CHAPTER 14
HOMELESS SHELTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
265—14.1(16) General. The homeless shelter assistance program provides grants for the construction, rehabilitation or expansion of group shelter facilities serving the homeless. Grant requests will be submitted by eligible applicants, and funding decisions will be made by the authority board of directors after application review and recommendations by authority staff. Upon board approval of a grant request, the authority and the applicant will enter into a contract for the grant to ensure program compliance. The authority shall coordinate funding under the program with related funding programs administered by the department of economic development.
265—14.2(16) Eligible applicants. Cities, counties, nonprofit organizations, and joint ventures of the same are eligible for funds under the homeless shelter assistance program. Ineligible applicants include for-profit organizations and facilities operating in violation of law.
265—14.3(16) Eligible activities. Rehabilitation (including repairs and remodeling) of existing facilities, expansion of existing facilities, and construction of new facilities (including the acquisition of existing structures and the conversion to group shelters), services for the homeless, and operations of homeless assistance shelters are eligible activities for funding under the homeless shelter assistance program. Ineligible activities for funding include, but are not limited to, religious instruction and refinancing.
265—14.4(16) Application procedure. The authority will solicit requests for written proposals (RFPs) from eligible applicants. Applicants will be given 45 days in which to respond to the RFP. Applications will be reviewed by the authority staff and recommendations for approval or denial will be made to the authority’s board of directors. The authority staff may consult with local or state agencies or groups with an expertise in the area of homeless shelters before making final funding recommendations.
265—14.5(16) Application review criteria. The application must be in the form prescribed by the authority and shall include, but not be limited to, the amount of funds requested, the need for the funds, the amount and source of the local match, and estimated number of persons to be served by the shelter. Application review criteria include local match, experience of the applicant, needs assessment, availability of support systems, financial viability of the shelter, coordination and integration with other programs, and comprehensiveness of local housing programs. Priorities for program funding include rehabilitation and expansion of existing facilities; serving geographic areas demonstrating the greatest need; coordination with other programs and agencies, and integration of homeless shelters into a comprehensive program of housing assistance at the community level.
265—14.6(16) Maximum grant award. The form of assistance will be a grant limited to a maximum of $50,000 unless there are not adequate applications to utilize available funds.
265—14.7(16) Contracts. Upon selection of a project(s) for funding, the authority will issue a contract. In the absence of special circumstances in which there is a legal incapacity on the part of the applicant to accept funds for eligible activities, the contract shall be between the authority and the applicant.
The contract will include, but not be limited to, all terms and conditions necessary for the authority to ensure that funds are properly received, accounted for and audited, that project activities are completed, and that the grantee is in compliance with applicable law.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 16.100(2)“a.”
[Filed 11/4/88, Notice 7/27/88—published 11/30/88, effective 1/4/89]
[Filed 1/5/90, Notice 11/1/89—published 1/24/90, effective 2/28/90]
[Filed 3/19/91, Notice 10/17/90—published 4/3/91, effective 5/8/91]