The goal of STRMU assistance is to provide short-term interventions that help maintain stable living environments for households
who are experiencing a financial crisis as a result of issues connected to living with HIV or AIDS.
STRMU assistance is intended to reduce the risks of homelessness, and, along with other HOPWA resources, to improve access to health care
and other needed support. STRMU is not intended to provide ongoing, year-to-year assistance to households living in unsustainable situations
who would be better served with long-term housing assistance. Standalone STRMU payments are likely to create only
a temporary solution for an unstable living arrangement unless connected to a long-term housing service plan for maintaining the household.
As a “needs-based" activity, potential STRMU recipients must demonstrate the level of benefits needed through verifiable documentation.
Grantees and sponsors are responsible for verifying and documenting the client’s inability to make required payments.
Providers should assess what the household’s needs are. This assessment should include (a) actual costs; (b) that other resources,
such as household income, are not reasonably available to address the unmet housing need; (c) that the STRMU payment will alleviate
the payment delinquency so as to avoid eviction or loss of a home and will result, at least, in temporary stability for that household;
and (d) that the household’s ongoing housing needs were assessed or will be assessed in connection with the development
of an individual housing service plan for the household. Grantees and sponsors providing STRMU assistance should have
written standards in place that define “need” and specify how need will be documented and verified.
STRMU payments cannot be made to an eligible person or their family for the same period of time or the same housing costs
if assistance is also being provided for those costs or period of time through HOPWA. This restriction also applies to other federal, state,
or local housing subsidy programs. STRMU payments also cannot be made directly to the HOPWA participant, but rather must be made
to the relevant mortgage company, property owner, or utility company. For monitoring, review a sponsor’s policies and procedures regarding
the determination of eligibility for adequacy. Do they spell out who is eligible, define “need,” and describe how need will be documented?
Review client files to see if their housing and other needs were thoroughly assessed, the extent to which a lack of resources
was documented, if short- and long-term plans were developed for housing stability, and, if appropriate, they were also referred
to more suitable long-term housing solutions. Documentation should also exist directly connecting the HOPWA participant to the required rent,
utility, or mortgage payments. Documentation that verifies ownership for payments made to property owners, landlords,
or rental management companies should also exist.