Helping communities shift from short-term to long-term solutions to homelessness
May 2012 Newsletter
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In this issue:
- Fair Housing & Landlord Partnerships
- Where we've been in April 2012
- Funding opportunities for Rapid Re-housing
- Register Now!
- NAMI VA & VCEH Housing Stability and Mental Illness Summit
- Special video: 1,000 Homes for 1,000 Virginians- South Hampton Roads
- State budget update!
- Welcome to new members
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SPOTLIGHT: FAIR HOUSING QUESTIONS & LANDLORD PARTNERSHIPS
Answers to Fair Housing Questions and Resources on Partnerships with Landlords
Many questions have arisen regarding how landlords can adhere to fair housing guidelines when prioritizing housing for people experiencing homelessness. It turns out that landlords CAN adhere to fair housing law, and we, with the help of our friends at Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), have developed the answers to common fair housing questions for you.
This article is one tool in a four-piece tool kit that VCEH has prepared as a resource to agencies and landlords who wish to pursue partnerships with each other.
The first document in the toolkit, prepared by VCEH, seeks to answer questions that landlords may have (or that agencies can expect to answer) about the benefits of partnering with agencies assisting families and individuals experiencing homelessness. We thank our friends at HOME for their careful review and guidance on this document with regard to fair housing laws in Virginia.
1. Benefits to Landlords: Partnering with a Service Agency to Provide Services to Your Tenants Who Were Previously Homeless.
Three other documents, developed by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, are helpful resources for agencies interested in forming or enhancing partnerships with landlords.
2. Landlord - Tenant - Case Manager Communication Agreement, a sample communication agreement between landlords, tenants, and the case manager (agencies receiving Emerceny Solutions Grant funding may find this a helpful template to meet a new requirement to have a written agreement between the agency and the landlord);
For more information about these resources, contact David Bresnahan, Project Manager, at davidbres@vceh.org or 804-332-0498.
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 WHERE WE'VE BEEN
VCEH gets around the state to visit with our partners, attend events, facilitate or host meetings, and more. Here's what we were up to in April of 2012!
Radford, Manassas, Danville, Fairfax, Richmond, and Norfolk for workshops on rapid re-housing as a part of VCEH's partnership with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Freddie Mac Foundation.
On the phone for a meeting with members of the executive committee of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Continuum of Care to plan for working groups that will be discussing best practices for possible inclusion in the Northern Shenandoah Valley's 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. VCEH is assisting in the development of the plan and guiding the process.
Richmond for a meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Group of the Virginia Housing Development Agency's housing locator website, VirginiaHousingSearch.com.
Fredericksburg for the Continuum of Care meeting to present the work that VCEH is doing statewide, the best practices being advanced, as well as to discuss the 1,000 Homes for 1,000 Virginians initiative.
Chesapeake for the Hampton Roads Housing Consortium to present 2012 legislative session updates and to discuss the role of advocacy in addressing homelessness and housing in Hampton Roads.
On the phone for the 100,000 Homes Campaign Innovations Call to discuss how Virginia's statewide campaign, 1,000 Homes for 1,000 Virginians, is a best practice model for others interested in conducting statewide campaigns across the nation.
Norfolk for the 1,000 Homes South Hampton Roads Community Debriefing to present the success of our statewide effort as well as to learn about the results of the community's Registry Week.
Norfolk for a meeting sponsored by the United Way of South Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Community Foundation on the state plan to reduce homelessness.
Martinsville for a presentation to local law enforcement, funders, and community stakeholders about the 1,000 Homes Martinsville Initiative and ways they can get involved to create housing for the most vulnerable to be identified during the upcoming Registry Week.
Roanoke for VCEH's and the Roanoke Regional Housing Network's Regional Housing First Summit. A broad array of community stakeholders including relators, business leaders, local government, landlords, and service providers came to learn more about Housing First to determine the next steps to create Housing First opportunities in their region to address homelessness for the most vulnerable.
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RAPID RE-HOUSING
Funding Opportunities for Rapid Re-housing Initiatives
The Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness is partnering with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Freddie Mac Foundation to support community shifts to rapid re-housing for serving children and families experiencing homelessness.
