March 6, 2024, The Community Advisory Council on Homelessness

The Community Advisory Council on Homelessness

March 6, 2024

1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Virtual

Agenda

  1. Welcome & Introductions
  2. FY25 Home Illinois Proposed Budget
    1. OPEH Updates
    2. Home Illinois Senior Policy Advisors
    3. Application to HUD Youth Homeless System Integration Grant
    4. CACH open positions
  3. New Arrival & Homeless System Alignment
  4. Summit Planning Committee
  5. Public Comment
  6. Discussion: Hunger & Food Access Study with University of Illinois at Chicago - Institute for Research on Race & Public Policy
  7. Discussion: Site Visits & Community Based CACH Meetings
  8. Closing

Minutes:

  1. Welcome & Introductions by Christine Haley 
    • Community Advisory Council on Homelessness Members Present: 
      • Sandy Deters, ERBA 
      • Jennifer Hill, Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County 
      • Brenda O'Connell, Lake County 
      • Ron Lund, Project Now 
      • Richard Rowe, Lived Experience/ CSH 
      • Nicole Wilson, Heart of Illinois United Way 
      • Linda Warner, SWAN 
      • John Herring, Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living Representative of Disability Community 
      • Susan Reyna, Covenant House Illinois 
      • Carolyn Ross, All Chicago 
      • Tamela Milan-Alexander, EverThrive Illinois 
      • Christine Haley, OPEH 
    • Guests/Partners Present: 
      • LaTonya Butts, OPEH 
      • Ni'Shele Jackson, UIC Researcher with IDHS 
      • Karlia Brown, UIC 
      • Christine Hammond, IDHS/OPEH 
      • Amy Marinacci, Legal Council for Health Justice 
      • Kevin Roth, OPEH 
      • Madeine 
      • Kylon Hooks, OPEH DHS 
      • Jeri Bond, DHS/OPEH 
      • Nikita Robinson, OPEH 
    • Agenda review 
  2. FY25 Home Illinois Proposed Budget 
    • OPEH Updates 
      • FY25 Budget: A proposed increase of 50 million (M) to Home IL. Within the 50M we have 35M for Court Based Rental Assistance; 2M for Access to Counsel; 13M for the Racial Equity Roundtable Implementation. 
      • Home Illinois FY25 & 26: The 250M allocation includes the proposed increase of 50M and the continuing programs of Homelessness Prevention, Emergency and Transitional Housing, Supportive Housing Services Program, Youth Homelessness Program, MI Supportive Housing, Shelter Diversion, Rapid Rehousing, Scattered Site PSH, Shelter and Other services (including new arrivals support), Medical Respite Capacity Building, Access to Counsel- Continuing, Home Illinois Pilots and Research: Housing Navigator-Emergency Room Pilot, Guaranteed Income Pilot and research, Homeless Emergency Rental Assistance Pilot, Statewide Referral Network Pilot, Homeless Training & TA Center, Racial Equity Roundtable Research, Program Evaluation/Research. While we anticipated an increase for Rapid Rehousing and Scattered Site year after year, due to the spending we're seeing to date we are unable to ask for an increase. 
      • Any Questions? 
        • Happy to see the increase proposed for youth. Are there some ideas on the possible use for the funding could go for? 
          • The money would directly to the existing IDHS homeless youth program line. 
        • The additional funds for the Court Base Program, is that in addition to what came down from the federal level? The 35M is from the state? 
          • Yes, that is new money from the state. This is a way to continue the program with state funding. 
        • Do you know about the mechanism that the funds will get out through the community? Will they go to the CoCs as they did previously? 
          • The new money, Court Base funding will continue the same process that IDHA has followed. The funding that we identified for the large programs (Rapid Rehousing, Scattered Site PSH) went through the CoCs and we will maintain that process. We will continue what we did last year.
        • Would like to commend Christine and OPEH for pushing these efforts forward. We hope we could be helpful to you, as we talk to legislators about the budget that is being put forward, around some of the crisis we're experiencing in our field. The desire and the need are not lacking. We need to acknowledge that startup takes some time. 
        • There was a delay in getting contracts out for these brand-new programs and rules that were written, so it is important for us as advocates to remind legislators and others about some of the hiccups and implementation that are getting fixed. Startups do not start at full occupancy or expenditures for year one. Want to be careful on how we message funder spending. It is not a lack of need, it's about implementation challenges to brand new programs. 
          • The external messaging with legislators is not that we are not able to spend all of the money. We are working to understand if we can reallocate the funding so it can be spent. The messaging for us to understand is the reason why we could not ask for an increase in those lines is because we weren't able to spend in that line. We need to begin thinking how we change our strategy so we can get there. We invite the Advisory Council members to be thought partners in considering what can we be doing at the state level to increase capacity and what our office or the Task Force can do to support capacity. If we want to have a follow up conversation to think more concretely on what can be done to support capacity, we would love to have that conversation. If you are interested in engaging in that conversation the best way would be to email homeless.office@illinois.gov. 
