CoC Updates

CoC Updates for November 2020

In this month's CoC update, we have much to share about the ongoing efforts to address homelessness.

Highlights include:

Homelessness Awareness Month (HAM) resources including the 2020 Toolkit, a new "Thank You" video and tons of events!
COVID-19 related updates including the COVID-19 Recovery Plan for Homeless System of Care
Veteran focused content in honor of Veteran's Day (November 11th)

Homelessness Awareness Month

The 2020 Homelessness Awareness Month Toolkit is packed full of events, volunteer opportunities, information about homelessness and ideas for donations. Be sure to click here or click on the button below to get your own copy.

Toolkit

Frontline homeless service providers have been working tirelessly this year to support and protect the health of people experiencing homelessness in Contra Costa. Watch our thank you video here: https://spark.adobe.com/video/PT9TaVo24LyPo

Video

At the November CoC Learning Hub, we will recognize landlords, volunteers, innovative programs, jurisdictions and hotels that have made a difference this year. We will also feature a panel discussion with people who have moved from homelessness to housing in Contra Costa and the people and agencies who helped them achieve their goals.

CoC Learning Hub: “Sharing Stories”

Thursday, November 19^th

1 pm – 3 pm

Meeting link :https://contracosta.webex.com/contracosta/j.php?MTID=m1133a57f0f791b74aaa59ee937916687

Join by Phone: +1-408-826-0365 US Toll or 1-844-517-1271 US Toll Free

Meeting number: 146 221 0796

Password: ERxeXFF7*42

COVID-19 Updates

Due to an increase in infection rates, the County will be moving back into the more restrictive "red" tier, from the "orange" tier. As the County moves between different color tiers due to changes in COVID-19 infection rates, guidance for homeless service providers operating shelters and other indoor services will be updated and posted here for reference.

Under Health Officer approval, and informed by new guidance documents, single room shelters serving people experiencing homelessness are now accepting new consumers and drop in CARE centers are now serving meals indoors under specific conditions outlined in the guidance.

People seeking shelter should call 211 or text Text "HOPE" to 20121.

At the November 5, 2020 Council on Homelessness meeting, Health, Housing and Homeless Services (H3) presented a COVID-19 Recovery Plan for the Homeless System of Care.

Key highlights:

Non-congregate hotel program will remain available, supported in part by FEMA funding, for the foreseeable future.
Prioritizing hotel residents for placements into permanent supportive and rapid rehousing programs
Dedicated up to $4M in financial assistance and support services to help transition individuals and families from hotels into permanent housing.
Hired a dedicated housing placement system coordinator and assigned housing navigators to hotels to accelerate placements to permanent housing
Purchased a 174 room hotel under Project Roomkey that adds a permanent emergency housing resource for the community.
Modifying existing County-owned congregate shelter facilities to better accommodate physical distancing and greater privacy so that individuals may safely return

To see the slide deck from the meeting and to get the link to the recording of the meeting click here.

As of November 6, 2020, nearly 7,000 people experiencing homelessness have received tests for COVID and 150 people experiencing homelessness have tested positive.

For the most up to date information on testing, cases and hotel placements for people experiencing homelessness in Contra Costa, visit the full dashboard using the button below.

Full Dashboard

With the number of cases of COVID-19 on the rise, it's especially important to avoid or limit your time where COVID-19 spreads more easily.

Avoid

Crowded places
Close-contact settings
Confined places with poor airflow

To schedule a test, call (844) 421- 0804 or go to bit.ly/3hUGUIS

Veteran Highlights

In honor of Veteran's Day (November 11th) we'd like to recognize and thank all of the veterans in Contra Costa for their service to our country. We'd also like to recognize the following providers that offer services and programs specifically for Veterans in Contra Costa:

Thanks to concerted efforts, the number of Veterans experiencing homeless is decreasing nationwide, but there are still far too many of our service people struggling with housing. Thank you to our partners for their sustained efforts to support our community's veterans.

Together, Berkeley Food and Housing Project and SHELTER, Inc. Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs have placed over 50 homeless veterans into emergency hotel rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both agencies are working hard to find permanent housing placements for all of them.

In addition, the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) continues to house homeless veterans in HUD-VASH, a partnership and clinical intervention between Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the VA aimed at housing the most vulnerable veterans.

Congratulations to our partners for their great successes!

Jody (name changed to protect privacy), a female Veteran came to Contra Costa County to escape domestic violence she was experiencing in Denver. Upon her arrival, Jody was placed in a Veteran Affairs (VA) Grant and Per Diem (GPD) transitional housing program with other female Veterans, where she found peer support. She was referred to the Housing and Urban Development- Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, and she enrolled in an exclusive Information Technology (IT) program in Silicon Valley. This program paid for her classes and IT certification. With the help of the HUD-VASH housing specialists, she found a pet friendly apartment building. She was able to retrieve her service animal from Denver to come live with her!

During this time she obtained tele-mental health services to deal with the domestic violence. She completed the IT program was offered a paid internship in the Bay Area with the goal of transitioning to permanent employment. With the help of HUD VASH, Shelter Inc. Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and Shelter Inc. GPD program, this Veteran has been happily housed and committed towards working on her future.

Community Updates

The Northern California Family Center (NCFC) needs special people like you with a little extra space in their home and the ability to provide a caring environment for children who are homeless or who have been abused.

There are all types of resource families: those with children; couples without children; families with children who have grown; working couples and singles and youth that may be placed include Crisis Runaways (ages 9 - 17) and/or Regular Foster Children (ages 0 to 17).

All "Resource Parents" in host homes will need to complete the following:

A Background Record Check for both in-state and out of state with the FBI and the State of California CCL, which NCFC will pay for.
First/Aid CPR Training, for which NCFC will pay for.
General Training (12 hours) which would also include 3 hours working with our Program Manager on completing the paperwork necessary to conclude certification. All training is free.
Generally, we recommend additional training regarding dealing with traumatized children after the first 12 hours are completed. We will provide additional training in the specialized needs of runaways through the National RHYTEC network on-line. We will also be conducting additional specialized training for specific issues. These will be done by the NCFC staff in Zoom.
Crisis Homes are reimbursed for placing a child on a per-bed-night basis.
It is preferred that Crisis Homes have a car and a license as well as one or more available beds in the home.

NCFC will have two Zoom training events in November: November 4th, 5th, & 6th for Orientation, Adv I and Adv II and also the weekend of Nov. 14th and 15th. Please call NCFC at 925 370-1990 for more information

Success Stories

Jim and his six year old son Dylan (names changed to protect privacy) had been homeless for more than three years and stayed in multiple family shelters when they were finally referred to the H3 Shelter Plus Care permanent supportive housing program.

As if homelessness wasn't challenging enough, the COVID-19 shelter in place order added but within a month of his referral, Jim managed to complete his housing application, find a unit, secure a housing deposit and receive donated furniture for his new home. After years of homelessness, Jim and Dylan are now happily housed into their new 2 bedroom apartment close to Dylan's school!

Thanks to Community Connect, Housing Authority of Contra Costa County, Health Housing and Homeless Services, SHELTER, Inc, Winter Nights, and We Care Services for the incredible partnership that helped Jim and Dylan secure much needed housing.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Our Homelessness Awareness month lists a variety of events happening in November, including a few free holiday meals for people experiencing hunger and/or homelessness.

Be sure to check out page 5 of the toolkit here to find information about free Thanksgiving meals.