Homefront: Supporting Youth and Families








In this Newsletter

Read Where CSH is Making News

Pioneer Apartments Breaks Ground

Local and state officials joined Wesley Family Services for a ground breaking ceremony of Pioneer Apartments in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. The new development will provide affordable housing to meet the needs of both individuals and families and offer behavioral health services to benefit residents and the community. CSH invested $6.7 million in New Markets Tax Credits  to support  an onsite center for Wesley Family Services staff on the first and second floor of Pioneer Apartments. "CSH made this strategic investment in the new Behavioral Health Center because we are convinced it will spur economic growth and result in better care being delivered in the community," said Deborah De Santis, President and CEO of CSH. 

Developing Youth Leadership Teams

This fall, CSH along with the National LGBT Health Education Center with Fenway Health, and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council are bringing together health center program staff who currently have or are interested in developing youth-centered programs. Over the course of 4 sessions, our Learning Collaborative will highlight exemplary programs that integrate youth experiencing homelessness in their program design. Integrating youth is critical for creating effective solutions. These sessions will be interactive, focusing on with components of youth leadership and integration, and will facilitate interactions among participants to share local and organizational strategies, challenges, and successes. Health Centers interested in participating must apply by September 6.

FYI: Foster Youth to Independence

Ending homelessness means so much more than just serving the people who are already in the homelessness system. It also means identifying people who are most at risk of becoming homeless and collaborating within the systems that already serve them. Child welfare is one such system. Far too many individuals age out of foster care each year, without the supports to help them successfully live independently. We can change this.The advocacy of young people with lived experience from ACTION OHIO has led to a new housing initiative from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Read more about the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative in a blog for the National Alliance to End Homelessness by Kevin Solarte, CSH Senior Program Manager for Federal Technical Assistance

Addiction Services 101: Supporting Families

With this free webinar, CSH and Children and Family Futures, Inc. are partnering to present best practices for addressing intersections among the opioid crisis, addiction services, child welfare, supportive housing and homeless services. If you or your team of providers or managers are working with families facing two or more of these challenges, please join us to learn about the rapidly evolving intersections and what can be done to ensure every member of the family receives the services they need. Click here to join us on Tuesday, September 3.

Workforce Development in LA County

Addressing the employment and workforce training needs of people experiencing and at-risk of homelessness is an essential effort within the Los Angeles countywide strategies to prevent and end homelessness. Over the past year, the Employment and Homelessness Taskforce formed to focus on increased the capacity of the workforce, public social services, and housing systems to connect people experiencing homelessness to employment. The Taskforce includes the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Workforce Development Aging and Community Services, Department of Public Social Services, the United Way and CSH. After six months of stakeholder input and strategy development, the Employment and Housing Taskforce and its agency partners have begun implementation of the Taskforce's recommendations. Click here to read the recommendations and learn more about workforce development in Los Angeles County.

Essentials for Providing Services

The CSH Supportive Housing Training Center presents Essentials for Providing Services, a series of six instructor-led webinars covering the essentials of successfully serving supportive housing tenants, starting on September 10. Participants gain a basic understanding of Housing First and key clinical practices for supportive housing: Harm Reduction, Trauma-Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing and Assertive Engagement. Also included are practical strategies for coordinating with property managers and landlords to ensure housing stability and eviction prevention. Register today by clicking here. If you are a CSH Subscriber, this is included in your subscription!

Intro to Supportive Housing Financing

Supportive housing budgets are a critical part of any project planning cycle and funding submission. Our Introduction to Supportive Housing Budgeting & Financing course will teach participants the key considerations when it comes to creating a comprehensive and sustainable supportive housing project budget. After taking this course, participants will have the tools and knowledge to assemble a budget and seek supportive housing funding. This course is perfect for developers and/or project managers new to supportive housing. If you are a CSH Subscriber, this course is included in your subscription!

CSH Summit Save the Date!

This May, hundreds of leaders from every corner of the country will gather in Philadelphia for the national CSH Summit 2020. With perfect vision, we will clearly focus on supportive housing as the foundation for building better lives and thriving communities. CSH Summit 2020 will be held from Wednesday, May 27 through Friday, May 29, 2020 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. Plan to join us and save these dates on your calendar today! Please stay tuned to Homefront for additional information on registration and other details.

Professional Development Made Easy

Become a part of our subscriber community for exclusive and tailored training, materials, coaching and much more. CSH Subscription advances your professional development and grows your network connections. Not only do you get comprehensive training on quality affordable and supportive housing and services, CSH Subscription also gives you access to far-reaching national learning communities, direct communication with experts at CSH to support your specific work, and exclusive previews of reports and other materials.  Sign up today for our Subscription Package or reach out to us at training@csh.org for a group rate.