Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care News
January 2020
Texas Homeless Network is the lead agency for the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) . The TX BoS CoC is a group of stakeholders that collaboratively plan and operate the CoC and a range of housing and services to prevent and end homelessness. The TX BoS CoC covers 215 counties and includes 24 Local Homeless Coalitions (LHCs) that plan, deliver, and evaluate local systems.
Announcements
Texas Conference on Ending Homelessness Presenter Applications Open

For over 20 years Texas Homeless Network has organized and led this unique and powerful statewide conference on ending homelessness. With 500 participants, this opportunity builds networks, educates providers, and leads conversations in our communities.

Apply today to present at our upcoming conference and join our history of educating Texans on topics relating to homelessness.

The deadline is 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 13th:
Final Round for Public Comment!

We are in the final round for Public Comment on proposed changes to the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry Written Standards! This count ends Friday, February 28, 2020. Any persons living or working in the CoC's geographic area and having an interest in preventing and ending homelessness can submit a comment.


Click here for learn more about submitting a public comment:  https://conta.cc/2QsZg7V

The document with proposed changes can be found here: 

A summary of proposed changes can be found here:  Summary of Changes PDF
Congratulations!
 
Two CoC members won gift cards for completing a strategic planning survey. Alanna Richardson with the Longview Housing Authority in Longview and Beth Rolingson with Advocacy Outreach in Elgin were the members whose names we drew out of the hat at the February 12th CoC General Meeting. Both Alanna and Beth were on the webinar, so we all got to celebrate with them.

We appreciate everyone who gave their input with the survey. We'll have more chances to give feedback as the plan is drafted over the next few months.
Important Dates
FEBRUARY

February 2020 TX BoS Board Meeting
Wednesday 26 February 2020, 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
*Closed meeting


Alamo Area Regional Housing Summit
Friday, February 28, 2020 from 8:30 AM-3:30 PM
The goal of the summit is to assist the Alamo Area ( Public Health Region 8 ) in expanding the availability and accessibility of affordable housing, enhancing tenancy support services, and identifying innovative regional solutions to address existing gaps and barriers to housing for vulnerable populations.
Location : Schertz Civic Center – 1400 Schertz Pkwy, Schertz, TX 78154


MARCH

Annual HMIS Data Quality Webinar
Wednesday 4 March 2020, 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Mandatory annual Data Quality Webinar for HMIS Users in the TX BoS CoC.
Who is mandated to attend : All current HMIS users and active HMIS trainees
Register Here


Documenting Brief Episodes of Homelessness in Permanent Housing Projects and HMIS
Thursday 5 March 2020, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
THN staff will review the HMIS guidance on documenting brief episodes of homelessness for individuals participating in permanent housing projects. In the TX BoS CoC, these are Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Re-Housing projects.
Who Should Attend : All CoC Program-funded PSH and RRH Projects and ESG Program-funded RRH Projects (At least one person from each agency is required to attend)
Register Here


CoC RRH Peer Learning Webinar - March
Thursday 19 March 2020, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
CoC RRH projects will meet Monthly moving forward on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 10:00am to discuss best practices in RRH, review current policies and suggestions, and to discuss RRH struggles and strategies.
Register Here


March 2020 TX BoS Board Meeting
Wednesday 25 March 2020, 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
*Closed meeting

APRIL

April 2020 CoC General Meeting
Wednesday 8 April 2020, 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Topic: Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program
Community Conversation: W hat CoC members learned at the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) Conference
Register Here


CESC April 2020 Meeting
Tuesday 21 April 2020, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
The TX BoS CoC will be hosting a virtual meeting for the Coordinated Entry Steering Committee (CESC). The CESC provides direct support and guidance to the CoC’s systems change efforts, which will influence the direction of the CE implementation in the TX BoS CoC.
Who Should Attend : Coordinated Entry Steering Committees Members
Register Here


April 2020 TX BoS Board Meeting
Wednesday 22 April 2020, 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
*Closed meeting

Opportunities
Open Funding Opportunities

We are currently in the process of adding a new section to our website to help collect all funding opportunities made available to Texas including city, state, and federal programs.

