HSN urges you to review the Executive Summary of the plan and attend to meeting on August 26 to provide feedback to the Florida Policy Council during its discussions.

Download the 2010 HHAG application here.

Permitted uses: acquisition, new construction for housing units or the rehabilitation of existing, unoccupied housing units for homeless persons

Ineligible uses: purchase of land, furnishing or personal property, off-site utility systems, project design, impact fees; common kitchen or dining facilities, offices or program areas will only be funded if these costs are incidental to the cost of building residential units.

Restrictions:

• Lien restricting use of the property for TEN years for occupancy by the homeless
• Project must be completed by July 31, 2011

Schedule and Deadlines

Who receives the funding:  HSN, on behalf of the sub-recipient, with whom HSN will contract

What are the criteria that will be used for selection:

• Cost per unit (bedroom) of construction (the lower the better)
• Leveraging of additional resources to bring the project to completion (the higher the better)
• Continuum of Care calculated need
• Floor plan with “units” clearly delineated
• Comprehensive description of social services to be delivered to clients served

What are the criteria that will be used for program evaluation, after selection:

• HMIS participation
• Total number of persons housed
• Number of persons housed for at least seven months in permanent housing
• Number of persons in transitional housing who moved to permanent housing
• Number of persons who left the project with employment income

Mandatory HSN workshops (please attend only one!)
September 2, 2010 10-12 noon
September 8, 2010  2-4 p.m.
Heart of Florida United Way Building
1940 Traylor Boulevard, Orlando, Florida

RSVP to RFP {at} hsncfl(.)org or (407) 893-0133 x107)

Chief Operating Officer

Harbor House is seeking an experienced, dynamic individual to oversee the programmatic operations of one of the largest, most comprehensive domestic abuse organizations in the United States.  Successful candidates should have a minimum of 5 years of senior management experience, preferably overseeing multiple operations including residential services.

Education and Training: Master’s degree in administration or similar field.  10 years of work experience in the field can substitute for educational requirements.

Other Job Requirements: The position requires experience managing and overseeing Federal, State and local funds in addition to human resources and risk management.  Extensive computer skills are required.
Experience:  Ten plus years in social services, domestic violence or other applicable field.  Minimum of five years senior management experience

Harbor House is an equal opportunity employer and drug free workplace.  We provide a dynamic and rewarding workplace environment with excellent benefits.

Join a team that saves lives every day.

Email resume and cover letter to:  resumes {at} harborhousefl(.)com

No calls please.

For more information about Harbor House, please visit their web site.

Thank you to Lakeside Behavioral Healthcare for assisting us in solving this last-minute logistical challenge caused by space issues at HFUW!

Meeting topics will include:

• Mustard Seed Workshop to update case managers on the new services, inventory and procedures at Mustard Seed to assist our homeless clients in obtaining critically-needed household goods and furniture as clients move into their new community-based housing.
• Participants’ recommendations on potential Challenge Grant funding uses (bus passes, Homeward Bound, ID expenses?)
• Information on HHAG mandatory workshops for October 1, 2010 deadline
• New HSN website features highlighting your agencies — how you can become a featured agency
• Speaker’s Bureau update — let us help you tell your story to the community!

8:30 — coffee, donuts and networking

9:00 — 10:30 meeting

On August 9, 2010, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services announced the availability of up to $250 million in grants for the “New Access Point” program to deliver primary health care services for underserved and vulnerable populations under the Health Center Program. This grant can address the health care needs of the homeless population in your community.

Announcement Number:  HRSA-11-017
CFDA Number:  93.527
$250,000,000
Average Award Level:  $650,000
Estimated number of awards:  350 nationally
Application Deadline:  November 17, 2010
Est. Award Date:  August 1, 2011
Grant Period:  Up to 2 years.

A new access point is a new full time service delivery site that provides comprehensive primary and preventative health care services.

