August 16 – COC Meeting with Committees – via Teams

Every other month the CoC meets as an entire group and then each committee joins in a breakout room in order to discuss goals and action steps, decipher where they are on accomplishing needed items, and discuss future needs and adjustments for the CoC.

These meetings are held virtually through teams, please reach out to us if you would like your e-mail added to the invite. If you haven’t already, you will need to select the Committee that you wish to join. Currently we have four committees as follows:

Coordinated Entry Committee:

The CoC Coordinated Entry Committee is working towards the goal of increasing the efficiency of local programs and improving fairness and ease of access to resources. The coordinated entry processes are intended to help our community effectively prioritize people who are most in need of housing and assistance. Committee members bring community knowledge to the table, knowledge that will be used to determine the best practices for our finalized coordinated entry program.

Housing Success Committee:

The Housing Committee of the CoC will focus on ways to increase the availability of affordable housing for the homeless. It will assess and identify the specific needs of our tri-county homeless population. It will coordinate and improve housing-related tenant support services and improve the connection from shelter to housing. The committee will monitor and evaluate existing housing programs and foster partnerships with our local housing authorities, other CoC housing and shelter agencies, and the private sector to expand housing resources and support.  The measures, programs, and efforts covered under this committee includes rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, shared housing initiatives, shelter, etc. This committee will discuss the implementation of Housing First Principles amongst local programs. The goal is for housing initiatives of all types to work closely together and create a seamless process to of homeless (or at risk of homelessness) to housed, communicating with one another to move clients quickly out of shelters and off of the streets and exiting from temporary programs into permanent housing options faster.

Prevention and Intervention Committee:

This committee will advocate for and contribute to developing housing policies that address homelessness/housing insecurity. It will work to effectively prioritize programs that have the most impact on housing stability. Using our HMIS data related to housing trends, the committee will make informed decisions for resource allocation. But more importantly, the committee will develop and use preventative measures to keep individuals and families in the tri-county area from becoming homeless and/or to help those exiting homelessness to reduce any risk of returning. The committee will engage the community to raise greater awareness of those with housing insecurities and to build support for stronger housing initiatives within our CoC. Supports can look like career training, education, financial literacy, supportive services, mental health care, and so much more. For those who previously served on the business and workforce committees, your expertise would be well suited for this committee.

Racial Equity Committee:

*Accepting a limited number of members* this committee is designed to be much smaller and extremely action-oriented. It may meet frequently outside of regular CoC meetings and will work to help the CoC conduct a Racial Equity Analysis in 2024. The Committee will determine a chair person and create by-laws by determining the focus of the committee. HUD mandates that we review local policies, procedures, and processes with attention to identifying barriers that result in racial disparities in housing the homeless and take steps to address and eliminate barriers and improve racial equity. This may be accomplished through regularly reviewing outcome and performance data with a racial equity lens and create action steps to address recognized racial disparities in the communities we serve. The committee will assess and help improve equity outcomes with respect to both participants and housing providers. Black, indigenous, and other people of color are over represented in the homeless population. The committee will form a broader understanding of these racial disparities and educate on the barriers experienced in our region. The committee will provide CoC-wide training on Racial Equity. The committee will work closely with an unbiased professional hired to complete the racial analysis and will utilize recommended analysis tools, as needed. Upon completion of the analysis, this committee can elect to continue meeting regularly, go dormant until the next year’s analysis, or meet less frequently to monitor the state of racial equity in the served communities and report out concerns and suggestions for change.

For more information or to sign up as a CoC partner, please contact us.