GH CAN Leadership Meeting Notes 5/13/2020

GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK MEETING AGENDA

Follow Up Meeting

Wednesday, May 13 via Zoom

 1PM – 2:15PM

1.       Welcome and Introductions – 10 minutes

2.       COVID – 19 – 15 minutes

                                                               i.      Agency Updates

1.       Any staff/clients tested positive?

a.       VA – no positive cases, staff working from home – 1 staff person in the office per day. 

b.       HOH – no major updates. DoorDash will kick off next week to deliver food from HOH.

c.       Partnership – no major updates. June 8-12 stories of heros of homelessness. Reach out to Carline if anyone wants to share stories. Forward Heros of Homlessness to GH CAN.

d.       Beacon – no major updates.

e.        YWCA – doing well, no major updates.

f.        Mercy – no updates

g.       Open Hearth – no new updates

h.       Interval House – no new updates

i.         Cornerstone – no major updates

j.         The Connection – no positive cases

k.       McKinney – no positive cases. 

l.         Chrysalis – no cases at this time

m.     ImmaCare – no positive cases

n.       EH Shelter –no positive cases

o.       CH Enfield – no positive cases

p.       CRT – no positive cases in supportive housing. 3 deaths unrelated to COVID.

2.       Any Challenges or successes?

a.       Supportive Housing CRT – housing indivudals from hotels, challenge is housing them with no furniture. In need of furniture.

b.       JH – will receive mattresses from convention center. Need to figure out a way to pick up mattresses. Sara Wilson is the point of contact. Possible meeting to come – reach out to Sara if you are interested.

c.       COVID testing is available – contact Yolanda Potter 860-808-7841

d.       Some landlords are asking for References where the person has to own a home – cosigner

e.       Mercy Funds – requested over 21K for 6 clients. Funds are available. Cannot pay pass June, can pay for May and June.  Under 31K left.

f.        JH has 15K left, and money through CCEH for clients.

g.       Cornerstone – city will look at additional space to open soon.

h.       SAMH – some clients are moving. Closing top floor for the season, If funding is available then will consider keeping the top floor open.

3.       Statewide ESG-COVID Housing Effort Update – Matt Morgan/Lisa Quach – 15 minutes

a.       Hoping to house hotel clients. Additional funds through DOH.

b.       Taking clients from BNL

c.       Hotels will be paid for in July and Aug – possibility

d.       CRT, Mercy and CHA – agencies

e.       Tentative budget

f.        Hartford has 25% of funding

g.       Money will come in two phases, will use existing staff to help then will hire more staff

h.       Clients in hotel with jobs – connecting them to case management and offering 1^st month and security deposit

i.         Strategize collaboration between agencies with funds, incentives for landlords

j.         Shared housing for those with limited income

4.       COVID-19 Equitable Emergency Response Fund Updates – 10 Minutes

a.       Portable Bathrooms – received funding from Partnership. Location to be determined.

b.       Air Mattresses – some air mattresses for those who are also outside

5.       COVID – 19 Meal Service – Sara Wilson – 5 minutes

a.       Share schedule – feedback by tomorrow

6.       Agenda Items – 2 minutes

a.       Concern – what if someone refuses to wear a mask (requirements for masks) – Next Agenda Item

7.       Announcements – 2 minutes

GH CAN Leadership Meeting 5/6/2020

GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK MEETING AGENDA

Follow Up Meeting

Wednesday, May 6 via GoToMeetings

 1PM – 2:15PM

1.      Welcome and Introductions – 10 minutes

2.      COVID – 19 – 15 minutes

                                                    i.     Agency Updates

1.      Any staff/clients tested positive?

a.      Open Hearth – everyone is being tested.  Working with Hartford Health to start testing every two weeks. Charter Oak will test anyone that is coming in new.

b.      Reached out to city to have testing at hotel site – Liany is working on bringing testing to hotel sites. Starting with Red Roof Inn.

c.      Yolanda/ Charter Oak – testing will begin next week from 9-3 to anyone. Public info, COVID 19 hotline first, telehealth then they can be scheduled to come in. Average 60 test per day.

2.      Any Challenges or successes?

a.      Open Hearth – testing went well. State department of health approved morning of. Site has to be outdoors instead of indoors. Have spreadsheet and ROI before testing begins.

3.      Update on Clients with Income refusing to engage in housing – Lisa Quach – 15 Minutes

a.      Messaging from CAN for those who are refusing to engage in housing

b.      Letter says “no guarantee for hotel placement past June 1^st”

                                                    i.     Can we give discharges during a pandemic from hotel?

1.      Can Solutions provide discharge dates? Solutions can make decisions case by case.

2.      Who will the discharge letters come from CAN? CAN

                                                   ii.     If they refuse what should be done?

