Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care: March Newsletter

Affordable Tribal Housing 

Please join us Thursday, March 9, 2023 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM during a free webinar to hear from Carmi Holguin and Cara Dukepoo with the Nááts'íilid Initiative about increasing affordable Tribal housing. The Nááts'íilid Initiative is an Indigenous-led and coalition-driven Community Development Collaborative (CDC) building sweat equity homes and other infrastructural developments in Chilchinbeto, Dennehotso, and Kayenta Chapters of Navajo Nation.  

Their vision is to address the housing and infrastructure needs of Dinétah as a means of fostering collective—physical, psychological, spiritual, and restorative—healing. They situate the contemporary Dinétah house amidst our investment in larger development projects which include community/cultural asset mapping, community development planning, tribal governance support, and research in the local knowledge system.  

This webinar is an on-going series of conversations regarding increasing affordable housing on Arizona’s Tribal lands. The work is a partnership between the Arizona Community Foundation and the Maricopa Association of Governments. Register Here.  

For more information, email: kwilliams@azmag.gov 

Continuum of Care Office Hours 

The Continuum of Care is holding Office Hours for partners within the Continuum of Care to discuss challenges and solutions to addressing homelessness. The session will be held in a hybrid format on Monday, March 20 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM with an encouragement to attend in person. If you are interested in attending, please register here.  

City of Tempe Section 8 Waitlist is Opening  

The City of Tempe Housing Authority is accepting applications for the Housing Choice Voucher Program – also known as Section 8 – beginning on February 28 until March 13. To apply or to assist clients in applying, visit https://www.waitlistcheck.com/AZ177-4067. For those needing special assistance or without internet access, call 480-350-8076 or 480-858-2818, Monday-Friday from 10 AM - 3 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to noon. For more information, visit City of Tempe’s website. 

Third Annual My Dog Is My Home’s Co-Sheltering Conference 2023 

My Dog Is My Home’s Third Annual Conference is March 21-23, 2023. This year’s theme is “Changing Systems. Changing Lives. Creating a world with equitable access to homes for people and their animals.” Through their curated program of speakers and workshops, organizations across disciplines will acquire tools and build their capacity to serve human-animal families. Learn more and register here! 

Arizona Department of Health Services Mobile Clinics:   

ADHS' robust mobile vaccination and testing programs are free, and available to all Arizonans regardless of insurance status, or immigration status and are also available in-home to homebound Arizonans! Vendors will come to you without any additional support needed from your staff. They provide a COVID-19 Mobile Vaccination Program and LTCF Booster Vaccine Program, MPox Mobile Vaccination Program, and a COVID-19 Mobile Testing Program. If you have questions about any of the programs, reach out to Jessie Barbosa at jessica.barbosa@azdhs.gov. 

Free File program with the IRS   

It's that time of year again. If you need help with those time-consuming taxes, look no further! The IRS offers the Free File program for qualifying individuals. Their website also includes resources and tools to help you avoid errors and master the process. Learn more here. 

PAST MEETINGS 

NEW! A complete description of each of the CoC meetings can be found on the CoC Committee Overview where you can learn more about the Committees, find out when they meet, or contact the appropriate MAG staff member.   

The Continuum of Care Board learned more about the Affordable Housing public education campaign, discussed and approved the Homelessness Trends Report, and reviewed Performance Standards criteria. In addition, the Board reviewed the plans for a Learning Management System as well as the project plan for the annual gaps analysis. The Board is looking for feedback on the CoC Strategic Plan which will go to each Committee in March. If you have additional feedback, please share it with hsinfo@azmag.gov.  

The Continuum of Care Committee welcomed Nathan Smith of Phoenix Rescue Mission as a Co-Chair of the CoC Committee. The CoC Committee also provided feedback on the Performance Standards Criteria. The Committee received an update on the Connecting to Other Systems of Care Workgroup. 

