Homeless Housing and Assistance Surcharges.
The state and local homeless housing programs receive funding from the homeless housing and assistance surcharges collected by each county auditor when a document is recorded. The following surcharges related to affordable housing and homeless services are collected by the county, with shares of the funds distributed to the county and to the state:
$13 Affordable Housing for All Surcharge.
Of the $13 surcharge, approximately 60 percent is retained by the county for local affordable housing and assistance and approximately 40 percent is distributed to the state. The state's share of $10 of the fee is deposited into the Affordable Housing for All Account, to be used by the Department of Commerce (COM) for housing and shelter for extremely low-income households. The state's share of $3 of the fee is deposited into the Landlord Mitigation Program Account to provide financial support to landlords of tenants who receive rental assistance.
$62 Surcharge for Local Homeless Housing and Assistance.
Of the $62 surcharge, approximately 66 percent is retained by the county for local homeless housing and assistance. The remainder is distributed to the state for deposit in the Home Security Fund and is used by the COM to manage the state homeless housing program, issue private rental housing payments, and provide housing and shelter support.
$8 Additional Surcharge for Local Homeless Housing and Assistance.
Of the $8 surcharge, approximately 90 percent is retained by the county for local homeless housing and assistance and 10 percent is distributed to the state for deposit in the Home Security Fund. The funds distributed to the state may be used by the COM for managing the state's homeless housing programs.
State Rental Assistance.
The COM administers various rental assistance programs, including the Eviction Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). The ERAP was established by the COM in 2020 using federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Landlord Mitigation Program.
The Landlord Mitigation Program (LMP) is administered by the COM. The LMP can provide landlords of tenants who receive housing subsidy with up to $1,000 in reimbursement for move-in upgrades, up to 14 days of lost rent, and up to $5,000 for damage caused by a tenant. The maximum a landlord can receive of all combined claims under the LMP is $5,000.
Permanent Supportive Housing.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is defined as subsidized, leased housing with no limit on the length of stay that prioritizes people who need comprehensive support services to retain tenancy. PSH uses admissions practices designed to lower barriers to entry that would be typical for other rental housing, especially related to rental history, criminal history, and personal behaviors. PSH is paired with voluntary on or off-site supportive services.
Housing Surcharge.
An additional surcharge of $100 must be collected by a county auditor for each document recorded, with some exceptions. The funds collected must be fully remitted to the state to be distributed as follows:
Eviction Prevention Rental Assistance Program.
The Eviction Prevention Rental Assistance Program (EPRAP) is created and is to be administered by the COM to prevent evictions by providing resources to households most likely to become homeless or to suffer severe health consequences, or both, after an eviction while prioritizing households disproportionately impacted by public health emergencies, homelessness, and housing instability.
The COM must provide grants to eligible organizations to provide assistance to program participants. Eligible organizations are defined as local governments, local housing authorities, behavioral health administrative services organizations, nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organizations, federally recognized Tribes, and regional or statewide nonprofit housing assistance organizations.
Eligible organization grantees must work with organizations rooted in communities of color to assist and serve marginalized populations within their communities. At least 10 percent of the grant total must be sub-granted to organizations that serve and are substantially governed by marginalized populations.
Grant funds must be used for rent assistance, utility assistance, and administrative costs of the eligible organization. Households eligible to receive assistance are those:
The COM must ensure equity in the program by developing performance measures and benchmarks that promote equitable program access and equitable program outcomes. Performance measures and benchmarks must be developed by the COM in consultation with stakeholder groups. The measures and benchmarks must ensure the race and ethnicity of households served under the program are proportional to the numbers of people at risk of homelessness in each county for various racial groups.
The COM must report include a report on the expenditures, performance, and outcomes of the EPRAP in its annual update on the state's homeless housing strategic plan.