Leadership Committee Agenda
Wednesday,
May 2nd, 2018
In Attendance:
Brian Baker – South Park Inn
Steve Bigler – CRT
Crane Cesario – DMHAS, CRMHC
Stephanie Corbin – Mercy Housing and Shelter
Sarah DiMaio – Salvation Army Marshall House
Fred Faulkner – The Open Hearth
Louis Gilbert – ImmaCare
Mollie Greenwood – Journey Home
Andrea Hakian – CHR
Jeff Katz – South Park Inn
Daniel Langless – Beacon Health Options
Lisa Quach – Journey Home
Amy Robinson – US Dept of Veteran Affairs
Iris Ruiz – Interval House
Zoe Schwartz – CRT
Barbara Shaw – Hands On Hartford
Kathy Shaw – My Sisters’ Place
Sean Brown – Chrysalis Center
Rebekah Lyas – ImmaCare
Steve MacHattie – ImmaCare
Liany Arroyo – City of Hartford
CT BOS COC Items – our CAN has four representatives who have been identified for CT Balance
of State. Crane Cesario and Matt Morgan
are our primary representatives, Andrea Hakian and Sarah DiMaio are alternates,
in case Crane or Matt is unable to be present. Zoe Schwartz of CRT is the
planning grant liaison, and will be helping out with the GIW and Point In Time
count.
1.
Renewal Evaluation Standards – Crane Cesario
a. Crane
brought the performance evaluation standards for HUD grant evaluations that was
generated last year. It’s based on data
from the prior federal fiscal year’s data.
We don’t have a huge action item now, but something to raise to
everyone’s attention is that the standards are set in part because HUD says you
need to meet a certain benchmark.
b. CT
Balance of State is consistently one of the top 5 applicants.
i. Some
challenges are that if folks are earning more income while in Rapid ReHousing,
they are at risk of losing their non-cash benefits, because their income has
increased. Folks who got employment
should not be counted towards those folks who aren’t getting cash
benefits. A lot of folks are already
participating at statewide workgroups on Rapid ReHousing, that’s where the
largest concern is. There are many
different kinds of Rapid ReHousing. We
don’t want programs to be so concerned about performance that they’re only
serving the easier to serve. Another Rapid
ReHousing impact is that if people go off the radar and they cannot be housed,
and folks go off the radar of the housing program radar. It treats referrals who refuse the program to
stay in shelter.
ii. Domestic
violence program transitional housing is a different category, because they
want folks to stay in those program types.
We need to figure out how to make an argument for our programs.
2.
HUD Requirement to communicate with Local
Health departments regarding apartment lead abatement status
a. The
monitoring corrective action plan states:
Submission of follow up plan is not
required but program notes these are contractual obligations of the funding
source.
b. HUD requires us to notify local health
departments of any apartments with lead.
It’s been a consistent monitoring.
We aren’t sure whether all of our towns and cities have health
departments that would accept that information.
c. Liany said that all health departments should
have a lead case manager. There should
be someone who is taking that information, because it’s a state statute
requirement.
i. Crane’s a little concerned about sharing that
information because it identifies folks as homeless or disabled.
ii. There’s still a lead abatement program in the
City of Hartford. If there’s a home that
has been tested and it does have lead, it’s a 5 year forgivable loan to the
property owner. Focus for that program
is five and under.
iii. The list of units with potentially vulnerable
household members needs to be sent to city representatives in all cities that
our supportive housing programs have placed someone into a unit. This applies to both units built before and
after 1978.
GH
CAN Leadership Items
3. Subcommittee
Updates
a.
Coordinated Exit for Individuals – Lisa Quach
i. Now that Rapid
ReHousing and PSH meetings have been merged into one meeting we are having
weekly meetings so there’s a lot more face-to-face connection. There’s a lot more case conferencing, there’s
a lot of progressive engagement happening.
ii. Folks are
attending very sporadically, which is a challenge when case managers are trying
to get updates on their clients. We need
at least one representative from all organizations.
iii. Maybe we
could try to get housing providers there in a more limited way. Housing providers should attend twice a
month, but maybe not each time. We can
work on a schedule. In today’s
Operations Committee meeting we will flesh out a more robust process for
ensuring that information is shared between housing programs and shelter case
managers in these meetings.
b.
