Attendance: Rick Rivera (Salvation Army); Katy Manganella; Mariana Salazar; Niki Paul; Becky Casey (ECHO Staff); Sam Woollard (Consultant); Hosie Washington (SafePlace); Natalie Metzger-Smit (LifeWorks); Liz Baker (ATCIC); Quiana Fisher (Foundation Communities); Kathy Ridings (Salvation Army); Elvira Lathrop (HACA); Sandra Chavez (ASA); Lori Frasco (Caritas)

9:30-9:35WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Natalie Metzger-Smit (Chair)

9:35-10:20ECHO UpdatesNiki Paul

  • New ECHO Staff: Katy Manganella-HMIS Program Director; Katie Rose-Housing Navigator; Mariana Salazar-Director of Research and Evaluation
  • Veterans Outreach Event-Saturday, September 12th and October 24th: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
  • Functional Zero Definition: Austin/Travis County: Review Language
  • 1. Austin/Travis County Community has identified all veterans experiencing homelessness
  • 2. Community no longer has any veterans experiencing involuntary unsheltered homelessness
  • 3. Austin/Travis County Community has resources, a plan and timeline for providing permanent housing
  • 4. Austin/Travis County Community has resources, plans and systems in place for continued efforts
  • 5. Austin/Travis County Community has adequate level of resources and appropriate plans to ensure housing stability
  • Creating a system where our community need matches our resources
  • As long as veteran is currently enrolled/on the path to permanent housing

10:20-11:00 HUD Continuum of Care Sam Woollard/Niki P.

  • HUD CoC NOFA-official NOFA not released as of 8/5/15
  • Preliminary Project Rankings
  • HMIS to move into Tier 2
  • FY14 Bonus Project Feedback
  • Received 212 projects-awarded 25
  • Local Community application put in by Front Steps-did not meet threshold requirements because it was not clear in every aspect of the application, only for chronically homeless
  • If every box was not checked for your claimed target population-did not meet threshold
  • Leveraging Medicaid-many bonuses awarded were due to leveraging Medicaid (i.e. California)
  • Tier 1 will become smaller and more competitive than in 2014; Tier 2 will be a larger percent
  • Will be a bonus project; will be different than past bonus projects
  • Will have a housing emphasis
  • Need to be participating CA
  • Strong connection to Healthcare services
  • Strong connection to employment services
  • Chronically homeless-Housing First approach is required
  • All leveraging documents must be attached
  • 60 days from time NOFA comes out to pursue bonus project
  • Outline/match Opening Doors strategies to prepare for community piece
  • 10 objectives and 66 strategies
  • FY2015-expand reallocation opportunities
  • Expected to reallocate projects every year
  • Strategic goal: acknowledge/reward CoC’s that are reaching their goals
  • HUD Guidance re: RRH to PSH
  • Clients will still be eligible for PSH even after being served through RRH
  • How does this guidance fit with our current CA practice? What is the time frame?
  • SSVF bridging with VASH-if veteran scores in PSH range, but no capacity
  • TX-503 CoC Report
  • If information is incorrect for any agency-should contact local rep to correct data
  • Each agency should ensure the data is being entered correctly and efficiently
  • The more frequently each agency drops down funds, the better
  • *NEW* HMIS Data Standard GuidanceKaty Manganella
  • October 1 some questions will change:
  • Are you entering from the streets, emergency shelters, or a Safe Haven-if yes-when did that start?
  • Regardless of where you stayed last night-when was the last time you stayed on the streets, emergency shelters, or a Safe Haven?
  • Prompts clients to give a time rather than being led by a question
  • Adding question: Are you currently fleeing from Domestic Violence?
  • RHY (Runaway Homeless Youth)-Will start tracking labor exploitation and human trafficking
  • HP Screening score
  • VAMC Station Number
  • T-Cell and Viral Load
  • Once NOFA comes out:
  • 60 days to complete NOFA
  • Roughly 3 weeks to complete any bonus projects-start thinking about this now/what leverage will look like
  • As soon as NOFA comes out-each agency can begin entering in program data into ESNAPS
  • Ensure project applications are not being auto populated if data has changed
  • Youth Pulse Count
  • October 29-Identify 2 locations to hold an outreach event morning of; 2 magnet events that afternoon

NEXT MEETING: September 2, 2015, 9:30-11am, LifeWorks, 3700 S. 1st Street.

HUD Exchange mailing list:

HUD OIG mailing list:

HUD Field Office assignments effective October 1,2014:

  • David Rios (210) 475-6800 ext. 2314: Travis Cty. CDBG, ECHO, Travis County Housing Authority, SafePlace, Front Steps, Salvation Army; ATCIC, LifeWorks, Caritas, HACA, Green Doors
  • Alberto Solorzano (210) 475-6800 ext. 2297: Austin CDBG, Austin HOME, Austin ESG, Austin HOPWA