The City of New Bedford’s HSPN, along with its committee, “Rise Up for Homes” undertook its first NB Connect event on Friday, September 30th in which over 40 area agencies, resources and providers came together under one roof to provide a single point of access for those experiencing homelessness as well as those living in poverty. The event was held in the gym of the downtown YMCA and was a big success in its inaugural year. Many people were involved in making this event so valuable to the community but the leadership of HSPN Chair Carl Alves, [ Continue reading. ]
News
2016 CoC Competition is Completed
The City of New Bedford has established its annual CoC Competition Web Page available on this website [see the “2016 CoC Funding Competition”menu tab above]. On that page you’ll see the 2016 RFP for new and renewal Continuum of Care projects, the application forms that were available in concert with that RFP, the final ranking results and the final application submitted by the New Bedford CoC to HUD on September 9, 2016. Check out the 2016 CoC Funding Competition page for all the details! And for a look at the city’s approach, process and funding [ Continue reading. ]
HUD Awards CoC Tier 1 Grants
HUD has just released the Tier I Continuum of Care awards for the recent competition. New Bedford has been awarded $1,575,909 for six programs (the Family Preservation Program, Portico, Step Up, THE CALL, Transition to Stability, Welcome Home and the City of New Bedford HMIS Project) that were ranked in Tier I. The Tier II announcements will be announced in the spring. Congratulations to the New Bedford Continuum, the program recipients and the Homeless Service Provider Network! This application was a great collaboration and truly a team effort. [ Continue reading. ]
NPR Conversation About the Call
NPR CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CALL… From WCAI’s website: Advocates on the South Coast have launched an effort to make it easier for those experiencing homelessness to access services. WCAI’s Brian Morris talked about THE CALL with Jennifer Clarke, Deputy Director of Planning and Community Development for New Bedford. Follow this link to have a listen. [ Continue reading. ]
2015 in Review
As the calendar year draws to a close, the HSPN takes a look at what it accomplished in 2015 and considers the work it has to do in the coming year. Take a look by clicking on a PDF of the powerpoint recapping HSPN’s 2015. [ Continue reading. ]
Information from HUD
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has released the CHRONIC HOMELESS FINAL RULE describing changes to the federal HUD definition of what it means to be chronically homeless. Although the previous definition considered individuals and families as being “chronically homeless” if they were homeless up to four times in a three year period, the definition has been modified to mean that chronic homelessness can only be declared after four years in a three year period equal 12 months in the aggregate. This change, along with others [ Continue reading. ]
2015 CoC Application has been Submitted
The Continuum of Care (CoC) application for the FY15 funding cycle has been formally submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. The “Collaborative Application” (which you can get here) and the “Project Listing” (which is available here) together comprise this year’s submission from the New Bedford Continuum of Care (HSPN). For more information about the competition, the process, ranking and priorities, check out the CoC Funding Competition tab on the menu bar, above! [ Continue reading. ]
The Call is Here
THE CALL [Coordinated Access to Local Links] is the new coordinated entry system serving the three Continuums of Care within Bristol County. Beginning December 1st, everyone experiencing homelessness will go through one door–the same door–to access services and housing in New Bedford. The Operational Standards for THE CALL were approved at the November 19th HSPN meeting and are available here. These standards are the protocols being used by both THE CALL and local agencies in assisting those who are homeless get connected with the shelter/housing [ Continue reading. ]
One Homeless Night
The HSPN’s fundraising arm known as RISE UP FOR HOMES held its first event on October 16, 2015 called: “One Homeless Night… is too many.” This was an overnight encampment of community leaders to experience and dialogue around issues of homelessness. The event was considered an important success on all fronts and we have many, many people to thank. Check out the RISE UP website at www.riseupforhomes.com for more information and to make your donation today! [ Continue reading. ]
HSPN Outreach Task Force Holds First Meeting
Dedicated folks got together for a training/meeting at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church on Wednesday, September 2nd to discuss and learn more about outreach and engagement strategies and resources in New Bedford. There were multiple speakers and the 25+ present in attendance were enthusiastic about collaborating and taking away some great information. Look for announcements of future meetings and check out some of the resource materials that were shared along with a copy of the minutes at these links: Outreach Meeting Minutes.September 2015 How to [ Continue reading. ]