Coordinated Exit for Families – Lisa Quach
i. We’re
having a lot of trouble serving folks because there haven’t been the same
volume of openings in Rapid ReHousing that we have gotten used to. Three out of our four regional Rapid
ReHousing programs are currently not operating, either because of a lack of
funding or issues with staffing.
Shelters are indicating that there’s not the same movement out of
shelter, and the shelters are full of folks who need assistance and can’t exit
independently.
ii. Folks are
taking longer. Utility arrearages is a
problem that Andrea mentioned. For
example, CHR’s Rapid ReHousing is getting referrals, and we’re being told that
the 6 month billing history has been done, but that is not always the
case. We’re asking shelter case managers
to do more and different things. Getting
accurate utility billing history is one thing, but it’s a problem.
iii. We also
need to look across programs, all the Rapid ReHousing programs are without
staff because of high staff turnover. How
do we utilize Rapid ReHousing as a CAN, what is required by the programs, is
the staffing organized in the best way to prevent burnout? Do we need a higher skilled person in the
case management role, and is our budget matching the real needs based on
education and skill?
1.
There’s a bigger picture issue here with Rapid
ReHousing. The program is tough, the
paperwork is intense. Client turnover is
supposed to be very rapid. The
timeframes for completion are a short turnaround.
2.
We as a system have put a LOT of pressure on
Rapid ReHousing. Some of the most
difficult clients go to Rapid ReHousing.
We’re encouraging case managers across the board to try and obtain
disability verification paperwork if folks have a disabling condition, even if
we’re putting them into Rapid ReHousing.
iv. While we
continue working through this capacity challenge, if HOME funds were available,
CHR could maybe start people with HOME funding.
Andrea’s exploring whether GH CAN staff could tap into CCAN funds to
keep CHR’s Rapid ReHousing program operational.
1.
Andrea trained PATH staff and Diversion
staff. They could come from anywhere,
but would need to go through the Diversion center. We also don’t want all these shelter clients
coming through.
2.
If there could be a really extenuating
circumstance CHR could help out.
3.
Sarah trained two staff in HOME.
c.
Barbara asked if folks are referring to
Operation Fuel?
i. Shelter
case managers are reporting that they are doing that.
4. Cold
Weather Planning Meeting Recap – Sarah DiMaio
a.
Salvation Army wanted to gather feedback from
all the local providers. The biggest
areas for improvement that were identified are taking away separate triage
centers, and just having the warming center.
Shelters didn’t all have the same curfews, but all of the same work was
happening again at the warming center.
That’s when shelters really knew if beds were available or not.
b.
Lack of reliable internet was a major
challenge. The city would work on
getting internet anywhere that is being considered for a future Warming Center
site.
c.
We used a taxi and HOH, but more
transportation dollars would have been helpful because the Willie Ware Rec
Center space that was used was so far out of downtown.
d.
We didn’t anticipate 500 people through the
warming center, nightly check ins are taking forever to get into the data
systems. An issue with this taking so
long is that we don’t have totally up to date with Housing Innovations so they
could submit it into HUD. We’re also the
only warming center using CT HMIS. One
recommendation is to see whether it would be possible to have some kind of
online check in for clients to do some of their own data entry, rather than
needing one staff person to do all data entry for the full year.
e.
We’re going to have a targeted ask to churches
for the coming year to help support households in need of immediate shelter
during November and April, when our Cold Weather services are not funded, but
when the weather can often be bitterly cold.
f.
There was an ask to create a year-round
position to oversee all of the Cold Weather programs. In the offseason, this position could maybe
provide additional support to outreach.
The problem is getting a quality staff person who is willing to work on
a temporary basis, so creating a year-round position would bring stability
year-to-year.
g.
ESFP Funding for Cold Weather Season – Mollie
Greenwood
i. We blew
through 16k in hotel funds over a month.
We had been placing a lot of families into hotels. When we ran out of that money, Marshall House
openend up any room in the building, opened the living room, the lobbies. Once we did that we realized that most
families were self-resolving. Kara
supported that motto, and she has suggested doing that year-round.
ii. We’ll need
to continue to discuss that in the future.
iii. There is a
concern with the local Fire Marshall about bringing any more people into the building
that we have. They’ve made it clear to
South Park Inn. One way to create a
disincentive is to have different opportunities at different times. There might be something we can work on.
iv. We will
bring this back at the meeting in two weeks.
