Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care: August Newsletter

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MAG Homelessness Website Updates

The homelessness section of the MAG website has been updated with various changes and additions. We encourage you to explore the Data page, the Reports & Strategies page, the interactive monthly calendar of Continuum of Care meetings, and more.

Section 5310 Funding Awards

The Federal Transit Authority’s Section 5310 program makes federal resources available for organizations to improve mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Transportation service providers and non-profits that applied for the 2022 Section 5310 program through MAG have been sent award letters and have been approved for funding.

Age Friendly Arizona 2022 Conference

The Age of Connections conference will occur on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This statewide conference will focus on helping communities connect older adults with the people, places, and services that contribute to a great quality of life. Participants can choose to attend a variety of workshops on topics of Transportation, Human Capital, Community Services, and Wellness. Attendance is in-person at the Desert Willow Conference Center or virtually through Zoom. Register by following this link by September 9, 2022.

PAST MEETINGS

The Continuum of Care Board approved the Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity scorecards and changes to the Board Charter. The Board reviewed the System Flow Dashboard and progress made on Pathways Home. The Board is still refining the Board Strategic plan based on feedback at the June Board meeting. In August, the Board will be reviewing the Homelessness Trends Report and additional updates to the Board Charter.

The Continuum of Care Committee has completed and incorporated changes to the updated Community Adopted Best Practices Document. The document will be voted on in August and available to the community by September. 

The Coordinated Entry Subcommittee welcomed Carly Devlin of Homebase Consulting to discuss and gather feedback for the CE evaluation stakeholder engagement plan. CESC is currently working on a housing restriction grid that will assist in identifying housing restrictions within housing programs and determine if they are implementing the housing first model. CASS’s Norton Ramsey Empowerment Center has completed on-boarding with the Family Housing Hub and is now able to meet with families. It is currently the only CE access point that meets with both single adults and families.

The Data Subcommittee (DSC) approved 3 applicants for HMIS onboarding. Justa Center, COPA Health, and Feed Phoenix will begin working with HMIS administrator, Solari, to input program data into HMIS. DSC continues to review their Policies and Procedures and the required HMIS policies that they oversee. In August, DSC will begin reviewing the Maricopa HMIS Data Quality Plan.

The ESG Subcommittee has unanimously accepted language for Request for Proposals (RFP) standards for Homeless Prevention. ESG continues to review Street Outreach standards to adopt to ensure there is alignment with all ESG providers, streamlining standards for non-profits providers who apply for these funds.

The Lived Experience Subcommittee provided feedback on the Community Adopted Best Practices and their experiences with Workforce Development Programs. LESC is now recruiting new members to join. To apply, click on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LivedExperience2022.

The Local Jurisdiction Subcommittee was officially approved as part of the Board Charter at the July Board meeting and will be launching in August. The Local Jurisdiction Subcommittee will carry forward the work of the Regional Homelessness Coordination Team focused on Pathways Home and policies and procedures that impact local jurisdictions. The Subcommittee will be made up of local jurisdictions within the Maricopa County Coalition of Governments region. MAG staff is working with agencies to identify their designated representative.

The Race Equity Leadership Group reviewed the Board Strategic Plan and offered feedback regarding racial equity within the document. The group is moving forward with working on a Work Force Development Tool Kit for organizations to utilize to create a diverse workforce that includes how to recruit and maintain people of color, most specifically in executive leadership roles.

The Veteran Workgroup welcomed Krickette Wetherington from Action Nexus at Arizona State University who shared an overview and update of the Shared Housing Pilot Program. This program is set to begin their matching process by August 1^st and is continuing to identify landlords to participate in the program. The workgroup discussed the data discrepancy between HMIS and the VA’s HOMES databases and found that there was a smaller discrepancy than initially thought. A workgroup has been formed to do additional research on those who still need assistance determining Veteran Status. The Inflow Workgroup has completed their Veteran Information Resource Cards and will be distributing them to Veteran-serving organizations. The Inflow Workgroup is continuing to work on a Veteran Service Provider Information Packet and has requested that organization who serve Veterans complete this survey. The Higher Level of Care Pilot Project is in its final approval steps and will be serving 15 veterans who do not initially qualify for Arizona Long Term Care Services (ALTCS) very soon. Melody Boyet of the VA shared the VA’s Permanent Housing Placement Program, which is a national program that seeks to house 38,000 Veterans by the end of the year. The Veteran Workgroup also welcomed presenters from Shelters to Shutter and the Salvation Army, who provided information about their programs.