As part of this initiative, two Requests for Funding Proposals (RFPs) are available to support shifts to rapid rehousing at the organizational and community levels.
Organizational Change Grants, available at our website here, are meant to supplement an organization's shift to rapid re-housing, or allow current rapid re-housing to serve high barrier families. Community Change Grants, available at our website here, are meant to supplement a community's or homelessness assistance system's shift toward rapid re-housing. More examples of proposed activities, eligibility requirements, and application questions can be found in the RFPs. Additionally, a Q&A webinar will be held on Thursday, May 10 at 11 am ET. Potential applicants are highly encouraged to participate in this webinar. Please register for this webinar here.
For more information, please contact David Bresnahan, Project Manager, at davidbres@vceh.org. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
Register Now!
NAMI VA & VCEH Housing Stability and Mental Illness Summit
Creating housing for hope and recovery
July 22 - 23, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Downtown Richmond, VA
To foster hope and recovery for those experiencing homelessness and mental illness, the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Virginia (NAMI VA) and the
Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness are hosting a two-day statewide summit for advocates interested in creating concrete local
community plans. Registration information will be available soon. Register Here!
Q&A Webinar: Funding Opportunities for Rapid Re-Housing Initiatives - Organizational Change Grants and Community Change Grants
Thursday, May 10 at 11 am ET. Register for the webinar here.
Help for Small Town and Rural CoCs: VCEH to Host Expert on Continuum of Care Funding; Offer Help with HMIS and Required HUD Performance Measurement
Help for Small Town and Rural CoCs: HMIS, Data, and Performance
May 22, 2012, 10 am - noon. Unitarian Universalist Church of Roanoke, 2015 Grandin Rd., Roanoke, VA, 24015. Register here.
Help for Small Town and Rural CoCs: Increase Your Chances in Securing HUD Homeless Assistance Funds
May 22, 2012, 1 pm - 4 pm, Unitarian Universalist Church of Roanoke, 2015 Grandin Rd., Roanoke, VA 24015. Register here.
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1,000 HOMES FOR 1,000 VIRGINIANS
During the week of April 16, five communities in the South Hampton Roads region including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake conducted their Registry Weeks with great success.
As a result of the hard work of over 200 volunteers including local government, service providers, and citizens a total of 478 individuals experiencing homelessness were surveyed, 158 (33%) of whom were determined to be medically vulnerable with increased risk for premature death. For more information, see the 1,000 Homes South Hampton Roads Registry Week Fact Sheet.
Check out this video featuring the registry week, volunteers, and outcomes!
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VCEH is pleased to announce that both the Senate and House approved a state biennial budget plan last month which included an appropriation of $1.5 million in new funding for homelessness for FY2013 and $7 million for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund for FY2014! Upon approval by the legislature, the new budget goes to the Governor, who can sign it, veto it in part or in full, or amend it.
Any proposed changes will be taken up by the legislature when it reconvenes on May 14. Both funds will be administered through the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). For the Trust Fund, DHCD is required to submit a plan to the legislative money committees by November of this year and we will be working closely with them to develop these guidelines.
As VCEH advocated, the fund includes a flexible source of grant funding
specifically targeted to reduce homelessness through:
- Temporary rental assistance, not to exceed one year;
- Housing stabilization services in permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals and families
- Pre-development assistance for permanent supportive housing and other long term housing options for the homeless.
Thank you for all your efforts this legislative session to ensure that the state invests in long term solutions to homelessness across the Commonwealth!
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Thank you to our recent new and renewed individual and organizational members:
Claudia Gooch
Harrisonburg Rockingham Community Services Board Help and Emergency Response, Inc. Samaritan House
Have you received your annual membership renewal letter? If so, please renew! If you are unsure whether your membership is due, email vceh@vceh.org.
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ABOUT US
The Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness is the statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in the Commonwealth of Virginia through community collaboration, capacity building, education and advocacy.
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Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness
PO Box 14649 Richmond, Virginia 23221
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