          • This is not a criticism of what you all are doing. Part of our role of being on this advisory group is to shepherd some of the messaging and efforts that you all are putting out there. 
        • The Governor's Budget Address included a woman's story who experienced homelessness and then was on a pathway towards stable housing. She was able to come to the Capitol and met with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. There were only four community members invited to meet with the Governor that day and it shows his commitment by having a person experiencing homelessness being one of them. 
        • Our current Home Illinois Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is ending on June 30th. We are in the process of understanding the activities and will be solicitating feedback from our state agencies for the new plan. At the Task Force meeting next week, OPEH will review the process for submission of agency commitments to the plan. We will have the new Plan submitted by June 30th. 
    • Home Illinois Senior Policy Advisors 
      • Through the support of Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness we will have 4 Home Illinois Senior Policy Advisors to advance Home Illinois. In addition to the position that is already funded through IDHS. The positions will be at IHDA, HFS, IDOC, and IDPH/ DCEO. Excited to announce that Colleen Mahoney will split her time between the IDPH and DCEO. Kylon Hooks will be for IDHS. We hope to be able to announce those positions soon.
    • Application to HUD Youth Homeless System Integration Grant 
      • The State of Illinois submitted an application to HUD. One was submitted by Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY) and the second submitted by Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH)/IDHS. 
      • Proposed work advanced through Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee 
      • Data Linkage 
        • Goal is to understand multi-system youth involvement within homeless, child welfare, and juvenile carceral systems. 
        • Link data among Homeless Management Information System and DCFS and IDJJ, with potential expansion to IDOC and IDHS-mental Health. 
        • Inform. 
      • Youth Development 
        • Replicate IDJJ internship program at DCFS and OPEH. 
        • Creation of state level youth advisory (board) committee. 
          • Would the funding go to OPEH? 
            • It would go to the bureau at IDHS that manages the youth homelessness. OPEH would help to direct the activities. 
            • We did speak to ICOY before we submitted the application, and it was determined that it would not be a conflict. Would like to uplift All Chicago, especially Beth Horwitz, who really support the submission of the application. 
    • Home Illinois Workforce Pilot 
      • The Illinois Workforce Pilot program will be implemented to understand how to support person's experiencing homelessness and accessing out traditional workforce system. There is 5M in funding that will be available to support workforce and training activities. This would serve persons who are in rapid rehousing or shelter program to be able to access training and workforce support services. We have a meet and greet on Wednesday, March 20th from 11am - 12pm. The NOFO total is 5M with an individual award not to exceed 2M. The RFP will also be released in March. 
    • CACH open positions 
      • We need assistance in recruiting applicants for the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness seats. The seats that we have now are for a: 
        • Statewide behavioral health advocacy organization 
        • Local unit of government 
        • Member at large housing developer 
        • Four seats for providers of the homeless response system 
        • If anyone is interested may apply at https://govappointments.illinois.gov/submit-an-application/ 
          • How many open seats are available? 
            • Seven. The seats are open due to turnover and expansion of the committee. 
          • Is the goal to have a diverse statewide representative group? 
            • Yes. 
      • Homelessness Racial Equity Roundtables 
        • Anticipate release of Black Homelessness report at the end of March. 
        • CACH will be invited to the launch event. 
        • Racial Equity roundtable on Latine Homelessness will launch in Spring 
        • Black Homelessness Roundtable participants: 
          • Lived expertise, Public Housing Authority, Public Library, Enterprise - Community Development Finance Institution, Faith Community, Illinois General Assembly, Nation organizations: Health, public policy. 
          • We anticipate the commitment to be around 6 meetings. The role would be to provide guidance and thought about where to access data supporting some of the focus groups and other work. 
        • In terms of the four seats for the CACH, I would like clarity on who the providers can or cannot be. Is this an opportunity for some of the smaller organizations in Chicago or down state? 
          • Yes, it can be from organizations all throughout the state. We are striving for diversity. 
      • Evicted Exhibit 
        • The Exhibit currently at National Public Housing Museum Offices until March 10th. It will be opening in the Quad Cities this spring. We anticipate it going to Springfield after the Quad Cities. We would like it to end back in Chicago. The exhibit will close once we no longer have a space for it to go. We will let everyone know when the opening takes place in the Quad Cities. 

