COSCDA Program Mangers Training Conference March 2015 Washington D.C. Coordinated Entry and ESG/CoC Collaboration Tamera Kohler State of Utah, Housing and Community Development

State of Utah Vision on Homelessness Everyone has access to safe, decent, affordable housing with the needed resources and supports for self-sufficiency and well being

State Community Services Office oversight: State Homeless Coordinating Committee (SHCC) chaired by Lt. Gov., most of Gov. department heads sit on committee Local Homeless Coordinating Committees (LHCC) patterned after SHCC chaired by local officials – local decision making Funds Resources: ESG/HOPWA/ State Homeless Trust Fund/FEMA/TANF State of Utah Balance of State CoC Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

Utah Balance of State CoC 10 Local Homeless Coordinating Committees (LHCCs) State Community Services Office as collaborative applicant Broad and varied geographic region – from urban to frontier Natural flow to service centers often drives homeless individuals to neighboring CoCs

Coordinated Successes Coordinated Assessment Implementation Coordination: With neighboring CoCs Within the State Community Services Office With other state government agencies With local cities and county funding Coordinating tools and housing prioritization lists in HMIS

Strategies Within the State Community Services Office Coordinated Assessment support for CoC/ESG ESG – co-monitoring State funding – Retooling – Filling gaps – Services vs. housing dollars CSBG – funding match – housing stabilization Community funding profiles Using ESG dollars in coordination with programs like VASH

Coordinated Entry/Assessment SDPAT & VI-SPDAT – Housing Prioritization Lists on local level Coordinated assessment build in statewide HMIS Philosophical change in community approach – Establishing that the highest acuity persons are served first. – Internalizing that programs and citizens are tied to the community and not individual providers. Regular reporting to assess progress and set community goals Expanding beyond communities to relocate households in their home community On the horizon: diversion and prevention assessments

How it works in practice Example: Iron County LHCC within BoS CoC - Small community along I-15 corridor – LHCC has 8 members chaired by commissioner – 1 shelter, also the local food panty – 1 DV shelter – 1Housing Authority – Funding profile HUD funding – newly converted HUD RHH from Transitional ESG – RRH and Shelter, State Funding for both Shelters – Small community along I-15 corridor – Able to create housing priority list, housing highest needs first, coordination with DV shelter & housing Authority

How it works in practice Challenges: Limited funding resources- especially housing stock, employment options that sustain housing costs Small university community- pop. 46,780 1 hour drive to next major metro area Very limited partners

How it works in practice Benefits experienced with Coordinated Entry: Assessment tool – made it easier to determine clear need of right sized support Housing priority list – made determining who would be placed next in limited housing stock easily supported by partners Improved conversation on what is truly needed to end homelessness in Iron County. Created a working needs assessment for resources to facilitate asks for funding.

ESG Coordination with Neighboring CoCs Statewide Value of a broader regional approach Single Statewide HMIS – high level participation Tri-CoC Workgroup supported by SCSO to facilitate cross CoC possibilities Coordinated assessments are client specific and can be transferred between housing priority lists in communities – creating opportunities to return homeless to more Rural or home communities if they choose.

How it works in practice Example: Davis County LHCC within BoS CoC/Adjacent to SLC CoC – Davis County LHCC uses a housing prioritization list - – no shelter, but ESG/RHH resources for families with local service provider which is also the local food panty – 1 DV shelter – Transitional Housing – 1Housing Authority – rental agreements with landlords – Coordination with Larger Family Shelter within SLC CoC to refer families back to Davis County (home community) for RRH – using VI-SPDAT assessment to add to existing housing priority list

How it works in practice Challenges: Agencies can be territorial – won’t refer within CoC or outside to other CoC Agencies struggle to give up case management (oversight) of families in their shelter or program – would prefer to receive more funding rather than refer to outside agency No incentive to collaborate between CoC Needed education that ESG as a statewide fund can cross CoC boundaries to solve homelessness

Contact Information Tamera Kohler Director, State Community Services Office Housing and Community Development Department of Workforce Services 1385 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah