ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FROM THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE AND AMEND THE 2025 ADOPTED COUNTY BUDGET AS IT PERTAINS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY & FAMILY SERVICES

FAMILY & HUMAN SERVICES RESOLUTION NO. 2025050 RE: ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FROM THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE AND AMEND THE 2025 ADOPTED COUNTY BUDGET AS IT PERTAINS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY & FAMILY SERVICES Legislators GARITO, MC HOUL, CASWELL, D'AQUANNI, GORMAN, VERSACI, and KAUL offer the following and move its adoption: WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Community & Family Services has advised that the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (hereinafter "OTDA") has allocated and awarded the County 2024-2025 Shelter Arrears Eviction Forestallment Program (hereinafter "SAEF") grant funds in the sum of $265,086, and WHEREAS, the SAEF was created to provide vital shelter arrears assistance to help eligible households retain permanent housing, and WHEREAS, the SAEF will provide services and expenses related to the payment of shelter arrears necessary to retain housing for certain households that are in receipt of or who would be eligible for ongoing or emergency Public Assistance ("PA") pursuant to Social Services Law §131-a, and WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend the 2025 Adopted County Budget to accept and provide funding for the implementation of the SAEF program, now therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Commissioner of Finance is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to amend the 2025 Adopted County Budget as follows: APPROPRIATIONS Increase A.6010.4635 Emergency Services $265,086 REVENUES Increase A.6010.36890.04 Other Social Services NY $265,086 CA-036-25; VAC/rjw; G-0198-A 03/06/25; Fiscal Impact: See Attached STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF DUTCHESS ss: APPROVED Suser Serio SUSAN J. SERINO COUNTY EXECUTIVE IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and scal of said I egislature this 14 day of April 2025. Rughager SUE SERINO COUNTY EXECUTIVE SABRINA JAAR MARZOUKA, JD, MPH COMMISSIONER DUTCHESS COUNTY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND FAMILY SERVICES MEMORANDUM Date: 03/04/2025 To: Jess White Budget Director From: Peter Simon Director of Administrative Services DCFS RE: Resolution request - SAEF grant The New York State Budget appropriated $10 million to provide for services and expenses related to the payment of shelter arrears necessary to retain housing for certain households that are in receipt of or who would be eligible for ongoing or emergency Public Assistance (PA) pursuant to Social Services Law (SSL) §131-a. To distribute these funds, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) created the SAEF program to provide vital shelter arrears assistance to help eligible households retain permanent housing. We are seeking a resolution to provide the necessary funding for the implementation of the SAEF program. Thank you for your consideration. 60 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 | (845) 486-3000 | Fax: (845) 486-3090 dutchessny.gov FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT NO FISCAL IMPACT PROJECTED APPROPRIATION RESOLUTIONS (To be completed by requesting department) Total Current Year Cost $ 265,086 Total Current Year Revenue $ 265,086 and Source Source of County Funds (check one): LI Transfer of Existing Appropriations, • Existing Appropriations, contingency, V Additional Appropriations, • Other (explain). Identify Line Items(s): A.6010.4635 - Emergency Services 4.6010.36890.04 - Other Social Service NYS SAEF Program Related Expenses: Nature/Reason: NYS OTDA grant Amount $ - Anticipated Savings to County: Net County Cost (this year): Over Five Years: Additional Comments/Explanation: The New York State Shelter Arrears Eviction Forestallment (SAEF) program provided an amount to Dutchess County. Prepared by: Peter Simon Prepared On: 02/24/2025 Dut.pdf NEW YORK STATE Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance KATHY HOCHUL Governor BARBARA C. GUINN Commissioner RAJNI CHAWLA Executive Deputy Commissioner Local Commissioners Memorandum Section 1 Transmittal: To: Issuing Division/Office: Date: Subject: Contact Person(s): Attachments: 24-LCM-12 Social Services District Commissioners Employment and Income Support Programs September 18, 2024 New York State Shelter Arrears Eviction Forestallment (SAEF) Program Temporary Assistance Bureau: 518-474-9344 or [email protected] Attachment A - 2024-2025 Shelter Arrears Eviction Forestallment Program Allocations Section 2 Purpose The purpose of this Local