  3. Summit Planning Committee by Jennifer Hill 

    • The confirmed date for the second Home Illinois Summit is June 4- 5th. It will be in Springfield at the Wyndham Hotel City Centre. 
    • Call for session proposals closes on the upcoming Friday. Some mentioned topics included innovations and successes, program technical assistance, data and data decision making, interagency or cross systems collaborations, and health policy and programming. Call for nominations for recognitions of service, will be released next week. It was a great event last year and we anticipate sharing a lot of information this year. 
      • What general time do you anticipate starting the conference on the 4th? 
        • Anticipating a half day on the 4th and a full day on the 5th. It will be 9am to 5pm on the 5th. 

  4. New Arrival & Homeless System Alignment 

    • One System Initiative: creation of one system of crisis response for persons seeking shelter in Chicago. We are looking at bringing the systems leaders and organizations to develop the process of one system. Launch planning team includes OPEH, State of Illinois Asylum Seeker Response Tea, City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, All Chicago. 
    • Consultant Team: IL Homelessness Training and Technical Assistance Center administered by SHPA. 
    • Vision and Purpose: Leverage investments to assist all who are seeking shelter. Workforce expansion. Investment in proven models. Policy enhancement. 
    • A webinar is being held on Thursday, March 7th at 3pm. 
    • Any questions or comments? 
      • Excited to learn about the alignment of the systems. It shows who we are as a community and is the equitable thing to do. 
      • Denver is another city who has been experiencing an influx of migrants form the southern border. There was a call for volunteer sign up to assist with work authorization permits. It seems like an untapped opportunity for paid employment. Interested if it could be scaled throughout the county. Providing access to paid earn income is a big part of the solution. https://denvergov.org/Community/Assistance-Programs/Newcomer-and-Migrant-Support 
        • Ruth Lopez McCarthy is the immigration fellow for the state and would be a great person to talk to understand what Illinois is doing around helping people to apply. Happy to share this article with Ruth to understand the overlap. 
      • The youth population is another population we are having problems with. The youth are being put in the adult systems who do not respond to their needs. Thinking about how our young people who are new arrivals are getting access to services. It is the same thing. Interested in how we will combine systems. 

