Author: Armando Salazar

HUD and the National Homeless Services Data Consortium (NHSDC) are sponsoring a three-day conference titled “Moving Upstream: Data Alliances for Housing Stability” in Kansas City, MO, from April 10-12, 2024. Registration is closed for in-person participation, however registration to join select live webcast sessions is still available.

Register for the Conference

To view live webcast session descriptions, slides, and handouts, visit the NHSDC Spring 2024 conference page on the HUD Exchange. Transcripts and recordings will be made available after the conference. To view the full conference agenda, visit the NHSDC site.

Additional Information

Attendees who attend the following five sessions can earn a certificate of attendance from HUD.

• Getting it Right from the Start: HMIS Project Setup
• Bettering Data Quality to Improve Project and System Level Performance
• Protecting Data While Sharing Data to Prevent and End Homelessness
• Creating Transparency and Improving Partnerships with Good HMIS Governance
• Achieving a Quality and Stable HMIS Team

In anticipation of implementing CES for Survivors, the Office of Care Coordination has partnered with Homebase to provide training and technical advice. Homebase will be providing a training on the new Pre-Assessment Tool (see attached). All CES access points are strongly encouraged to attend the CES Pre-Assessment Tool training to help urgently connect survivors fleeing inter-personal violence connect with victim service providers and CES for Survivors (see attached presentation to learn more about CES for Survivors). 

What:  CES Pre-Assessment Tool

When:  Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 9 AM to 10:30 AM

Where:  Virtual

Who:  CES Access Points

Meeting Information:

Meeting Link:  Join WebEx Meeting

Meeting Number:  2633 401 7395

Password:  92701

The Office of Care Coordination, on behalf of the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC), is hosting the upcoming training opportunity.

The LGBTQ Center OC is providing a training on cultural competency when working with the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ 101 training will provide necessary language to reaffirm the identities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) people. Attendees will learn the complexity of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and pronounce use. This training provides tools organizations can utilize to make their work environment a safe space for staff and clients alike. 

This virtual training requires registration.

Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Please register to attend by Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMpcOGrrz8rG9ZYY6JLCU_Fv6uXxqna92KD

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Care Coordination at CareCoordination@ocgov.com.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is hosting a webinar to share information about changes, priorities, and guidance on crafting a competitive application for HUD’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) program. The webinar will also provide tips on looking ahead to system performance improvement post-NOFO. 

When: August 3 @ 12:15 – 11:00 A.M.

Webinar: Promoting Equity, Lived Experience, Housing First, and System Performance: What Matters in the 2023 NOFO

Additional Resources:
The SYSTEM Series 
What Matters in the 2023 NOFO

The Office of Care Coordination will be hosting a training on Trauma Informed Care. Through this training, service providers will learn the basics of trauma and how it impacts the delivery of homeless services, understand the principles of trauma informed care, and identify ways to incorporate principles into service delivery practices. Please find details on the upcoming training below:

This virtual training requires registration. 

Date: Thursday, August 10, 2023
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Please register to attend by Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwtdOqsqzouGtSG3SsFwsxzJt1cP06p2Gsn

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Care Coordination at CareCoordination@ocgov.com

The Office of Care Coordination will be hosting a training on the Equal Access Rule established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

Through this training, service providers will learn how to effectively implement HUD’s Equal Access Rule to ensure fair housing and shelter opportunities for people experiencing homelessness, as well as ensuring the preservation of families accessing housing and shelter. Please find details on the upcoming training below:

This virtual training requires registration. 

Date: Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please register to attend by Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h4z3TuxvTzCtsnB_ZzOkqQ If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Care Coordination at CareCoordination@ocgov.com

Continuum of Care (CoC) leadership and providers, researchers, advocates, and the HUD Technical Assistance (TA) providers engaged in an intentional evaluation and redesign of race, ethnicity, and gender data elements collected in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). People with lived experience of homelessness, community partners, homeless service providers, civic leaders, and anyone who wanted to contribute – were involved in making these critical improvements. The FY2024 HMIS Data Standards were updated based on the feedback provided.

On Wednesday, June 14, 2023 from 3:00 – 4:00 PM EDT, HUD will sponsor a webinar to discuss the HMIS Data Standards changes and the lessons learned from the process.

HUD published “We Listened – Centering Identity Through Changes in Data Collection” to outline some of the feedback received and how it changed the data collected. HMIS data elements was the process of engaging community partners, especially people with lived experience of homelessness, to improve how people experiencing homelessness are served.

Register for the webinar

Join fellow grantees in learning how to best administer CARES Act funding, with sessions covering Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CDBG-CV), Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS CARES Act (HOPWA-CV), and Emergency Solutions Grants CARES Act (ESG-CV). Grantees and technical assistance providers will share best practices for resilience, financial and administrative controls, and more. The conference will feature four days of virtual training to help grantees best use CARES Act funding to help their communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Attendees may attend all sessions or a subset, according to their interests and needs. Each session will allow time for questions and answers. Register here today!

You must have a HUD Exchange account to register. Follow these instructions for registering.

Conference Point of Contact: 2023 National CARES Act Virtual Conference Registrar, trainings@hudexchange.info

Conference Objectives

CARES Act grantees will be better equipped to spend CARES Act funding effectively by learning:

• How to use CARES Act funding in innovative ways to prevent and prepare for the Coronavirus pandemic in a lasting way
• Best practices for administering CDBG-CV funds that promote long-term resilience to the threats posed by COVID-19
• How to best design and execute successful financial and administrative controls for CDBG-CV funding

This four-part guide offers guidance and resources that demonstrate ways to create safer, more accessible, and inclusive congregate shelters, regardless of size or mission. It highlights procedural enhancements, practice improvements, and structural recommendations that work in concert to enhance safety for organizations providing shelter.

The guide combines practices from shelters across the country that have successfully supported safer operational environments.

General guidance and principles are organized into four broad categories:

• Part 1: Operational and Administrative Rules
• Part 2: Physical Spaces
• Part 3: Staff Training
• Part 4: Building Trust
  
  View the Guide
  
  For additional Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) resources, visit the ESG page on the HUD Exchange.