Office of the Superintendent

Drew Educational Support Center

600 N. Lombard Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

(302) 552-2630
FAX: (302) 429-3944
TDD Relay Service (800) 232-5470
freeman.williams@christina.k12.de.us

August 15, 2014

MEMORANDUM
TO:

Christina Board of Education

FROM:

Freeman L. Williams, Ed.D., Superintendent

RE:

Board Memo August 15, 2014

1.

State Rental Assistance Program DOE Pilot

(Attachment A)

Christina has agreed to participate in a pilot program Delaware State Housing Authority
(DSHA) has created to provide rental assistance to families with students in Christina
who may become or may be on the verge of becoming homeless. Titled SRAP the
State Rental Assistance Program is designed to encourage stability for students and to
reduce transportation time and costs. The target group for participation includes families
where homelessness is perhaps situational and sudden. This is not proposed as a
resolution for chronic or long term homelessness.
Candidates for the program start the process by contacting the Homeless Liaisons
located within each of our buildings. DSHA applications are completed and the process
for submission to DSHA is reviewed by a small team within the Student Supports and
Services Office. Criteria are set by DSHA and the district and include income level,
length of time of homelessness, citizenship, etc.
SRAP will provide approved candidates rent vouchers paid directly to an approved
housing landlord for approximately one year or for as long as the candidate is in
need. A two page summary of the program is attached.
Christina will be working with all of the Building Homeless Liaisons to train them to
identify potential candidates, assist in filling out the application, gathering supporting
documentation, and submitting qualified candidates to DSHA for processing.
The program is set to begin in September.
2. Calendar of Events
August 18, 2014
Classroom Prep Day
5:00pm-7:00pm:
Back to School Barbeque (KirkMS, SmithES, BrennenComplex)

Mr. David Resler, President; Mr. Frederick W. Polaski, Vice President; Mr. George E. Evans, Esq.; Mrs. Harrie-Ellen Minnehan;
Mrs. Elizabeth Paige; Mrs. Shirley Saffer; Mr. John M. Young; and Dr. Freeman L. Williams, Executive Secretary
The Christina School District is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age or
Vietnam Era veterans status in employment or its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding compliance with the above may be directed to the Director of K-12 Services, Christina School
District, 600 North Lombard Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, Telephone: (302) 552-2600

Board Memo
August 15, 2014
Page Two

August 19, 2014

Professional Development
5:00pm-8:00pm:
Glasgow HS Band Camp
August 20, 2014
Professional Development
5:00pm-7:00pm:
Back to School Barbeque (BayardMS)
6:00pm-8:00pm:
Smith ES Back to School Night
August 21, 2014
Professional Development
10:00am-12:00pm: "Clearing a Path to a Successful Future" - Bancroft ES
4:00pm-6:00pm:
Stubbs ES Back to School Block Party
5:00pm-8:00pm:
Glasgow HS Band Practice & Performance
August 22, 2014
PK-12 SCHOOLS CLOSED (Offices Open)
August 25, 2014
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (See below for the following grades/programs):

Grades 1-6 and Grade 9

Grades PK-12, Delaware Autism Program (DAP)
Grades K-12, Delaware School for the Deaf (DSD)
Grades K-12, REACH Program

ORIENTATION DAY - Kindergarten

Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits
August 26, 2014
ALL STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOL (See Below)
Kindergarten through Grade 12
Montessori Academy at Christina - Newark/Wilmington
Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits
3:00pm-5:00pm:
Glasgow HS Band Practice
August 27, 2014
Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits
August 28, 2014
Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits
3:00pm-5:00pm:
Glasgow HS Band Practice
August 29, 2014
Preschool & Prekindergarten Home Visits

Mr. David Resler, President; Mr. Frederick W. Polaski, Vice President; Mr. George E. Evans, Esq.; Mrs. Harrie-Ellen Minnehan;
Mrs. Elizabeth Paige; Mrs. Shirley Saffer; Mr. John M. Young; and Dr. Freeman L. Williams, Executive Secretary
The Christina School District is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age or
Vietnam Era veterans status in employment or its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding compliance with the above may be directed to the Director of K-12 Services, Christina School
District, 600 North Lombard Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, Telephone: (302) 552-2600

