have
bedrooms may access to DDD
at/below DDD’s applications such as
not be added
Published Rent iRecord. The family/SCA
without DDD must use the individual’s
Standards name when
approval. communicating with SHC.
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Welcome Packet Submission
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Step 2. Proposed landlord Step 3.
Step 1. Identify a unit
and individual/legal Individual/legal
within DDD’s guardian complete and sign guardian signs DDD
Published Rent the Request for Tenancy Rental Subsidy
Standards. Approval Agreement
Step 4. Individual submits
Step 6. The SHC conducts a
unit inspection. Step 5. The SHC Request for Tenancy Approval;
schedules a unit DDD Rental Subsidy Agreement;
The landlord completes the Income verification; bank
inspection with the statement; and copy of birth
HAP Contract, W9 and
proposed landlord. certificate/Social Security Card
direct deposit Form to the assigned SHC staff.
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Unit Inspections
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The rental must meet
HUD Housing Quality
Standards in order to • Illumination and electricity
pass inspection. These • Operational sanitary facilities
standards include: • Satisfactory interior air quality
• Operational smoke detectors
• Satisfactory water supply
• Absence of lead based paint
• Safe access
• Site and neighborhood
• Sanitary condition
• Safe structure and materials
• Controlled thermal environment
• Adequate food preparation and refuse disposal
• Space and security
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After the Unit Passes Inspection
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Unit Inspection Outcome: The individual will be notified by the SHC.
They may also call 609-503-7264 for an update.
Lease Signing: The individual/legal guardian may sign the lease after the
unit has been approved by the SHC. The signed lease must be submitted
to the assigned SHC staff.
Tenant portion: The SHC will issue the individual a tenant portion letter.
The subsidy portion of the rent will be funded by DDD and paid through
the SHC. The tenant portion is the amount the individual is responsible to
pay the landlord each month.
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Annual Recertification
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Tenant Documents Completed Annually:
• DDD Rental Subsidy Agreement.
• Copy of the new lease or lease renewal.
• Copy of current income.
Annual Inspections:
• Rental units inspected by the SHC and must meet and maintain 13 HUD
Quality Standards. The SHC will schedule the annual inspection during
tenant recertification/lease renewal.
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Tenant Resources
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New Jersey’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
https://oneapp.dhs.state.nj.us/default.aspx
Utility Assistance:
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and/or the PAGE (Payment Assistance for
Gas & Electric) program helps low to moderate income residents of NJ that are over income for the
LIHEAP program with their gas and electric bills.
Those who are disabled may complete LIHEAP application at home and submit via mail. For more
information on the LIHEAP Program and to download an application, please visit:
http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/hea.html.
The PAGE program, funded by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), is an annual assistance program
and is designed to help low to moderate income households across the state of New Jersey who
are experiencing economic hardship and struggling to pay their electric and natural gas bills. You
can apply online at http://www.njpoweron.org/page-application.html.
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Tenant Resources
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Cell Phone
New Jersey Lifeline Program: www.assurancewireless.com/lifeline-
services/states/new-jersey-lifeline-free-government-phone-service
Internet
Verizon: www.verizon.com/support/residential/account/manage-
account/lifeline-discount
Comcast: www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-broadband-
opportunity-program
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DDD One-time Funding Eligibility
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DDD funding for security deposits and/or furnishings is not an entitlement. Funding may be
requested from DDD as a last resort when there are no other resources available. Requests are
prioritized based on need. Eligibility criteria:
DDD has not previously funded a security deposit/furnishings for requestor.
DDD does not provide funding for application fees; parking fees; key fees; pet fees; etc.
There are no other financial resources available (family; friends; self-pay; county board of social
services). A denial letter from the county board of social services should be provided if security
deposit funding is being sought.
Tenants who have received a DDD-funded security deposit are not eligible for a second one.
DDD does not reimburse tenants and/or family members.
Shared settings: Security deposit amount is divided equally by the total number of household
members. DDD would only fund the portion(s) for those individuals under services.
If approved, payments for security deposits/furnishings are paid directly to the landlord or
vendor. Funding is not released until the SHC has received all of the required tenant/landlord
documents and the unit has passed inspection.
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Notifying DDD of Changes
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DDD should be notified of changes via the Housing Subsidy
mailbox, DDD.HousingSubsidy@dhs.nj.gov when:
• DDD housing assistance is no longer needed.
• The individual would like to move into a new unit.
• The individual would like to add an additional household member.
• The individual has been selected from a HUD waiting list or begins
receiving rental assistance from another source that is not DDD
funded.
• The individual moves out of state or is no longer under DDD
services.
• The individual receives an eviction notice, notice to quit, or notice to
cease from the landlord.
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Grounds for Denial or Termination of Rental Subsidy
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Rental subsidies may be denied or terminated if the tenant:
• Violates any obligation under the NJ DDD Rental Subsidy Agreement.
• Commits fraud, bribery or any corrupt or criminal act in connection with
the NJ DDD Rental Subsidy Program.
• Engages in criminal activity including drug related or violent activity.
• Does not comply with providing all required documentation.
• Allows other people to live in the rental unit who have not been reported
to the Division and have not received prior approval.
• Refuses to pay their portion of the rent, for damages to the unit or other
amounts owed by the resident under the lease to the landlord.
• Refuses to allow the SHC home inspection or comply with HUD Housing
Quality Standards.
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Questions
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DDD.HousingSubsidy@dhs.nj.gov
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