Omega House in Willimantic has 4 Vacancies

The following is being forwarded on behalf of Perception Programs:

Omega House in Willimantic currently has 4 vacancies.

 Contact: Liz or Vickie at 860-450-7248.

Flyer:  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7mVvcTz_jvDR2l3ckU2SWxLX0E/edit
 

NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR POINT IN TIME COUNT

Seeking Volunteers for  New Haven’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count of the Homeless

Who:  Join other concerned community members and service providers in New Haven for a
Point-in-Time Count of the Homeless. Teams of 4-5 volunteers will canvass the New
Haven area conducting surveys of homeless individuals, families and youth.

When:  Tuesday, January 29, 2013 (inclement weather date is Thurs., January 31, 2013) from
5:00-11:00 pm.  Volunteer registration will begin at 5:00 pm, followed by a brief
orientation and a light dinner. 

Where:  Volunteers will meet at  the First Presbyterian Church in New Haven  in the Owens
Community Building., 704 Whitney Ave (corner of Whitney and Huntington).  Parking in
lot in front of church (on the grass) and on the street.

Why:  Since 2003, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has
required applicants for federal homeless assistance grants to report the number of people
who are homeless in their communities at a particular time. HUD currently requires that
communities conduct a point-in-time count during the last week of January.  Collecting
reliable baseline data is essential to understanding the causes of homelessness and
designing effective interventions to help homeless people rebuild their lives. CT Counts
continues to collect annual data in order to better understand the dynamic causes of
homelessness, to evaluate the effectiveness of programs serving homeless people and,
ultimately, to track progress towards ending homelessness in Connecticut. 






To Sign-up to be a PIT Count Volunteer Please Complete a Volunteer Form at:
  https://www.research.net/s/VOLUNTEER4PITCOUNT


For further information and questions about becoming a New Haven PIT Count Volunteer please
contact Samantha Butler at 203-691-4203 or email sbutler@uwgnh.org.

For further information and questions about Statewide Count please contact Dominic Figueroa,
Statewide PIT Coordinator at 860-721-7876 ext. 115 or email dfigueroa@cceh.org.


New Haven PIT Count Co-Chairs: Mark Vanacore, 203-776-9900 x 1025 and Lisbette De La Cruz 203-
772-4200x 2137


For a flyer to share with your organization or group, please use this link:   https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7mVvcTz_jvDclBrS0lYcW8yVDg/edit

LCS Transitional Living Program Wait List is Open

Liberty Community Services, Inc. is pleased to announce that the wait list for the Transitional Living Program in New Haven is open. Furthermore, the program has immediate occupancy availability.

Transitional Living Program (TLP)

Housing Type:

Transitional

Brief Description:

Transitional supportive housing and services for homeless adults who are dually diagnosed. Call Juakia Inabinet for more information on eligibility at (203) 495-1765.

Services Offered:

Shared suites in multi-family houses; on-site 24-hour staff, supportive housing, case management, counseling, substance abuse support, and independent living skill development.

Eligibility:

Homeless, low-income adults (18 and older) living with dual diagnoses; required to commit to substance-free living. Income is not required. Call for more details on eligibility.

Application Process:

Call admissions and complete phone screening with Juakia Inabinet at (203) 495-1765.

Geographic Area:

Resources are located in New Haven

Occupancy:

16 units in shared suites in multi-family houses

Length of Stay:

Up to 24 months

Fees for Services:

30% of income (if any)

Wheelchair Access:

3 units

Point in Time Count

DATE: 1/29/13  

RAIN DATE: 1/30/13 

The committee for the Point in Time (PIT) Count is forming and seeking volunteers.  If you are interested in being part of this activity,  the meetings are held on Tuesdays at 3 PM at The Connection, Inc., 525 Whalley Avenue.

