Author: Jason Thorpe

TPCH has released the local application materials for the FY 2022 Continuum of Care Program Supplemental Unsheltered Funding Competition in Tucson/Pima County.  Funding opportunity information and application instructions are posted at https://old.tpch.net/about/nofa-documents/2022-unsheltered/.

Organizations interested in applying for FY 2022 Continuum of Care Supplemental Unsheltered program funds should begin by carefully reviewing the Fiscal Year 2022 HUD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), HUD’s Supplemental NOFO competition page, and the TPCH FY 2022 CoC Program Unsheltered Funding Competition Overview, Instructions, and Process for Tucson/Pima County posted at https://old.tpch.net/about/nofa-documents/2022-unsheltered/. 

*This announcement is for supplemental funds and does not include competition for the FY 2022 renewal of existing Continuum of Care and Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project activities. A separate competition will be announced later in August for the annual Continuum of Care competition.
 

Application Due Date

All applications for FY 2022 Continuum of Care Supplemental Unsheltered Program funds are due no later than 12pm Arizona time (noon) on September 19, 2022. 

 
Funding Available

The Tucson/Pima County FY 2022 supplemental funding competition includes five categories of available funding:

Continuum of Care Planning ($234,077 available): The Continuum of Care Lead Agency/Collaborative Applicant is eligible to apply for up to $234,077 to support Continuum of Care Planning activities associated with this funding opportunity during the 36-month performance period.

Homeless Management Information System ($234,077 available): The HMIS Lead Agency is eligible to apply for up to $234,077 to support HMIS administration activities associated with this funding opportunity during the 36-month performance period.

Supportive Services Only – Street Outreach ($1,560,516 available): Government, Tribal, and not-for-profit organizations with demonstrated experience providing effective street outreach services, and capacity to provide system-level coordinated street outreach on behalf of the Continuum of Care may apply for up to $1,560,516 for activities associated with this funding opportunity during the 36-month performance period.

Supportive Services Only – Housing Navigation ($780,258 available): Government, Tribal, and not-for-profit organizations with demonstrated experience providing effective housing navigation services, and capacity to provide system-level housing navigation on behalf of the Continuum of Care may apply for up to $780,258 for activities associated with this funding opportunity during the 36-month performance period.

Permanent Supportive Housing ($4,993,652 available): Government, Tribal, and not-for-profit organizations with demonstrated experience providing effective permanent supportive housing services for individuals and families with severe service needs may apply for up to $4,993,652 for housing and service activities associated with this funding opportunity during the 36-month performance period.
 

Project Application Orientation & Pre-Proposal Conference

TPCH will conduct a virtual pre-proposal conference for organizations interested in applying for funds through this competition. Applicants are strongly encouraged to have one or more representatives attend the pre-proposal conference. Registration is required. 

August 24, 2022 (1pm-2:30pm Arizona time) 
                                                  
Register to attend the pre-proposal conference at https://old.tpch.net/about/nofa-documents/2022-unsheltered/.                  

For More Information

Visit https://old.tpch.net/about/nofa-documents/2022-unsheltered/ for detailed information about this funding opportunity and application instructions.  Email questions regarding this competition to tpch-nofo@tucsonaz.gov.  Please allow up to 3 business days for a response. 

TPCH Releases Request for Proposals for In-Kind Grant Opportunity: LGBTQ+ Equity and Inclusion Technical Assistance and Consulting.

Proposals due to tpch@tucsonaz.gov August 17, 2022 by 11:59pm Arizona time.

Click here to download the Request for Proposals.

Background

Homeless services, programs, and policies can systematically disadvantage and/or discriminate against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. When people experience homelessness, trauma, substance use, and mental health challenges, their housing stability is further undermined by discrimination, bias, and stigma. 

Equity is a strategy to address those disparities and achieve truly fair access, opportunity, and outcomes for all.