In the meantime check out this PDF of all current available funding options here
CoC Program Step One

HUD released the first step of the CoC Program Competition - Registration - on Tuesday, January 14th. This means it is time for us to ramp up our outreach efforts to agencies interested in developing new housing projects for people experiencing homelessness, regardless of whether you have received CoC Program funding in the past.

We are assuming that HUD will make funding available for new projects again this year! *fingers crossed*

While we have not heard the results for FY2019's new projects, we were awarded $549,372 in funding for new projects during the FY2018 CoC Program Competition.

If you are interested, please reach out to us at  txboscoc@thn.org  early. Our capacity will be limited once HUD releases the Notification of Funding Availability. 
Texas Health and Human Services System Advisory Committees

The Texas Health and Human Services System (HHS) needs your help! In an effort to increase the applicant pool for our numerous advisory committees, we are reaching out to organizations like yours for assistance.

HHS works with more than 35 advisory committees covering a variety of health related issues and each includes public members who bring their unique knowledge and experiences to issues vital to the future of HHS programs. To that end, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has established an appointment process that provides public notice of vacancies on advisory committees and the specific qualifications required of each opportunity.

HHSC would appreciate your help in reaching more individuals who may be interested in serving on committees and ask that you or your organization sign up for e-mail notices of vacancies at https://hhs.texas.gov/about-hhs/leadership/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-appointments .
Across the TX BoS CoC...
North

South

East

West

These articles were gathered from Google Alerts and emails sent directly to us. If you have articles about your community's efforts to prevent and end homelessness that you want highlighted in our next newsletter, please email the articles to   txboscoc@thn.org.
Staff Recommendations


The following are resources TX BoS CoC Lead Agency staff have found that we believe would be beneficial to your local efforts to make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time:
Mary's recommendation -


Which data points and sources are most helpful to presenting an accurate picture of homelessness in your communities? The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness' (USICH's) document called "Navigating Homelessness and Housing Needs Data: Tailoring and Driving Local Solutions" gives some ideas.

Data from HUD CoC Program (PIT Count and HMIS) and worst-case housing needs reports and local education agency data are highlighted. The document includes a chart listing questions to discuss when addressing homelessness and housing, based on what your communities' data indicates.

"By having comprehensive data at the center of collaborative decision-making processes, communities can stretch the resources they have further, address a wider range of needs, understand where new resources are needed, and get better results. This document provides an overview of some key data sources, describes what they measure, and highlights how communities can use that range of information to strengthen their efforts to address homelessness, housing instability, and other housing needs."
Anyone who works or lives in the CoC's geographic area, and all housing and homeless services projects in the CoC's geographic area, are considered to be members of the CoC. The CoC has an open invitation process, so members may join at any time.

THN invites members to participate in the CoC's activities. Learn more on the email list , the website , and social media . CoC General Meeting minutes and recordings are posted on THN's website, in the TX BoS CoC "Get Involved" page at  https://www.thn.org/texas-balance-state-continuum-care/get-involved/ . Presentations by and conversations between CoC members and staff on relevant topics keep members informed and up-to-date.

Share this email with anyone you think may be interested!
CoC General Meeting Schedule

Stay informed about CoC happenings by participating in the bi-monthly webinars. Each meeting will feature a topic that is important to preventing and ending homelessness. See the Get Involved page for dates, topics, and registration links.
CoC Program Funding

If you are a representative of an agency that is interested in applying for United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program funding, please contact txboscoc@thn.org .
Your CoC Team

Get your questions answered and some face to face time with all of the CoC staff on the second Wednesday of every other month during the CoC General Meetings.
The TX BoS CoC is a focus area of the Texas Homeless Network.