News
Save the Date! FREE Credit Workshop
Bringing It Home Conference
Save the Date! Housing Affordability Symposium
April 5, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Center City: The series will culminate with the Housing Affordability Symposium sponsored by the UNC Charlotte chapter of Campus Compact. The symposium will feature 11 Ted-type talks on context, intersections, and solutions concerning housing affordability in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The symposium will end with a keynote address by Maurice Jones, CEO of Local Initiative Support Corporation. Registration is free, but required: http://campuscompact.uncc.edu/housing-affordability-symposium.
Save the Date! C M Library Job Fair
Free GED Classes @ Central Piedmont
SAVE THE DATE! Charlotte-Area Migration Symposium
Registration is now open for the Charlotte-Area Migration Symposium!
SAVE THE DATE! NC Poverty Research Fund Report Out
Join us at Crisis Assistance Ministry for a presentation of real-life poverty data from The North Carolina Poverty Research Fund.
Drinks and a light bite will be served.
When: July 21, 2016 at noon
Where: Crisis Assistance Ministry, 500A Spratt Street Charlotte, NC 28206
SAVE THE DATE! HSN Agency Fair
The HSN Agency Fair is May 26th!
Be sure to tell your colleagues, staff, provider network and anyone else you think would be interested in attending. The Fair is a great time for new staff and interns to meet providers and learn about the programs in our community working to end and prevent homelessness. It is also a wonderful time for all of us –new and old—to gather, connect and share with each other the work we do. Breakfast and coffee will be served.
SAVE THE DATE! Strides for 5K 2016
Click Here to Download the Strides for 5K Flyer. Or visit http://stridesforshelter.racesonline.com/ to register today.
A New Response to Substance Abuse Treatment
Harm Reduction is a relatively new model for delivering substance abuse services that ensures individuals are treated with dignity and able to access critical supports while in recovery. Click here to read more about about how Moore Place embraces harm reduction policies to serve our chronically homeless neighbors. (https://www.charlotteagenda.com/46353/harm-reduction-changing-response-substance-use/)
HHS and HUD National Listening Session on Housing and Services for Human Trafficking Survivors
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will host a joint listening session to address the intersection of trafficking and the need for housing and social services for survivors next week. This event, is a coordinated effort in response to the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking. For more information, please visit the HUD Exchange website.
FREE Tax Prep Assistance
The VITA program is a free service assisting individuals and families who earn $54,000 or less to file their taxes. Tax Payers will need to schedule an appointment Monday-Friday or walk in is available at all sites on Saturdays.
The first site opens on January 26, at the Main Public Library 310 N. Tryon Street. Click the flyer below for more information.
Screening: "Storied Streets"
Please join us on Saturday, January 16, 10-11:30 AM for a showing of “Storied Streets”, an inspirational movie that will touch your heart, to be followed by a panel discussion (back for a repeat showing based on popular demand).
The film shows the many faces of homelessness and tells the stories of people who are homeless in their own words. The filming took place from LA to New York with 14 stops (including Charlotte) examining the issue of homelessness in America.The panel discussion will be led by 2 passionate leaders in the field: Pam Jefsen, Executive Director of Supportive Housing Communities/McCreesh Place and; Justin Markel, a lead member of Helping Homeless to Housing.
The event will be held at Midwood International and Cultural Center, 1817 Central Ave., Room #210, Charlotte.
Coffee and snacks will be available, and the price is right (free!).
Brought to you by the League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, UUCC Advocacy Team, and the Homeless Services Network.
ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITY
Advocacy is an important part of the work that we do. Please take a moment to read this letter from the National Coalition to End Homelessness and ACT TODAY to help Solve the Puzzle nationally.
Dear FY 2016 Homelessness Funding Advocates,
As an update, the funding process to determine spending levels for housing and homelessness programs has continued to move very quickly and is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. We’re counting on advocates to contact your Members of Congress in this final advocacy push of the fiscal year, letting them know the $2.480 billion requested in the President’s budget for HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance needs to be a top priority to include in the final FY 2016 appropriations bill.