Attachment A
State Rental Assistance Program DOE Pilot
SRAP Overview:
The Delaware State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) is designed to serve low-income households who are
eligible to receive continuing supportive services and who require affordable housing to live independently in
the community. The Program features rental subsidies administered by the Delaware State Housing
Authority (DSHA) for populations referred by the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the
Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families. Once successfully housed through SRAP, case
managers from DHSS, DSCYF, or an approved service provider continue to ensure that households have
access to supportive services, as needed. Participation in supportive services is voluntary, however, and is
not a condition of participation in SRAP.
Target Populations:
SRAP serves eligible applicants from the following populations:
1. DHSS clients exiting state-supported or privately run long-term care facilities who require affordable
housing to transition to community-based care.
2. DHSS clients exiting the Delaware Psychiatric Center who are eligible to receive supportive services
and require affordable housing and supportive services to live safely in community.
3. Youth at least 18 years old who have not yet reached their 21st birthday, who left foster care at age
16 or older, are receiving supportive services from the Division of Family Services (DFS), and require
affordable housing to live safely in the community.
4. Families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the imminent placement of the
familys child or children in out-of-home care, or in a delay of discharge of a child or children to the
family from out-of-home care.
5. Current youth participants in the Family Unification Program who are determined to be eligible for
transition into the State Rental Assistance Program.
6. Applicants identified by case managers as at-risk of being admitted to or of requiring supportive
services from a state-supported institution due to a lack of adequate and affordable housing.
Program Funding:
SRAP was launched in FY2012 with an initial allocation of $1.5 million from the Bond and Capital
Improvements Act (Bond Bill). In FY2013, that amount was increased to $3 million, and became a line-item in
the General Fund. The DHSS Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health has also provided additional
funding specifically to support their clients ($800,000 in FY2012, $1.1 million in FY2013, and $800,000 in
FY2015). Total Program funding received to date amounts to $13.2 million. This has created and sustained
approximately 617 rental vouchers for qualifying households.
SRAP Production:
Program Production numbers include vouchers issued (participants currently seeking housing), as well as
units leased (participants have secured a rental unit and have signed a lease). These numbers reflect
Program activity through August 1, 2014.

Attachment A
State Rental Assistance Program DOE Pilot
SRAP Production and Pipeline:
Applications Pending

Vouchers Issued

Units Leased

Total

Applications
Pending

Funds
Reserved

Vouchers
Issued

Funds
Reserved

Units
Leased

Funds
Encumbered

Application,
Vouchers
and Units

Total Funds
Reserved
and
Encumbered

(#)

($)

(#)

($)

(#)

($)

(#)

($)

56

$476,000

189

$1,606,500

428

$3,383,472

673

$5,465,972

SRAP-DOE Pilot Program:

In 2014, DSHA is partnering with Christina School District (CSD) to extend SRAP assistance to families who are
identified by CSD representatives as having a precarious housing situation, and who require rental assistance
to locate and secure affordable housing in close geographic proximity to where their children currently
attend school. A designated amount of $1 million will be set aside from existing SRAP funds to serve referrals
from this population. This funding will allow DSHA to offer and administer rental housing subsidies to 100
families for a time period of 12 months each.
Documented Need:
The Delaware Department of Education (DOE) reported in 2012 that statewide, homeless families identified
within the education system included counts of 1,592 families doubled-up for cause; 250 families in
hotels/motels; and 157 families in shelters. There is plenty of literature that describes the impact of an
unstable housing situation on a childs education. Beyond the detriment to the student, the McKinney Vento
Act requires that students who are in homeless situations have the same access to educational services and
opportunities as other students. This includes a requirement that a homeless student be given the
opportunity to stay in their school of origin without incurring transportation costs. Families temporarily living
outside their established geographic areas rely on transportation funded jointly by DOE and the school
district to continue sending their children to their home schools (rather that uprooting them and sending
them to a new school in close geographic proximity to their new housing setting). In 2012, this cost DOE
approximately $3 million. Expanding the SRAP program to homeless families with students in the school
system is consistent with the two original pillars of the program to offer a better quality of life to the people
receiving housing assistance, and to provide housing services in a way that allows the state to offset the costs
of the program through cost savings or cost avoidance.
Program Development and Implementation:
DSHA will coordinate with Christina School District (CSD) to create a pilot SRAP-DOE program. Applications
for housing assistance will be completed by the family in cooperation with homeless service coordinators
within the schools. DSHA will process applications, inspect the units, and process rent subsidy payments to
the participating landlords. Families will have a choice of housing and will be assisted in locating available
and affordable rental units by the homeless service coordinators using the Delaware Housing Search
website (www.delawarehousingsearch.com), the Affordable Housing Services Directory, and other housing
resources that may be helpful to the family. DSHA will monitor how much demand there is for the program
and how many applications are filed and will open or restrict the program accordingly.