TPCH provides opportunities for local homeless service organizations to further their work and our collective impact as it relates to identifying and addressing barriers to equity and inclusion. As part of this important work, TPCH is happy to announce this in-kind grant opportunity for TPCH member agencies to receive up to 25 hours of LGBTQ+ Equity and Inclusion technical assistance and consulting. The value of this in-kind opportunity is $3,750 per participating organization, fully subsidized by TPCH and at no cost to the participating organization.

Opportunity

TPCH will select up to three organizations to participate in this in-kind grant opportunity. Technical assistance and coaching services will be provided by LGBTQ+ Equity and Inclusion professionals at the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women during the period of September-December, 2022. Each selected organization will develop a tailored technical assistance plan with SIROW based on their individual needs. Technical assistance offerings available include:

1. Deep Dive LGBTQ+ Equity Training
2. Supervisor and Administrative Professional Training
3. Date Analysis and Share-Out
4. Policy Review and Recommendations
5. Document Review and Recommendations
6. Programming Review and Recommendations
7. Customized Troubleshooting Sessions

Learn More and Apply

TPCH member organizations are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this in-kind grant opportunity.

Download the Request for Proposals to learn more about this opportunity and for application instructions. Please contact tpch@tucsonaz.gov with any questions.

Join the City of Tucson Housing and Community Development Department and Tucson
Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness for a two-day community strategy session to guide our shared efforts to address unsheltered homelessness in the Tucson area. This two-day session will include community updates on local data, initiatives, and efforts to address homelessness followed by a series of smaller group meetings to develop specific action plans and identify resource and capacity needs related to unsheltered homelessness in the Tucson area.

Download the Unsheltered Homelessness Forum Flyer.

Thanks to incredible response from the Tucson community, this event is at capacity. In-person registration is no longer available but we encourage you Livestream our public sessions.

Although registration is now closed for in-person attendance, please consider watching the livestream of our keynote welcome and conclusion sessions on the City of Tucson Housing and Community Development Department Youtube channel.

Why Host a Community Forum Now?

The key objectives of the forum are two-fold:

Igniting a FUSE to Address the Needs of Individuals and Families with Severe Service Needs

TPCH and the City of Tucson HCD are working closely with Corporation to Supportive
Housing to launch a Frequent User System Engagement (FUSE) initiative aimed at rapidly housing individuals and families with severe service needs to reduce costs and trauma associated with recurrent episodes of homelessness,  incarceration, and emergency services. This forum will serve as a launch of the FUSE initiative and an opportunity to align health, housing, supportive service, and other resources to help these prioritized households access and maintain permanent housing.

Outlining a Coordinated Community Plan to Address the Growing Rates of Unsheltered Homelessness, Particularly Among Individuals and Families with Severe Service Needs

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has released an unprecedented funding opportunity to address unsheltered homelessness. Local and state governments have additionally experienced infusions of new federal resources to support the transition of unsheltered persons to temporary and permanent housing. This session will allow Tucson area stakeholders to identify and align resources, community priorities, and strategies to address unsheltered homelessness, particularly among individuals and families with severe service needs.

Location

This event will be held at the Community Foundation Campus located in the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (5049 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85711). Public sessions will be live-streamed on the City of Tucson HCD YouTube Channel.

Event Agenda

The two-day community forum will include public events and smaller stakeholder meetings aimed at launching the TPCH and City of Tucson HCD FUSE initiative, and determining longer-term strategies and priorities for addressing unsheltered homelessness locally.

Monday, August 15

9am-12pm: Introduction, Data Overview, FUSE Initiative, and Current Initiatives (Public Session)

This session will include an overview of key initiatives underway to address unsheltered homelessness, the FUSE initiative, and local homelessness data compiled from HMIS and justice system records.

Event is at capacity. Click here to livestream (beginning 9am on August 15)

1pm-4pm (Breakout A): FUSE Small Group Planning Cohorts (By Invitation)
Key stakeholders to the FUSE initiative will be invited to participate in a series of roundtable discussions related to the resourcing, planning, and implementation of the FUSE initiative.