Commissioners Memorandum (LCM) is to inform social services districts (districts) of the New York State Shelter Arrears Eviction Forestallment (SAEF) program and to provide 2024-2025 SAEF program allocations and general program guidance. Consistent with the governing appropriation, allocations are available for all districts other than New York City. II. Background The New York State Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget appropriated $10 million to provide for services and expenses related to the payment of shelter arrears necessary to retain housing for certain households that are in receipt of or who would be eligible for ongoing or emergency Public Assistance (PA) pursuant to Social Services Law (SSL) §131-a. To distribute these funds, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) created the SAEF program to provide vital shelter arrears assistance to help eligible households retain permanent housing. Districts may choose to retain their allocation and use district mechanisms (e.g., direct administration or transfer of funds to county agencies) to operate this program, or may delegate the administration of this program, in full or in part, to another public agency, contractor or non-profit organization. IlI. Program Implications A. Program Activities and Services OTDA 24-LCM-12 (Rev. 9/2024) 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12243-0001 | www.otda.ny.gov 1 Assistance provided through the SAEF program must not exceed a total of six months of arrears per household. However, the six months of arrears payments do not have to be consecutive or paid all at once; payments may be issued partially (less than six months of arrears assistance needed) or in full (all six months paid at once). Prior receipt of shelter arrears payments through the Emergency Assistance to Families (EAF) or Emergency Safety Net Assistance (ESNA) programs does not impact SAEF program eligibility. Households who previously received six months or more of shelter arrears assistance through EAF or ESNA, may receive additional payments via the SAEF program, not to exceed six months, if otherwise eligible for the SAEF program. SAEF program payments will not be limited by the shelter allowance amount set forth in SSL §131-a and will not be part of the standard of need pursuant to SSL §131-a, and therefore would not be considered by the Automated Budgeting and Eligibility Logic (ABEL) when computing financial eligibility for PA. SAEF program payments are not countable as income or as a resource for PA, Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility or budgeting purposes. Additionally, SAEF program payments will not be subject to recoupment or repayment unless the application submitted was fraudulent, or otherwise identified as ineligible. B. Participant Eligibility Districts must establish and maintain local policy governing eligibility for SAEF payments. While districts have flexibility regarding SAEF program eligibility requirements, the governing statute outlines some minimum requirements for eligibility as follows: • Eligible households are individuals and/or families, with or without children, who have shelter arrears and require assistance to retain permanent housing; • Households must first apply for shelter arrears assistance under EAF or ESNA, and if they are found ineligible through both programs, they should be assessed for SAEF program eligibility; • Households must meet the PA (Family Assistance (FA) or Safety Net Assistance (SNA)) citizenship/non-citizen status eligibility requirements; • Households must meet the EAF or ESNA income eligibility requirements. OTDA issues guidance annually regarding changes in the federal poverty guidelines. Financial eligibility for EAF is determined by the gross income immediately available to the household on the date of application. The household is financially eligible for EAF if the available income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level Guidelines for the household size. The following guidelines for EAF are effective April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025: Household Size 1 2 OTDA 24-LCM-12 (Rev. 9/2024) 200% of 2024 Federal Poverty Level Guidelines EAF Gross Available Test By Family Size (Adjusted Annually) Annual $30,120 $40,880 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12243-0001 | www.otda.ny.gov Monthly $2,510 $3,407 2 3 4 5 6 8 Additional $51,640 $62,400 $73,160 $83,920 $94,680 $105,440 $10,760 $4,303 $5,200 $6,097 $6,993 $7,890 $8,787 $897 Financial eligibility for ESNA is determined by the household's gross monthly income on the date of application, which may not exceed 125% of the Federal Poverty Level Guidelines for the household size. The following income guidelines are effective