The Coordinated Entry Committee welcomed Homebase for a Q & A session. Homebase is working on finalizing their Coordinated Entry Evaluation report. Both Coordinated Entry Lead Operating Agencies (LOA) provided their monthly data update. The Family Housing Hub has 179 families on their shelter waitlist; the current wait time for shelter is 6 weeks. The Human Services Campus Housing Match team reported making 99 referrals for February to housing programs; this includes Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Re-housing, and Emergency Housing Vouchers. The Coordinated Entry/Domestic Violence Workgroup and the Coordinated Entry/Homeless Prevention Workgroup continue to meet monthly to work towards integration. This month, both workgroups focused on ensuring staff had the tools and training necessary to implement the process. The workgroups are creating a one-pager on the process and hosting staff trainings. If you are interested in attending the workgroups, please reach out to Michelle Miguel at mmiguel@azmag.gov 

The Data Committee (DSC) discussed data requests and the creation of a formal Data Share Policy in February. In March, the committee will be reviewing submitted applications for new members as well as finalizing a Data Share Policy for the CoC.  

The ESG Committee used their February meeting to review and approve the updated CoC and ESG Written Standards documents, as well as provide feedback on the newly developed template for systemwide performance standards. Robyn Andrews from CSH continued the ESG training series with a presentation on policies and procedures. In March, the group will focus on discussion questions from previous presentations and a deep dive on match. ESG recipients are encouraged to invite members of their teams who may benefit from the training subject.  

The Lived Experience Committee continued to draft the Shelter Bill of Rights and will meet on March 6th to finalize. On March 1st, the Youth Action Committee provided initial thoughts and input for the Shelter Bill of Rights. The LEC provided feedback on the Board Strategic Plan and the NOFO Scorecard.  For the NOFO, they discussed how to encourage organizations to take proactive steps to include the participation of those with Lived Experience in the decision-making, design, and implementation of a project. 

The Local Jurisdiction Committee was updated on recent developments of the public education campaign's visual identity and reviewed sample encampment policies. In a supplemental Office Hours meeting, the committee met with Solari to discuss possible options to filter actively homeless data by jurisdiction. The group will meet again in March to continue to discuss data options for local jurisdictions.  

The Race Equity Committee hosted a training with Racial Equity Partners on Friday, February 24, 2023. More than 100 regional stakeholders registered for the robust conversation. The next training will occur in May. Details to come. Further, the Race Equity Committee is starting a workgroup related to workforce. If you are interested in participating in the workgroup, please reach out to Kelli Williams at kwilliams@azmag.gov.  

The Youth Action Committee visited the Downtown YMCA to provide feedback on their young adult Drop-In Center and housing program. The YMCA requested their input on creating services and programs specifically for young adults ages 18-24. 

The Communications Workgroup met in January and discussed changes to the website and next steps. The workgroup will reconvene on Tuesday, March 21 to continue the conversation. If you are interested, please reach out to Katie Gentry at kgentry@azmag.gov.  

The Connecting to Systems of Care Workgroup discussed the best strategy for moving forward with the workgroup. The Connecting to Systems of Care Workgroup decided to get feedback the Continuum of Care Committee on what the focus and mission should be for this workgroup. If you are interested in participating in this workgroup, please reach out to Haleigh Owens at howens@azmag.gov.  

The Data Analytics Workgroup continues to work through questions concerning returns to homelessness, focusing on the particular metric of reentry into the system after exiting to a permanent housing destination.  The group will be presenting a collection of findings in their next group meeting on March 7th. If you are interested in providing input on these findings, please join. After discussion, the group will compile findings into a report to share with CoC committees that can provide input on recommendations to improve system outcomes. If you are interested in data analytics around returns data and want to join the workgroup, please reach out to Cleo Warner at cwarner@azmag.gov.   

The Emergency Shelter Workgroup will meet again on Thursday, March 9 to discuss the coordination of singles shelter and the spreadsheet that was developed. The group will discuss next steps on ways to coordinate and the best ways to contact each other. If you are interested, please reach out to Katie Gentry at kgentry@azmag.gov.  