Organizations eligible to apply include public or nonprofit private entities, including tribal, faith-based and community based organizations, who meet the health center funding requirements.  Current HRSA grantees may apply, as well as organizations applying for the first time.

For details, go the the internet site for the Health Resources and Services Administration at:   www.grants.hrsa.gov

Please disseminate this information to your local service providers who may be interested in the funding opportunity to address the health care needs of the homeless population.

Tom Pierce
Office on Homelessness
Department of Children and Families
Tallahassee

Homeless Services Network of Central Florida seeks qualified applicants for its HMIS Support Specialist position. The HMIS Support Specialist is responsible for providing full support services to agencies participating in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) run by Homeless Services Network of Central Florida.  This is a full-time, non-exempt position.

Job Functions & Responsibilities: The HMIS Support Specialist is responsible to, and works at the general direction of the HMIS Program Manager, to accomplish tasks which include, but are not limited to:

1. HMIS Administration
   1. Assist in development of policies and procedures governing HMIS.
   2. Monitor HMIS Contributors for compliance with HUD’s HMIS standards and guidelines .
   3. Collect and maintain homeless service provider descriptor data in HMIS.
   4. Conduct regular HMIS data quality checks as defined by HMIS policies and procedures.
2. HMIS Training and Help Desk Support
   1. Act as initial point of contact for HMIS help desk support for all users, elevating advanced issues or problems appropriately.
   2. Provide technical assistance and user support for HMIS software, including agency account set-up, system monitoring and testing, problem diagnosis and resolution, routine software and information maintenance.
   3. Provide and coordinate on-going training in the use of HMIS.
   4. Coordinate, conduct, and participate regular end user meetings to discuss HMIS issues and elicit end user feedback.
3. HMIS Reporting
   1. Assist in the creation and development of custom reports and queries.
   2. Monitor the dissemination of data collected through the HMIS.
4. Other duties
   1. Perform any such other duties as may be required to ensure that the HMIS operates smoothly and that data input and retrieval meet HUD’s requirements.
   2. Other duties as assigned by the HMIS Program Manager.

Education, Experience, & Skills Required:

• Excellent customer service/public relations skills, including ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Knowledge of and experience with HUD HMIS Data & Technical Standards.
• Knowledge of and experience with HMIS software products, especially Bowman Systems’ ServicePoint.
• Experience in information technology field.
• Knowledge of and experience with common computer operating systems.
• Knowledge of and experience with common internet web browser interfaces.
• Knowledge of and experience with relational database structure and database administration.
• Knowledge of and experience with online collaborative tools.
• Knowledge of and experience with help desk ticketing software.
• Knowledge of and experience with knowledge management tools.
• Ability to translate between agency information needs and database structure and functions required.
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve software and hardware problems.
• Experience in quantitative data analysis.
• Hands-on experience with a variety of computer equipment and software systems.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions accurately and perform accurate basic arithmetic calculations.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines

Education: Bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree with two years experience in related field.

Licenses and Certificates: Possession of a valid Florida Driver’s License and evidence of insurance.

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands and fingers to handle objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. Employee regularly uses phone, and personal computer with video display terminal screen for extended period of time. The employee must regularly lift and move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level is quiet.

Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to jobs {at} hsncfl(.)org. Application deadline is September 1, 2010.

Download the flyer or read on below:

THE HOUSE I AM RENTING IS BEING FORECLOSED

Answers to your questions from Legal Advocacy at Work

What Is A Foreclosure?

If your landlord does not pay his mortgage, the mortgage company may file a foreclosure. A foreclosure is a lawsuit filed by the mortgage company when the landlord does not pay the mortgage. In the foreclosure, the mortgage company asks the court to sell the property to pay off the mortgage.

I Am Only A Tenant – Why Am I Being Served?

If a foreclosure is filed against your landlord, as a tenant living in the property, you will usually be served with the foreclosure lawsuit. Either the Sheriff or a process server will hand you a copy of the lawsuit. As a tenant, you are a party to the foreclosure, but the foreclosure complaint will refer to you as the “unknown tenant” or “John/Jane Doe.”