 

FYI

Waterbury Housing Authority Accepting Section 8 Pre-Applications

November 19, 2012

 

The Waterbury Housing Authority will be accepting pre-applications for the Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly known as the Section 8 Program) beginning November 26, 2012 at 12:00AM through November 30, 2012 at 4:30PM.
Applications will be available online at www.wtbyha.com and also at the central office: 2 Lakewood Road, Waterbury, CT 06704.
Pre-applications will not be accepted in person at the Waterbury Housing Authority. Pre-applications must be mailed to the WHA, P.O. Box 11508, Waterbury, CT and must be postmarked no later than November 30, 2012. Pre-applications will also be accepted online.
Click here for the pre-applications in both English and Spanish.
Click here to access the Waterbury Housing Authority website.

Fellowship Commons Waitlist is Open

Fellowship Place Homeless and Housing Services announces that one of its supportive housing projects, Fellowship Commons, has an open waitlist and is currently accepting the Universal Application.  The waitlist is open for single room occupancy (SRO) and shared rents.  Currently, individual apartments are all occupied with no moves in sight. SRO tenants are required to stay a minimum of 1 year and then are eligible to take Section 8 voucher with them. 


Requirements:

18 years and over with MH dx
Homeless or at risk of homelessness
If in recovery from substance abuse, applicant must have 1 year clean and sober
Case Management Services are provided if requested.  Applicant must be able to live independently.
Section 8 rent subsidy is based upon income thus applicant must have income (entitlements, employment or combination) 

Section 8 Requirements:

No prior evictions
No felonies within last 7 years
No misdemeanors within the past 5 years
If prior Section 8 or Housing Authority tenant, must have left in good standing

A link to the Universal Application and Provider Matrix is available to the right of this blog.

For additional information, call Elsa Ward, Director of Homeless and Housing Services at (203) 401-4227 x 1213.

Point in Time Count Coming January 29th

Friday, October 26th 2012 (Permalink)

Categories: CCEH News | CT PIT

The annual homelessness point in time count is fast approaching. The Count will be held this year on Tuesday, January 29, with a postponement date of Thursday, January 31. This year’s count includes both a sheltered and an unsheltered count.

Dominic Figueroa will be joining the CT PIT team at CCEH in November, acting as a Project Assistant and organizing all of the regional coordination.
For any urgent questions or comments concerning the upcoming count, please email Edward Lazu at elazu@cceh.org

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Connecticut’s Rapid Rehousing Fund Helps Those In Need

Tuesday, October 16th 2012 (Permalink)

The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP), which has provided significant funding over the past three years for the full range of rapid rehousing strategies expires September 2012. However, the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority has awarded one-time dollars to CCEH to establish a statewide Rapid Rehousing Fund.  Beyond Shelter CT and Housing First for Families coordinators are accessing the fund on behalf of homeless households across the State.
Connecticut’s Rapid Re-Housing Program (RRP) is designed to help families quickly move out of homelessness and into permanent housing, helping them achieve stability with time-limited supports. Families which include a pregnant woman; have a child under the age of six, ahead of household age 25 or younger; a family member with a disability or other chronic health issue or someone who has had a previous episode of homelessness within the past 24 months  are prioritized for Connecticut’s RRP services. In addition, applicants in Connecticut must be working with their Beyond Shelter or Housing First for Families Coordinator to access assistance. We expect that over the course of the year:

• 300 families will exit homelessness;
• At least 60% of households will exit homelessness within 45 days of approval for cash assistance and;
• At least 80% of households will remain stably housed (no entry into shelter or transitional housing per CT HMIS) at 12 months after exit from program.

 To date, CCEH has served a total of 36 households across the state, 30 families and 6 singles.