The Move On Workgroup created a timeline with roles and responsibilities to keep this project moving forward. The group is currently working on identifying two Public Housing Authorities willing to begin the Move On Strategy pilot program. If you are interested in participating in this workgroup, please email Michelle Miguel at mmiguel@azmag.gov   

The Outreach Collaborative reviewed the new data elements of the Outreach Viewer and how to use the reporting tool. MAG Staff went over the Chronic Homeless Verification Letter and Disability Verification Letter to ensure that Outreach Teams are using the correct form and format when providing these documents for housing. They began to work on an Outreach Policy Template that would standardize policies and procedures for all regional Outreach Teams. The group concluded that it would be challenging to standardize because of the different types of projects and funding sources at this time. They decided that the best way to increase connection to local services and resources would be to use this platform for cross-sharing and collaboration.   

The Public Housing Authority Workgroup provided updates on the Emergency Housing Vouchers. Most cities are at capacity for EHVs and have begun waitlisting. PHAs have reported that landlords have become more willing to accept the voucher, and folks are finding housing faster. The workgroup could not identify a PHA that would be willing to participate in the Move On Strategy Pilot Program at this time. The PHAs requested more information to decide, and the discussion will continue during the next meeting on March 15th.   

The Youth Provider Collaborative received updates on the new Surprise HomeBase location, which opened last month, and youth and young adult drop-in center at their Phoenix location, which is currently open. They also received an update from CBI that they have started doing youth and young adult specific outreach. The YMCA shared that they received funding for a young adult drop-in center and 50-bed housing program for those that are 18-24. This program is set to open sometime in April. If you are interested in being part of the Youth Provider Collaborative, please reach out to Haleigh Owens at howens@azmag.gov.  

The Youth Provider Best Practices Workgroup is currently looking for members to help create a Best Practices document specifically for organizations that serve youth and young adults. If you are interested in joining, please reach out to Haleigh Owens at howens@azmag.gov.  

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 

The Arizona Housing Coalition’s priority legislation continues to see new developments throughout the session. Notably, a bill to divert 55% of proceeds from unclaimed property sales to the Housing Trust Fund (SB1541) and a bill to increase the DES Homeless Coordination budget line-item from $2.5 million to $25 million (SB1462) have both passed their original committees and are awaiting a vote from the full Senate. 

However, bills for employee housing (SB1289) and to expand the state Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (HB2318) did not receive a hearing in their original chambers prior to crossover week. It is possible these bills move forward by budget negotiations or other means. Legislation on zoning reform (SB1117) continues to be a topic of discussion. 

At the federal level, much of the conversation is focused on the debt ceiling debates, where advocates are working to prevent possible funding reductions to affordable housing programs. 

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

UPCOMING MEETINGS, TRAININGS, AND WEBINARS 

All CoC meetings and Events can be found on our Meeting and Event Calendar. If you are interested in attending and do not have a meeting invite, register on the event page or reach out to hsinfo@azmag.gov. 

ACESDV Prevention Webinar Series: Holding Space, Making Space: Practicing Cultural Humility In Our Prevention Efforts – Register Here! 

March 7th from 1 PM – 2 PM 

Rapid Rehousing Roundtable Discussion Series - Serving Households with Limited or No Income – Register Here! 

March 9th from 10:30 AM – 12 PM 

Housing Services for Persons Impacted by Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Webinar Series – Register Here! 

March 9th from 12 PM – 1 PM 

Addressing Sexual Violence in I/DD Communities – Register Here! 

March 21st from 1 PM – 4 PM 

Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Students Experiencing Homelessness – Register Here! 

March 22nd from 12 PM – 1 PM  

19th Annual Arizona American Indian Disability Summit – Learn more here and Register Here. 

March 24th from 8 AM – 4 PM 

3rd Annual American Indian Youth Disability Summit –  Learn more here and Register Here. 

March 25th from 10 AM – 4 PM 

McKinney-Vento School Selection Rights – Register Here! 

March 28th from 12 PM – 1 PM  

SPDAT Training: Roles and Uses of the SPDAT – Register Here! 

March 29th from 9 AM – 2 PM 

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. 

NEW! Click this link to view previous months’ newsletters.   

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