What Should I Do If I Am Served With Notice of A Foreclosure Against My Landlord?

Even though you do not own the property, you should file an Answer to the foreclosure.  In the Answer explain that:

• You live in the property
• You rent the property
• If you have a lease, say this in your Answer
• The date your lease expires
• Attach a copy of the lease to the Answer

If you file an Answer, it will tell the judge and the mortgage company that a tenant is living in the property. You will also be notified if any hearings are scheduled in the case. If you do not file an Answer, you may not receive any notices about the foreclosure lawsuit, and you will not know what is happening in the case. If the landlord did not pay the mortgage and you want to move out, you can send a letter to the landlord explaining that you are terminating your rental agreement in 7 days because she did not pay the mortgage. You may also have other claims against the landlord, but you should consult an attorney before you take any legal action.

What Should I Do If I Wasn’t Notified of the Foreclosure and a Writ of Possession is Posted on My Door?

Florida law protects you if you were not served with Notice of A Foreclosure. If you receive a writ of possession, you should tell the judge immediately that you did not receive notice of the foreclosure lawsuit. You are entitled to more time to find another place to live, but you must ask the judge to stop enforcement of the writ.

Do I Have Any Special Rights If I Once Owned the Property where I am living?

If you are living in a home that you used to own and you have the option of repurchasing the property, it is important that you write this in the Answer. You should also talk to your own attorney because the law in this situation is complicated.

What Should I Do If My Landlord Tells Me She Plans to Stop The Foreclosure?

If you receive a foreclosure complaint, you should contact your landlord to find out what she intends to do about the foreclosure. Many times, afer a foreclosure is filed, the owner pays the mortgage company enough money to stop the foreclosure or files bankruptcy. If the landlord does this, the foreclosure should stop or be dismissed. Even if your landlord tells you she will stop the foreclosure, you should still file an Answer in the foreclosure lawsuit.

What Should I Do If My Landlord Tells Me She Cannot Stop the Foreclosure?

If your landlord tells you that she is not going to be able to stop the foreclosure, or if you cannot find your landlord, you should file an Answer in the foreclosure and begin looking for a new place to live. Legally, you must continue to pay rent to your landlord during the foreclosure process.

What Happens if the Mortgage is Foreclosed?

If your landlord does not stop the foreclosure, the Court will enter judgment against the landlord. The Court will schedule a foreclosure sale. Once the property is sold at the foreclosure sale, there will be a new owner of the property.

Can the New Owner Force Me To Move?

On May 20, 2009, President Obama signed the Protecting Tenants in Foreclosure Act. This changed the law regarding tenants in foreclosure. As with any new law, there are some questions about what the new law means. This brochure is based on our reading of the new law and could change once judges rule on the new law. If your lease has expired or you don’t have a lease, the new owner must give you 90 days written Notice to Vacate. If you have a lease, the new owner must allow you to stay until the end of the lease before you can be evicted. Even if you have a lease, the landlord can make you move sooner if the landlord wants to live in the property. But he must still give you a 90 day Notice to Vacate. If you have a Section 8 housing voucher, the new owner must accept the Section 8 voucher and it will continue to be paid by the Housing Authority. If the Notice to Vacate expires and you have not moved out, we believe the new owner must file an eviction lawsuit to have you removed, just as any other landlord would do. Even though we interpret the new law to require the owner to file a separate eviction action, there are no decisions on this yet. Therefore, the new owner may ask the foreclosure judge for a Writ of Possession without filing an eviction. The Writ of Possession is an order telling the Sheriff to remove you and your belongings from the property. If you are still living in the property and the new owner schedules a hearing asking for a Writ of Possession, it is very important that you attend the hearing so you can tell the Judge that you are a tenant living in the property and the new owner must file an eviction case.

After the Property is Sold to A New Owner, Must I Pay Rent to the Old Landlord?