1pm-4pm (Breakout B): TPCH System Modeling for Unsheltered Persons with Severe Service Needs (TPCH Members)

TPCH members and community partners will use HUD system modeling tools and other resources to quantitatively define the housing and service gaps experienced by unsheltered persons, particularly those with severe service needs, for use in prioritizing TPCH and local government’s allocation of supportive housing and services funding.

Event is at capacity.

Tuesday, August 16

9am-2pm (Breakout A): FUSE Small Group Planning Cohorts (By Invitation)

Key stakeholders to the FUSE initiative will be invited to participate in a series of roundtable discussions related to the resourcing, planning, and implementation of the FUSE initiative.

Key stakeholders to the FUSE initiative will be invited to participate in a series of roundtable discussions related to the resourcing, planning, and implementation of the FUSE initiative.
*There will be a one-hour break for lunch on your own.

9am-2pm (Breakout B): TPCH Planning Session – Strategies and Priorities to Address Unsheltered Homelessness (TPCH Members)

Join TPCH and community partners for an interactive community planning discussion to identify key priorities and strategies to address unsheltered homelessness among individuals and families with severe service needs.

Event is at capacity.

*There will be a one-hour break for lunch on your own.

2pm-4pm: Presentation of Community Strategies and Forum Results (Public Session)

Join the City of Tucson HCD and TPCH for a wrap-up of the two-day forum. In this public session, we will highlight strategies and priorities established during the forum, charting our path toward ending unsheltered homelessness in the Tucson area.

Event is at capacity. Click here to livestream (beginning August 16 at 2pm).

For more information, please email tpch@tucsonaz.gov.

TPCH to Host Webinar Addressing COVID-19 Regulatory Waivers for HUD Homeless Assistance Programs

Wednesday, July 6, 1pm-2:30pm

Learn more about HUD’s recently announced COVID-19 waivers, and expiring waivers.  This webinar is intended for HUD Continuum of Care, Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project, Emergency Solutions Grant, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grant recipients and subrecipients.

Click here to register! 

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development has released multiple waiver notices since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These waivers have allowed additional flexibilities for HUD homeless assistance programs.  Several waivers have expired and/or are set to expire on September 30, 2022.  Additionally, HUD announced new waiver availabilities and processes in CPD Notice 22-09 earlier today. 

Keeping up with the requirements and timelines of these waivers can be dizzying!  Join TPCH for a 90-minute webinar in which we will review expired and soon-to-expire waivers, currently available waivers including the waivers identified in today’s CPD Notice, and requirements related to recordkeeping, notification, and program implementation.

During this session, training participants will:

• Receive a refresher training on recordkeeping and other requirements associated with the use of expired and expiring waivers
• Learn more about currently available waivers including newly published waivers announced in CPD Notice 22-09. 
• Receive instruction regarding the submission of requests for regulatory waivers to the local HUD Field Office or, in the case of subrecipients, to the primary recipient through which funds are subawarded. 

Who Should Attend: This webinar is intended for recipients and subrecipients of Continuum of Care, Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project, Emergency Solutions Grant, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grant recipients and subrecipients in Pima County, Arizona. 
 

Click here to register! 

For more information, please contact tpch@tucsonaz.gov. 

June 23, 2pm-3:30pm

Click here to register.

Join TPCH, the Pima County Health Department, and the City of Tucson Housing and Community Development Department for this 90-minute webinar and community discussion regarding safety considerations in an ongoing pandemic environment.  Early in the pandemic, community shelters reduced capacity to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness. 

Now, approximately two years later, we know much more about COVID-19 safety pre-cautions and have resources to reduce transmission through vaccination.  Many shelter providers are asking – when and how should we safely increase our shelter capacity again?

In this webinar, health professionals from Pima County Health Department will discuss:

• Safety precautions and considerations to increase shelter capacity in congregate settings including dorm style shelter and room/unit-sharing in non-congregate units.

• Risk planning for COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks in shelter settings.

• Tools to help shelter providers know when it’s the “right time” to increase shelter bed capacity.

• Upcoming opportunities to host vaccination/booster events for shelter program participants.

