On June 27, CEH held our first annual meeting to share our strategies, affirm CEH’s charter, and receive community feedback. I left the conference both energized by our community’s dedication to making homelessness rare, brief, and one-time, and committed to CEH’s role as a hub for stakeholders to share their knowledge in a way that impacts coordinated, county-wide decision making. We engaged more than 150 people that day in digging into our data, and offering solutions for improvement and change.
This upcoming Monday, August 4th, CEH’s Interagency Council (IAC) holds its annual retreat, and will look back at the path we’ve taken these past 9 years, and look forward towards the goals we want to achieve. The input you shared at the Conference will be key to those discussions.
Here are some of the ‘high-level’ highlights of your input that we’ll discuss on Monday:
- Nurture and engage non-traditional partners – faith, education, neighbors, business, and peers. Create opportunities to engage lay people, community members, and others to instill the sense that this is all our concern to solve, not just something to pay ‘professionals’ to deal with
- Build relationships with landlords. The importance of engaging this cohort is so vital it deserves to be called out separately (and typically was)
- Deepen our engagement with mainstream systems. We need to be responsible for creating these connections and not leave clients to self-navigate. The most important systems where we need to strengthen connections are employment, then mental health, chemical dependency and schools
- Recognize the importance of relationship and community. Strong social capital is critical to help people avoid and exit homelessness. We need to build more of that into our strategies, including peer services
- Be willing to use and critically review data – use it to inform programs and be willing to re-evaluate what we think we know. And we need to value local experiences and data as much as national models
- Figure out the prevention component. Stop saying we don’t know what prevents homelessness and prioritize greater fluency for impactful planning
- Finally, the themes of the need for adequate housing, adequate funding, and flexible/tailored services (not one size fits all), were present in all of the day’s conversations
Thanks again to everyone who participated that day. And thanks for your engagement and commitment year round to make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time in King County.
Mark Putnam
Director, CEH
From Thursday, October 23 to October 26, Healthfest will offer free dental, vision, and medical services at Key Arena. Service is first come, first serve and patients are not required to bring ID or proof of citizenship to receive care from licensed medical professionals. For more information contact SKCClinic@seattle.gov
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Employment programs can provide stability for persons experiencing homelessness and help them get to a place where they can engage in long term planning. To learn about existing King County employment programs, trainings, and resources please click here.
 King County Housing Authority is looking to fill a Homeless Housing Program Manager position. The Homeless Housing Program Manager oversees the implementation of housing programs and manages an array of local partnerships to provide supportive housing programs for homeless families, young adults, and other vulnerable populations. Learn more about the position here.
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Join the FHI and Building Changes on August 22 from 1:30 to 4:00pm at the Mercer Island Public Library to learn more about the first phase of program realignment. This will be particularly useful for providers with questions on how systems realignment will affect their agencies. RSVP for the event here.
 On Tuesday, August 5, at noon PDT, CSH will present a new e-class entitled “Understanding Medicaid: A Primer for Homeless Assistance Providers.” The class will provide homeless assistance providers with basic information on the Medicaid program and help participants better understand the changes to the program resulting from the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Participants will also learn about emerging models being used to maximize Medicaid reimbursement for housing services. Register here.
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The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is making available approximately $4.4 million in annual funding for 2015-2016 for rapid re-housing, emergency shelter, transitional housing, and shelter diversion programs for programs serving homeless households in King County; including homeless youth or young adults, single adults, families with children and households fleeing domestic violence. A workshop to assist applicants will be conducted at 10:00 am, Monday, August 11, 2014, at the Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Avenue S., Tukwila, WA 98168. View the complete RFP by clicking here, registering your organization, and finding the RFP listed under “Technical Services”. Forward questions to linda.mckinly@kingcounty.gov.
Governing Board
Upcoming Meeting: Wednesday, October 22 / 8:30 - 10:30am / Seattle City Hall, Bertha Landes Conference Room
Agenda Topics: TBD
Recent Meeting: Wednesday, July 23
Discussed: Annual Conference Report Back, Employment Opportunities for People who are Homeless, 2015 Legislative Agenda
Interagency Council (IAC)
Upcoming Meeting: Full day IAC retreat, Aug 4, New Holly, 3815 Othello Street, Seattle. This retreat is exclusively for IAC members.
Agenda Topics: Lessons Learned from Ten Year Plan, Establishing Priorities, Developing Advocacy and Policy Strategies
Recent Meeting: June 2 - Families Initiative Housing Stock Rebalance, Single Adults Crisis Response, Maximizing McKinney Dollars
Consumer Advisory Council (CAC)
Upcoming Meeting: Wednesday, August 20 / 6:00 - 7:30pm / TBD Picnic Location
Agenda Topics: Homeless Housing Systems Navigation Focus Group Planning
Recent Meeting: Annual Meeting Report Back, Focus Group Report Back, IAC Retreat Planning
The Family Homelessness Initiative staff host monthly information sessions on the 3rd Wednesday of the month to talk with local stakeholders (providers and funders) about the work of the Initiative. This is an opportunity to hear about current projects, what is coming up next, to ask questions and provide input. NOTE: Beginning July 2014, these sessions will be held from 9:00-10:00am and immediately followed by the Family Housing Connection (FHC) feedback session.
