CCEH Newsletter
September 2019
Dear Friends,

In this month’s newsletter, we share with you some of the preliminary results of a data match that CCEH conducted in partnership with CT’s Office of Policy and Management and the CT Department of Correction, in which we found that roughly one-fifth of our state’s sheltered homeless population are people who were discharged from a prison or jail within the last three years. (See article below for more information.)
 
These findings, along with our work to meet the needs of youth experiencing homelessness and to assist households who fled to Connecticut from Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, have set me off in some deep reflection about the work of ending homelessness. Specifically, it has led me to wonder whether ‘homelessness’ is, in fact, the best word to describe this problem that we are working every day to solve.
 

Sincerely,

Richard Cho
CEO
Justice and Homes for All - HMIS and OPM Data Match Shows Intersection of Homelessness and Incarceration
Is homelessness is a driver for incarceration and recidivism in the criminal justice system? CCEH conducted an initial analysis of individuals who had been previously matched as having involvement with the Connecticut correctional system with those who have experienced homelessness per the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). In partnership with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the goal of the analysis was to understand the intersection of this population in order to reduce the prison population through improved housing interventions via policy changes. 


CCEH would like to thank the Tow Foundation and the Melville Charitable Trust for their support and for making this research possible.
100 Day Challenge to End Youth Homelessness a Success!
All the way back at the beginning of May 2019, Coordinated Access Networks (CANS) across the entire State of CT embarked on 100 Day Challenges to house and/or divert as many homeless and unstably housed youth and parenting youth families as possible. The 100 Day Challenges were opportunities to set ambitious statewide goals to catalyze system change. Through the challenges the YETIs engaged a broad selection of stakeholders that included  non-profit agencies, homeless service providers, change stewards, case managers, navigators, and community and state-level leaders—all working in the same direction to quickly house youth in crises.

So what was able to be accomplished during these 100 Days? 397 youth and youth households across the state were either housed or diverted during these 100 Days! 

CCEH Richard Cho appears on Congressional Quarterly to Address Federal Homelessness Policy Announcement
The White House recently released its report on the State of Homelessness in America. CCEH CEO Richard Cho was invited to appear on the Congressional Quarterly Roll Call podcast to discuss what this might mean for the future of homelessness service efforts here in Connecticut and across the country.

Ending Student Homelessness, Decreasing Chronic Absenteeism
On September 23, the State Department of Education hosted a roundtable in partnership with CCEH and the Partnership for Strong Communities to address chronic absenteeism among students experiencing homelessness and housing instability. School district personnel and housing and homeless services organizations gathered together to discuss better ways to better identify students experiencing homelessness, meet their educational needs, improve their school attendance and performance, and connect them to housing assistance. The roundtable provided a chance to identify specific strategies to strengthen partnerships between schools and the Coordinated Access Networks and the Youth Engagement Team Initiatives and was notably attended by Senator Chris Murphy (pictured with SDSE COO, Charlene Russell-Tucker).
Council on the Collateral Consequences of Criminal Justice Holds Initial Meeting
Late last month, CCEH CEO Dr. Richard Cho joined fellow appointees for the first meeting of the legislatures newly-established Council on the Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Record. The Council is charged with studying the discrimination faced by people in Connecticut with a criminal record and developing recommendations to reduce and eliminate discrimination based on a person’s criminal history. Other groups that have been appointed to the council include the ACLU, the Department of Correction, the Board of Pardons and Parole, and the New Haven Legal Assistance Association Legal Clinic.

As part of the initial meeting, Council members reviewed the expansive list of 559 barriers  that limit the ability of formerly incarcerated individual’s ability to lead successful lives after they’ve been released from prison. Dr. Richard Cho will serve as Chair of the Housing Committee for the Council and will be working with the committee to make recommendations on how to both remove and lessen the impact of regulatory and legal restrictions people with criminal records face in accessing housing. 
Work with CCEH and our Partners

Communications Coordinator
CCEH is seeking a talented, motivated Communications Coordinator to coordinate external communications for the organization. The successful candidate will work with colleagues to shape and coordinate communications to different stakeholder groups. This position will play a critical role in supporting the organization’s messaging in the press, through marketing materials, proposals and advocacy materials, in social media, and through major flagship events including the organization’s annual conference.
 
Read the Full Description Here
Apply Via Indeed

Eastern CAN Project Manager
(This position is transitioning from CCEH to TVCCA and will be housed at their headquarters)
The Eastern CT CAN Project Manager will serve to synchronize the utilization of resources offered by partnering service providers through the facilitation of recurring meetings, prioritizing the allocation of available housing resources, ensuring regional data quality, and assisting in case conferencing. This position will represent TVCCA while serving in an instrumental role to support the entirety of the Eastern CT Coordinated Access network to develop effective, coordinated efforts by providing best-practices insights and linkages to statewide and regional efforts to end homelessness.

Read the Full Description Here
Apply Via TVCCA

Upcoming Trainings & Events


Visit the CCEH Provider Resource Library for more topics and resources.
Visit the CCEH Webinar Library for all recordings.
Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
(860) 721-7876 |  info@cceh.org  |  www.cceh.org

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