This webinar will include significant time for discussion and questions.  Emergency shelter program leadership and staff are especially encouraged to attend.

Click here to register.

City of Tucson Issues Request for Proposals ESG-CV Homelessness Prevention Services (Proposals Due July 12, 2022 by 12pm AZ Time)

The City of Tucson Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) is pleased to announce the release of a new ESG-CV Homelessness Prevention Services Request for Proposals (RFP). This RFP will provide $250,000 in CARES Act Emergency Solutions Grant funds for the administration of expanded homelessness prevention services to prevent individuals and families from experiencing homelessness. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Application Deadline Applications must be received on or before 12pm Arizona time on July 12, 2022 and include all required forms and documents.   Pre-Proposal Conference The City of Tucson HCD will host a virtual pre-proposal conference for all interested applicant organizations on Thursday, June 16 at 10:00am (AZ Time). All prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to attend. Click here to register for the pre-proposal conference.  Request for Proposals and Application Materials Visit https://www.tucsonaz.gov/hcd/news/2022-ESG-CV-HP-RFP to download the Request for Proposals and associated application materials.

CITY OF TUCSON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

TEMPORARY POSITION AVAILABLE (POSTING DATE: JUNE 7, 2022)

Community Services Project Coordinator (Homeless Vaccine Ambassador)

Position is open until filled. Please follow instructions below to apply.

Download this position description as a PDF to save or share.

The City of Tucson Housing and Community Development is currently accepting applications for the position of temporary Community Services and Neighborhood Resources Project Coordinator (Homeless Vaccine Ambassador) to administer the City’s summer-long COVID-19 vaccine initiative which will provide vaccine education, coordinate vaccination events, and provide cash stipends to individuals and families experiencing homelessness who receive the COVID-19 vaccine and/or booster. 

**Note** This is a temporary position. Employment period will begin as soon as possible and end on or before September 30, 2022.  Selected candidates will be employed by the City of Tucson’s contracted temporary employment agency and assigned to this project. Selected candidates will not be classified as City of Tucson employees but will serve as a representative of the City and be obligated to adhere to applicable City of Tucson Administrative Directives and departmental policies. 

This position requires regular use of personal vehicle to attend vaccine events within the City limits and does not include insurance, mileage reimbursement, or other benefits.  This position provides on-site service at daily vaccination events with limited telecommuting opportunity.  The starting rate of pay for this position shall be between $22.83/hour and $31.52/hour, dependent upon experience.

The City of Tucson values the safety of our employees, our residents, our community, and our visitors.  In support of these values, if you are selected for this job, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, except when vaccination is not medically advised or violates your sincerely held religious beliefs. If you are invited to join our team, you must submit proof that you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or you must request an exemption from your representative. New employees must either provide proof of vaccination or be granted a medical or religious exemption before beginning work.

To apply: Please email elle.millyard@tucsonaz.gov with any questions or to apply for this position.  To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter that describes your qualifications for the position and prior experience. 

Individuals with lived experience of homelessness and housing instability, BIPOC persons, LGBTQIA+ individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Specific Job Duties

• Schedule and coordinate daily vaccination events at area shelters, day centers, and programs serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
• Develop and distribute campaign promotional materials in partnership with vaccination event hosts, Pima County Health Department, HCD community engagement staff, and contractors.
• Provide vaccine education to people experiencing homelessness.
• Facilitate vaccine ambassadorship training for homeless services staff at area shelters, day centers, and programs serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
• Coordinate the purchase, secure storage, delivery, and tracking of vaccine incentives for eligible individuals and families.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and legible records demonstrating that vaccine incentives have been delivered to eligible persons upon receipt of vaccine dose(s).
• Enter participant data into the Homeless Management Information System and other data repositories as required.
• Complete programmatic reporting and communications.
• Responsibly use and return in good working condition all City-issued equipment including but not limited to laptop device, software, and telephone.

