Join us in celebrating Affordable Housing Month!

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The Housing for Health Partnership is celebrating Affordable Housing Month. We invite interested organizations and individuals to join us in our commitment to ensuring all residents have a stable, safe and healthy place to live.

What You Can Do in May

There are four ways to get involved in the work of the H4HP in May 2023 and beyond.

1. Become a Member of the Housing for Health Partnership (H4HP)

Individuals and organizations can become part of the Housing for Health Partnership by visiting the membership page. Individuals can become members by completing an online interest form. Organizations can become members by having their organization’s director complete the online membership form and note they are becoming an organizational member on the form. Members receive updated information on events and news relevant to H4HP's efforts. Members also receive information on opportunities to provide input and guidance on key funding, policy, and program decisions within the H4HP network of housing and services programs. Organizational members may receive additional support from H4HP, such as, helping the organization share information about their employment opportunities and fundraiser events.

2. Attend our webinar: “Reasonable Accommodations in Housing: Helping People with Disabilities Get and Keep Housing” on Wednesday, May 17, 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Elizabeth Hutton from the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz will discuss reasonable accommodation requests for people with disabilities. Hutton will provide key information and answer questions. To register for this event, please click here.

3. Participate in the Virtual Housing for Health Partnership Community Meeting – Wednesday, May 17, 2:30 – 5:00 pm

This community-wide meeting is open to all interested organizations and individuals.This meeting will focus on information sharing and questions and answers related to the following topics:

Updates on H4HP and other funding
Becoming a H4HP organizational and individual member
Santa Cruz County HMIS “Reboot” - Renewing and Improving HMIS
Housing for Health Coordinated Entry – New Policies and Implementation
Centralized Housing Assistance Fund

To register for this event, click here.

4. Attend Housing Santa Cruz County's Affordable Housing Month Events

Events are happening all month long! Check out Housing Santa Cruz County's event page for a list of upcoming events.

Updates from H4HP

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Reboot

We have recently updated our policies, forms, and procedures related to HMIS to improve data privacy and security, data quality and the use of the system for coordinating supports to get better outcomes for participants.

Organizations currently using HMIS will need to sign an updated HMIS organizational participation agreement to continue using the system. A copy of the agreement can be found here. Individual HMIS users will need to complete updated training related to HMIS to continue accessing the system. These changes will be put into effect over the next several months.

More information about these HMIS changes will be shared at the virtual H4HP Housing Assistance Fund Meeting on Friday, May 12 from 9:30 to 11:00 am. This session will be for organizations and individuals currently using the HMIS system. If you would like to register for this event, click here.

H4HP Coordinated Entry System Redesign – Become a Housing for Health Connector

After a three-month pilot period, in April 2023, Housing for Health Partnership launched a redesigned Coordinated Entry System. The new system uses designated Connectors applying housing problem-solving techniques and new assessment and planning tools to assist as many people experiencing homelessness as possible.

The new approach recognizes that there is not an immediate housing resource available for each person. Instead, it provides individual assistance to help people access an array of support.

Organizations and staff can learn more about these changes and how to become an H4H Connector at the upcoming community-wide meeting on May 17.

H4HP Housing Assistance Fund

H4HP has been working to establish a centralized, one-time, housing assistance fund program to help households at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness with one-time financial assistance when the assistance can help someone keep housing or move in to housing. This includes money for transportation expenses to help individuals secure housing opportunities outside the area as well. The amount of funding available and applicant eligibility will vary over time, depending on grants and donations received by H4HP. The Community Action Board helps administer this program in partnership with Housing for Health Division staff.

Organizations and staff that currently use the HMIS database will have an opportunity to learn more about this fund and how to access resources for participants in their program at a training session on Friday, May 12 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Click here to RSVP.