August 2018
Newsletter
Dear friends,

After five incredible years, August 17 is my last day at CCEH. It has been an honor to lead this fine organization, and a privilege to work with terrific colleagues, like you, who inspire me at every turn, as we seek to advance our shared mission of ending homelessness. 

Together, we have accomplished some great things: from functionally ending veteran homelessness to developing a system that will allow us to end chronic homelessness. We have built one of the most comprehensive and effective systems in the nation to coordinate access to all homeless resources. We have created one of the most sophisticated and useful sets of data tools in the country to support this work.  We have driven down annual homelessness in Connecticut by 34% in just five years – at the very time that this terrible problem is growing in many parts of our country. 
 
I am grateful for the incredible partnerships we enjoy – nonprofits, state agencies, federal colleagues, and philanthropy – all working together. I look forward to watching as Connecticut continues to lead the nation helping those in need. I know you will continue to support the terrific team at CCEH, who will remain strong partners in your work. 

Thank you for all you do, every day, to help our neighbors most in need!

Best regards,
Lisa Tepper Bates
Executive Director
CEO Transition Update from the
CCEH Board of Directors
Under the leadership of Lisa Tepper Bates, CCEH has built an exemplary management team. During this transition to new executive leadership, we will rely on this outstanding team to keep CCEH moving forward. Senior management will work closely together with CCEH Deputy Director Mary Ann Haley to continue the many important initiatives underway. Members of the Board of Directors will also provide additional support and consultation as needed.
 
We are pleased to have engaged NPAG, a national, mission-driven executive search firm, to support us in identifying the next CEO. The search has officially launched and the Search Committee plans to begin interviews in mid-September and identify a finalist in early October. We encourage you to submit any nominations and referrals for the role via:
 
We are confident that CCEH will maintain our forward momentum as we wait to welcome new leadership to the critical project of making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in Connecticut.
Homelessness and Housing Instability in Connecticut Colleges and Universities
January 2018 survey indicates that 17.5% of Connecticut State Colleges & Universities students were experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

CCEH released a report for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) in July on “ Homelessness and Housing Instability in Connecticut Colleges and Universities. ” The report is a result of surveys conducted on CSCU campuses across the state during the week of January 24 – 31, 2018 as part of the Connecticut Youth Count.

We encourage you to read the full report and view the interactive data dashboard. This data will inform our work to end homelessness. One of our goals is to continue to develop a “ Single Point of Contact” (SPOC) system and to have a SPOC at every college and university in the state. The SPOC can provide support to students experiencing housing insecurity and other related challenges.

A Heartwarming Beginning for Capital Community College Student
The Hartford Courant featured Capital student Daisia Kai Walker in an article about the release of our report entitled, " Homeless And In College: 17.5 Percent Of CSCU Students Surveyed Have No Permanent Home". Daisia spoke about her experience being a college student and not having a secure place to live; occasionally sleeping in Bushnell Park. Hartford Hospital was inspired by her story and gave her a job! Read more in the Courant's follow-up story: " Hartford Hospital Heard About This Struggling College Student And Decided To Offer Her A Job".
Always Home in Mystic Converts
Final Shelter Unit into Below Market Rental
Congratulations to Always Home for proving that our shared vision is achievable by preventing homelessness when possible, and if it can’t be prevented, that it is a rare, brief, and one-time experience.

Always Home, formerly Mystic Area Shelter & Hospitality Inc., has taken a tremendous step and decided to convert their remaining shelter unit to a below market rental for families who have experienced housing instability in the past.
 
This past year, Always Home helped 231 families who have presented themselves as being in a housing crisis. 228 of those families were successfully diverted from entering an emergency shelter. With a 98.7% diversion rate, their emergency shelter has been underutilized for several years. This past year, only one family entered the shelter for a total of 19 days. They had two other families who were placed in hotels for a short period.

Always Home will continue to offer emergency shelter, but will hotel families as needed, and will continue focusing on preventing family homelessness.
"Children in Shelters" Childcare Funds Available
Shelters housing children who qualify can apply for childcare reimbursement for up to eight weeks that the child is in childcare. Applications must be submitted and approved prior to the start of childcare. 

Read the  Children in Shelters guidelines here and  download the application here. For more information on children in shelters please visit the  Children in Shelters webpage  on the CCEH website.

If you have any questions, please contact Joanne Vitarelli at 860-721-7876 x105 or at  jvitarelli@cceh.org.
Highlights from the 2018 National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference
This year’s National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference in Washington DC held July 22-25th offered an inspired and hopeful view of current efforts to end homelessness, and plenty of opportunity to learn what’s working in communities across the country.

A number of high-profile elected officials turned out for the conference, and Senator Corey Booker delivered a moving keynote speech, underscoring the importance of our work with our country’s most vulnerable populations. 

Areas of focus included: racial inequalities, challenges of ending homelessness in rural areas, and ways to advance our efforts to end homelessness among adult individuals. CCEH’s Brian Roccapriore, Sarah Fox, and Mary Ann Haley presented on Connecticut’s successes and strategies, highlighting work in the areas of domestic violence, chronic homelessness, schools, shelter diversion, and family mediation. A Way Home America convened HUD Youth Homeless Demonstration Project grantees, including the Connecticut Balance of State. Connecticut's own Natalie Garcia from the Youth Action Hub presented on work in our state to end youth homelessness. 

CCEH Shares Highlights & Resources
CCEH staff have shared some highlights from conference workshops, Capitol Hill Day, and other helpful links to continue learning from the conference. Visit our website to see the highlights.
Join the CCEH Team
NEW Youth Special Projects Coordinator
CCEH is hiring for a new position dedicated to working on our goal to end youth homelessness in Connecticut. The Youth Special Projects Coordinator will provide training and technical assistance to youth providers, c oordinate the Youth Shelter Diversion and Rapid Exits program, conduct a learning collaborative, work with Youth Navigators, and more. Read the full job description here . Apply by August 20, 2018 and include a cover letter in your submission. Applications will only be accepted by applying through Indeed.

Health & Homeless Systems Liaison
CCEH is still seeking someone to join the team as a "Health & Homeless Systems Liaison" through the Service to Improve Community Health (STICH) AmeriCorps program. This member will liaise between the state's homeless response system and community health centers. Read the full job description here. Apply now. A final candidate will be chosen in the next few weeks.
Helping Homeless Clients Vote
People experiencing homelessness have a right to vote and should be encouraged to do so. We know there are some obstacles in registering to vote when experiencing homelessness including missing ID cards to no permanent address.

For Connecticut specific guidance, read the Q&A for Homeless Voters produced by the Secretary of the State of Connecticut, Denise Merrill. The National Coalition for the Homeless also has a campaign entitled " You Don't Need a Home to Vote" that provides many resources for providers including how to hold voter registration drives.
Upcoming Trainings & Meetings
Recently Recorded Webinars
Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
(860) 721-7876 |  training@cceh.org  |  www.cceh.org

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