Jasper and Newton County Continuum of Care (COC)

The Homeless Coalition (THC)

Jasper and Newton County Continuum of Care (COC)

Mission:To improve the quality of life for individuals in the Jasper-Newton County region impacted by all aspects of homelessness through community education and coordination of community services.

Vision:A community that supports a system that prevents homelessness leading to ending chronic homelessness in Southwest Missouri.

VALUES

Diversity: We are committed to respecting the diversity of all individuals we work with and serve.

Integrity: We are committed to treating all people honestly, fairly, and respectfully.

Compassion: We value being compassionate and caring in our interactions with all individuals.

Accountability: We respect the valuable resources entrusted to us. We are committed to fiscal and program accountability and evaluating our performance in terms of benefit to the public.

Teamwork: We are committed to working as a coordinated and collaborative team in our efforts to reduce homelessness.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of The Homeless Coalition and the goals outlined in this strategic plan is to work towards ending:

Chronic Homelessness by 2017

Veteran Homelessness by 2015

Family and Youth Homelessness by 2020

Set a path to end allhomelessness by 2020

The Homeless Coalition

Strategic Plan

2016 - 2018

MEMBERSHIP/PARTNERSHIPS

1. Form strategic partnerships to increase The Homeless Coalition’s membership to include more diverse sectors of the community.

1. Recruit and retain members. (Chair)
2. Identify groups to recruit and make assignments to follow up. (Membership committee)
3. Distribute new member packets. (Secretary)

1. Partner with programs that serve veterans.

1. Complete technical assistance on Veterans
2. Report monthly on Veteran issues

EDUCATION

1. Increase community’s knowledge of resources for persons experiencing homelessness.

1. Update and maintain website.
2. Maintain Facebook page for the coalition.
3. Add Shonna Greninger as an administrator on Facebook Page.
4. Utilize The Homeless Coalition’s website to relay information and educate about upcoming events, training and/or grant opportunities.
5. Distribute media materials.
6. Mission Mondays: Post one success story per week on the Facebook page and website.

1. Increase knowledge of community resources for coalition members.

1. Schedule guest speakers from outside the coalition to help organizations with improving services and reducing homelessness.
2. Develop calendar of speakers for the year.
3. Schedule update from City of Joplin on housing in the area.

ADVOCACY

1. Increase advocacy activities of The Homeless Coalition.

1. Advocate to local, State and Federal government concerning issues surrounding homelessness.

1. Participate with the Governor’s Committee to End Homelessness.
2. Advocate for youth experiencing homelessness.
3. Participate in the planning of the annual homeless awareness conference.
4. Get media coverage during Hunger and Homeless Awareness week in November.

DATA

1. Invest in and use data to drive decision making on homelessness.

1. Provide quarterly reports to the Homeless Coalition Membership.
2. Actively participate in the AHAR (Annual Homeless Assessment Report) each year.
3. Actively participate in the Point In Time data and Housing Inventory Chart data twice per year.

1. Increase participation in HMIS.

1. Identify and recruit non- participating agencies.

1. Improve our Continuum of Care’s data quality.

1. Participate in Statewide HMIS committee.
2. Host quarterly HMIS User Group meetings.
3. Participate in HMIS training available through MISI and ICA.
4. Identify non- participating emergency housing or transitional housing providers and gain participation in the bi-annual Point In Time counts. (January and July)

SERVICES

1. Increase Prevention Services in our community.

1. Provide services through Legal Aid to prevent foreclosure.
2. Ensure that persons experiencing homelessness or are unstably housed,are enrolled in any mainstream benefit program for which they are eligible.
3. Increase rental assistance dollars in the community to prevent homelessness.

1. Local agencies will locate and apply for grants that contain prevention rental assistance as an eligible activity.

1. Prioritize the use of ESG and Continuum of Care funds for proven strategies that will help prevent homelessness.
2. Monitor the success of member organizations in achieving strategies to prevent homelessness.

1. Assess and refer persons experiencing homelessness to services that best meet their needs.
2. Promote and lead the Project Homeless Connect events held twice per year.
3. Maintain current street outreach efforts.

1. Increase Permanent Housing in our community.

1. Meet or exceed goals for the Continuum of Care application.

1. Create new PH for chronically homeless persons.
2. Prioritize chronically homeless persons in permanent supportive housing.
3. Increase percentage of homeless persons staying in PH over 6 months to at least 71.5%
4. Increase percentage of homeless persons moving from TH to PH to at least 63.5%

1. Support building efforts of local government to rebuild low to moderate income housing stock.
2. Increase rapid rehousing rental assistance dollars in the community.

1. Local agencies will locate and apply for grants that contain rapid rehousing rental assistance as an eligible activity.

1. Increase income.

1. Increase percentage of homeless persons employed at exit to at least 19%

ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION

1. Conduct prioritization and monitoring for funded agencies.
2. Strengthen our community’s goal of ending chronic homelessness through prioritization of projects.
3. Maintain a coordinated assessment to properly connect individuals and families with the right level of housing and services that meet their needs.
4. Provide information to the County Commissioners, the City of Joplin for the Coordinated Planning process, and State of Missouri when appropriate and provide quarterly reports.