April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025: ESNA 125% of 2024 Federal Income Poverty Level Guidelines (Adjusted Annually) Household Size 1 2 7 8 Additional Annual $18,825 $25,550 $32,275 $39,000 $45,725 $52,450 $59,175 $65,900 $6,725 Monthly $1,569 $2,129 $2,690 $3,250 $3,810 $4,371 $4,931 $5,492 $560 Households that are determined income eligible for the SAEF program under EAF or ESNA are not required to meet certain PA eligibility requirements for shelter arrears payments. Unlike traditional PA shelter arrears requirements, households eligible for the SAEF program: • May have foreseen the occurrence or situation giving rise to the need for shelter arrears assistance; • May be unable to reasonably demonstrate an ability to pay future shelter expenses, including any amounts in excess of the appropriate agency maximum monthly shelter allowance; • May have already received a shelter arrears payment within the prior five years; and/or • May not be current on a shelter repayment agreement from a prior shelter arrears payment. Households that qualify for the SAEF program under the ESNA income eligibility requirement are not subject to a repayment agreement. In addition, receipt of PA is not a requirement for determining eligibility for the SAEF program. Districts must make sure they have policies and procedures in place to: • Establish that the SAEF program recipient is the primary tenant/homeowner (e.g., require a lease or other documentation); OTDA 24-LCM-12 (Rev. 9/2024) 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12243-0001 | www.otda.ny.gov 3 • Establish the shelter arrears amount due for the SAEF program household; • Ensure that the SAEF program payment will be accepted to prevent eviction for a specified timeframe; • Take reasonable steps to prevent the duplication of benefits; • Issue a determination letter stating the amount approved, or a denial letter with the reason for denial; • Establish a process for handling fraudulent applications, including a procedure for recovering funds, if necessary; and • Establish a process for reviewing and considering appeals of applications that are denied. Applications are to be accepted on a first come, first-served basis according to the eligibility parameters above and set forth at the local level. While districts have flexibility in determining the overall design of their local SAEF program, they are encouraged to make extra efforts to ensure prioritization of certain households, such as those with children under the age of six, single individuals with a history of housing instability, veterans, individuals and families experiencing domestic violence (DV), and other victims of violence. Although receipt of PA is not an eligibility requirement to receive payments through the SAEF program, operators are encouraged to refer SAEF program applicants to apply for applicable benefit programs, such as PA, HEAP, SNAP, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SAEF program payments will not be issued through the Welfare Management System (WMS). SAEF program payments must be made directly to the landlord/property owner on behalf of the tenant. Tenants, landlords, and/or property managers must be notified of SAEF program assistance provided on behalf of any SAEF program recipient. Notifications regarding eligibility determinations (e.g., approvals and denials) must be maintained in the case record for a minimum of six years following submission of the program end summation report. Further information on the report can be found under section D. below. C. Allocations A total of $10 million is available to support the SAEF program. The 2024-2025 SAEF program allocations are listed in Attachment A and have been determined based on ROS 2023 eviction rates as reported by the New York State Unified Court System. The program period for related expenditures is October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. D. Reporting Requirements As part of their participation in the SAEF program, districts must keep data about each household that participates in the program. Household-payment records, to be made available on audit, must include at a minimum: Landlord EIN Landlord name or business name Landlord address Primary tenant name OTDA 24-LCM-12 (Rev. 9/2024) 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12243-0001 | www.otda.ny.gov 4 Primary tenant DOB Primary tenant race/ethnicity Tenant address Date of SAEF program payment Months with arrears covered by SAEF program payment Total SAEF program payment Primary tenant has open PA case at time of payment yes/no Number of children in household at time of payment (0-N) Number of adults in household at time of payment (1-N) Households whose landlords receive multiple payments on their behalf covering more