Building Changes RSS

What is Rapid Re-Housing?

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:00 -0700

One-page overview of components, research findings, and national case studies associated with this cost-effective stragegy for helping families move out of homelessness and maintain stable housing.
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Make an Impact: GiveBIG on May 15

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Join thousands of others for our community's biggest day of giving, and your gift will go further!

The Seattle Foundation's third annual GiveBIG event on May 15 is a great opportunity to be part of our community's biggest day of giving of the year. This online charitable giving event supports nonprofits that make our region a healthier and more vital place to live. A share of every contribution made that day will be “stretched” with a partial match from The Seattle Foundation and GiveBIG supporters.

Donors get to make a bigger impact with their gifts, and nonprofits get additional challenge dollars. What's not to like?

Building Changes is one of more than 1,400 nonprofits that stand to benefit from this community-wide giving challenge. Why support us? Building Changes is transforming the ways communities work together to end homelessness. Our work helps create new ways to connect families with housing and jobs, making sure children can succeed in school and families can stay safe at home.

Here's how you can participate in GiveBIG:

Learn more about GiveBIG here.
If you want to support Building Changes, Like Us on Facebook, and you'll receive reminders about GiveBIG.
Spread the word: rally your friends to support Building Changes and GiveBIG on May 15!
On May 15, donate to Building Changes between 7:00 am and midnight through our page in The Seattle Foundation's Giving Center. You must donate through The Seattle Foundation web site in order for your gift to count towards the GiveBIG campaign.
Look for other worthy nonprofits that you can support on May 15 by searching The Seattle Foundation's Online Giving Center.

Thank you in advance for giving BIG!

New Report on Homelessness in America

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:00:00 -0700

While homelessness has decreased in Washington State, median incomes have declined, fair market rental rates have soared, and more households are living "doubled up."

A recent report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, The State of Homelessness in America, 2013, reveals that overall homelessness, both nationally and locally, remains stable despite worsening economic, housing, and demographic factors.

In Washington State homelessness among families decreased by 5.5 percent between 2011 and 2012. Both chronic and veteran homelessness also declined.

On the downside, median incomes are decreasing, while the rise in fair market rental rates in our state, at 7.8 percent, is the highest in the United States. The cost burden to the poorest renters is up by 4.3 percent.

It’s no wonder that Washington State is also seeing a 26 percent increase in the number of households living doubled up between 2010 and 2011. Doubling up with friends and family is the most frequently cited living situation or “feeder” for those entering the homeless system.

The homeless crisis is not over, but we have solutions. Building Changes is working with partners across Washington State to end homelessness (see our 2013 Legislative Priorities).

We must maintain a strong safety net to ensure that all families have a place to call home and can get the help they need in order to avoid become homelessness when times are tough.

Affordable and available housing must be a priority or the situation will continue to worsen and put many individuals and families at greater risk for homelessness.

What we know is that investments in solutions, such as rapid re-housing, coordinated entry/assessment, and connecting people to employment through workforce work and are producing measureable results.

The Music of Ending Homelessness

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Impatient Optimists, 3/19/13

Kollin Min, Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reflects on how one young man's story and a piano remind him why our work of systems change really matters.

Read this news item.

Tacoma's Workforce Central receives $360,000 grant to train workers in manufacturing

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800

The News Tribune, 3/8/13

News release about Workforce Central receiving a grant from Building Changes for a two-year job training project.

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Op-ed: Innovate to end youth homelessness

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0800

The Seattle Times, 2/20/13

An op-ed by guest columnists Tricia and Jeff Raikes focuses on innovating to prevent and end youth homelessness.

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The Homeless Youth and Young Adult Initiative: King County’s Community-Wide Response

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800

Background document on the Initiative led by the King County Committee to End Homelessness to address unique issues surrounding youth and young adult homelessness. Outlines the problem in King County and primary strategies from a plan—Priority Action Steps to Prevent and End Youth/Young Adult Homelessness—developed by key community stakeholders: prevention, coordinated engagement/entry, and coordinated data collection.
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Employment Navigator: Connecting Homeless Families to Workforce Systems

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0800

Report provides background on the Employment Navigator model, a team case management approach that helps homeless families through connections to homeless assistance and housing, workforce systems, and DSHS/TANF and offers a detailed overview of the new, emerging model under way in four Washington state counties—Pierce, Whatcom, Skagit and Yakima—starting in 2013.
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Coordinated Entry Toolkit

mike@mikebroganconsulting.com (Mike Brogan) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:35:53 -0800

A new online toolkit created by Building Changes to help communities incorporate a coordinated entry system. Covers planning, implementation, data collection, and evaluation.

Coordinated Entry Toolkit - Intake and Assessment Tools

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:00:00 -0800

Examples of coordinated entry intake and assessment tools from providers in Washington state. Part of Building Changes' online Coordinated Entry Toolkit.
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Coordinated Entry Toolkit - ROI MOA Client Rights and Consent Forms

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:00:00 -0800

Examples of Release of Information, partnership agreement, client rights and client consent forms from providers in Washington state. Part of Building Changes' online Coordinated Entry Toolkit.
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Stable Housing and Education Go Hand in Hand

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800

Fact sheet on the impact of housing instability on school-age children and the importance of investing in programs and services that support families, schools, and the communities they live in. Developed by Seattle University’s Project on Family Homelessness in collaboration with Building Changes, Housing Development Consortium Seattle-King County and the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, using data from Columbia Legal Services.
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Looking Ahead: A Vision for Ending Family Homelessness

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800

Impatient Optimists, 1/28/13

David Wertheimer, Deputy Director of the Pacific Northwest initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reflects on the Point-In-Time Count of people who are homeless and the work ahead to reduce and end family homelessness in Washington state.

