Www.state.nj.us



Department of Human Services

Division of Aging Services

Superstorm Sandy Home Repair and Advocacy Program (Sandy HRAP)

Frequently Asked Questions as of January 23, 2014

The Division of Aging Services (DoAS) has prepared this document in response to questions on the Home Repair and Advocacy Program. It serves as a supplement to the Policy Memorandum dated September 20, 2013-16, III-1, Area Plan Contract 2013, Amendment for the Distribution of SSBG Sandy Relief Funding, on the distribution of the SSBG Sandy Relief Funding. As other questions are raised, the document will be updated so the program’s policy and procedures are consistent.

|Eligibility Determination |

| | |

|Question: |Can the Sandy HRAP reimburse an applicant for a repair or purchase previously made? |

| |No, the Sandy HRAP may not reimburse clients for previous repairs or purchases. |

|Answer: | |

|Question: |Can a senior be a co-owner of a primary residence with a child or another relative and be eligible for the Home Repair and|

| |Advocacy Program? |

|Answer: |Yes, but the senior must have proof that he/she is a co-owner of the property and that it is the senior’s primary |

| |residence. (answered 11/22/13) |

| | |

|Question: |Is the $5,000 program cap per individual or per household? |

|Answer: |The $5,000 cap is per household. However, in the event of more sustained and costly damage/loss to a primary |

| |residence/property due to Superstorm Sandy (Sandy), the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) may ask the Division of Aging Services |

| |(DoAS) for a waiver justifying the cap increase. All requests shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. |

| | |

|Question: |If a repair costs $20,000 and the Red Cross can provide $15,000, would DoAS allow a provider to work with the Red Cross to|

| |get the repairs completed? |

|Answer: |The AAA or provider should determine if the funds can most efficiently be used to supplement this service or provide |

| |services for another applicant. If the AAA or provider supplements the service, they must follow the regulations of the |

| |Sandy grant—obtain three bids for the supplemented services, monitor the project, etc. Documentation from the Red Cross |

| |(or other charitable organization) confirming their provision of funds for the repair shall be retained in the file. |

| | |

|Question: |If a senior is living in a child’s home, is the senior eligible to apply for funding? |

|Answer: |No, the owner(s) of the property must apply for the funding if the program eligibility requirements are met. If the |

| |property’s owner does not meet the eligibility requirements, the AAA or provider should inform them of other Sandy relief |

| |funds for which they may be eligible. |

| | |

|Question: |Is a renter 60+ years of age or with a disability eligible for funds to cover moving costs when the individual can no |

| |longer live in his or her home due to damages caused by Sandy? |

|Answer: |No, the funds are intended for homeowners 60+ years of age or a person with a disability to provide home repair to their |

| |primary residences/properties. The AAA’s Information & Assistance (I&A) staff or the provider should inform renters of |

| |other possible sources of relief from damage due to Sandy or other existing resources in the community, such as the Long |

| |Term Recovery Groups. |

| | |

|Question: |Can a landlord not otherwise eligible for this Sandy grant replace a damaged ramp in the home for a senior or a person |

| |with a disability who is renting? |

|Answer: |No, the funds are intended for homeowners 60+ years of age or a person with a disability to pay for repairs to their |

| |primary residences/properties. The AAA’s I&A staff or provider agency should be able to inform renters of other avenues |

| |of relief from damage due to Sandy. The person in need of the ramp may be eligible for a program under the Department of |

| |Human Services’ Division of Disability Services, which will be repairing and replacing ramps damaged or destroyed by |

| |Superstorm Sandy. The number to call is 888-285-3036. |

| | |

|Question: |If a person with a disability lives in a mobile home that s/he owns – but does not own the land – is s/he eligible for |

| |assistance? |

|Answer: |Yes, if the person is otherwise eligible for the program. |

| | |

|Question: |If the AAA or provider wishes to exceed the $5,000 cap per participant what is the process? |

|Answer: |The AAA or provider must complete the waiver request form and send it to Sydelle Norris, Quality Assurance Program |

