Systemwide Family Diversion Initiative 2023

On behalf of the All Neighbors Coalition, Housing Forward received a $1.25 million grant from the Day 1 Families Fund. The Day 1 Families Fund issues annual awards to leading organizations employing needle-moving work to help families achieve housing stability. The grant provides $250,000 for Housing Forward to provide backbone support for the family homeless response system, as well as $1,000,000 for agencies providing direct assistance to families. The All Neighbors Coalition will use these funds to expand Systemwide Diversion for Families, which is one of the Coalition’s top priorities for reducing family homelessness. Diversion is an intensive, short term service intervention that targets families at the front door of the family homelessness system who have just lost their housing. Drawing on creative problem solving and families’ strengths, Diversion Case Managers help households find alternative safe housing. The goal is to ensure the experience of homelessness is a brief as possible, and to help families avoid entering shelter or experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Diversion Funding Avaliable: Systemwide Diversion for Families is a 12 month initiative. Funding will be used for two main components of Diversion: 1.Case Management: Working with families to explore and pursue immediate housing solutions. Each case managers will have a diversion caseload of approximately 20 families per month. Housing-focused support includes but is not limited to: - Negotiating a return to previous housing - Housing search assistance to relocate into a new housing unit - Mediation with family, friends, or landlords to preserve existing housing 2. Flexible Financial Assistance: An average of $1000 per family is available to help families reduce barriers to accessing safe, alternative housing. Funding is flexible meaning some households may receive more and less than that amount, and the funds can be used for a variety of expenses that are directly related to obtaining permanent housing. Expenses include but are not limited to: - Credit repair - Transportation or car repairs - Rental arears or utility costs - Move in costs, furniture etc - Rent or security deposit to landlords, family, or friends - One time rental assistance of up to three months for Rapid Resolution Program Requirements: Diversion is designed to immediately address the needs of someone who has just lost their housing. As such these funds are to provide Diversion at the front door of the homeless response system, which is at designated Access Points for the Coordinated Access System (CAS). See more information about CAS on the Housing Forward website. The following are requirements of applicants to receive the funding. Applicants must: 1. Be a designated Access Point for the Coordinated Access System or must work with Housing Forward to become an Access Point within 30 days of award 2. Participate in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) 3. Deliver services in alignment with the All Neighbor’s Coalition Diversion Program Model, which is being refined and finalized by the CoC Families Workgroup. Please note: Housing Forward Housing Locators are available to support unit location efforts for households that must relocate. There will be a mandatory in-person information session on January 11, 2023 at 3pm. Please register through this link: https://mdhadallas.jotform.com/223535343607151