Child Tax Credit Payments
ACEH Weekly Digest for 7/21/2021
Please reach out to communications@aceh.org if you have questions, suggestions or resources you would like to share in the weekly digest.
Outreach Updates
The next mobile vaccination clinic with Visit Healthcare is TBD as vaccination and testing clinics are currently on hold.
Reminder: The next Outreach Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 21st at 10 AM.
Alaska Homeless
Management Information System (HMIS) Updates
Alaska’s software vendor WellSky has scheduled AKHMIS downtime beginning tonight, Wednesday, July 21 at 8:00 pm AKST. WellSky estimates that the Alaska HMIS ServicePoint site will be down for about 4 hours while database maintenance takes place. We understand that for HMIS-participating organizations across Alaska this may be an inconvenience.
Thank you for your patience while this necessary maintenance takes place! If you need assistance, please reach out to the AKHMIS Help Desk.
Homeless Prevention and Response System Advisory Council Meeting
7/22/2021 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
To access the meeting, please use the information below:
Join Zoom Meeting (please be sure to update your name when you join)
https://zoom.us/j/93891381028?pwd=WUFBQkpqazVNSURheE1TOFNYN0RDdz09&from=msft
Meeting ID: 938 9138 1028
Passcode: 358417
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,93891381028#,,,,,,0#,,358417#
View this month’s meeting agenda
ACEH is governed by a Board of Directors who oversee financial stewardship and the long-term vision of the coalition. The Homeless Prevention & Response System Advisory Council connects homeless service provider needs and issues to ACEH strategy. The Advisory Council is also a forum for ACEH members to learn about what is happening in the homelessness response and share their thoughts and opinions.
Child Tax Credits Begin
The first round of monthly Child Tax Credit payments were distributed this week. Eligible families can use this online tool to register for these important payments.
National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) Updates
Senate Democrats Advance $3.5 Trillion Reconciliation Package Along with Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
Democratic leaders in the Senate reached an agreement on July 13 to pursue a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package that would be able to pass the chamber without Republican support. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced a deadline of July 21 for Senate Democrats to agree to move forward with a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions, the first step in enacting the reconciliation package.
Read more of this article here
Urban Institute Calls for Equitable Redevelopment of Public Housing, Repeal of Faircloth Amendment
Urban Institute released a new paper on June 23 highlighting the country’s public housing redevelopment needs. Decades of insufficient federal funding and weak oversight have left public housing developments in poor condition, exposing residents to risks that threaten their health and well-being, a plight exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more of this article here
Out of Reach – NLIHC Releases Out of Reach 2021
NLIHC released Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing 2021 on July 14. The annual report highlights the mismatch between wages people earn and the price of decent rental housing in every state, metropolitan area, and county in the U.S. The report calculates the “Housing Wage” a full-time worker must earn to afford a rental home without spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs. This year’s national Housing Wage is $24.90 per hour for a modest two-bedroom home at fair market rent and $20.40 per hour for a modest one-bedroom rental home. Out of Reach 2021 finds that in no state, metropolitan area, or county can a full-time minimum-wage worker afford a modest two-bedroom rental home.
U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Updates
Materials Posted: Undisbursed CDBG Funds at Risk of Cancellation – FY 2014 Grants
Update: Materials are now posted on the Undisbursed CDBG Funds at Risk of Cancellation – FY 2014 Grants webinar page.
Section 3 New Rule Guidance for CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT Grantees Video Available
This video reviews the Section 3 New Rule requirements and is applicable to Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grantees. The information in this video is based on the Section 3 Final Rule which was published on September 29, 2020, and a companion notice, entitled Section 3 Benchmarks for Creating Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons and Eligible Businesses, (85 FR 60907) (“Benchmark Notice”), which outlines the numeric goals for compliance with the new Section 3 requirements. The Final Rule became effective on November 30, 2020 and is codified at 24 CFR part 75.
View the Section 3 New Rule Guidance for CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT Grantees Video
HOME Consortia Builder – Updated Resource Posted
An updated version of the HOME Consortia Builder – A Tool to Estimate Funding is now available on the HUD Exchange. The tool uses U.S. Census and HOME data to calculate an estimate of the amount of HOME funds that a potential consortium might qualify for under the HOME formula.
Formula factors include:
- Incidence of poverty
- Supply of substandard rental housing
- Relative inadequacy of housing supply
- Cost of producing housing
- Number of low-income families in rental housing units likely to need rehabilitation
- Fiscal incapacity to carry out housing activities without federal assistance
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Updates
Deadline to Know
There are less than two weeks left to apply for the FY 2019/2020 Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program.
Council Discusses Eviction Prevention, American Rescue Plan, and Federal Strategic Plan
White House leaders participated in first meeting led by HUD Secretary Fudge.
New Funds for Homeless Students
States and school districts can now apply for round two of the American Rescue Plan’s Homeless Children and Youth Fund.
Case Conferencing and Coordinated Entry (CE) Training
If you have any questions about these meetings or are interested in coordinated entry access point training for you or your team, please contact Mac Lyons at: mlyons@aceh.org
What is CE? CE is a triage process to connect individuals experiencing homelessness to necessary resources. It is a federally mandated program that recognizes communities rarely have enough resources. There are three main goals of CE: prioritize the most vulnerable, streamline the experience for providers and unsheltered people, and provide data to inform decisions regarding the structure of and need for services.
View the updated CE Access Points list on our website.
If you have thoughts or suggestions, we want to hear from you. Please let us know what you think. Email us at communications@aceh.org
Recent News
The Homelessness Prevention & Response System
The Homelessness Prevention & Response System serves those at risk of or experiencing homelessness to safely house people.
Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness Monthly Data Report
Since September 2022, the HPRS has seen a 28% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness. Why?
Homelessness is the result of not enough housing
MEASURING NEEDS ACROSS THE SYSTEM The Gap Analysis quantifies the scale of estimated need for improvement (gaps) in the HPRS.