We will add it onto the agenda again.
5. Release of
Information Concerns – Crane Cesario
a.
It sounds like in a recent monitoring Housing
Innovations looked at the CAN release that we’ve been using to talk about
client needs. It allows us to talk with
each other as a community. We may need
additional releases to continue the conversation on specific households. We need to remind staff that we need to have
good release management for other folks.
6. HOME
Security Deposit Assistance – Kara Capobianco
a.
Tabled for future discussion
7. GH CAN
Shelter and Housing Data – Mollie Greenwood
i. See p.2
8. Future
Agenda Items?
9. Announcements
a.
CT Department of Housing has made Capital
Funding available for shelter improvements.
See DOH website for more information.
b.
The next HOPWA/CAN Committee meeting will take
place next Thursday, 5/10 from 1:30-2:30 at Journey Home, 255 Main St., Second
Floor, Hartford CT.
c.
The next Youth Engagement Team Initiative (YETI)
meeting for the GH CAN will take place next week, Thursday 5/10 from
10:00AM-11:00AM at 76 Pliny St., Hartford CT.
d.
GH CAN Housing Data
|
Data Element
|
Number
|
Notes
|
|
Chronically homeless households housed in 2015
|
102
|
This includes clients housed through GH CAN programs as well as
through other subsidies or independent housing
|
|
Chronically homeless households housed in 2016
|
211
|
This includes clients housed through GH CAN programs as well as
through other subsidies or independent housing
|
|
Chronically homeless households housed in 2017
|
179
|
This includes clients housed through GH CAN programs as well as
through other subsidies or independent housing
|
|
Chronically homeless households housed in 2018
|
40
|
This includes clients housed through GH CAN programs as well as
through other subsidies or independent housing
|
|
Total Chronically homeless households housed in GH CAN
|
532
|
|
|
Verified Chronic Matched
|
30
|
|
|
Verified Chronic Not Yet Matched
|
3
|
We currently have 3 chronic verified clients who have not yet been
matched to housing.
|
|
Potentially Chronic Refusers
|
2
|
|
|
Verified Chronic Refusers
|
1
|
|
|
Potentially Chronic Matched
|
14
|
These households did not disclose a disabling condition, and are
matched to various programs.
|
|
Not Chronic Matched
|
28
|
|
|
Potentially Chronic Not Yet Matched
|
22
|
Right now we believe 22 households have the chronic length of
homeless history, but none of these individuals have their homeless and disability
verifications completed.
|
|
Individuals - Active – Not Matched
|
545
|
This is Enrolled in CAN, Enrolled in TH, and In an Institution
|
|
Families – Active – Not Matched
|
23
|
This is Enrolled in CAN
|
SmartSheet
Shelter Priority List Data
|
Individual Men
|
Individual Women
|
Families
|
|
190 Unsheltered or in Cold Weather Placement
|
74 Unsheltered or in Cold Weather Placement
|
30 Unsheltered or in Cold Weather Placement
|
|
270 Total
|
117 Total
|
57 Total
|
GH CAN
Subcommittee Report
Committee Name: GH CAN Coordinated Exit for Families
Committee Chairs: Lisa Quach
Committee Goal: End homelessness by matching families to housing
Significant Achievements in the past 3 months:
1.
Developed
“security blankets” for folks who may not be successful in Rapid ReHousing,
with or without a disability. This has helped this group really use the
progressive engagement model since most families are going through Rapid
ReHousing first.
2.
Kept
family BNL under 30 families
Concerns with the structure of the meeting:
·
Attendance of any organizations
o Attendance
is fluctuating. We need providers and case managers to attend housing matching
so that clients can be discussed. When someone is missing, it can bottleneck
processes especially when it’s a pending referral. It’s hard to hold folks
accountable if we’re not enforcing attendance across the board.