In light of the recent budget deal, a $345 million increase for McKinney represents only 1% of the $33 billion newly available for non-defense discretionary programs in FY 2016. This 1% would provide enough funding to end chronic homelessness. A HUGE thank you goes out to all who have already contacted your Members! We all need to pitch in one last time to capitalize on this rare opportunity! Please take some time this week to write or call, and follow up with your congressional offices! We have sample letters to personalize and two one-pagers to email along with the letters; as well as talking points for calls.
Here’s What You Can Do:
1. Email your congressional offices! Personalize this sample letter to Representatives and this sample letter to Senators
A. Email the housing staff person at each office this week with these letters attached. You can also link to these one-pagers in the body of your email.
B. Call the offices or reply all to this email if you need help finding the correct staffers’ email addresses.
2. Call your congressional offices to follow up to the emails! Dial the Congressional switchboard at 877-210-5351. When you reach your Members’ offices, ask to speak to the housing staff person you sent the email to. You can use these talking points to help you get the key messages across!
3. Spread the word about this national grassroots effort to your colleagues and community partners!
4. Let us know which offices you emailed and called, and what responses you receive! This is extremely important for our work with these offices and tracking purposes!
More Information: The recent budget deal, the Balanced Budget Act (BBA), raises sequestration caps by $80 billion over the next two years. For the upcoming fiscal year, FY 2016, it provides $33 billion more for non-defense discretionary (NDD) programs than would have been available if the sequester caps had not been lifted. The deal raises the caps by only $23 billion more for FY 2017, meaning THIS YEAR, not next, is our best shot at securing funding increases.
House and Senate appropriators are quickly working with the new 302(b) spending allocations given to each of the 12 appropriations subcommittees to negotiate and finalize spending levels for specific programs, including homeless assistance and affordable housing programs. These final spending levels will be included in an omnibus appropriations package including funding for all federal programs. We only have a few weeks at best, likely only days, to take advantage of this quick window of opportunity to increase spending levels.
Finally, as a heads up, the Senate is expected to consider their own Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) bill as early as tomorrow. However, this bill will only reflect the funding levels the Senate would want to put in the final bill if they did not have to work with the House, which they of course do. Regardless of whether the Senate considers a T-HUD bill this week, Congress must include spending levels for HUD programs negotiated between the House and Senate in the final FY 2016 omnibus appropriations bill. As such, advocates should not let consideration of this Senate bill deter them from contacting their Members. The final omnibus package currently being negotiated is not expected to be passed until near December 11, when current funding runs out.
Thank you in advance for any time you or your colleagues are able to carve out of your busy schedules to devote to letters, emails, and calls to make a strong, unified national push to end homelessness! We look forward to hearing about your efforts and the responses you get! As always, please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.
All the best,
Julie Klein
Assistant to the President/Policy Outreach Associate
National Alliance to End Homelessness
1518 K Street NW, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20005
www.endhomelessness.org
REMINDER! Ending Homelessness in Charlotte THIS WEEK
Candlelight Memorial Vigil
November is homelessness awareness month. The Homeless Services Network and the Housing Advisory Board of Charlotte Mecklenburg will pause to honor all those in the homeless community who have passed away during this year.
For some who have passed away, this will be the only remembrance of their life.
We hope you will join us.
Monday, November 23, 2015
6:30 - 7:00 PM
Homeless Resource Center
618 N. College Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Homeless Awareness Month: Info Request
As Homeless Awareness Month approaches, HSN is gathering the names of clients whom have passed away during the last year.
Please send Liz Clasen-Kelly ([email protected]) information about client deaths by Friday, October 23rd.
Ideally, the information would include: name, date of death, and a statement indicating whether the client was homeless or housed.