No, but you will need to pay rent to the new owner. After the property is sold at the foreclosure sale, you don’t need to pay rent to the old landlord. But, after the foreclosure sale the new owner steps into the role of your previous landlord and you will have to pay rent to the new owner. It is very important that you ask for proof of ownership.

What Should I Do If the New Owner Asks Me If I Want To Stay?
Sometimes, the new owner will ask  if you want to keep living in the property. If this happens, you must make sure that the person who contacts you is really the new owner. You should ask for proof that he is the new owner before you pay him any rent. If you cannot reach an agreement, the new owner cannot force you out by changing the locks or turning off the utilities.

Homeless Services Network and the Continuum of Care received over $1.6 million in new project funding as follows:

Grantee	Project Sponsor	Amount	Beds	Homeless sub-population served
Homeless Services Network	Catholic Charities	$161,221	24 transitional housing	Female-headed households with children under age 8
Homeless Services Network	Center for Drug Free Living	$371,200	26 transitional housing	Veterans
Homeless Services Network	Lakeside Behavioral Healthcare	$207,110	10 permanent supportive housing	Severely mentally ill individuals
Homeless Services Network	Sanford Housing Authority	$253,470	18 permanent supportive housing	Households with or without children
Seminole County Government	Homeless Services Network Shelter Plus Care	$607,860	11 permanent supportive housing	Chronically homeless individuals

You may download the complete list of new projects that have been awarded across U.S. in the FY 2009 CoC homeless competition from HUD’s Homelessness Resource Exchange (HRE). To view the press release, please visit the HUD web site.

Did you say “major upgrade”?

Indeed I did. ServicePoint 5 (SP5) represents the culmination of nearly three years’ work by our HMIS software vendor, Bowman Systems. This is not just changing the colors on the screen; a lot of effort was put into making ServicePoint easier to use. Here’s some of what you can expect:

• New user interface: New colors! Okay, so colors are not really that important, but those of us that have been using HMIS for a long time are pretty sick of seeing the same color scheme and we could do with a fresh look. (Am I right, Goodwill/HSN Employment Counselors?) However, the new color scheme is a part of an overall improvement in the readability of SP5. The software also has new fonts and better screen organization.
• Streamlined workflow: You can quickly open and close whole sections of the screen to get them our of your way. We can also configure the system to completely remove sections your program doesn’t need at all.
• Faster response: There is a lot less waiting for things to happen now. Yes, your Internet connection can still slow things down, but SP5 acts faster because it will access the Internet less frequently than before.

You say it’s better, but let’s see some proof.

We are offering three ways for people to see the new software.

1. We have a demonstration site immediately available for all current HMIS users with active accounts. You’ll be able to login and surf around the site on your own. Please contact the HMIS Help Desk at hmis {at} hsncfl(.)org to request your login information.
2. Next week, we are offering guided tours of the new software for all users (past, present, or future) through web conferences. These web conferences will take place on July 12, 13, and 14 from 10am to 12pm. Please contact the HMIS Help Desk at hmis {at} hsncfl(.)org to request access to one web conference session by 5pm on Friday, July 9.
3. Finally, we will have hands-on training sessions available both before and after the upgrade dates, August 5-6. Stay tuned for details on the availability of those sessions.

If you have any questions about anything related to HMIS, you can always contact our HMIS Help Desk any time via email at hmis {at} hsncfl(.)org.

The report argues that targeting churches, service providers and volunteers by placing restrictions on providing food to homeless people is part of a broader trend toward criminalizing homelessness.  Criminalization measures include city laws that outlaw activities homeless people are forced to do in public spaces because of their lack of a home or shelter, such as sitting on sidewalks and eating and sleeping in public.  These laws have been created in communities nationwide and are an ineffective response to homelessness.  The report outlines how different types of laws and tactics are being used to restrict food sharing. It features food sharing restrictions in 23 communities across the country.

The report is available at the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty web site.