November 2016
Youth Count Diversion & Youth Report 

A letter from Lisa Tepper Bates

Hello friends, 

We are in the final push toward the finish line in our statewide  Zero: 2016  effort to end chronic homelessness! 

Due to your continued great work, and recent extrat support from DOH and DMHAS, more than 660 people in urgent need have already been housed and victory is within reach!  We're saving lives, and saving public dollars. And showing that we  can  end homelessness.

We know that we have to ramp up now to achieve our next goals - ending youth and family homelessness. Youth Engagement Team Initiatives (YETIs) are gearing up across the state, as we are getting ready for a statewide  homelessness   youth count in tandem with the 2017 Point-in-Time Count. As we  continue our efforts to expand shelter diversion - critical to reducing family homelessness  - trainings and fundraising through our  be homeful  effort. 

Thank you for all you do, every day, to move us toward ending  all  homelessness in Connecticut. 

Sincerely, 
  
Lisa Tepper Bates
Executive Director

Connecticut Homeless Services Program

The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is seeking proposals for nonprofit organizations and municipalities to provide at least one program for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness along the Connecticut continuum of services. 

The continuum includes coordinated access services, shelter diversion services, shelter operations, rapid re-housing services, new permanent supportive housing services or youth transitional living programs. 

Click here to read more and to access a pdf version of the Request for Proposal. 
We are making terrific progress toward housing all those in CT experiencing chronic homelessness under our  Zero: 2016  effort. Providers across the state have housed more than 660 people since the campaign began, and are working hard to identify, verify, and house all those remaining on our lists by year's end. 

In partnership with the Department of Housing (DOH), and the CT Coalition to End Homelessness, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), was able to provide verification of disability for 257 potentially chronically homeless individuals on our by-name-lists. This will greatly expedite the process of getting these people from homeless to housed with the supports they need.

At the same time, DOH has worked creatively to bring new "surge" resources to address gaps in the Z16 resources in some of our communities, including by leveraging exisitng DOH staff to provide specific support where needed. 

Many thanks to our partners at DMHAS and DOH for helping us push to the Zero: 2016 finish line!
The Youth Count is a week long effort that corresponds with the Point-in-Time Count to count all of those experiencing homelessness in Connecticut that focuses specifically on youth and young adults aged 24 and below. 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be utilizing the data collected in the 2017 Youth Count as the baseline for data related to homelessness among homeless and unstably housed youth. This data will play a key role in the allocation of resources and future efforts related to ending youth homelessness by 2020. 

To contact your region's YETI coordinator to be part of the Youth Count effort in your region, please contact Sarah Chess at SChess@cceh.org. To check out this month's YETI report, click here

The Next Step Tool is live in HMIS and should be administered in the place of the VI-SPDAT for all youth and young adults age 24 or under. To learn more about administering the Next Step Tool, click here.  

The Department of Housing and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has updated their guidance around administering the VI-SPDAT in CAN Assessments and Outreach. Clients who enter the CAN system through an intake should not be given the VI-SPDAT for two weeks. Those who enter the CAN system through outreach, however, should be assessed immediately.  To read the full letter on the updated guidance, please click here
Fairfield County Child Care Forum 

On the morning of September 28th,  providers  from across  Fairfield County gathered at the Norwalk City Hall to attend the Opening Doors to Child Care Resources forum, hosted by the Opening Doors of Fairfield County .

With a focus on collective impact, panelists have begun to see significant headway in connecting families to quality childcare services, supporting development in young children and employment and well-being of parents across Fairfield County. 

Upcoming Trainings and Events:
  
Diversion Training Series
Tuesday, November 15
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday, December 20
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Safe Shelter and Fair Housing for Transgender Individuals
Monday, November 21st
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Monday, December 19th
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
To learn more, please click  here  or  c ontact Training & Communications Coordinator Sarah Chess at  schess@cceh.org  f or more information. 

CCEH and CT Realtors Foundation ask CT to hold
"bear-raisers" for homeless children. 

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH) is proud  to announce a new partnership with the Connecticut REALTORS® Foundation to launch " be homeful   for the holidays ", a special seasonal promotion designed to raise funds to end family homelessness in Connecticut.  Every dollar raised will go directly towards CCEH's  be homeful  project, which provides emergency assistance to families at the front door of shelter to help them remain at home. To read more, click here

Further information on holding a "bear-raiser" can be found by visiting CCEH's  be homeful for the holidays website or  contact Madeline Ravich at mravich@cceh.org
Shelter diversion is an essential component to our coordinated access system as cost-effective, lightest touch strategy to work at the shelter door to end someone's homelessness. The coordinated access regions across the state have been working hard to incorporate shelter diversion and here are some of the results, alongside news and updates, in September's diversion report. 
YouthR
Youth Engagement Report

Communities across Connecticut are kicking off Youth Engagement Team Initiatives, or YETIs, in preparation for the 2017 Youth Count and to develop, implement, and evaluate a coordinated community plan to end youth homelessness by 2020. The Youth Engagement Report is intended to share relevant news and information to those participating in youth related efforts. Click here for the November 2016 Edition.
CCEH Data Updates
 
If you haven't subscribed to the CCEH data newsletter, you are missing out on a monthly dose of everything data-related that is coming from CCEH! You can  click here to sign up , and never miss out on exciting data related releases like the Coordinated Entry Reports , Regional  PIT Reports , or the upcoming supplemental youth count data report.