Summary:
The Congregate Housing Services Program offers grants to States, units of general local government, public housing authorities (PHAs), tribally designated housing entities (TDHES), and local nonprofit housing sponsors to provide meals and other supportive services needed by frail elderly residents and residents with disabilities in federally subsidized housing. It is a project-based-rather than a tenant-based-program.

Purpose:
This program prevents premature and unnecessary institutionalization of frail elderly, nonelderly disabled, and temporarily disabled persons; provides a variety of innovative approaches for the delivery of meals and nonmedical supportive services while making use of existing service programs; fills gaps in existing service systems; and ensures availability of funding for meals and other programs necessary for independent living. An earlier CHSP program, created by the Congregate Housing Services Act of 1978, continues to receive funding on the same basis as the current program.

Type of Assistance:
Assistance is in the form of grants to provide at least one hot meal per day in a group setting, 7 days per week, plus other supportive services necessary for independent living. Projects may not duplicate services that are already available at affordable rates. HUD administers this program in coordination with the Rural Housing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Eligible Grantees:
Grants may go to States, units of general local government, PHAs, IHAs, TDHEs; and projects funded under Section 202, Section 8 project-based assistance, Section 221(d)(3), Section 236, and Section 515 of the Rural Housing Service (RHS). A State agency or unit of local government may apply on behalf of a nonprofit or for-profit owner of eligible housing. Applicants must have an accessible dining facility, a need for the program, a demonstrated record of satisfactory management in housing or services for elderly or nonelderly persons with disabilities, and a satisfactory record of equal opportunity.

Eligible Customers:
Services may be used by frail elderly (62 years or older), disabled, and temporarily disabled persons who are residents of federally subsidized housing and are unable to perform at least three activities of daily living. An independent professional assessment committee works with a service coordinator appointed by the grantee to determine individual eligibility for services and to recommend a service package to the housing management.

Eligible Activities:
Recipient projects must provide at least one hot meal per day in a group setting, 7 days a week. Other services offered must be necessary for independent living and not duplicative of other available and affordable services. Semiannual financial reports and annual performance reports are required.

Application:
Applications are submitted in accordance with a HUD Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).

Cost Sharing:
Under CHSP, HUD provides funds of up to 40 percent of the cost of supportive services, grantees pay at least 50 percent of the costs, and program participants pay fees amounting to at least 10 percent of the program costs. Fees may be up to 20 percent of a participant's adjusted income.

Funding Status:
HUD has neither solicited nor funded applications for new grants under CHSP since 1995. Congress, however, has provided funds to extend expiring grants on an annual basis.

Technical Guidance:
Authorization first was under the CHSA of 1978; the Housing and Community Development Amendments of 1978, Title IV, as amended, Public Law 95-557, 42 U.S.C. 8001. The revised Congregate Housing Services Program is authorized by Section 802 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 8011, with regulations at 24 CFR 700 for HUD and 7 CFR 1944 for RHS. At HUD headquarters, the program is administered by the Office of Housing Assistance and Grant Administration at (202) 708-2866. In the Field Offices, contact the Director of Multifamily Housing or Public Housing. Program regulations can be found in HUD's "Monitoring and Technical Assistance Handbook for the CHSP," item # 0395, stock # 4640.01 R001.

For More Information:
Evaluation reports of both old and the new CHSP programs are available from HUD USER (1-800-245-2691 or 1-800-483-2209 TDD). Both the Baseline Comparison Report: Congregate Housing Services Program (CHSP) and HOPE for Elderly Independence Demonstration Program (HOPE IV) and the Evaluation of the New Congregate Housing Services Program: Second Interim Report about the new program were issued by HUD in 1996. Credit card orders may be placed online at https://www.huduser.gov/. CHSP is described on the Internet at http://www.hud.gov/sec2d.html#I.