than one period will have multiple records, one for each household/payment. Using data above, districts will be required to submit a program end summation report to OTDA that includes the criteria used to determine eligibility, number of households served, the dollar value of arrears issued under the SAEF program, and basic demographic information on the households served. Demographic information must include: Number of households served Number of households served for multiple periods Number and % of households with/without children Number and % of households with open PA case Age distribution of primary tenant Distribution of the number of children Distribution of total payment amount Distribution of race/ethnicity Districts are encouraged to track and include other characteristics of landlords and tenants in their report. Districts must submit this information to the OTDA Temporary Assistance (TA) Bureau by October 31, 2025, via email at: [email protected]. The goal of reporting is to ensure the terms of the SAEF program are met in accordance with State legislation and to assess districts' emergency shelter arrears needs moving torward. It is the responsibility of the district to monitor any subcontracts. Districts must ensure the confidentiality of records concerning all SAEF program participants. E. Claiming Instructions Expenditures for the SAEF program should be claimed through the RF-17 claim package for special project claiming for the months) that the expenditures were made. These costs are first identified on the RF-2A claim package as F17 functional costs and reported in the F17 column on the LDSS-923 "Cost Allocation Schedule of Payments Administrative Expenses Other Than Salaries" and the LDSS-2347 "Schedule D "DSS Administrative Expenses Allocation and Distribution by Function and Program." After final accepting the RF-2A, the individual project costs are then reported under the project label "SAEF Program SFY2025" on the RF-17. Salaries, fringe benefits, staff counts, and central services costs are directly entered on the LDSS-4975A "RF17 Worksheet, Distribution of Allocated Costs to Other Reimbursable Programs" while overhead costs are automatically brought over from the OTDA 24-LCM-12 (Rev. 9/2024) 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12243-0001 | www.otda.ny.gov 5 RF2A, Schedule D and distributed based upon the proportion of the number of staff assigned to this project. Employees not working all their time for the SAEF program must maintain time studies to support the salary and fringe benefit costs allocated to the program. Non-salary administrative costs are reported with the appropriate object of expense code(s) on page 1 of the LDSS-923B "Summary - Administrative Schedule of Payments for Expenses Other Than Salaries for Other Reimbursable Programs." Program costs should be reported as object of expense code 37 - Special Project Program Expense on page 2 of the LDSS-923B "Summary - Program Schedule of Payments for Expenses Other Than Salaries for Other Reimbursable Programs." Total project costs should be reported on the LDSS-4975 "Monthly Statement of Special Project Claims Federal and State Aid (RF-17)" as 100% state share excluding central services costs which are local share. Actual reimbursement will be based upon each district's allocation. Claims for the period October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, must be final accepted in the Automated Claiming System (ACS) by February 13, 2026. Further instructions for completing time studies; the LDSS-923, LDSS-923B and Schedule D; and the RF-17 claim package are found in Chapters 4, 7, and 18, respectively, of the Fiscal Reference Manual (FRM) Volume 3. The FRMs are available online at: https://intranet.otda.ny.gov/bfdm/financel. Any claiming questions should be directed to: Justin Gross at 518-474-7549 or [email protected]. IV. Reimbursement Structure and Allowable Costs District allocations will be paid as claims are submitted to substantiate payment. SAEF program funding is made available for districts to provide vital shelter arrears assistance to eligible households and as such, it is expected that a minimum of 90% of the funds will be used toward shelter arrears assistance in accordance with the guidelines outlined herein. OTDA has set a 10% spending limitation on administrative costs. Agencies should limit the amount of administrative costs necessary to operate the SAEF program to maximize both the amount of funds available to pay shelter arrears and the number of households enrolled. The use of SAEF program funds for administrative purposes must be directly related to the provision of shelter arrears to eligible households. For districts opting to assign all or a portion of their SAEF program allocation to