1.      If they deny the 3 opportunities what should be done? Start with a letter explaining why. Message can include 60+ prioritization. Explain emergency shelter is for those who need emergency shelter if they have options they are not in need of emergency shelter.

2.      What if they do not leave on the discharge date?

a.      Any legal filing needed?

b.      Motel has the right to terminate them if they do not leave on the date everyone leaves.

c.      Need to deal with situation once it arises.

                                                  iii.     Clients are assuming if they hang around long enough they will get low income housing.

                                                  iv.     Some clients have legit reasons why they don’t want to move into a housing opportunity. Need a standard message for those with non legit reasons.

                                                   v.     Lots of clients refuse shared housing- clients do not have enough income

                                                  vi.     Notify shelter managers at hotels this is being worked on.

c.      Unsheltered without risk factors for beds in hotels - next category in priority list – move forward. 84 men and 19 women. 3 youth are category 4.

                                                    i.     Reserve some beds – 5/6 beds for 1^st category. Save 3 rooms.

d.      4 have been housed with Mercy $$

4.      Statewide ESG-COVID housing effort – Matt Morgan – 15 minutes

a.      Subcommittee is meeting.

b.      Master leasing, polling agencies on who has staff who are not being utilized during COVID. Agencies interested in participating.

c.      Preapprove clients for apartments – prescreening if possible.

d.      CHR working on language about what has to be done from agencies

e.      Discussing statewide efforts with Rapid results group

5.      COVID-19 Equitable Emergency Response Fund Updates – 15 Minutes

a.      Portable Bathrooms – Barbara Shaw and Mark Jenkins working on location. Pull park location. Public does not use that park much which will be a good location. Sara checked on portable bathrooms. Outreach workers and Mark’s team can go to location to make connections. Medical site willing to join.

b.      PPE – large shipment to Journey Home. Alison is coordinating distribution and collecting list of supplies needed. Reach out to Alison if any supplies is needed.

c.      Air Mattresses

Request was submitted on Monday. Waiting to hear back on when funds will be available.

6.      Agenda Items – 2 minutes

7.      Announcements – 2 minutes

a.      Zoom for GH Leadership meetings. Use security code.

GH CAN Leadership Meeting: Follow Up 4/29/2020

GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK MEETING AGENDA

Follow Up Meeting

Wednesday, April 29 via GoToMeetings

 1PM – 2:15PM

1.      Welcome and Introductions – 10 minutes

2.      COVID – 19 – 15 minutes

                                                    i.     Agency Updates

1.      Any staff/clients tested positive?

a. Reach out to Sofina at Journey Home for information. 

2.      Any Challenges or successes?

a.      No major issues reported

3.      ESG and Communications Subcommittee report: ESG funding and Update on Clients with Income refusing to work with housing providers – Lisa Quach - 10 minutes

a.      Barrier – rough estimate of inflow in system. How many households can be served?

b.      Working on spreadsheet

c.      JH compiling a memo – to send out to committee to review. Distribute under doors of hotel. Call those with no VI score. Contact those with income to verify income right now.   

4.      COVID-19 Equitable Emergency Response Fund – Matt Morgan - 10 Minutes

a.      Partnership for Strong Communities 2k+ per CAN.

b.      Central has decided to use money for porter potty’s and hand washing stations.

c.      Porter potty by HOH and FastTrack? HOH is allowing use of facility but not enough.

d.      CRT – those who are being housed need furniture, maybe air mattresses for those who are being housed.

e.      Porter potty, air mattresses, and PPE requested

f.       HOH will look into have PP on property, need to confirm. Barbara to check with facilities.

g.      Check for frequency of cleaning – prices are they the same as Central? Sara from JH to look to see if there is anyone with connections.

h.      Check with City (Liany)

5.      New HUD PSH Funding – Lisa Quach - 15 Minutes

a.      7 units. New COC application – 33 units, money not available till July 1. Goal for RRH provider to house folks and provide funds. For PSH folks – house for 2 months. Want to roll out ASAP. Need to figure out staffing for 7 units. Prioritized as HUD prioritization. Andrea and Jenn to be involved.

b.      PSH Provider is CHR

6.      Any Questions on COVID Guidance from City of Hartford Health and Human Services

Department - 10 Minutes

a.      EH shelter for best western clients for medical transport

b.      No questions

7.      Announcements

a.      Encampments statewide – need to message out to cities and law enforcement to not clear out encampments. Drafting message soon. Need to figure out services to deliver to encampments. Working with DOPH, DMHAS, DOH.

b.      In touch with HBID to discuss encampments

c.      HOH has a pantry, groceries delivered through maybe door dash for those in PSH units. Pilot program – smartsheet of those who need groceries, Barbara will receive the request to prepare. Form will be used for request. PSH providers to email Kara Copabianco with how many clients need to be served. By Friday morning – submit to Kara about numbers.