Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care News
May 2019
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 Homeless Network has 2 project spaces for organizations and communities looking to expand their capacity and build new programming! If your organization has a project they need to start and could benefit from a full-time volunteer helping for 1-3 years for just $6,000, please vista@thn.org .

We are also recruiting potential VISTA members throughout the state if you know someone who may be interested. 
Opportunities
Coordinated Entry: What Homeless Education Liaisons Need to Know Webinar

Tuesday May 21, 2019 at 10:00 am.

This training will provide an overview of the Coordinated Entry Process in the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care and ways that Homeless Education Liaisons can get involved in the local process to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. 
 
Intended Audience: General BoS Membership, Homeless Education Liaisons
 
Knowing Those We Serve: LGBTQ Identities Webinar

Monday June 3, 2019 at 3:00 pm.

With language and life ever-evolving, staying current with terms describing those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer is a constant process. This webinar will provide an overview of LGBTQ identities, common needs of this population, and the beginning steps of offering best practices when serving LGBTQ neighbors. 

Intended Audience: General BoS Membership, All CoC Program Recipients, All ESG Program Recipients, CoC Program Rapid Re-Housing Programs, CoC Program Permanent Supportive Housing Programs, Local Homeless Coalitions 

*Attendance is mandatory for all currently funded CoC Projects

Providing Equal Access for LGBTQ Neighbors Webinar

Monday June 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm.

In this webinar, we will discuss HUD's Equal Access ruling which requires programs to provide services to a client regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. We will explore bare minimums and best practices when applying this ruling to your program. Additionally, we will encourage dialogue around gray areas, safety concerns, and program-specific questions you may have when considering implementation. 

Intended Audience: General BoS Membership, All CoC Program Recipients, All ESG Program Recipients, CoC Program Rapid Re-Housing Programs, CoC Program Permanent Supportive Housing Programs, Coordinated Entry Planning Entities 

*Attendance is mandatory for all currently funded CoC Projects .


CoC Rapid Re Housing Workgroup for CoC funded RRH providers

Thursday June 20, 2019 at 10:00 am.

The topic for this June meeting is reviewing the NOFA, assuming that it will have been released. For registration information email Andrew Willard .
CSH Learning Courses

The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) collaborates with public, private and nonprofit stakeholders to solve the toughest problems. CSH partners with communities on long- and short-term special initiatives to solve local housing and homelessness problems. They offer customized tools, trainings and teams of experts to help you map out the best plan for addressing homelessness and housing instability in your community.

You can learn more about the learning courses they offer here
Across the TX BoS CoC...
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:

On-boarding  VISTAs  or staff with no background in homeless services? VISTA Jen Beardsley recommends they check out the Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness.

Shelter Executive Director & attorney Ryan Dowd’s  Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness: an Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone  may be written for librarians, but this conversational introduction proves educational to anyone new to working with individuals experiencing homelessness. Dowd dispels common myths and provides an overview of the latest national statistics and studies on homelessness. For example, one snippet reveals a study found  about half of men experiencing homelessness reported having experienced at least one traumatic brain injury at some point in life, with 87% of them occurring after losing housing . The guide also gives practical, actionable advice on de-escalation and empathy-driven enforcement. 
Important Dates
 MAY
Coordinated Entry: What Homeless Education Liaisons Need to Know Webinar
Tuesday May 21, 2019 at 10:00 am.

JUNE
Knowing Those We Serve: LGBTQ Identities Webinar
Monday June 3, 2019 at 3:00 pm.

Providing Equal Access for LGBTQ Neighbors Webinar
Monday June 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm.

June 2019 CoC General Meeting
Wednesday June 12, 2019 at 2:00 pm.

CoC Rapid Re Housing Workgroup for CoC funded RRH providers
Thursday June 20, 2019 at 10:00 am.
Email Andrew Willard f or registration information.

See more events on THN's Training and Events calendar. for winter break
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 monthly webinars. Each meeting will feature a topic that is important to preventing and ending homelessness. See the schedule 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 Tuesday of every month during the CoC General Meetings.
The TX BoS CoC is a focus area of the Texas Homeless Network.