The Chronic Workgroup has created two subgroups, one is focused on chronic long stayers, and the other is focused on chronic individuals connected to outreach in suburb areas. The overall goal is to ensure that both groups are connected to services, assessed, obtaining vital documents, and working towards ending their homelessness. The subgroups are currently working on next steps by gathering data and identifying barriers to refine the goals. The group is also working on developing a training for Document Collection with Homeless I.D. Project for frontline staff.

The Youth Provider Workgroup welcomed Carly Devlin of Homebase Consultants who shared information about their work with the Coordinated Entry Subcommittee and requested feedback on their Stakeholder Engagement Plan. The Youth Provider Workgroup also worked on a new mission statement to help guide the work that is being done.

The Outreach Collaborative welcomed Carly Devlin of Homebase Consultants who provided an update on the CE Evaluation. She discussed the stakeholder engagement plan with the group and gathered feedback. Surveys for the Outreach Mapping are still being collected. Once completed, this will allow the group to determine which areas are covered and identify where outreach coverage is needed throughout Maricopa County. The collaborative also reviewed and provided feedback on the Community Best Practices for outreach and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) principals for addressing encampments.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The Housing Supply Study Committee is currently ongoing and will meet every second and fourth Tuesday through the end of 2022. Previous and upcoming meetings can be watched at azleg.gov and individuals are encouraged to participate via public testimony. Meetings this month include an August 9 discussion on housing impacts to veterans, LGBTQ, seniors, and minority communities and an August 23 discussion on water, power, and environmental impacts on housing development.

The Arizona Housing Coalition leads the efforts to end homelessness and advocate for safe, affordable homes for all Arizonans. For any questions, please contact Joan Serviss with the Arizona Housing Coalition at joan@azhousingcoalition.org, join the Arizona Housing Coalition, or get involved in their Advocacy Committee if you are a member.  

UPCOMING MEETINGS

All meetings subject to change. If you are interested in attending and do not have a meeting invite, please reach out to hsinfo@azmag.gov. All meetings listed below are also posted on the newly updated Meeting and Event Calendar. 

CoC Meeting and Event Calendar

• Racial Equity Leadership Group – August 1 at 3:00 p.m.
• ESG Subcommittee – August 3 at 10:30 a.m.
• Coordinated Entry Subcommittee – August 4 at 3:00 p.m.
• Data Subcommittee – August 8 at 10:00 a.m.
• CoC Committee Meeting – August 10 at 9:30 a.m.
• Community Court Toolkit Workgroup – August 10 at 2:00 p.m.
• Coordinated Entry Domestic Violence Workgroup – August 11 at 10:00 a.m.
• Outreach Collaborative – August 11 at 1:00 p.m.
• Communications Workgroup – August 16 at 11:00 a.m.
• Youth Provider Workgroup – August 25 at 10:00 a.m.
• Local Jurisdiction Subcommittee – August 18 at 2:00 p.m.
• Coordinated Entry Subcommittee – August 18 at 3:00 p.m.
• Lived Experience Subcommittee – August 26 at 10:00 a.m.
• CoC Board Meeting – August 29 at 1:30 p.m.

UPCOMING TRAININGS AND WEBINARS

• Community Transitions - Creative Collaborations Move People Home: ACL – August 4 at 11:00 a.m.
• Closing the Gap - Homelessness to Housing: HUD – August 4 at 10:30 a.m.
• Office of Housing Counseling Community Conference: HUD – August 9 through August 11
• Environmental Review Training: HUD – August 16 at 1:00 p.m.
• Arizona Housing Forum: Arizona Department of Housing and Arizona Housing Coalition – August 17 through August 19
• Landlord Tenant Law for Caseworkers: Arizona Housing Coalition – August 23 at 10:00 a.m.
• Coordinated Entry – Focus on Maricopa: Arizona Housing Coalition – August 30 at 1:00 p.m.

PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

Click this link for open Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), and Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO).

RESOURCES

Click this link for available service provider resources, including toolkits and definitions.

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