Minimum Qualifications

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office products and common technologies
• Associate degree or commensurate professional experience
• At least 2 years of experience in community services

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual English/Spanish verbal and written communication proficiency.
• Prior experiencing providing and/or coordinating services for individuals and/or families experiencing homelessness.
• Prior experience entering data into the Homeless Management Information System.
• Prior experience working in and/or coordinating the delivery of public health resources and education to vulnerable populations, including persons experiencing homelessness.

Apply Now

Please email elle.millyard@tucsonaz.gov with any questions or to apply for this position.  To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter that describes your qualifications for the position and prior experience. 

Download this position description as a PDF to save or share.

Striving Toward Racial Justice
Issue #9- Embracing the Journey and Continuing the Work

TPCH released Striving Toward Racial Justice: A Call-to-Action for Pima County Community-Based Organizations, in partnership with the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women in November 2021.  As we begin 2022, we are calling on community organizations and our housing partners to deepen our shared resolve to advancing racial equity.  This email series provides a summary of key concepts and strategies discussed in the Call to Action and i packed with useful resources and tools to help community organizations as they strive toward racial justice.  In this issue, we introduce the final key actions defined in the Call to Action: Embracing the Journey and Continuing the Work.  The work of advancing racial justice is ongoing and we are called on to commit long-term if the the seeds of equity we are planting within our organizations and communities are to take hold.     Action 7: Embrace the Journey and Continue the Work   Racial justice work is not easy or comfortable. Authentic work includes having difficult conversations, facing intense emotions and, potentially, losing colleagues. People have held their own personal belief systems long before they were asked to do this work in an organization. At times, it can feel as though the work is stalled and there is nowhere to go. However, that is part of the work and often a step along the path. Unfortunately, there is no endpoint to racial justice efforts. It is not as simple as creating a plan and completing the plan. Racial justice requires a long-term commitment and people committed to keeping a racial justice lens on all aspects of the organization. Fortunately, committing to racial justice makes the work more natural and easier to implement.   Ultimately, the hope for more just organizations far outweighs the inevitable challenges.

Watch “Sustainable Change Toward Racial Equity: Behind the Book with Robert Livingston”, author of The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations.   

Recommended Strategies

Maintain the group that is created to focus on racial justice.

Though members may rotate out of the group, the work is perpetual, not a one-time initiative.

Provide ongoing opportunities for stakeholders to share information, perspectives, suggestions, and reports of racial bias.

Share organizational expectations of racial justice during the interview process of new hires.

Ensure that racial justice training and internal work is part of the onboarding process.

Create innovative strategies (book clubs, activism, cultural activities) for people to continue to engage in racial justice work in an informal way.

Review data and consider other elements to analyze.

Celebrate organizational and individual accomplishments        

Resources for the Journey

Accountability Statement: What Does Accountability Look Like for Me and White People in General? 
Robin DiAngelo

Bolstering Real-Time Learning and Course Correction
Dan Wilson and Marilyn Darling, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Signet Research & Consulting, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

Five Steps Toward Anti-Racism Accountability
Mavis Joy Manaloto et al, StageSource

How Can We Create Reasonable Expectations for the Success of the Group’s Strategies while Still Being Accountable?
Center for Assessment and Policy Development 

How Can We Make Evaluation and Data Tracking Routine? 
Center for Assessment and Policy Development

How Can We Use Evaluation Findings to Reflect on and Adjust Our Work? 
Center for Assessment and Policy Development

How YWCA Boston is Using Data for Racial Equity
Kemarah Sika and Dr. Sarah Faude, Borealis Philanthropy  

Authors  

It is with the upmost admiration, respect and appreciation that we thank the authors for their critical contribution to this call-to action. In addition to their daily tireless commitment and relentless dedication to achieving racial justice in our community, they lent their expertise and passion to the hopeful notion that local organizations are willing to better serve their clients and better support their staff. Each of you makes our community a more just place.  