| |Specialist at DoAS. Sydelle, along with the Home Repair Coordinator, will review all requests for waivers and the |

| |accompanying justification/documentation. |

| | |

| | |

|Question: |What constitutes proof of an applicant’s eligibility for the program? |

|Answer: |Proof of age (60+) or disability as determined by the Social Security Administration or State Medicaid Agency as shown in |

| |a driver’s license, passport, birth certificate or other government document. |

| |Documentation of application to FEMA or public or private insurance coverage and amounts received. In the absence of |

| |documentation, DoAS will be able to verify Sandy-related damage coverage directly with FEMA to obtain the FEMA |

| |registration number. The AAA or provider agency shall contact DoAS Quality Assurance Specialist Sydelle Norris to obtain |

| |the information. If possible, please provide client names in bulk if you know up front which cases need review. If this |

| |is not feasible, it can be done on an as-needed basis. |

| | |

| |Proof that the repairs are for a primary residence and not a second home, i.e., Homeowner’s or flood insurance policies, |

| |if carried by the applicant, indicate primary or secondary home. If these documents do not apply, the applicant shall |

| |provide a signed attestation that the repairs are for a primary residence and not a second home. |

|Question: |What documentation are the AAAs and/or providers required to retain and how shall it be retained? |

|Answer: |The AAA and/or providers shall retain hard copies of the completed client application form and proof of documents used to |

| |determine client eligibility, such as a copy of the FEMA application and determination and other relevant documents. |

| |Documentation shall be retained according to policy in the AAA fiscal manual. |

|Question: |Are clients who have not applied to FEMA or do not carry flood insurance for damages due to Superstorm Sandy eligible for|

| |services? |

|Answer: |Yes, as the program goal is to assist frail, elderly and vulnerable victims of Super- storm Sandy to remain safely in |

| |their home, approval for such a client without full documentation will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The AAA or |

| |the provider agency shall work with the DoAS to determine such a client’s eligibility. For instance, were any attempts |

| |made by the client to apply to his or her insurance company? The Home Resource Coordinator shall submit a request to the |

| |Quality Assurance Specialist for authorization from the DoAS. |

| | |

|Question: |If client’s claim to FEMA or an insurance company is pending, has received partial payment or was rejected, can the client|

| |be determined eligible? |

|Answer: |Same as above. |

| | |

|Administration and Contracting |

| | |

|Question: |Can the AAA still charge a unit of service when a constituent calls and goes through the application process and then is |

| |determined ineligible for the Home Repair and Advocacy Program? |

|Answer: |Yes. The AAA may charge a unit of I&A service, which needs to be reported in the Harmony Information Systems SAMS |

| |database. This home repair program includes an advocacy component to help individuals with the application process even if|

| |some individuals don’t ultimately qualify. (answered 11/22/13) |

| | |

|Question: |Is the SAMS database set up to report units of service for the Home Repair and Advocacy Program? |

|Answer: |Yes. AAAs are required to record all services monthly for the Home Repair and Advocacy Program into the SAMS database. |

| |The recording of service units, clients and expenditures into SAMS can be done by the service provider or by the AAA. |

| |Detailed monthly reports on these services as required by the federal government will be generated from SAMS. (answered |

| |11/22/13) |

| | |

|Question: |Can the provider now start advertising/promoting the program and obtain three quotes to assist Sandy victims? |

|Answer: |Yes. |

| | |

|Question: |Who will obtain the quotes and review them in the absence of a Home Repair Coordinator? |

|Answer: |As the provider will best know the victim’s situation, the provider shall obtain, review and document the quotes. The |

| |basis for any decision shall include cost; experience with the type of repairs/service needed; availability to start the |

| |job in a timely manner; a State of New Jersey Business Registration Certificate, or license as appropriate, insurance and |

| |positive references, among other factors. |

| | |

| |In the absence of a HRC, the provider shall maintain the documentation on file. For future quotes, when the HRC is on |

| |board, the provider shall send three written quotes to the county’s designated HRC for final review and approval. |

| | |

| | |

|Question: |If the AAA selects a vendor who is on the state list of certified vendors, does the AAA still need to obtain three bids |

