Colleagues,
This is a free resource - just sign up to receive it - scroll down to the bottom.  Note the New Consolidated Homeless Grant Guidelines and County Report Cards section.

Maureen

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Washington State Department of Commerce <WAStateCommerce@public.govdelivery.com>
Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2019 at 9:01 AM
Subject: Office of Family and Adult Homelessness Newsletter
To: <maureenhowardconsulting@gmail.com>


Please forward to your sub grantees and contact your OFAH grant manager if you have any questions.

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Feb. 27, 2019

Please forward to your sub grantees and contact your OFAH grant manager if you have any questions.


Reaching our system performance goals: Washington above average, and we want to do better!

OFAH Chart

Washington state’s overall number of unsheltered entries dropped from 54 percent in 2017 to 53 percent in 2018, though we are still well ahead of the national average (we were at 41 percent in 2015).

New Consolidated Homeless Grant system performance requirements beginning July 2019 require grantees to improve the percent of unsheltered homeless households by 5 percentage points each year of the contract period. This is hard work, and we know many Washington communities are having success. Stay tuned for a report later this year on who met and exceeded previous benchmarks and learn about their strategies.

Commerce wants to make sure grantees have the training they need to conduct outreach and provide assistance to people living outside. Make sure you check out the training calendar at the end of every newsletter for upcoming opportunities.


Consolidated Homeless Grant Competitive Application Now Open

The competitive application process for 2019-2021 CHG funding cycle is currently open in the following counties:

Asotin

Clallam

Columbia

Ferry

Garfield

Jefferson

Kittitas

Klickitat

Lincoln

Okanogan

Pend Oreille

San Juan

Skamania

Stevens

Whitman

Read more about this grant opportunity here. For questions about the application or the process, please contact Danielle.rylander@commerce.wa.gov


Myth vs. Fact

Myth: Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) rent funding cannot be used to place someone in a hotel/motel on an emergency basis.

Fact: While HEN funds cannot be used for facility support for an emergency shelter, HEN “rent” funds can be used to provide hotel/motel stays on an emergency or temporary basis.


New Consolidated Homeless Grant Guidelines Now in Effect

Commerce released updated Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG) guidelines that went into effect January 2019. Changes include lifting the 24-month cap on rental assistance and some important clarifications. Many updates are a result of grantees reaching out with questions and feedback.

The new guidelines can be found on the CHG webpage here. If you would like to see a list of changes and updates or have questions, please reach out to your grant manager.


Equity Corner: February is Black History Month

Equity Corner

As we reflect on the importance of Black History Month, we face a stark reality that we still have a lot of work to do to cultivate equality in our homeless housing system. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, African Americans are the most disproportionately represented group in the homeless population. The question is, where do we start? The Center for Social Innovation offers some insights through its Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities (SPARC) program. Find Anti-Racism Resources for Homeless Service Providers here.



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