Reoccurring: 3rd Wednesdays each month 9:00 – 10:00 am at varying locations
Next meeting: August 20th at the 2100 Building, 2100 24th Ave S., Seattle, WA - Art Room
Immediately followed by FHC feedback meeting from 10:00 to 11:00am
Contact Triina Tennelo for more information: 206.263.9110 or triina.tennelo@kingcounty.gov or visit the Initiative website.
The monthly YYA Stakeholder Forums provide a monthly opportunity to hear about the changes planned for our homeless youth and young adult system in King County. Please check the YYA Webpage for updates. For more information on the Comprehensive Plan to Prevent and End Youth and Young Adult Homelessness in King County contact Megan Gibbard (megan.gibbard@cehkc.org) or visit the YYA Webpage. To be added to the YYA stakeholder email list, which provides bi-weekly updates on the initiative, email Carrie.Hennen@cehkc.org.
YYA Stakeholder Forum- Tuesday August 26, 2-3:30pm, Burien Library (400 SW 152nd St, Burien, WA 98166.) The forum is a monthly opportunity to hear about the changes planned for our homeless youth and young adult system in King County. The forum will be preceded by a Community Sign In Training (1-2pm), and immediately followed by a YHC feedback forum (3:30-4:30pm). Please RSVP for the Community Sign In Training by emailing Megan Gibbard.
 South King County Forum on Homelessness
Contact: Manuela Ginnett, manuelag@multi-servicecenter.com or Jo Cherland, johannac@ccsww.org. The SKC Forum on Homelessness meets the 1st Wed. of every month at 9–10:30am at Kent Commons, 525 – 4th Ave N. SKC Forum on Homelessness web address: http://kentwa.gov/content.aspx?id=2728
Upcoming Meeting: Wednesday, Aug 6, from 9:00 to 10:30am at Kent Commons (525 – 4th Avenue N.)
North King County Housing Stakeholders Meeting
Contact: Kelly Rider at kelly@housingconsortium.org. The NKC Stakeholders group coordinates homeless housing & service activities in North King County. Typical Schedule: Quarterly, 2nd Wednesday, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, (brown bag) Shoreline City Hall
Upcoming Meeting: Wednesday, September 10th, 11:30am-1:30pm, Shoreline City Hall
Eastside Homelessness Advisory Committee (EHAC)
Contact: Arthur Sullivan ASullivan@bellevuewa.gov. EHAC coordinates homeless housing & service activities in East King County. Typical Meeting Schedule: 2nd Thursday of the month, 2:00pm – 4:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue, 1717 Bellevue Way NE (just south of 520)
Upcoming Meeting: Thursday, August 14, from 2:00 to 4:00pm, at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue (1717 Bellevue Way NE)
Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness (ITFH)
The ITFH works among, between, and within the faith community and seeks to create the political will to end homelessness using targeted education, outreach and advocacy. Typical Meeting Schedule: 3rd Wednesday of the month, noon-1:30pm at St. Mark’s. Contact: Bill Kirlin-Hackett at itfh@comcast.net or (425) 442-5418.
Upcoming Meeting: Wednesday, August 20, 2014, Noon – 1:30p.m. at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave E, Seattle
University District Conversation on Homelessness
Contact: Nathalie Gerhke. Monthly Gathering share thoughts and strategies on local and regional concerns around homelessness. Typical Meeting Schedule: 2nd Monday of the month, 9 – 11:30 am. Meetings rotate throughout the U District, and frequently at University Congregational Church though location may change.
Upcoming Meeting: Monday, August 11, 9:00-11:30am at the UW School of Social Work Bldg, Rm 306
University District Service Provider’s Alliance
Contact: udsp.spt@gmail.com U-District Service Provider’s Alliance share information relevant to working with homeless youth and young adults, program updates, and neighborhood updates. A service provider debrief follows each meeting. Typical Meeting Schedule: 2nd Wednesday of the month, 11am-12:30pm
Upcoming Meeting: Wednesday, August 13, 11am-12:30pm at Street Youth Ministries
Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness (SKCCH)
The General meeting is the 3rd Thurs of each month, 9-11am at E Cherry YWCA. Learn more and sign up for meeting reminders at www.homelessinfo.org
General Meeting: Thursday, August 21, from 9:00 to 11:00am, E. Cherry YWCA 2820 E. Cherry St.
SKCCH Youth & Young Adults: Tuesday, August 12, from 10:00-11:30am, at Capitol Hill Library 425 Harvard Ave. E.
SKCCH Single Adults Advocacy: Thursday, August 14, from noon to 1:30pm, Plymouth's Simons Apts 2119 3rd Ave.
SKCCH Families with Children: Wednesday, August 27, from 9:30 to 11:00am, E. Cherry YWCA 2820 E. Cherry St.
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