Council on Homelessness

Affordable Housing Committee Call Minutes Wednesday, February8, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.

PARTICIPANTS:

Erik Braun, Office on Homelessness

Bill Aldinger, Florida Housing Coalition

Shannon Nazworth, Council Chair

Diana Moore, EscaRosa Coalition on the Homeless

Susan Pourciau, FL Housing Coalition

Skip Forsyth, FL Dept. of Education

Manny Sarria, Miami Dade County

Dawn Daise, DCF, Economic Self-Sufficiency

Sarah Yelverton, Okaloosa/Walton

Amanda Wander, Big Bend Homeless Coalition

AGENDA DISCUSSION

Bill Aldinger:

  • Approval of Homeless Housing Assistance Loan Demonstration applications

-The applicants that were selected and approved by the Board were: Flagler, Citrus, Walton and St. Johns Counties

-There is a notice to attempt to protest the application decisions

-A link was sent out via PDHO re: RFA web page

-I will keep the council update on demo status moving forward

-Hoping to offer this as a predictable resource

Susan Pourciau:

-Is the 2 million balance going to be reallocated for another solicitation?

Bill Aldinger:

-That is left up to the board. Goal is to continue this initiative. We were expecting more applications but anxious to hear why some continuums that were eligible did not apply. Our goal is to get at least 4 or 5 applicants. This demo is more to figure out what resources and assistance these non-profits need.

Erik Braun – asked Sarah Yelverton to give brief on process:

Sarah Yelverton:

-We had 2 providers apply – one from Okaloosa and one from Walton

-Awardees from our communities were on it, attended every workshop and had application done by time the final RFA came out. There is no housing in North Walton County and South Walton no affordable housing as it’s super wealthy.

-Good opportunity – wondered why more did not apply

Susan Pourciau:

-Maybe this process be brought up on COC call as to what the barriers might have been for ones without providers

Erik Braun:

-Will make an Action Item on this call ^^^

Barbara Wheeler:

-We don’t have a lot of people that have the capacity to have applied for this demonstration

Bill Aldinger:

-From my prospective – for us this was the most open and non-bureaucratic RFA that we’ve ever issued and provided support for

-For me – it is less challenges

-Key purpose for doing the demo is working out the kinks

-We won’t do anything until after the protest and work through that process

-Interesting to see re: the applications, we received apps from non-profits that had experience and some that did not

-Keep stake holders informed as we move through this process

-FH goal and intent was to work through the kinks and provide this as an ongoing resource for rural and small counties

-I will be glad to participate on the next CoC call agenda

  • Update on Homeless Disabling Condition Request for Application we are working on developing

-We had a workshop

-Hoping by end of next week to have a draft request for applications

-PDHO can send a link to that RFA web page – there is agenda posted now to see the key components and discussion items

-This is focused towards ending homelessness for chronically homeless persons

Bill Aldinger:

  • Discuss housing recommendations for the 2017 Council Report to present to the full Council in March

-We use the recommendations and the plan to help guide our policy decisions throughout the year

-There has been questions on how to we make sure the intended policy makers get the feed and focus on councils recommendations

-By the end of Friday, I will send out a full set of the recommendations from last year with recommendations that have come in since last year along with updates re: housing; action plan objectives from a housing prospective

-Any specific recommendations around housing?

Shannon Nazworth:

-One thing is to highlight the homeless and special needs re: resources

-Council needs to decide how we can link services together

-Better utilize each agencies resources

Erik Braun:

-Re: action items from last December meeting for Bill Aldinger and I to address

Bill Aldinger:

-I completed the one action plan request which is to provide the number of units that are intended to service homeless and at risk of homeless households

-I did a four-year look back as to the number of units we financed re: homeless households. I will have this information on Friday [Feb. 10]

Erik Braun:

-I will follow up with Shannon

-Elder affairs / APD should be part of this discussion

Bill Aldinger:

-Convene a workgroup of stakeholders to address housing and services resources

-Any other comments or thoughts about recommendations?

Dawn Daise, DCF employee from KissimmeeFL:

-Am a state worker for DCF who is at risk of being homeless

-Is there an initiative to deal with state workers having a threat of being in a homeless position?

-I know the Secretary has an initiative to adopt children from the state, can there be a program as well for state workers that are on the poverty line and have a threat of homelessness?

-Can there be a study as to how many state workers are at risk of being homeless?

Bill Aldinger response to Ms. Daise:

-The Council has recently addressed all aspects of homelessness

-We work directly on issues of workforce housing

-From state workers’perspective– issues of salary, salary doesn’t meet cost of housing in area?

-Goal is to take comments and take to full Council meeting in March 1 – we will take this to full council meeting in March

Erik Braun:

-We have Council members from CareerSource and the Department of Economic Opportunity that I will forward this question to them

Call Adjourned at 10:48 a.m.