Assistance needed from Operations Committee:
·
Are there any daily problems with things like
HMIS, communication between organizations, or shelter or housing program
policies?
o Property
management refusing our clients. It’s hard to find a family who is the correct
household composition, wants to live in project-based unit (area), has no
evictions, criminal history, and sufficient credit. The “appeal” process hasn’t
been too clear and doesn’t seem like it’s much of an appeal. This is affecting
vacancy loss.
o Household
compositions for property management. If families are not DCF connected, the
group will try to have mom/baby share a room and same sex children in another
room for a 2 BR or even have mom in living room and kids in room or different
sex children in same room/bunk beds. All options have been rejected. We do not
have larger size bedrooms (3+) so those families will be homeless longer even
if they’re willing to downsize.
o With
the new policy around VI-SPDAT/full SPDATS, we really need the full SPDAT
feature to work in HMIS and be user friendly. Since they are manually being
entered/uploaded, it is an additional step to filter the BNL for full SPDAT
score and then manually change it. If full SPDATS were done in HMIS correctly,
it should trigger a score conversion.
Assistance needed from Leadership Committee:
·
Are there any gaps in services or financial
assistance that is harming our clients? If so, what are the gaps?
o There
are no rapid rehousing programs currently taking referrals except for CRT. 3
out of the 4 Rapid ReHousing programs in GH CAN have not been able to take
referrals due to staffing issues. This is a system wide issue because if there
are no openings, there are no turn overs and since there are no turnovers, the
shelter waitlist will just keep growing.
o Clients
need a little more assistance (financial and services) than what HOME money
(Rapid Exit) can offer.
o PSH
referrals are starting to slow down. This may potentially become an issue if Rapid
ReHousing programs need bridges.
GH CAN
Subcommittee Report
Committee Name: GH CAN Coordinated Exit for Individuals
Committee Chairs: Lisa Quach
Committee Goal: End homelessness by matching clients to housing
Significant Achievements in the past 3 months:
3.
Merged Rapid
ReHousing & PSH into one meeting for individuals
4.
Developed
a process for bridging/interCAN
Concerns with the structure of the meeting:
·
Attendance of any organizations
o Attendance
is fluctuating. We need providers and case managers to attend housing matching
so that clients can be discussed. When someone is missing, it can bottleneck
processes especially when it’s a pending referral. It’s hard to hold folks
accountable if we’re not enforcing attendance across the board.
Assistance needed from Operations Committee:
·
Are there any daily problems with things like
HMIS, communication between organizations, or shelter or housing program
policies?
o With
the new policy around VI-SPDAT/full SPDATS, we really need the full SPDAT
feature to work in HMIS and be user friendly. Since they are manually being
entered/uploaded, it is an additional step to filter the BNL for full SPDAT
score and then manually change it. If full SPDATS were done in HMIS correctly,
it should trigger a score conversion.
Assistance needed from Leadership Committee:
·
Are there any gaps in services or financial
assistance that is harming our clients? If so, what are the gaps?
o There
are no rapid rehousing programs currently taking referrals except for CRT. 3
out of the 4 Rapid ReHousing programs in GH CAN have not been able to take
referrals due to staffing issues. This is a system wide issue because if there
are no openings, there are no turn overs and since there are no turnovers, the
shelter waitlist will just keep growing.
o Clients
need a little more assistance (financial and services) than what HOME money
(Rapid Exit) can offer.
o PSH
referrals are starting to die down. This may potentially become an issue if Rapid
ReHousing programs need bridges.
2017 Housing Openings by Intervention Type
|
Rapid
ReHousing Openings
|
PSH
Openings
|
Moving
On Openings
|
S8HCV
Openings
|
|
263
|
135
|
4
|
3
|
|
Ave:
21.9/month
|
Ave:
11.25/month
|
Ave:
.33/month
|
Ave:
.25/month
|
2018: Openings Reported between 1/1/18 and 3/12/18
|
Rapid
ReHousing Openings
|
PSH
Openings
|
Moving
On Openings
|
S8HCV
Openings
|
|
82
|
26
|
5
|
0
|
2018: Openings reported since 3/12/18
|
|
Rapid ReHousing
|
PSH Openings
|
Moving On Openings
|
S8HCV Openings
|
|
3/20/18
|
10
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
|
3/27/18
|
0
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
|
4/3/18
|
3
|
9
|
1
|
0
|
|
4/10/18
|
No Meeting
|
|||
|
4/17/18
|
5
|
9
|
1
|
0
|
|
4/24/18
|
12
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
|
5/1/18
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
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