3rd Annual Carolina Conference on Queer Youth
On Friday, October 23, 2015, students, K-12 school staff, helping professionals, and community members from around the Carolinas will convene on the campus of UNC – Charlotte for the third annual Carolina Conference on Queer Youth. The one-day conference is a unique opportunity for area representatives to network, dialogue, and organize around issues important to the healthy development of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth in K-12 education.
The conference is presented through a partnership of Time Out Youth and UNC-Charlotte’s Multicultural Resource Center.
The conference will run from 8:00AM-5:00PM at the UNC-Charlotte Student Union. Four day-long institutes will be presented aimed towards Youth, Educators, Helping Professionals, and Community Organizers (see below for institute details). Registration is free for youth and $25 per adult. Eight hours of CEUs are available for professionals attending the conference.
For more information, please visit the Time Out Youth website: http://www.timeoutyouth.org/youth/conference#sthash.dmt0fpkc.dpuf
UPDATE!
Data-Driven Decisions
The 2015 Characteristics of Charlotte Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List report has been released. This report is one in a series designed to promote data-driven decisions around housing instability and homelessness. Other reports include the Point-In-Time Count Report released in May 2015 and forthcoming reports on veteran homelessness and annual counts of homelessness in Mecklenburg County.
Cover Letter
2015 Characteristics of CHA Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List Report
Homeless Helping Homeless Candidate Forum
CANDIDATE FORUM Hosted by HHH
Thursday October 8th
Moore Place
2435 Lucena St. Charlotte, NC 28206
TBRA / Supportive Services RFP
The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have released a joint RFP for Tenant Based Rental Assistance and Supportive Services Funds.
Please use the following link to learn more and find information about the Pre-Submittal Meeting on October 8thand contact information if you have questions.
http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/nbs/housing/Pages/rfp.aspx.
Charlotte Data Day 2015
The Changing Face of our Region: Using Data to Understand Shifting Demographics
The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond present Charlotte Data Day, October 6-7, 2015. Marking its third consecutive year, this year's two-day event focuses on current demographic trends in the Charlotte region. You are invited to this FREE community event. Day 1 begins Tuesday afternoon, October 6, at the Federal Reserve Bank in uptown Charlotte with panel discussions followed by a reception. Wednesday, October 7, is a full day of presentations and workshops on the main campus of UNC Charlotte. Visit our website to view the full program.
2015 CoC Funding Application
The 2015 CoC funding application was released by HUD yesterday. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg CoC will hold an information session for any agency seeking more information on our local application process.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
10:30am – 11:30am
Hal Marshall Building, Charlotte 1 conference room (first floor)
More information about the application can be found at https://www.hudexchange.info/e-snaps/fy-2015-coc-program-nofa-coc-program-competition/.
In addition, general information about the Continuum of Care can be found athttps://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/.
Please welcome...
Innovative Community Resources, Inc. is pleased to announce the arrival of a new team member, Ms. Cynthia Brooks. Ms. Brooks will be providing SOAR application assistance and other supportive services. SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) is a federal program designed to increase access to income supports for individuals in great need. To learn more about the SOAR program, please visit the SOAR Works website.
Welcome, Cynthia!
Did you miss the last meeting?
The May HSN meeting featured a special transgender training for homeless service providers. The presentation included a review of HUD guidelines concerning the housing of transgender individuals, as well as, practical tips for appropriate use of language and respectful conduct. We hope that the session was informative and helped debunk some of the negative stereotypes about transgender individuals that too often prevent equitable access to critical services.
Did you miss it? That's okay! Be sure to download the resources discussed at the event.
On a Single Night in January 2015...
The Point-in-Time Count is a coordinated effort to learn more about Mecklenburg County's homeless population. Twice a year, service providers and volunteers interview individuals experiencing homelessness to find out more about who faces housing issues in our community. This data goes on to shape how we advocate for and support these individuals.
This year...
- 2,001 People were identified as homeless
- 185 Veterans were identified as homeless
- 280 People had been either continuously homeless for 1+ year or had experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last 3 years
Click here to download the full report and learn more about homelessness in our community!
Did you miss it?