  5. Public Comment 

    • N/A 
  6. Discussion: Hunger & Food Access Study with University of Illinois at Chicago - Institute for Research on Race & Public Policy - Dr. Karlia Brown & Ni'Shele Jackson 
    • Agenda review 
    • The purpose of the Food Access Project is to create a report for OPEH, the Commission to End Hunger, and associate homeless service to provide focused on the experiences of barriers to, and disparities in food access among the sheltered, unsheltered, and doubled-up unhoused population. 
    • The research questions guiding this work include: what are the food access experiences of unhoused individuals in IL? What barriers or limitations do unhoused individuals face when accessing food in IL? How does food access differ between unsheltered, sheltered, and doubled-up unhoused individuals? What are innovative practices that IL shelters, service providers, and other entities have adopted to provide meals to the unhoused population? What are some ways in which IL food providers can ensure that unhoused individuals experience dignity and belonging while accessing food? 
    • Survey: The first component will be a survey of up to 250 currently or previously unhoused individuals in IL. A 10 -1 currently 5-minute in person survey with a $5 payment. This will take place May - August 2024. We hope to set up shop in service organizations, shelters, mobile centers, pantries, and other organizations across Illinois. 
    • Focus groups: 5-10 currently or previously unhoused individuals in IL for 5 different focus groups (for a total of 25-50 participants). Will be 90 minutes to 2 hours in person focus group, with a $50 payment. Will take place between May to August 2024. Will be hosted in service organizations across Illinois, with 1 focus group taking place in each of the 5 regions of the state. 
    • Interviews: With service providers who serve unhoused population and specifically are involved in food provisions. Would be a Zoom interview about 30 - 45 minutes about their experiences providing food to unhoused populations including barriers/ limitations they face, and innovative practices they've engaged in. Hoping to start these interviews March through April 2024. We will reach out to service providers from across the state. 
    • Timeline: March - April for interview service providers. Schedule survey and focus group. 
      • May - July will begin conducting focus groups and survey. Home Illinois Summit. 
      • August - September will finish conducting focus groups and survey. Begin data analysis. 
      • October - December will finish data analysis. Write and release final report. 
    • Breakout group session 
      • Received great recommendations to reach out to local CoCs and other organizations that we could partner with. Also received recommendations around the research and a focus on drop-in centers. 
      • Some concerns about the study design in regard to the compensation came up. Asking providers about policies that can help with dignity in the food access process. 
      • Next steps will be finalizing the survey. You may email either of us if you have additional thoughts or concerns. Email shared in the chat. 
  7. Discussion: Site Visits & Community Based CACH Meetings 
    • Would like to continue the conversation you all held during the last meeting around site visit and engagement with the Inner Agency Task Force. There was a challenge in finding locations mainly around not creating displacement of programming. Would like to have a more in-depth specific conversation on moving the work forward. 
    • Will have smaller breakout groups to discuss specifics around planning site visits for our Interagency Task Force and thinking more about our community based CACH meetings. 
      • Please identify a note taker who will report back to the group. Discuss the following: What sites would you want the Interagency Task Force Members to visit? Are you looking to engage specific agencies or the whole Task Force? If specific agencies, which ones? How do we elevate the voices of persons experiencing homelessness on a site visit? How many people are ideal for a site visit? The CACH/Task Force have held in-person meetings in Chicago, Springfield, Greenup, Hillside and Peoria. Where should we aim to hold in-person meetings this year? What agencies have the space to hold an Interagency Task Force and/or Community Advisory Council Meeting? 
    • Group 1: We thought it would be great to visit sites like new projects that coming online throughout the state. Such as having a meeting around a ribbon cutting ceremony of a new service. Asking our communities about their lived expertise committees and can use those folks as well. Ideal number of individuals being 5 - 10. Potential locations include Carbondale, Moline, Quad Cities, Rock Island, and Rockford. Deborah's place and potential churches could host this group. 
    • Group 2: Trust needs to be built with individuals with lived expertise and trusted environments could help to elevate the voices of persons experiencing homelessness. In person meetings could be held in the not so beautiful places to have walk throughs, in comparison to locations in the past. Could visit the Margarita Inn, Wright Inn. Can go to Rockford, Quad Cities, and East St. Louis. 
    • Group 3: Should listen in on a CoC meeting or lived expertise infinity group. Emphasis on breaking into smaller groups. We could meet in one location and send smaller groups to other sites, then we can come back to report. Ask host to have a panel presentation, that is compensated, with persons of lived expertise. Ideally 4 to 5 people per site visit. Rockford, Aurora, Waukegan and thinking of locations that have been experiencing an uptake in homelessness. If you hold it in a hotel conference room or a library, it is an opportunity to meet with folks. 
    • Group 4: Thinking of how to use this as a strategic engagement with people and the Interagency Council. Understanding that everyone on the Task Force has different levels of exposure to homelessness and then tailoring it based on the various levels. Can be done thematically, by location, and by size. 
  8. Closing 
    1. Next meeting will be at the Summit. Will be sure to send out the powerpoint for today.

Presentations:

March 6, 2024, Community Advisory Council on Homelessness Quarterly Meeting

The Food Access Project

Meeting Recording:

Recording