CCEH January Newsletter

CCEH Newsletter

January 2020

Dear Friends,

As we enter a new year, we all have much to think about. For a number of years now, we have been making steady progress. The number of people utilizing shelters has gone down as has the average amount of time people experience homelessness, and we know that part of this can be attributed to the important work so many members of our coalition are doing every day to help divert people from homelessness, to help those entering shelters reconnect to housing quickly, and engaging people on the streets to get them housed.

But, it’s not enough. With each day the temperature drops, every individual living in a place unfit for human habitation is at real risk, which is why we need to pay attention and be creative about how our coalition can more deeply engage communities around Connecticut in everyday efforts to end homelessness.

As we commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, I can’t help but think of his words: “God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty.” And also, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” A natural extension of these ideas is that as long as someone somewhere is homeless, none of us can truly be at home.

Which leads me to ask: what can we, as a coalition, do to ensure to make sure every individual experiencing homelessness is quickly identified and assisted? There’s a lot...

Read the full letter at CCEH.org .

In the months ahead, we will be giving you many new ways to interface with our efforts and we hope you will raise your hand to help. Thank you for your passion for our cause. We are all in this together!

Sincerely,

Richard Cho

CEO

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Become a CCEH Member Today!

Show your support by becoming a member of CCEH. Coalition membership is open to any agency, service provider, individual, student, faith-based organization, or business committed to ending homelessness in Connecticut. You can become a member by signing up at cceh.org/joinus .

Membership is a one-time commitment of $225 or you can become a member with a recurring donation of $20 per month by visiting cceh.org/donate .

If you have never volunteered for the Point-in-Time (PIT) count, consider volunteering this year! There is an increased need for volunteers to make sure that we have an accurate count. The annual count will take place on the night of Tuesday, January 21 and the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 22. As local planning commences, volunteer recruitment is a top priority.

You will make a difference and have a lot of fun! Please spread the word about Connecticut’s need for extra PIT Count volunteers this year – every single volunteer is appreciated!

CLICK HERE to volunteer for the 2020 Point-in-Time Count!

Volunteer for the 2020

Youth Outreach and Count

How do we know the scope of youth homelessness in Connecticut? How are local agencies and individuals working together to serve young people in housing crises all year long? What can you do to help?

The Youth Outreach and Count follows the PIT count for a week of open, community level surveying of 13 to 24 year olds with a brief survey. Community locations include secondary schools and colleges and universities, shelters and outdoor spaces, recreation centers and youth serving agencies statewide. This is Connecticut’s annual volunteer driven effort to get a snapshot of the details of housing struggles for young people. Please consider joining us by volunteering.

CLICK HERE to volunteer for the 2020 Youth Outreach and Count!

RECENT EVENTS

HMIS Updates

Have you checked out the new client dashboard? The new HMIS dashboard configuration went live on New Year’s Eve, 12/31. This new dashboard enables users to quickly get an overview of a client’s record and enable them to navigate to those key sections. Key data such as the client’s contact information, all open as well as the last 3 closed enrollments and services, the CAN appointment outcome, and the BNL list status and sub-status, provide a quick snapshot of the client’s history. All details of this change are outlined in the Release Notes that were distributed prior to the release.

This is one of many HMIS collaborative efforts underway that include representatives from the CANs, DOH, 211, and Nutmeg. Other projects include a new youth report that will provide insight into all youth experiencing homelessness, collaborating with 211 to define changes to their workflow, as well as improvements to the 211 scheduling system along with many other items. In addition, several folks are involved in reviewing the upcoming 2020 HUD data standards that will go live in April and providing guidance for the implementation of those new requirements. More detail is forthcoming on the 2020 data standards' impact to the HMIS system and on end users. We are excited about all of the planned HMIS changes that will continue to improve the end user experience!

Shelter Diversion Learning Collaborative

This month kicked off the bi-monthly Shelter Diversion Learning Collaborative made possible by Synchrony Financial. CCEH and statewide diversion supervisors were joined on January 6 by Dr. Kate Parr from the University of Connecticut/DHMAS Research Division. Dr. Parr presented details about the Office of Early Childhood shelter diversion project and the UConn evaluation. This grant provides assistance to families with young children (under age 6) that are on the brink of homelessness. We look forward to the next meeting in March. This collaborative provides an opportunity for CAN providers to come together and share creative problem solving ideas in the work to divert individuals and families from experiences of homelessness.

Senator Anwar Calls on Connecticut to Become a "Right to Housing" State

Summary written by CCEH Intern Dana Kras

In his January 9 op-ed in the Hartford Courant, Senator Anwar, co-chair of the General Assembly’s Housing Committee, has proposed a bold vision for Connecticut to become a “Right to Housing” state, which would provide every Connecticut resident with the right and ability to access safe housing by 2030.

Anwar notes that, “The state of Connecticut is a leader in managing homelessness…but our systems require more investment…This system works, and we have been national leaders — but we now must invest the appropriate amount to help address the magnitude of this challenge.” He further writes, “In 2020, Connecticut must work towards becoming the first Right to Housing State in the United States. This is an aspirational goal, but I truly believe that if any state is capable of achieving this goal, it is Connecticut. If we have the willpower to embark on this project, we can lead our nation.” We applaud and support this bold vision and will work with the Senator to realize it.

Click here to view the full article in the Hartford Courant .

Save the Date: 2020 ATI - May 13

Save the date! This year’s Annual Training Institute and Conference will take place May 13th at the Connecticut Convention Center. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness Annual Training Institute and Conference (ATI) is Connecticut’s premier capacity-building event for organizations, providers, and partners working to prevent and end homelessness in Connecticut. National and state presenters gather to provide training and information on best practices, promising innovations, and new system-wide initiatives as they relate to ending homelessness. With over 500 attendees, this event is the largest gathering of the state’s homeless service sector and its partners and has sold-out for the past four years. The ATI is a highly-visible event that has been attended by the Governor, other key officials, and national leaders. Don’t miss it!

RFPS FOR WORKSHOPS COMING SOON!

NEWS AND RESOURCES