The HSN Agency Fair on April 23rd was a big success!
We are happy so many agencies and CMS employees could learn how we can collaborate together even more!
If you missed it, it’s not too late to help solve the puzzle! Click here to learn more about the HSN!
Do you serve homeless or at-risk youth?
Check out the April On Ramp Calendar from The Relatives for a listing of upcoming workshops and events.
The Relatives is a system of resources that helps children, youth, and young adults find safety, stability, and pathways to successful futures. For more information please visit therelatives.org.
UNC Brown Bag Series: Building Evaluation Capacity
Community members, non-profit agencies, government agencies, students, and everyone else is welcome to attend the upcoming UNC-Charlotte Brown Bag Series on building evaluation capacity. The sessions are designed to support agencies' efforts to track outcomes, evaluate processes, and generally build capacity to make data-informed decisions. All events are free and open to the public.
Please visit the UNCC site to register.
Pass it on!
Charlotte-Mecklenburg now operates a Coordinated Assessment (CA) system that aims to connect homeless individuals and families, or those at imminent risk, to an existing available shelter/housing resource in our community.
Coordinated Assessment uses a specific definition of homeless. A homeless person is someone:
- • Living in a place not meant for human habitation, or
• Living in emergency shelter (including domestic violence shelter), or
• Living in transitional housing, or
• Exiting an institution where they temporarily resided for up to 90 days (and were in a shelter or a place not meant for human habitation immediately prior to entering that institution), or
• Likely to meet one of the above definitions within the next 72 hours.
Want to learn more? Click here to download the Coordinated Assessment Information Sheet.
Point-in-Time Count
What is it?
The Point-in-Time Count is a coordinated effort to learn more about Mecklenburg County's homeless population. Twice a year, service providers and volunteers interview individuals experiencing homelessness to find out more about who faces housing issues in our community. This data goes on to shape how we advocate for and support these individuals.
Want to learn more?
North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness
UNC Charlotte Urban Institute
We CAN Solve the Puzzle!
A group of some of Charlotte’s most influential institutions is launching an ambitious plan to end chronic homelessness in Mecklenburg County, determined to move hundreds of people off the streets and into supportive housing.
Read more in the Charlotte Observer.
A Celebration of Collaboration
THANK YOU to everyone who was able to attend the Celebration of Collaboration breakfast this past Thursday. Your dedication to change and continued support for one another is truly in keeping with the spirit of the season.
We look forward to continuing this great work in 2015.
Eight of the original 13 members of HSN (Left-right): Charles Page, Nancy Nicholson, Frank Mansfield, Trena Palmer, Jim Kelley, Paul Walker, Martha Brown, Caroline Myers 
Long-time leaders and supporters of HSN (Left-right): Peter Safir, Ken Schorr, Nancy Nicholson, Charles Page, Frank Mansfield, Trena Palmer, Jim Kelley, Paul Walker, Martha Brown, Dale Mullennix, Caroline Myers, Tony Marciano, Ted Fillette
Did you know...
...over 60% of HSN member agencies have a staff of 26 or more individuals.
...frontline staff represent 10% of HSN members.
...most HSN members participate in a committee or take on another leadership role.
Want to know more? Click here to view the results of the 2014 HSN survey.
Coordinated Assessment System Officially Launched
Thanks to your support and hard work, Charlotte-Mecklenburg has officially met the HUD mandate and launched its Homeless Coordinated Assessment System.
The first month's data shows:
448 Assessed (August 4 - 29, 2014)
20 (4.5%) referred and placed into housing
25 (6%) diverted away from homelessness (through counseling, limited financial aid)
218 (49%) prioritized for rapid rehousing
103 (23%) prioritized for transitional housing
60 (13%) prioritized for permanent supportive housing
22 (5.5%) unclassified/unknown/repeat clients from soft launch
Another 110 signed up for assessment, but did not meet the criteria of being within 72 hours of imminent homelessness.
