CoC Gaps & Needs

1. CoC Gaps & Needs Miami-Dade County Survey

2. Name new strategies the CoC can use to prevent the criminalization of Homeless persons • Ensure that the needs of disabled, chronically ill (including but not limited to HIV), and substance abusers who are homeless continue to be included in each of the strategies. Communicate/collaborate closely with programs that serve these homeless sub-populations • Provide community education

3. Name new strategies the CoC can use to address individuals & families at risk of becoming homeless • Identify affordable housing opportunities in safe neighborhoods • website information • Through the State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) Program we use State Funds for the Rental Assistance/Rapid Rehousing Strategy that helps fight homelessness. We have an MOU with the CoC of Miami Dade County and they assign an agency for us to work with • legal assistance to prevent evictions and resolve other legal problems that can maximize the household income • Educate school system personnel in identifying students who may be vulnerable

4. New strategies the CoC can use to assess the severity of needs and vulnerabilities • disabilities, chronic health conditions/illnesses/diseases (including but not limited to HIV), substance abuse • Yes. Look at income and family size, as well as persons with chronic health conditions/illnesses/diseases (including but not limited to HIV), substance abuse, access to health insurance. • undocumented individuals and families • How about help former/retired veterans. • Medical status

5. New strategies the CoC can use to further fair housing • More permanent supportive housing and housing for extremely low income persons is desperately needed. Fair housing without truly affordable housing is illusory. • Consider using the County's contract boiler plate language related to non-discrimination, as follows: MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ... DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, ANCESTRY, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX, PREGNANCY, AGE, DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS, FAMILIAL STATUS, GENDER IDENTITY, GENDER EXPRESSION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, VETERANS STATUS, SOURCE OF INCOME, OR ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE OR STALKING.

6. What else can the CoC do to increase awareness, assess for & address racial disparities • Very little substantive action and progress in the above areas has occurred in our CoC to date. • Ensure that the communication is an appropriate readability or comprehension level, based on the educational levels of the clients to be served. Also ensure that communication is culturally appropriate and provided in the languages spoken/read/understood/preferred by the clients to be served. • Gender should be recognized as a factor in the differential experience of homelessness, the causative factors, and supports needed to end and prevent homelessness. • Collaborate with other local planning bodies (e.g., Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership, etc.) that serve clients who are homeless.

7. New strategies the CoC can use to communicate effectively w/persons who are disabled or have limited English proficiency • The CoC should have a clear policy to support those with disabilities, ensure shelters are universally accessible, have a pool of interpreters for those who are deaf, blind and have other serious mobility challenges, and recognize the importance of highly supportive environments for those with disabilities. Likewise there should be permanent housing options suitable for those individuals as well.

8. New strategies the CoC can use to address needs of homeless unaccompanied youth • Progress is needed in the areas of (1) coordination with the criminal justice system and community-based programs addressing Human trafficking and other forms of exploitation (2) identify homeless LGBTQ Youth and develop culturally appropriate outreach and housing assistance for such youth (3) coordinate with the Foster Care System to address exits from foster care into homelessness and secure available resources available to youth who Exit from foster care (4) promote Family reunification and community engagement (5) promote Positive Youth Development (6) incorporate Trauma Informed Care into CoC programs • Identify homeless youth who are living with HIV or are using drugs, and connect them with local services to assist with medical care, case management, counseling, or substance abuse treatment.

9. New strategies the CoC can use to increase housing and services for all youth experiencing homelessness • Youth, including parenting youth and their children, need significant supportive services, including life skills, job readiness training and employment coaching, counseling, counseling, parenting education and child and family therapies, to be successful in independent housing. There needs to be more permanent, truly affordable, supportive housing for youth, including parenting youth with children. • expand PSH

10. New strategies the CoC can use to end family homelessness • Ensure all families, including women with children, experiencing homeless expeditiously receive access to shelter with supportive services tailored to meet their needs. Currently, families report long wait times for admission, multiple unsuccessful calls to the homeless hotline, staying in unfit and abusive circumstances awaiting shelter. • Address the high cost of living and high cost of rentals, and limited opportunities for affordable housing, in Miami-Dade County. Include access to or referrals to supportive services that may already exist in other areas of the county through other funding sources. • Longer term/up to 24-36 months RRH

