Homeless Action Partnership |
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The Concept of a Continuum of CareHomelessness is a social issue that impacts all of our cities and communities in Santa Cruz County. It requires a countywide, shared responsibility in planning and development of solutions. The complex problems that lead to homelessness require coordinated services directed to specific target populations. The concept of a “Continuum of Care” (CoC) addresses the needs of all of the homeless subpopulations, and uses a collaborative approach resulting in a set of goals that are shared by a broad range of participants in the community. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all communities seeking competitive HUD CoC funding to have CoC planning groups. The planning group in Santa Cruz County is called the Homeless Action Partnership (HAP). A fully developed CoC system includes:
Strategies for an effective CoC plan includes:
What is the HAP?The Homeless Action Partnership (HAP) is a broad-based, community-wide action team, which has met regularly since 1996 to implement a CoC strategy to end homelessness. The HAP’s vision is that all Santa Cruz County residents will have stable housing and appropriate services they need to live in dignity and reach their highest potential. Its mission is to develop and implement a coordinated system of housing and services for preventing and ending homelessness in Santa Cruz County. The HAP is structured as a collaboration among equal partners. As such, HAP meetings are conducted in a roundtable format, encouraging a voice for all. Decisions are typically made by consensus, but, if needed, by a democratic vote of all those present. Over the years, the HAP has created voluntary committees for specific topics or tasks, as well as a result of the development of the 10-Year Plan or strategic planning process. The current HAP committees are as follows: 1. HAP Executive Committee Formulates policy responses and coordinates funding among county departments, cities, and private funders. 2. Ten-Year Plan Implementation Committees Promotes implementation of the housing-related objectives in the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness and measurement of progress toward relevant outcomes. b. HAP Health Committee Promotes implementation of the health-related objectives in the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness and measurement of progress toward relevant outcomes. c. HAP Services/Jobs & Incomes Committee Promotes implementation of the services, jobs, and incomes-related objectives in the 10-Year Plan and measurement of progress toward relevant outcomes. 3. HAP Discharge Planning/Mainstream Benefits Committee Creates policies regarding discharge planning and mainstream benefits. 4. Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Committees Governs the HMIS project, including policies and procedures, security and confidentiality, data collection and quality, analysis and reporting, agency participation, and HUD HMIS Standards compliance. b. HMIS Data Assessment Committee Carries out work plan to implement strategies and procedures to ensure sufficient HMIS data quality for purposes of data analysis and reporting. c. HMIS User Group Addresses HMIS user concerns, technical trouble-shooting, data collection problems, “exceptions” reporting, and software and privacy training and learning. 5. HAP Homeless Census Committee Oversees development of the biennial homeless census and survey. 6. Continuum of Care/Ranking Committee Reviews and rates proposals for Continuum of Care funding. Who Participates in the HAP?The HAP is open to the voluntary participation of any organization or individual interested in addressing homelessness and bettering the lives of the homeless residents in Santa Cruz County. The HAP includes members representing the following key sectors: County departments, Cities, nonprofit homeless service providers and advocacy groups, healthcare providers, public education, funders, faith groups, academic and research experts, and homeless and formerly homeless persons. The County Planning Department and a HAP consultant staff the meetings and there is widespread participation among member organizations.
Executive Committee: Coordination with Local Policies and Consolidated PlansThe Executive Committee is chaired by the Director of the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department and includes representatives from each jurisdiction in the County. The Executive Committee ensures that the HAP planning process results in a CoC Plan that is compatible with the HUD-required Consolidated Plans, local Housing Elements and related policies. What is CoC Funding and What Projects are Funded?Each year, HUD issues a competitive Notice of Funding Availability for CoC funds (CoC NOFA). Communities applying for funds must submit a consolidated application that includes (1) a narrative describing the community’s CoC structure and decision-making, housing and service needs, Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), strategic planning, and performance in addressing homelessness; and (2) project proposals in community priority order. The HAP consultant coordinates the planning process for and prepares the consolidated application, and provides technical assistance and guidance to all applicants. The HAP consultant has been instrumental in maximizing the funding potential for Santa Cruz agencies and in ensuring a top-tier score each year for the HAP’s consolidated application. Agencies in Santa Cruz County have been awarded over $11M in CoC funds between 2000 and 2008. This CoC funding supports the core of the housing and services for homeless people in Santa Cruz County. Attached is the list of projects that have been approved in prior years. 2008 Continuum of Care Project Summary What is the Role of the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness?In recent years, HUD and the federal Interagency Council on Homelessness have been encouraging communities to develop, adopt, and implement Ten-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness. A community’s strategy for and progress towards ending chronic (and other) homelessness in ten years are critical scoring factors in the above-referenced annual HUD CoC competition, and are important for various other federal and foundation funding sources. Prepared with the research, planning, and writing assistance of the HAP consultant, the Santa Cruz County Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness 2003-2013 (Ten-Year Plan)not only makes Santa Cruz County agencies more competitive for funding, but also sets forth the comprehensive housing, healthcare, jobs and incomes, and supportive services strategies and priorities for addressing homelessness in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz County Homeless Action Partnership - Ten Year Plan To End Homelessness 2003-2013 Why a Biennial Homeless Census?Every community that applies for CoC funds is required by HUD to conduct a homeless census/survey once every two years. The census encompasses a count of both sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families, and must include sub-counts of the chronically homeless, seriously mentally ill, chronic substances abusers, veterans, persons with HIV/AIDS, victims of domestic violence, and unaccompanied youth. With the help of Applied Survey Research, the Santa Cruz homeless census/survey meets these HUD requirements, and provides a wealth of data useful to local, state, and federal policymakers and program planners alike. 2009 Santa Cruz County Homeless Census and Survey What is the Homeless Management Information System?Another HUD mandate requires that every community receiving CoC funds implement a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). An HMIS is a computerized data collection tool specifically designed to capture client-level, system-wide information over time on the characteristics and services needs of men, women, and children experiencing homelessness. The HAP’s ServicePoint system is a web-based application that allows participating agencies to enter and share client-level data about the homeless persons served by the participating programs. ServicePoint allows the aggregation of client-level data across homeless service agencies to generate unduplicated counts and service patterns of clients. Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), 10 Participating Agencies:
If you have any questions or are interested in becoming involved with the HAP, please feel free to contact the Robert Seelig at the County of Santa Cruz Planning Department , at 831.454.2224 or pln520@co.santa-cruz.ca.us or the HAP consultant at 415.458.2460 or tonygardnerconsulting@yahoo.com
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