Yes, our system is full, our shelter system is at capacity, and we are not moving people from risk to resources fast enough. But, Coordinated Assessment System is a critical process that can help ensure that we, as a community, are empowered to act and change these numbers.
It's a start...and a very big piece of the puzzle.
Going forward, the Coordinated Assessment system will be connected to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Coalition for Housing and the members of the Coordinated Oversight Committee include Deronda Metz (Salvation Army), Rebecca Pfeiffer (City of Charlotte), Helen Lipman (Mecklenburg County), Brad Hall (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department), Mike Sowyak (Shelter Health Services), and Dennis Marstall (United Way). Please feel free to contact any member of the committee or the HSN if you have questions about Coordinated Assessment.
WIOA and Homelessness
This week, President Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) into law. WIOA is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with skilled workers. Congress passed the Act by a wide bipartisan majority; it is the first legislative reform of the public workforce system in more than 15 years.
While it will be some time before this new legislation is fully implemented, these new regulations will have an impact on the clients we serve. For all of the latest information, visit the Department of Labor website.
Update: Coordinated Assessment Hours
Coordinated Assessment hours have changed! Check here for the most up-to-date hours and locations.
Want to know how you can support Coordinated Assessment? Explore our volunteer and donation opportunities to help Solve the Puzzle:
- Prevention
- Housing
- Services
- People
- Speak Out!
Success Story: 100 in 100 Days Campaign
A team from Charlotte-Mecklenburg has spent the last year working on the local Acceleration to Housing – 100 in 100 Days Campaign. Since May 16, 2013, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg team has housed 496 individuals!
Our local effort is included in this national 100,000 Homes Campaign. For more information, check out this NY Times article. Be sure to read the five key campaign lessons learned.
Congratulations to our partners at Community Solutions on the success of their 100,000 Homes Campaign!
Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for an announcement from our local team as we finish the 4th phase of this year-long effort.
Coordinated Assessment Is Up And Running
Coordinated assessment refers to the process used to assess and assist in meeting the housing needs of people at-risk of homelessness and people experiencing homelessness. Under the new community guidelines, individuals and families experiencing housing instability or homelessness will be referred to one of five community locations. At each site, trained social workers will employ a standardized interview process to determine housing need and make referrals to available community resources. For more information, please visit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Coordinated Assessment website.
Point-In-Time Count Report Released
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count provides a snapshot of homelessness in our community. The count, conducted by homeless service providers and volunteers, includes data such as demographic information (e.g., gender and race), causes of homelessness, where persons are sleeping and subpopulation information (such as veterans, victims of domestic violence, etc.). PIT data is a critical tool in understanding local homelessness and effecting change.
The North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness (NCCEH) compiles PIT data from across the state. Data from Previous PIT Counts is available on the NCCEH website.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Point-In-Time Report 2009-2014 highlights findings from the 2014 PIT Count and compares data over the past five years. This report was prepared by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute on behalf of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Coalition for Housing.
Coordinated Assessment Committee Selected
Since August 2013, consultants from the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) and the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness (NCCEH) have engaged providers, community leaders, and other stakeholders in the planning and development of a coordinated assessment process. Once in place, this process will streamline the provision of services to individuals experiencing homelessness. For more information on the local process, please visit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Coalition for Housing website.
Last week, the HSN body elected members of the newly formed Coordinated Assessment Committee. This Committee will provide leadership for the coordinated assessment process during the implementation and evaluation phases:
- Emergency Shelter Representative – Deronda Metz, Salvation Army
- Non-Emergency Shelter Provider Representative – Caroline Chambre, Urban Ministry Center
- Health Care Representative – Michael Sowyak, Shelter Health Services
- City of Charlotte Representative – Rebecca Pfeiffer, City of Charlotte
- Mecklenburg County Representative – Helen Lipman, Mecklenburg County
- Funder Representative – Dennis Marstall, United Way
- Charlotte Police Department Representative – Officer Brad Hall, CMPD
Thanks to all those who were willing to be nominees, and to those selected for your future service!