11. New strategies the CoC can use to rapidly rehouse every family w/in 30 days • Fund additional shelter beds to ensure families are expeditiously placed in shelter with supportive services tailored to their needs. RRH programs are not actually rapid and families with children must be sheltered off the street in the interim. Those with high special needs, e.g., parenting youth, disabilities, trauma histories, mental health issues, special medical conditions such as pregnancy, cancer, and other medical issues, and developmental challenges, require intensive supports both in shelter pending placement and arranged for permanent placements to succeed. • Address the high cost of living and high cost of rentals, and limited opportunities for affordable housing, in Miami-Dade County. • Make sure providers have a checklist accessible that Citizen's can use to get the required documents needed to apply for help at a faster rate.

12. New strategies the CoC can use to ensure families successfully maintain their housing • There are inadequate community based resources and services to support family stability and self sufficiency both during and after CoC assistance ends. Recognize that many families in the CoC have high special needs and require intensive supports both in shelter and following permanent housing placements. To provide those supports, providers must receive additional funding. • ensure that families are connected to/aware of legal assistance in case of hardship

13. New strategies the CoC can use to end chronic homelessness • No response

14. New strategies the CoC can use to sustain progress with ending veteran homelessness • Offer not only Support Services but also Counseling for returning Veterans, that can help them get back situated in society.

15. New strategies the CoC can use to work w/ mainstream programs that assist the homeless • There should be a designated SOAR representative within SSA locally to expedite SSI and disability income applications for those experiencing homelessness. More SOAR training would actually be helpful but we also need greater appreciation of mental health issues as disabilities in SSA. It can be challenging to secure documentation of past treatment (or any treatment) of mental health issues because those suffering from mental illness may not recall, or be fearful, or not understand or refuse to acknowledge their mental health issues. • Find strategies to communicate directly persons experiencing homelessness via text message, email, etc.

16. New strategies the CoC can use to systematically keep program staff up-to-date regarding mainstream resources • Link to resources (websites) for other programs (e.g., Ryan White Program for medical care and support services needed by homeless people who are living HIV; or the South Florida Behavioral Health Network for homeless people who need mental health counseling or substance abuse treatment, etc.) • Maybe advertise on local television to refer to the website for more information.

17. New strategies the CoC can use to reduce the length-of-time persons remain homeless • Coordinate entry into the shelter system so that those with high special needs are served by shelters with supportive services tailored to those needs to better assure their successful transition to permanent housing. Provide more funding for shelters that do provide comprehensive support services assisting those with special needs in making the transition to permanent housing. Provide more permanent supportive housing. Ensure diversion is trauma informed, particularly for women, recognizing gender based trauma histories, and children. • Have different models, counseling and tips that will help individual and families better their situation that they are in and not be homeless anymore.

18. New strategies the CoC can use to identify persons w/the longest lengths of x homeless • Provide more funding for shelter with comprehensive supportive services to assist high special needs families, with deep protective factors for children. • Advocate for expansion of low income tax credit financing for construction and operation of more permanent housing that is truly affordable.

19. New strategies the CoC can use to increase exits to permanent destinations • Provide enhanced funding for shelters with comprehensive support services for high special needs families to ensure they can afford to provide enriched services, both during shelter stays and in permanent placements. More Section 8 vouchers and priority are needed for permanent housing placements. • Address lack of affordable housing in Miami-Dade County.

20. New strategies the CoC can use to increase access to employment and other income • Provide funding for providers to offer enriched employment training programs, particularly for high special needs, e.g., youth, elders, disabilities, developmental challenges, mental health issues and medical issues, and those who have never worked before or have no recent employment history. • Provide incentives for individuals and families acquiring and maintaining employment.

21. New strategies the CoC can use to identify common factors of persons who return to homelessness: • Provide funding for shelters serving high special needs individuals and families to deliver enriched services. Currently shelters are encouraged to provide the lowest rate possible which results in diminished or lean service delivery. Recognize the importance of enriched resources and supportive services while individuals and families are sheltered. Sometimes less is just that - less. We cannot expect those with the least to succeed by offering them the least. • Provide limits of housing assistance such as the VA GPD programs (only 3 times in a lifetime). Encouraging recipients to make the assistance count and put forth maximum efforts to achieve goals.