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Progress in the Pacific Northwest

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800

Impatient Optimists, 1/22/13

David Bley, Director of the Pacific Northwest Initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reports on results from the foundation's investment in local efforts to strengthen and improve family stability, education, and communities.

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Helping Homeless Youth Realize Their Boundless Promise

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0800

Impatient Optimists, 1/16/13

Blog post based on a keynote speech that Tricia Raikes delivered to the Legislative Breakfast of the Committee to End Homelessness in King County on January 9, 2012. Because of the strong connection between youth and family homelessness, the Raikes and Gates Foundations are working in partnership in Washington state to address these issues.

Read this news item.

2013 State Legislative Priorities

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:00:00 -0800

Our two lead priorities: A request for $6 million in continued support of the successful Washington Families Fund and continued support of the Housing Trust Fund.

Building Changes’ policy and advocacy team has been working closely with staff, board, and partners in housing, child welfare, workforce, and education to prepare for the 2013 Legislative session. This year we have two lead priorities: A request for $6 million in continued support of the successful Washington Families Fund to continue our forward momentum in reducing family homelessness. We are also asking state lawmakers for continued support of the Housing Trust Fund, Washington’s primary tool for ensuring access to housing for working families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.

Many dedicated advocacy partners are supporting our lead efforts, as we support theirs. Together we’re seeking funding and support for other vital programs that promote stability for the many populations experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Among this collective support, are requests for legislators to: fund Foster Care to Age 21; reinstate 72 Hour Notification Requirements of Youth Shelters; and amend the Fair Tenant Screening Act to address the way evictions are listed on reports to protect victims of domestic violence, etc.

To learn more about our 2013 Legislative Priorities, see State Policy & Advocacy.

For additional information crucial to homelessness during this legislative session, please also visit the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance's Legislative Agenda.

$2.24M in New Grants Announced

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0800

Washington Families Fund grant awards support programs and strategies that lead to family stability and improved systems for addressing homelessness.

We are pleased to announce $2.24 million in new Washington Families Fund (WFF) grants to organizations in King and Snohomish counties. Through WFF grants, Building Changes supports programs and strategies that lead to family stability and improved systems for addressing homelessness.

A $300,000, five-year grant to Sound Mental Health (SMH) means families with children who have a history of homelessness and mental illness can receive critical, timely services with permanent housing to improve their housing stability.

Sound Mental Health, King County’s largest mental health provider, has been providing comprehensive mental health services since 1966. Over the last five years, SMH has helped high-needs families maintain permanent housing with a success rate of more than 80 percent. This five-year grant will continue funding for rapid re-housing and intensive case management, support for children, mental/physical health counseling, and chemical dependency services to 15 high-needs families. Case management will include support in seeking employment training and opportunities.

The Washington Families Fund supports county governments and housing and service providers in enhancing their ability to develop and implement effective systems-level strategies that will end homelessness. These strategies are centered on coordinated entry, prevention, rapid re-housing, employment opportunities, and tailored services.

In King County, $620,000 in funding will help reduce shelter and transitional housing by focusing of prevention and Rapid Re-housing. WFF funding will support 28 organizations in planning for and converting from a housing model that moves homeless families through a series of time-limited housing programs, before returning them to permanent housing, to one that offers shorter stays with prevention, diversion, and rapid re-housing services that move more people out of homelessness more quickly.

In Snohomish County, $1.3M in funding will go to nine individual projects that support the expansion of services from a 75-family Investing in Families pilot to a county-wide initiative. Based on the successful one-year operation of the pilot and incorporating the lessons learned from experience and independent research, the county is escalating the program capacity by increasing the number of agencies providing services so that more families can be served. Funds will support a variety of activities that support families in improving their self-sufficiency and employment readiness and limiting the amount of time they are homeless.

For the complete list of current Building Changes' grantees statewide, see Funded Projects.

Creating 'The Big Tent' - Collaboration Key to Ending Homelessness

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Impatient Optimists, 11/14/12

Lisa Gustaveson, Program Manager for Seattle University’s Faith and Family Homelessness Project, reflects on the "Big Tent" approach of the October 2012 Washington Families Fund Systems Initiative Data Convening.

Read this news item.

Our “Aha” Moments in Tracking Washington Families Fund Data

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org (Terra Chen) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Impatient Optimists, 11/14/12

Alice Shobe, Executive Director of Building Changes, reflects on what we're learning and how data is guiding the Washington Families Fund Systems Initiative.

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Election-weary Politicians Can Work Together to Combat Homelessness

mike@mikebroganconsulting.com (Mike Brogan) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800

The Seattle Times, 11/9/12

Columnist Lance Dickie outlines a shared mission for lawmakers in 2013—invest in the Washington Families Fund to help end family homelessness.

Read this news item.