Because of our community partnerships, we now have an online Coordinated Entry form sending responses directly to 2-1-1.
The partnerships in the Chattahoochee Valley are vital to creating pathways to housing. Our Coordinated Entry System through 2-1-1 has been effective and efficient in this effort. This is why we are pleased to offer another access point for moving our community members to permanent housing and services. We now have an online intake form in which responses are sent directly to 2-1-1 for processing. This online form is in addition to the fillable/printable form currently used. The intention is to make the sharing of information and client needs more accessible and easier to process – taking steps to an even more cooperative and productive pathway to housing.
You can still fill out a form to print and /or email. Find that form here:
The Continuum of Care recently updated the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), ClientTrack. This update has opened up another examination around increased capacity and collaboration. Focusing on impact and outcomes, we must be meeting the needs of clients first and foremost. As a Continuum of Care and a community, how can we improve the goal of focusing on clients’ needs first? The answer is – even more collaboration. The Continuum of Care is doing a great job of coordinating care, partnering with each other, and moving as many people as possible to permanent housing. We can do better by engaging and collaborating with organizations, businesses, and community sectors that are not traditionally involved with solving homelessness. Some examples are healthcare providers, churches, schools, government, and more property owners. While some of these organizations have not partnered with our CoC directly, we are all affected and manage homelessness daily, whether we are aware of it or not. “Homelessness is costly to society because people experiencing homelessness frequently require the most expensive publicly-funded services and institutions. Homelessness is also costly in terms of its negative impact on human life, health, and productivity,” Opening Doors, USICH. The overarching goal of collaborating and partnership is the transition to prevention. This objective is attainable and sustainable, but only if we all participate. The CoC is ready, are you?
To be sure that everyone has an opportunity to obtain help or advice needed before submitting reports, Desta will be hosting a “Data Quality Happy Hour”. Wednesday, October 7, 2020 | 2:00 pmWebex Link Here Collective Impact Forum – How Do We Collaborate Across Generations?Now Streaming – Bridging the “Generation Gap” for Collective Impact. Listen to this new episode for a cross-generational conversation on collective and community work, featuring Sheri Brady, Ana Taukolo, and Junious Williams. Listen Now
Home for Good is the Regional Grantee of ESG CARES Funds
COLUMBUS, GA – Home For Good, a program of United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, announced Wednesday, September 16, during the Coronavirus Community Call they were named the regional recipient of the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Cares funds in the amount of $1,378,515. The funding will cover the six-county regional implementation for: Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Muscogee, Stewart, Talbot, and Taylor counties.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) made available the opportunity to apply for implementation of ESG CARES funds for Non-Congregate Shelter, Homelessness Prevention, Rapid Rehousing and Street Outreach.
“The ESG CARES Funding is vital to the systemic transformation needed to combat homelessness in our region.” said Pat Frey, Executive Director of Home for Good.
The CARES Act provides for three allocations of homeless assistance funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus, among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance. The CARES Act also provides additional support for homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts created by the coronavirus.
Services will be carried out in conjunction with community service provider sub grantees.
Home For Good will be conducting an informational session next Wednesday, September 23rd from 8:30am to 9:30am via Webex and soliciting partnership applications from community organizations. WebexMeeting Link
Eviction Moratorium Declaration Form – Under the CDC’s order you must provide a copy of this declaration to your landlord, owner of the residential property where you live, or other person who has a right to have you evicted or removed from where you live.
The truth is housing-first works. The truth is a strong Continuum of Care works. The truth is, having a by-name list works. Our community is fortunate; these initiatives were implemented and continue to prove they work – especially for those with lived experiences.
But if the Coronavirus has taught us anything, it’s that we need to do better, and we MUST choose equity as the foundation.
How? By asking our community members with lived experiences to be part of the process of improving it. Clients are subject matter experts; their voices should not only be heard but respected and valued. To make real change and real progress, we must include all demographics; race, ability, age, and gender. We must continually evaluate the data and ask what upstream factors lead to these findings. Finally, we must adjust our strategies, keeping in mind the impact these decisions make on our most vulnerable citizens.
As an example, SafeHouse Ministries offered a survey to share with those experiencing homelessness. They intend to collect responses and host a forum; asking clients with lived experience that are also diverse demographically, how the survey responses compare with their insight, what would they add, and how can SafeHouse improve. SafeHouse Ministries will then use these findings to adjust their programs and practices, improve their system, and create a more equitable environment.
The SafeHouse Ministries survey is the beginning of our community-wide focus group initiative. These focus groups will be facilitated by those with lived experience. We want to continue what is working – the Continuum of Care with shared knowledge and responsibility – while improving and altering the system to consider who is most impacted. We want to remind everyone that the actions or inactions of your organization affect our entire community.
During this prolonged period of difficulty, many of us feel overwhelmed. You may be wondering, how can we do more? The real question is, how can we not? Homelessness is the outcome, not the cause. In addition, homelessness disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Our chance to make serious, systemic change is now. And we can get there – but equity has to be the first and fundamental goal.
