Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

December 15, 2016

Please forward to your sub grantees and contact your CHG program manager if you have any questions.

Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG) Newsletter

During the winter months, many of us bristle when we hear comments from co-workers and friends that people choose to be homeless. If you’ve worked with people living outside, you hear a lot of stories. And what you most often learn is that even people who are homeless have complex lives and ideas about what they need. Check out our Homeless Myths and Facts as a resource for education and advocacy.

Myths and Facts

Myth: Homeless people don’t want housing; they choose that lifestyle.

FACT: No one wants to be homeless - it’s dangerous, stressful and humiliating.

Being homeless is not easy or comfortable. This myth allows us to ignore the desperate people living in tents or in cars without water, heat or sanitation. Some people who are homeless choose to sleep outside rather than in shelters because they are fearful of having to leave pets and belongings outside. In addition, many shelters and homeless housing programs have stringent eligibility criteria and rules that "screen out" the most vulnerable people. 

The "choice” to remain on the street is a dangerous one. In 2009, 700 people died in the U.S. from exposure. Remaining on the streets also puts homeless people at risk of violence, including murder, assault, rape and theft. Homeless people are often the victims of hate crimes. In the past 15 years, about 1,500 reported attacks occurred nationwide on homeless people, with 375 ending in death. Ninety-one people died while homeless in King County in 2015. (Source: Shut Out: How Barriers Often Prevent Meaningful Access to Emergency Shelter)

Regional Training: Trauma-Informed Homeless Services for Providers

This fall, over 100 homeless service providers attended “Trauma-Informed Homeless Services for Providers” in Port Angeles, Aberdeen, Spokane and Ellensburg. In the winter and spring of 2017, this training will be offered in Olympia, Mt. Vernon, Tacoma, Yakima and Longview.

Trauma-informed service is a best practice in the provision of both victim services and homeless services. Trauma-informed service is an approach to engaging people with histories of trauma that recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma has played in their lives. This training provides the basic principles of trauma-informed services and how to apply it to your daily work with people experiencing homelessness. This training is provided by Jennifer Y. Levy-Peck of Levy-Peck Consulting LLC.

Please call or email Emily Burgess if you have any questions: 360-275-2942 or emily.burgess@commerce.wa.gov

Spotlight: Washington Gorge Action Programs Applies Trauma-Informed Care Training to Improve Client Experiences

Washington Gorge Action Program (WGAP) staff recently completed Trauma-Informed Care training. Lori Call, WGAP housing director shared her takeaways. Here’s how they were able to apply it to directly make changes to their facility and guidelines to help create a more encouraging, positive environment.   

Lori Call: "After going to a trauma-informed care training I went back to the office and decided to follow through with what I had learned.  The first thing I did was go to the outer offices and remove all signs that where offensive, such as a sign that read 'STOP no dropping clothes off here OR YOU WILL BE PROSECUTED'.' We want to be welcoming to people who are coming to us seeking help.

I pulled out all of the policies and procedures for my programs. I decided that it was time to change all wording and rules to fit into our housing first and trauma-informed model. I went through each one and removed the entire “do nots or you will be kicked out of the program” and replaced them with “any illegal act committed on the premises will be grounds for immediate termination from the program.” Most of our “do nots” fell into the illegal act category, so they were just removed. I thought that this would be difficult, but it wasn’t, and we have not had problems with anyone claiming that they did not understand the rules yet.

For other statements that needed to stay, I reworded them to be more positive. “No smoking within 25 ft. of this building” was changed to “Smoking is permitted in the designated smoking areas only.” “Drugs and alcohol will not be tolerated” was replaced with “Please make arrangements to store any drug or alcohol items before you come onto the premises as these items are not allowed on the premises.” 

We also took different approaches with second chances and working through the issues. We no longer require ID or income verification before they can be put into housing when someone is homeless. Instead, if they can’t get it,, we will help them get it."

Participants Celebrate Completion of 100 Day East Challenge to End Family Homelessness

The counties of Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, and Yakima completed a 100 Day East Challenge to End Family Homelessness, a campaign to rapidly make changes to rehouse families who were sleeping outside and to implement sustainable improvements to their shelter and housing system.   They celebrated the results of the Challenge in Pasco on Tuesday, Dec. 13 and shared how they transformed their family rehousing systems and goals to continue system improvements. Commerce will release a final report on the East and West Challenges in 2017 and plan a workshop at the annual Conference on Ending Homelessness in May.  If you want to learn more now from one of the Challenges participants, contact your CHG program manager for information.

The Office of Homeless Youth Releases 2016 Report to the Governor and Legislature

This report lays an important foundation for the work of the Office of Homeless Youth and provides a roadmap for the state’s collective efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness.

http://www.commerce.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/hau-ohy-legislative-report-2016.pdf

Report Examines the Costs of Incarceration

The 2015 report: 'Who Pays? The True Cost of Incarceration on Families' takes a comprehensive look at the far-reaching impacts of incarceration, including barriers to housing for people with a criminal background and their families. The report highlights the importance of familial support and housing in successful reintegration for those exiting correction facilities and lowering the rate of recidivism. Read the full report by clicking below.

Please forward to your sub grantees and contact your CHG program manager if you have any questions.

• Emily Burgess, emily.burgess@commerce.wa.gov
• Julie Montgomery, julie.montgomery@commerce.wa.gov
• Stephanie Reinauer, stephanie.reinauer@commerce.wa.gov
• Jeff Spring, jeff.spring@commerce.wa.gov
• Jessica Simon, jessica.simon@commerce.wa.gov