Claudia Powell
Casey Chimneystar Limón-Condit
Marisol Flores-Aguirre
Anna Harper-Guerrero
Mildred Manuel
Andrés Portela III
Claudio Rodriguez    

DOWNLOAD THE FULL CALL TO ACTION

WATCH THE VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO THE CALL TO ACTION

TPCH released Striving Toward Racial Justice: A Call-to-Action for Pima County Community-Based Organizations, in partnership with the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women in November 2021.  As we begin 2022, we are calling on community organizations and our housing partners to deepen our shared resolve to advancing racial equity.  This email series provides a summary of key concepts and strategies discussed in the Call to Action and i packed with useful resources and tools to help community organizations as they strive toward racial justice.  In this issue, we introduce the sixth of 7 key actions defined in the Call to Action: Building Racial Justice and Minimizing Harm.  This issue focuses on committing to accountability through regular data collection and ongoing evaluation.  This issue keeps us focused on achieving results that match our intentions of advancing racial justice.  Don’t miss our next issue in which we introduce Action 7 – Embracing the Journey and Continuing the Work.  Can’t wait?  Click here to download the full Call to Action now.  Action 6: Commit to Accountability To successfully implement a strategic plan within a designated time frame, a racial equity lens must be applied at every step of the decision-making process, stakeholders and funders must remain engaged, and input from all stakeholders must be weighed equitably. Collecting data on outcomes is necessary to maintain focus and highlight any roadblocks. Data collection will also highlight when strategies need to be revised. There are various ways to collect data on outcomes, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, observations, and number tracking. Pay specific attention to cultural aspects that could impact the data. For instance, whether or not the interviewer or moderator is of the same racial background as the clients may depend on the issue and the community that is being addressed. Both qualitative and quantitative data are equally important in producing a clear and concise understanding about the impact of the plan. Make sure that you craft messages to target specific audiences. See the Talking about Race Toolkit available from the Center for Social Inclusion as an example of how to craft targeted messages.

Watch “Achieving Equity with Results-Based Accountability” with Clear Impact, Center for Social Inclusion, and Government Alliance on Race Equity.

Recommended Strategies

Evaluate progress on a regular schedule.

If targets are no longer relevant, re-set targeted outcomes.

Share your progress and your challenges both internally and with external stakeholders.

Monitor the ongoing work of the group and ensure:

The team is meeting regularly and that the work does not become stagnant.

The staff who are working on the project are racially and linguistically diverse.

You are actively engaging the community.

Each action item is given the same attention and investment.

Additional resources are provided, as needed during implementation.

The team charged has the full support of leadership.

Progress and barriers are being documented.

Resources for Building Racial Justice Accountability

Building a Culture of Accountability
Piper Anderson

Calling In: A Quick Guide on When and How
Sian Ferguson, Everyday Feminism

CHAAD: Chicago Hospitality Accountable Actions Database
Raeghn Draper and Leah Ball

Data-Driven Decision Making for Not-for-Profit Organizations
Amy West, The CPA Journal

Developing and Staying Accountable to Racial Equity Goals
Robert K. Ross and Amy Chung

How Can the Effects or Impacts of our Strategies be Measured? 
Racial Equity Tools

Racial Equity: Getting to Results
Erika Bernabei, Racial Equity Alliance

We Need to Make Proactive Accountability Regular Praxis in Organizing and Beyond
The Black Youth Project

Why Am I Always Being Researched? A Guidebook for Community Organizations, Researchers, and Funders to Help Get from Insufficient Understanding to More Authentic Truth
Chicago Beyond

Authors

It is with the upmost admiration, respect and appreciation that we thank the authors for their critical contribution to this call-to action. In addition to their daily tireless commitment and relentless dedication to achieving racial justice in our community, they lent their expertise and passion to the hopeful notion that local organizations are willing to better serve their clients and better support their staff. Each of you makes our community a more just place.  

Claudia Powell
Casey Chimneystar Limón-Condit
Marisol Flores-Aguirre
Anna Harper-Guerrero
Mildred Manuel
Andrés Portela III
Claudio Rodriguez

DOWNLOAD THE FULL CALL TO ACTION

WATCH THE VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO THE CALL TO ACTION