 Rapid Rehousing Program – Client Story/Testimonial

Anne was a newlywed who relocated to Connecticut in 2011 and settled into in western Connecticut. Soon after her husband became abusive, and the abuse became worse after Anne learned that she was pregnant with twins. Eventually, Anne was able to escape her husband and took refuge in a homeless shelter. She had no family or friends in state that she could rely on for help or support, and her limited finances were not enough for her to pay for or save for a security deposit or to afford rent and living expenses. Though she was safe from abuse, Anne worried about being stuck in shelter and did not want her babies to be born there. Shelter staff connected her to the local Beyond Shelter program for case management and support services, but she still could not afford to get an apartment of her own.
Anne was eight months pregnant when CCEH’s Rapid Rehousing Program opened, offering a new opportunity for a small amount of financial assistance to help people like Anne overcome homelessness. The Beyond Shelter Coordinator helped her to find an apartment and to get financial assistance through the program. Anne’s was the first application CCEH received. With a security deposit and small rent subsidy, she was able to leave the homeless shelter, just in time. Her twin boys came home from the hospital to their own apartment.
Anne and her boys are thriving in their new home. She says they are comfortable and safe. In the coming months, Anne will return to work and looks forward to being able to support her family again. Anne refers to the rapid rehousing program as a “life saver”, making the difference between staying in the homeless shelter after the birth of her children and starting a new life with them in their own home.
A small amount of financial assistance and the right supports can change the lives of homeless children and their parents. The Rapid Rehousing program provided just what Anne and the twins needed –to get back on their feet and exit homelessness.

CCEH Rapid Re-Housing Program for Literally Homeless

October 24, 2012

On Monday October 22, 2012, the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness launched its Rapid Re-housing Program which is targeted at literally homeless households. Literally homeless households are defined as families who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. CCEH is providing short term financial assistance to the families with funding from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. Beyond Shelter CT and Housing First for Families programs will provide supportive services. Rapid Re-Housing uses a combination of housing relocation and stabilization services and short-term financial assistance to help homeless families move as quickly as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.

Read more about the program on CCEH’s website. 

Housing & Health Care

Deborah De Santis

President and CEO of CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing)

GET UPDATES FROM Deborah De Santis

Housing and Health Care Must Come Together to Serve Vulnerable People Better

Those of us in the supportive housing field have recently become eager students of national health reform efforts. The changes in coverage, access, delivery and quality of care have the potential to significantly improve and lengthen the lives of the vulnerable men and women who live in supportive housing.
Supportive housing is affordable housing used as a platform for services like health care, employment services, substance abuse treatment and case management. Study after study has documented supportive housing's ability to improve health and behavioral health status. And it's also shown to lower emergency room, hospitalization and Medicaid costs among individuals with some of the most complex health problems. Some studies showing Medicaid cost reductions of 41%.
These days, my and my staff's calendars are filled with meetings with health policy experts, Medicaid officials and managed care executives. I've come to appreciate that health care in the United States involves a complex (some would say convoluted) health care delivery system, replete with multiple payers, providers, benefit packages, coverage rules and limitations, and payment rates. After many years working in housing, I well know that affordable housing is no easier to connect to than health care. Our nation's "housing delivery system" is just as difficult to navigate as our health system--especially for the most vulnerable and poorest families and individuals. The terminology may differ, but the housing delivery system has its own equivalent multiple payers, coverage limitations, regulations, eligibility restrictions and payment standards.
By recognizing the complexities and challenges associated with our respective delivery systems, health care and housing professionals see clearly that we need to work better and more closely together. We need to find new ways to do our best by our residents and patients by aligning and integrating health care and housing at the delivery system level.
We must streamline bureaucratic obstacles to increase access to both health care and housing. We must provide the appropriate levels of housing assistance and health service to people based on their levels of need. We must deliver packages of coordinated, patient-centered health care and affordable housing. We must build collaborations between local, state and federal systems to align public resources including Medicaid and mainstream housing capital and rental subsidies. And, we must as a society invest in interventions like supportive housing, which is the premier example of how communities can align health care with housing.
If we don't, we leave vulnerable men and women to fend for themselves in navigating not one, but two complex and convoluted systems.