Operation Stand Down in Nashville, Tennessee is the leading distributor of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP) funds in the state. In Nashville, HPRP money helps prevent homelessness among veterans and their families. JC Smith of Operation Stand Down shares his experiences managing HPRP funding.

*The HRC updated this article on May 6, 2010.*

To learn more about the latest research on approaches to homelessness prevention, read “A Paradigm Shift in Housing and Homeless Services: Applying the Population and High-Risk Framework to Preventing Homelessness". It’s part of the HRC Special Issue on “The Future of Homeless Services”.

Operation Stand Down in Nashville is a leading distributor of HUD’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP) funding in Tennessee. The state received over $13 million in funding. Operation Stand Down received $380,000 alongside eight other service providers. This year, the agency received additional HPRP funding in recognition of their effective management of funds.

The HPRP program was created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the HPRP provides $1.5 billion to prevent homelessness and minimize the length of time that people are homeless through rapid re-housing. HPRP funding is distributed through community-based agencies like Operation Stand Down.

Since Operation Stand Down began the process of distributing HPRP funds, they have helped house 30 families, for a total of 90 people. “We moved on this from day one. We found housing for our first family in October 2009. A veteran, his wife, and their five children were on the verge of eviction. We located a home in their neighborhood and provided rental and utility support,” explains JC Smith, Operation Stand Down’s HPRP Coordinator. The father is now in school and his wife is a real estate agent. The children were able to remain in the same school district.

HPRP funds must be used to serve people who are at imminent risk of homelessness. This includes people who have a lease but are facing eviction, cannot generate enough income to maintain their housing, or people who are experiencing homelessness. To qualify for housing and services supported by HPRP funding, individuals and families have to be at or below fifty percent of Area Median Income. Under this criterion, many people experiencing chronic homelessness qualify for HPRP funds, although it is more difficult for them to demonstrate evidence of future stability or self-sufficiency.

JC believes that when people who are facing eviction, living on the streets, and struggling with mental illness, trauma and substance use receive assistance, it creates a willingness to give back. “There will always be a percentage of families who will turn around and help someone else.”

As a Vietnam veteran with ten years of recovery from substance use and homelessness, JC’s lived experience helps him to connect with the people he works with. “I am an engineer by training, and an introverted person. But when it comes to helping people, I believe we connect through our own life stories. It helps show people they are not alone. I tell clients that my most painful and tragic life experiences are often my best asset,” says JC. He uses the techniques and spirit of Motivational Interviewing to find common ground with someone.

In addition to his own lived experiences and training as a case manager, JC’s military background, organizational skills, and attention to detail helps him to navigate the HPRP funding system. “We are the benchmark for distributing HPRP funding in the state. I am accustomed to documentation and the administrative aspect of pushing paper. All of our i’s are dotted and all of our t’s are crossed,” he says. These skills are important, since HPRP funding comes in the form of reimbursement. “If you meet documentation and guideline requirements, you will be reimbursed for your capital outlay,” explains JC.

Operation Stand Down has had great success collaborating with other organizations at their annual One-Stop events. JC would love to see even more collaboration. He likes the idea of creating an outreach team that would serve multiple agencies. “Improved collaboration is long overdue and the competition for funding has kept this from coming to fruition. Many communities are becoming aware that housing and supportive services need to be made available to everyone,” says JC. He believes that communities should be judged by how well they treat people experiencing poverty.