Continuum of Care News

COVID-19 Response and Homelessness Best Practices A practical newsletter for people ending homelessness.

As Congress works to provide an emergency supplemental spending bill to aid communities during the coronavirus pandemic, they need to help an important population: people experiencing homelessness. There's an extremely narrow window for lawmakers to include funds for homelessness in the bill. The Senate hopes to complete its work on this legislation by the end of the week, meaning that key decisions about what's in the bill will be decided within the  next 48 hours . We are asking for lawmakers to include  $5 billion to serve people who are homeless , and  $5 billion more to divert people who are at immediate risk of becoming homeless during this crisis . We're also calling for  $50 billion to support housing stability, through a program like the one proposed in the bipartisan Bennet-Portman Eviction Crisis Act (S. 3030). We need you to contact your Senators and members of Congress  immediately  to demand h

Effective March 17, 2020, Social Security Offices Will Only Offer Phone Service  ** Online Services Remain Available ** All local Social Security offices will be closed to the public for in-person service starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This decision protects the population we serve—older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are still able to provide critical services. Our secure and convenient online services remain available at www.socialsecurity.gov . Local offices will also continue to provide critical services over the phone. We are working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , state and local governments, and other experts to monitor COVID-19 and will let you know as s

PromisSE, the HMIS for Alabama and the Florida Pan Handle is seeking a Learning Management System (LMS) as part of their HMIS Capacity Building grant from HUD, pass onto those that would be interested, please. http://www.nachcares.org/images/docs/PromisSE_Training_Portal_Solicitation.pdf           

Description: The Atlanta Continuum of Care (CoC) developed a triage-screening tool to assist their shelters and housing programs modify shelter management strategies in light of the emerging COVID-19 concerns. The triage-screening tool focuses on reorganizing the intake workflow to effectively identify symptomatic and asymptomatic people entering congregate sites. In Atlanta, Fulton County Public Health has advised congregate programs to practice social distancing to the maximum extent possible for people who exhibit symptoms. This tool was developed collaboratively with support from the local Healthcare for the Homeless and a local public hospital and provides an example of how a CoC can adapt public health guidance in congregate shelter sites. Resource Links: COVID-19 Client Triage Tool: Atlanta, GA CoC Example  (DOCX)    

Tips For Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak SAMHSA recognizes that social distancing and quarantine may come with concerns for individuals, families, and communities. SAMHSA hopes these Tips For Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak  are of use during this time.

In this Issue: A Love Letter to the Next Decade of Community Development ● Harm Reduction Policing? ● 5 Things Cities and CDCs Don't Get About Code Enforcement ● Also: Jobs ● Resources ● You Said It ● In Case You Missed It + Week of March 17 In this Issue: A Love Letter to the Next Decade of Community Development ● Harm Reduction Policing? ● 5 Things Cities and CDCs Don’t Get About Code Enforcement ● Also: Jobs ● Resources ● You Said It ● In Case You Missed It + Dear Readers, This is a difficult time. We’re hoping all of you are OK and taking care of yourselves and each other, practicing social distanci