Documented by Artemes Gidram

Here’s what you need to know

  • The Continuum of Care approved a recommendation for the city of Fresno Emergency Solutions Grant.
  • The Lived Experience Advisory Board faced pushback when trying to get involved with the Madera Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention meetings.
  • The Marjaree Mason Center has hired Enfuse, a consulting firm, to help draft a domestic violence-reduction plan.

Follow-up questions

  • What steps can be taken by the Lived Experience Advisory Board to be heard in Madera?
  • How effective will Enfuse be in their plan to reduce domestic violence?

Notes

The Scene

The Fresno Madera County Continuum of Care Board meeting was held on Dec. 14, 2023. The meeting took place entirely over Zoom. The agenda is available on the Continuum of Care’s website https://fresnomaderahomeless.org/.

Names of Officials:

Laura Moreno, chair

Jody Ketcheside, vice-chair

Sara Mirhadi, secretary

Misty Gattie-Blanco, treasurer

Alex Sanchez, member-at-large

Katie Wilbur,  member-at-large

Joel Bugay, regional representative for Madera

Philip Skei, regional representative

Claudia Cazares, regional representative

Doreen Eley, collaborative applicant representative

  • City of Fresno Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Brandon Sisk, senior management analyst, city of Fresno
    • There is no minimum required percentage of funding for rapid rehousing.
    • There is a maximum percentage for street outreach and emergency shelter of 60%.
    • This is not the only funding the city receives for homelessness prevention..
    • Information is gathered by community workshops rather than ongoing involvement with individuals with lived experiences of homelessness in Fresno.
    • Motion and vote
      • The Fresno Madera Continuum of Care suggests that the city of Fresno allocate street outreach and emergency shelter at 33.5%, homelessness prevention 10%, take dollars for the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) out of rapid rehousing funds and ask the city to prioritize emergency shelter over street outreach.
        • Poverello House and Marjaree Mason Center abstained, but did not state why. 
        • All others voted in favor.
  • Domestic Violence Reduction Plan by Marjaree Mason Center, Larisa Kofman and Jason Kyler-Yano, Enfuse. Enfuse Action Collective is a woman-owned consulting firm committed to equity, collaboration and community, as well as trauma-informed safe housing practices and advocacy strategies.
    • Survivor-driven safety plans
    • Funds for security deposits and the first month’s rent
    • Ongoing support
    • Utilizing anti-discrimination protections and trauma-informed best practices to secure access to housing
    • Fresno Madera Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry System (CES) and domestic violence CES
      • Parallel Domestic Violence CES
      • Knowledge, referrals and training on domestic violence services
      • Strong perception of equitable intake practices
      • Commitment to safety practices
      • Commitment to Homeless Management Information System’s confidentiality
      • Trauma-informed safe housing practices and advocacy
      • Utilization of training on housing protections
    • County of Fresno priority areas
      • County of Fresno Department on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Human Trafficking
        • Lead coordination across county departments and work closely with the city
        • Help launch and possibly provide leadership for a coalition
      • New cross-sector coalition or taskforce
        • Create a steering committee
        • Use outside facilitators to process historical wounds and develop a path forward
        • Hire an outside expert to develop a logic model
        • Prioritize recommendations from this evaluation
      • Centering cultural responsiveness including:
        • Using experts to provide technical assistance and training to center cultural responsiveness
        • Create partnerships and resources for culturally specific organizations
  • Approval of Governance Charter Edits, Maya Spark, senior staff attorney, Homebase
    • A summary of the governance charter edits is available.
    • This is an annual process required by Housing and Urban. Development (HUD).
    • More significant updates were made in 2022.
    • Added description of coordinated entry management role and responsibilities
    • Added a process to allow the Continuum of Care general membership to be able to vote over email
    • Added an advocacy policy
    • Vote
      • Motion by Sanchez
      • Unanimous vote in favor
  • Department of Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program, Katie Wilbur and Vincent Montgomery of RH Community Builders
    • In April of 2023, RH Community Builders presented an “on the bridge” housing opportunity.
    • As of Sept. 5, the county has been awarded the entire amount needed for the project.
    • As of Dec. 5, the first site of an emergency shelter with services on-site has officially opened, Sierra Sunrise on Parkway.
    • There will be a second site opening in February.
    • Services include a clinician on-site, case management, peer support, as well as certified nurse assistants.
  • Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB) Update, Sanchez
    • The board met on Nov. 21.
    • The board met with Fresno State about their coordinated entry system.
    • Discussed Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Round 3 with the city.
      • They will also be attending the next LEAB meeting.
      • The state has temporarily taken back its funding source but will be releasing it again.
    • The board gave their feedback on the Homeless, Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Round 5.
    • Board members attended a HHAP meeting in Madera but were not allowed to speak and Sanchez said it was a negative experience.
  • County of Fresno Update, Cynthia Cardenas and Yolanda Valenzuela, county of Fresno
    • The HHAP Round 1-3 quarterly expenditure reports were submitted to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH)
    • The county released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for HHAP services on Dec. 1, 2023.
      • The RFP will close on Jan. 9.
    • The county participated in six public stakeholder meetings, two hosted by the county in Selma and Mendota.
  • City of Fresno Updates, Joe Pasillas, city of Fresno
    • Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) presented by Brandon Sisk.
    • Encampment Resolution Funding Round 3 was released on Nov. 27.
    • Pasillas will follow up in an email if the county or Continuum of Care would like help applying for the Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) grant.
      • The application deadline is Feb. 15.
    • On Dec. 7, there was an amendment by the City Council to the POV-Outreach Family Services agreement.
  • Marjaree Mason Center Report, Laura Lopez, Marjaree Mason Center
    • There were 775 total hotline calls.
    • There were 222 total crisis drop-ins.
    • 29% of intakes were admitted to emergency services.
    • There were 143 clients served.
    • There were 22 restraining orders.
    • There were 218 completed safety plans.
    • There are 225 adults and children in emergency safe houses.
    • There are 10 adults and children in transitional housing.
    • There are 124 adults and children in rapid re-housing.
    • 25% of exits went to permanent housing.
    • 28% of exits went to temporary housing.
    • 1% of exits went to institutional housing.
    • 46% of exits went to other housing options.
  • San Joaquin Valley Veterans Report
    • There were 126 veterans served.
      • 85 went into rapid rehousing.
      • 41 were counseled for homeless prevention.
    • There were seven veterans housed.
    • There was a 57% positive rate of leaving to go to permanent housing.
  • Meeting adjourned at 11 a.m.

Actions/discussions/public comment

  • Public Comment
    • Dez Martinez, executive director, We are Not Invisible
      • Martinez stated that the city of Fresno denied an affordable housing project recently, and requested that the Continuum of Care board write a letter to the Fresno City Council about its decision.

Conversation highlight

  • “I feel that we need to spend more money on preventing homelessness than continuously putting Band-Aids every single year over the same wound,” said Dez Martinez, executive director, We are Not Invisible.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.

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