| |for the home repair? |

|Answer: |Yes. |

| | |

|Question: |Do the SSBG grant funds require a county match?  |

| |Answer: No. |

| | |

|Question: |Can the selected provider include an administrative cost in its budget? |

| | |

| |Answer: Yes, however, the total maximum administrative cost for the county may not exceed 4 percent. For example, the |

| |AAA may determine the allocation as 2.5% for the AAA and 1.5% for the provider. |

|Question: |What does a AAA do if there appears to be no need for the funding prior to the submittal of the Integrated Program Summary|

| |(IPS)? |

|Answer: |The AAAs have been advised to submit their IPS with the projected/estimated figures. The Area Plan Contract (APC) can be |

| |revised at a later date if needed. An opportunity must be given for residents in New Jersey’s 21 counties to apply. If |

| |after a period of six to eight months and after outreach/marketing efforts have been made and no one has applied, the DoAS|

| |will take steps to re-distribute the funding to those counties that have greater need. |

| | |

|Question: |Can the program start before the Home Repair Coordinator is hired? |

|Answer: |Yes, a county’s program may begin as soon as its IPS has been approved and the AAA is currently providing the residential |

| |maintenance program. |

| | |

|Question: |Who will supervise the Home Repair Coordinators (HRCs)? |

|Answer: |HRCs will be under the supervision of DoAS Quality Assurance Specialist Sydelle Norris. |

| | |

|Question: |Will each AAA have an HRC to assist with the Home Repair and Recovery program? |

|Answer: |Yes, each AAA will have access to an HRC. Upon assignment, the AAA shall integrate the HRC into its Sandy grant program |

| |operations depending on each situation. Some of the duties of the HRC include: |

| |Along with the provider, meet with potential clients to review their applications and scopes of work; |

| |Review, approve and coordinate the work with potential clients as necessary; |

| |Conduct an on-site visit to the home to ensure repairs are necessary, are completed to satisfaction and meet housing |

| |codes; |

| |Serve as liaison to and work closely with AAA/providers and contractors; |

| |If work complies with standards, authorize payment to the vendor; |

| |Final review and approval of three written quotes; and |

| |Prepare clear comprehensive reports in a timely manner under the director of the Quality Assurance Specialist (QAS). |

| |For further detail please see the attached HRC job description and review PM 2013-16, III-1, Area Plan Contract 2013, |

| |Amendment for the Distribution of SSBG Sandy Funding. |

| | |

|Question: |Is the AAA required to provide office space for its HRC?  |

|Answer: |No, the HRC may work primarily from home if this arrangement is advantageous to the program’s operations.  The AAA may |

| |offer office space if possible and/or use of telephone, fax, copier, etc. as needed to conduct program activities. |

| | |

|Question: |Will the HRC use a state car?  |

|Answer: |No.  HRCs will use their own vehicles, follow state travel regulations and receive mileage reimbursement from the state. |

| | |

|Question: |If the AAA plans to use a current provider in 2013, is the AAA required to conduct competitive contracting with a Request |

| |for Proposal (RFP) for 2014? |

|Answer: |In 2013, the AAA may continue with a current Residential Maintenance provider by amending the APC and provider contracts |

| |in accordance with state and county procedures. This will enable assistance to be rendered quickly. If the AAA does not |

| |currently offer the service of Residential Maintenance, it is required to advertise the funds and conduct RFP competitive |

| |contracting. Advertising must be done for 2014 contract year. The RFP shall list the specific services required for the |

| |program, i.e. Information and Assistance and Residential Maintenance to ensure transparency and the engagement of the most|

| |cost and quality-effective contractor. One Information &Assistance (I&A) provider for both the I&A and Residential |

| |Maintenance is preferred for optimal coordination. |

| | |

|Question: |Can administrative costs be allocated to a service provider to conduct outreach or marketing? |

|Answer: |Yes, with state approval. At the time, the AAA submits its plan to the DoAS for approval, outreach and marketing costs |

| |can be included as part of the budget for consideration. |

| | |

| | |

| | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download