Presentation Minutes


Anchor Communities Initiative (Valeri talks fast, so I may have missed a few things, and I’m running out of time to verify things against my recording, so if I sound wildly off, blame the note taker – ed.)

  • Valeri Knight, Pierce County Human Services – knight@piercecountywa.gov
  • Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Availability – coming out very soon.  Please consider applying for new project – Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and Transitional Housing to Rapid Rehousing. (I second that – let’s get some new projects funded –ed).
  • Anchor communities Initiative  ( https://awayhomewa.org/anchor-community-initiative/  ) to end youth and young adult homelessness by 2022.  We have a few months to create a By Name List (I can create you one today, if you’d like –ed.) – the initiative is focused on exiting behavioral health and exiting foster care.  This may have $1M available from the state.
  • Once we have a By Name List (really, it is a matter of minutes to get it to you.-ed), how do we contact and house the folks on the list (well, it will be easier with that $1M. –ed.)
  • If you are in foster care, you have a high risk for getting involved in the criminal justice system.
  • Applied for the Youth homeless demonstration project – scored a 92 out of 100 – 1 point away from being awarded that.  It is open again, and it is up to $15M per community.  We are working get Memorandums of Understanding and support letters and in-kind donations and cash matches.  It allows us to create projects and link them with the anchor communities initiative.  $5M to $15M is a lot of money.  We have until May 15th to submit this grant – we’ll be leveraging what we did last year.  We need some youth to work on this application with us.  A huge part of the scoring this year is on youth engagement.  We need to hear from youth what will work for them. 
    • Al - Do these programs allow for multiservice outreach teams or locations?  Valeri – yes, they encourage it.  They encourage you to think outside the box – rather unlike normal federal government guidance.  Employment, education, behavioral health, mental health – they want all these providers to work together. 
    • Question – you should reach out to the McKinney Vento liaisons.   Valeri – we do.
    • Maureen – are you connected to Major Woodards Youth Commission?   Valeri – no, but will look how I can get connected.
    • Coley - Only currently homeless youth, or at risk as well?  Valeri – all those groups – any adverse experience is valuable. 
    • Contact me to get involved - knight@piercecountywa.gov
  • James – at the Continuum of Care and at this level, we want to have a single comprehensive plan.  We want all the best minds to put a plan in place to address need – then have different agencies take parts of that plan and make it all happen.  We are collaborating now, but we can work together to make sure we are all working with a global plan.  Large funding streams are coming on line to end youth homelessness.  If you work with youth or want to – lets work together.  We’d love partnership to do property management and we do youth services. 
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