Did You Know?
* Out of every 10,000 Virginians, 13 experience homelessness every night.
* It is estimated that 21,000 more Virginians will experience homelessness in the next two years due to the economic downturn if we do not intervene.
* Two-thirds of the women experiencing homelessness served by Flagler Home of St Joe's Villa have a history of foster care involvement.
Have an interesting fact to share? Email vceh@vceh.org
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Pledge to Join VCEH by
May 15th
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Send VCEH an Email with "I Pledge to Join" in the Subject Line
Visit our website for membership information
See special category for local and state government membership in this email.
A list of current members will be available on our NEW website which is coming soon.
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Upcoming Events
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May 4 - 7, 2009 - Virginia Association of Housing Counselors Conference, Hilton - Virginia Beach Oceanfront
More info
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September 24 - 25, 2009 - Homeward Best Practices Conference, Richmond
More info
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November 18 - 20, 2009 -
Governor's Housing Conference, Norfolk Marriott Hotel and Conference Center
More info
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Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) Updates
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Community planning for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) is heating up. Eligible grantees must complete their local plans (Substantial Amendment to the Consolidated Plan) and submit to HUD by May 18 although many must complete their plans much earlier than May 18 to abide by local citizen input and approval processes. HPRP is an opportunity to provide prevention and rapid re-housing assistance to more families and households and if that were the only opportunity, it would certainly be enough. But HPRP offers us an additional opportunity to strengthen existing efforts, shift focus to prevention and rapid re-housing strategies, document positive outcomes, and implement local ten year plans to end homelessness. Resources and Tools Available: Click here for VCEH's Recommendations for the HPRP VCEH's updated best practices in prevention and rapid re-housing VCEH's Analysis of the HUD Notice for HPRP VCEH sponsored audio conference on HPRP Click here for HUD's Homelessness Resource Exchange. HUD's Homelessness Resource Exchange has tools and resources available on HPRP, the form for the Substantial Amendment to the Consolidated Plan, and best practices from communities across the nation. Click here for resources on the development of the local plan as well as best practice programs created by the National Alliance to End Homelessness |
Do you have a best practice to share?
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Send information on your community's strategies and organization's approach to vceh@vceh.org
What do we mean by a best practice?:
If you are unsure as to whether your program or strategy is a best practice, don't fret! Just send along anyway. We want to hear about many programs across Virginia.
Here are some tips on what we are looking for...
1. Do you document or are you planning to document outcomes in terms of the number of clients assisted who remain in permanent housing six months to one year later?
2. Do you provide homelessness prevention assistance?
3. Do you have a cost analysis of how your program saves money because it decreases criminal justice system or foster care system involvement?
4. Do you document the number of clients who have previous foster care or criminal justice system involvement?
5. Are you working to transition your shelter to a program focused on permanent housing?
6. Do you provide home based case management?
7. Do you have an example of a partnership between a non-profit housing developer and a homeless services agency to provide permanent housing?
8. Do you have an example that is close to any of this? Send along!
Let's get more Virginia examples recognized as best practices. Please send along information for consideration to vceh@vceh.org
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Local and State Government Membership with VCEH
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VCEH provides an opportunity for units of local and state government to support the work of VCEH to provide critical education, training, information, and technical assistance. With this membership, the funds contributed are not used for legislative work or advocacy related to public funding sources.
To join, please visit www.vceh.org
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Community Updates, Resources, Etc...
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Arlington County Board Chairman Barbara Favola and Community Leader John Shooshan announced the creation of a new Emergency Needs - Homelessness Prevention Fund to meet the needs of families and individuals who are in dire circumstances. As local and state governments struggle with budget deficits, Arlington County leaders have prioritized meeting the needs of citizens who are at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.
For more information on the New Fund
Housing Barrier Assessment Tools
Virginia Supportive Housing has a tool to assess the housing barriers of an individual and family experiencing homelessness to determine the appropriate intervention.
Visit www.vceh.org to access the tools.
Governor's Housing Conference Program Committee Seeks Workshop Proposals
May 1 is the deadline to submit a workshop proposal for this year's Governor's Housing Conference to be held November 18 - 20 in Norfolk.
For more information on submitting a proposal
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Homelessness, Ex-Offenders and Mental Illness
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The Council of State Governments Justice Center announced the release of Improving Outcomes for People with Mental Illnesses under Community Corrections Supervision: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice. The Guide reviews the body of recent research on community corrections supervision for people with mental illnesses and translates the findings to help officials develop effective interventions.
While the guide is not focused on housing and homelessness, it does illustrate the intersection of homelessness, incarceration, recidivism and mental illness. Of local jail detainees, 30 percent with mental illnesses, compared with 17 percent without mental illnesses, had been homeless in the year before their arrest.
The guide discusses "supported housing" and housing first as promising interventions.
According to the report, "community corrections officials and their counterparts in the mental health system understand that their target populations are increasingly overlapping and that the need for new approaches has never been greater. Across the country, probation and parole officials are working with jail and prison admin istrators, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and communitybased treatment providers to develop strategies that maintain public safety while improving outcomes for people with mental illnesses under community corrections supervision. But all too often, these responses are not backed by research, and as
a result, may be less successful than initiatives that incorporate empirically sound interventions. This in turn limits the political support for and sustainability of these efforts."
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