another public agency, contractor or local nonprofit organization, districts will be held liable for assigned funds not used in a manner consistent with the purpose of the SAEF program allocation. Districts are required to submit all claims for reimbursement through the ACS regardless of whether they elect to operate the program in-house or transfer the administration to another entity. SAEF program claims must be for services provided between October 1, 2024, and OTDA 24-LCM-12 (Rev. 9/2024) 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12243-0001 | www.otda.ny.gov 6 September 30, 2025, and must be claimed by February 13, 2026, per the instructions above. Issued By: Name: Valerie T. Figueroa Title: Deputy Commissioner Division/Office: Employment and Income Support Programs/Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance OTDA 24-LCM-12 (Rev. 9/2024) 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12243-0001 | www.otda.ny.gov Attachment A District Albany Allegany Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua Chemung Chenango Clinton Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie Essex Franklin Fulton Genesee Greene Hamilton Herkimer Jefferson Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Montgomery Nassau Niagara Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Orleans Oswego Otsego Putnam Rensselaer Rockland Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Schuyler Seneca St. Lawrence Steuben Suffolk Sullivan Tioga Tompkins Ulster Warren Washington Wayne Westchester wyoming Yates 2024-2025 Shelter Arrears Eviction Forestallment Program Allocations $549,520 $13,581 $245,099 $47,149 $69,443 $86,739 $96,733 $20,628 $52,146 $30,109 $43,818 $17,425 5265,086 $1,540,922 $13,069 $14,734 $57,271 $33,056 $25,112 $5,000 $30,493 $94,170 $5,000 $27,418 $23,575 $1,065,471 $43,690 $585,394 $225,625 $256,118 $592,569 $79,821 $298,783 $29,596 $90,967 $18,962 $13,837 $244,331 $132,351 $171,172 $250,480 $7,303 $5,000 $18,578 $45,612 $46,893 $884,561 $95,067 $16,784 $51,890 $116,464 $46,509 $33,440 $54,196 $1,059,193 $7,047 $5,000 Family and Human Services Committee Roll Call District Name District 7 - Hyde Park and Pleasant Valley Truitt* Yes District 25 - Amenia, Washington, Pleasant Valley & Millbrook Houston* District 3 - LaGrange Polasek* District 16 - Fishkill and Beacon Valdés Smith* District 9 - City of Poughkeepsie Atkins* District 2 - LaGrange, Pleasant Valley & Town of Poughkeepsie Travelpiece District 5 - Town of Poughkeepsie D'Aquanni District 8 - City and Town of Poughkeepsie Brendli District 11 - Clinton, Pleasant Valley, and Rhinebeck Kearney District 17 - Town and Village of Fishkill McHoul (VC) District 19 - North East, Stanford, Pine Plains, Milan & Red Hook Drago District 22 - Beekman and Union Vale Garito (C) Present: Absent: Vacant: 10 2 Resolution: Motion: Total: 10 Yes Abstentions: No Absent Absent No 2025050 ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FROM THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE AND AMEND THE 2025 ADOPTED COUNTY BUDGET AS IT PERTAINS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY & FAMILY SERVICES APRIL 10, 2025 Roll Call Sheets District Present: Absent: Vacant: District 7 - Hyde Park and Pleasant Valley District 25 - Amenia, Washington, Pleasant Valley & Millbrook District 3 - LaGrange District 16 - Fishkill and Beacon District 9 - City of Poughkeepsie District 1 - Town of Poughkeepsie District 2 - LaGrange, Pleasant Valley & Town of Poughkeepsie District 4 - Hyde Park and Town of Poughkeepsie District 5 - Town of Poughkeepsie District 6 - Town of Poughkeepsie District 8 - City and Town of Poughkeepsie District 10 - City of Poughkeepsie District 11 - Clinton, Pleasant Valley, and Rhinebeck District 12 - East Fishkill District 13 - East Fishkill and Wappinger District 14 - Wappinger and Town of Poughkeepsie District 15 - Wappinger District 17 - Town and Village of Fishkill District 18 - City of Beacon and Fishkill District 19 - North East, Stanford, Pine Plains, Milan & Red Hook District 20 - Red Hook, Tivoli, and Rhinebeck District 21 - East Fishkill District 22 - Beekman and Union Vale District 23 - Pawling, Beekman and East Fishkill 21 District 24 - Dover and Pawling Resolution: V Motion: - Last Name YES NO Truitt Houston Polasek Valdés Smith Atkins Gorman Travelpiece Lawler D'Aquanni Kaul Brendli Johnson Kearney Metzger Paoloni Versaci Absent Faust McHoul Page ensen ebser Drago Munn Caswell Garito Rolison House Absent Total : 21 Yes Abstentions:_0 No 2025050 ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FROM THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE AND AMEND THE 2025 ADOPTED COUNTY BUDGET AS IT PERTAINS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY & FAMILY SERVICES APRIL 14, 2025