ACCH Membership Meeting
Date/Time: March 23, 20153:00pm Location:200 Henry Johnson Boulevard
Attendance See sign-in sheet.
Introductions,Approval of Minutes, andBoard Update
Approval of 1/26membership minutes motioned by PerryJunjulas and seconded by Pat Damberg, motion carries. The Board met 3/19 and reviewed the Town of Colonie Proposal that passed limiting motel stays to 28 days. Board members wrote letters to the board and the Times Union voicing concern. Liz Hitt and Bill Gettman met with Timothy Nichols on the County Legislature’s Social Services Committee to discuss how the CoC can advocate. The Governance Committee has been tasked with developing a process for the ACCH to provide Letters of Support when members request them. In the interim a form letter is being used.
New Business
Coordinated Assessment Pilot-The Systems Committee summarized the meeting held with PSH providers on 3/19 and forms distributed then are available. Two subcommittees created both an assessment form and process and the pilot will begin on 4/1. The pilot will include DSS, HATAS, Interfaith as the shelter, and potentially any CoC-funded PSH program. The pilot will begin with single individuals that have been deemed homeless by DSS. The pilot will last 90 days and be reevaluated before continuing to Phase 1 of implementation which will involve other shelters.Feedback from providers is requested during the pilotto be evaluated at the end of 90 days. All questions or comments can be sent a Ann at . Thank you to HATAS and Maria Grillo for volunteering to fulfill the coordinator role.
Workshop Wednesday- 3/25 at 2pm, Jill Casey and Elizabeth McClam from HUD Buffalo, with a Q&A and open discussion format.
Committee Updates
Operations: Has been meeting monthly; Data Memos were completed and given to the agencies/projects. One agency has been chosen for the new monitoring process to commence, it will be a site visit/file review by a team of committee members. The committee’s goal is to begin monitoring on the local level. The APR review process will continue.
NOFA: Next meeting 4/13.
Collaborative Applicant Report
Housing Inventory and Point In Time Count in progress, HUD’s reporting system opened today and due 4/30. HUD HQ Grant Inventory Worksheet approved and received. Next step is registration, anticipated to be in June.
Agency Updates
IPH: Taste of Albany 4/30 atasteofalbany.com. Soldier On: Seeks clarification on their request and content for letters of support from the CoC and the timing of receiving letters both previously and going forward. As noted in the Board Report a formal and transparent process is being developed for ACCH to give support, this process to be developed will clarify timing and content of letters of support. St. Catherine’s: Salute to the South Pacific 5/1. Equinox: 25th Anniversary of the DV shelter luncheon at Wolferts Roost Country Club 5/6.
Program Updates
Code Blue:Initial reports from providers indicate that the Interfaith Safe Haven project provided 3,324 shelter beds between Nov 18th, 2014 and March 15th, 2015. Interfaith reported 274 unduplicated persons served. The Capital City Rescue Mission reported 1,812 shelter beds provided to 89 unduplicated consumers.Record making number of cold nights. At the May Membership meeting a formal report on Code Blue and its impact will be provided.
Mayor’s Challenge: Two counts took place in December and January. Currently following 19 veterans identified. Will be meeting monthly to follow through and continue the method of the challenge and possibly integrate it into the Coordinated Assessment.
Social Media: media presence needed for all ACCH providers in order to better reach, educate, and serve clients. Based on consumer feedback “how do people find out where to go and what to do if they are homeless”. How to market what exits, Albany County specifically has a chance to make its presence known. A possible college intern project. Item added to next Board and Membership Agenda for further discussion.
Respectfully Submitted by:Tess Cleary, CARES, Inc.
In coordination with Liz Hitt, ACCH Secretary