COVID-19 Weekly Briefing: May 15, 2020 

Our region will enter a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming days and we must remain vigilant in supporting our neighbors experiencing homelessness. They are particularly vulnerable at this time and their ranks may grow as this crisis persists. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care (GRCoC), hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness have received safe, indoor accommodations with access to supportive services and case management. Notably, our system’s response has consistently followed CDC and HUD guidelines.

Three Crucial Updates You Need to Know 

• Data Collection and Analysis: As before the pandemic, one of Homeward’s core functions is to track and evaluate local data in order to craft targeted strategies and long-term solutions to address homelessness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Homeward has been tracking data at a client-level for all GRCoC pandemic response programs. Analyzing this data, Homeward is able to evaluate program outcomes and the cost-effectiveness of various interventions and properly allocate resources for maximum impact. Additionally, Homeward can yield insights from this data and collaborate with GRCoC partners to develop a plan to end homelessness and provide pathways to permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness.
• Case Conferencing Expansion: Homeward and our GRCoC partners are working to expand the capacity of our network’s case conferencing efforts. Case conferencing is a peer group that meets to problem solve housing challenges for individual clients. The expansion will bring subject matter experts to the table to solve barriers to housing such as behavioral health, medical vulnerabilities, and criminal justice issues.
• Innovative Additions to Housing Interventions: Homeward continues to provide flexible, innovative resources as well as supportive system-level staffing to enhance positive outcomes for GRCoC agencies and providers. Through support from private philanthropy, Homeward built a self-resolution program that empowers individuals and families experiencing homelessness to develop and implement a housing plan by using flexible funding to overcome small, financial barriers to accessing or retaining housing. Self-resolution funding provides flexibility to support a range of housing options and reduces the length of time an individual experiences homelessness.

• Rapid Re-Housing: Homeward continues to support the work of our system’s Rapid Re-Housing providers. Rapid Re-Housing is a crucial housing intervention that provides short-term financial assistance to individuals and families who are exiting homelessness into community housing. Homeward is currently working to acquire resources to develop system-level housing navigation. This strategy will build the inventory of potential housing units for clients of Rapid Re-Housing programs to facilitate a smoother transition.
• Increased Need: As we mentioned last week, the GRCoC and Homeward continue to prepare for an expected influx of demands on our system. As the economic fallout from this pandemic persists and widens, we expect a significant likelihood that many more individuals and families will face homelessness as rent payments come due and they lack the financial resources to pay for housing.

Developments around the COVID-19 pandemic continue to change rapidly and Homeward is committed to providing email briefings each Friday morning. Sign up for our newsletter to get regular updates on our network’s COVID-19 response.