Sasha Koeberling – Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness Blog

September 16, 2021 Membership Meeting

September 22, 2021August 31, 2021 by Sasha Koeberling

Washington Foster Care Pandemic Aid We will be joined by Jo Bechtold from the Mockingbird Society to learn about the Washington Foster Care Pandemic Aid. The funding is for young adult alumni of foster care in WA who are ages 23 through 26, who were dependent in WA (or dependent of tribe in WA) and spent 30+ days in an out-of-home placement between age 15 and 18. The deadline to apply for Washington Foster Care Pandemic Aid is September 24, 2021. Come and learn who is eligible, how to apply, and how you can help people you work with get this benefit. Click here to visit Treehouse’s website for more information on eligibility and to apply. Click here for the flyer for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families’ Independent Living Program. Homeless Child Care Options Alex Barbaria with Child Care Resources will present information on the DSHS homeless grace period, the new King County American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding, subsidy information for families experiencing homelessness and veteran families. Find the application for King County Child Care Financial Assistance Program here: https://www.childcare.org/family-services/?storyid=174 Child Care Resources info on subsidy programs and intake phone lines and emails: https://www.childcare.org/family-services/pay-for-care.aspx Intake Call 206-329-5842 (We are remote right now so it is a voicemail system but we will return calls within 2-5 business days) Email: subsidy@childcare.org SNAP/Food Benefits Updates Claire Lane with the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition will share the most recent federal and state updates regarding SNAP benefits. Take Action: Tell Congress to End Hunger in Budget Reconciliation Send messages to Congress, urging them to invest in SNAP benefits and year-round healthy school meals in the budget. These are the programs that have been helping to flatten our hunger curve and can give families consistent basic nutrition to pave their road to …

July 15, 2021 Membership Meeting

July 26, 2021July 12, 2021 by Sasha Koeberling

#SummerSlowdown: No Membership meeting on August 19. Mark your calendars now and rsvp for Thursday, September 16! Child Tax Credit: What it is? The enhanced Child Tax Credit is part of the American Rescue Plan, which President Biden signed into law in March. For the tax year 2021, it expands the existing child tax credit to $3,000 from $2,000 for dependents 17 and younger and gives an additional $600 for children under the age of 6. Learn who is eligible, and how to help families you work with apply. Liz Olson with the Budget and Policy Center will join us to discuss. See Liz’s slide deck here. Child Care Legislative Session Highlights Sarah Brady from Child Care Resources will give an overview of recent wins for affordable child care in Washington state during the most recent legislative session. See Sarah’s slide deck here covering Child Care Advocacy Successes. Terrie Yaffe from Child Care Resources will share resources and information about child care and funding options for families experiencing homelessness including changes to Working Connections Child Care Program. Materials from Child Care Resources: Child Care Resources Subsidy Program (English) Child Care Resources Subsidy Program (Spanish) Child Care Resources Subsidy Program (Tagalog) King County Veteran Student Child Care Subsidy Flyer King County Veteran Student Child Care Subsidy Program Requirements Child Care Aware of Washington Parent Brochure (English) Child Care Aware of Washington Parent Brochure (Spanish) Bridge Proclamation The Eviction Moratorium ended June 30. In place now through September 30 is a “Bridge.” What does that mean for tenants in King County? Learn from experts at Housing Justice Project what this means for people who are behind on rent, and what they need to do next. HJP’s slide deck: Housing & Tenant Rights Bridge Proclamation FAQ Interested in learning more about statewide updates and the bridge proclamation? …

March 3 South King County Forum on Homelessness

May 20, 2021April 23, 2021 by Sasha Koeberling

Our next meeting is on Wednesday June 2 at 9am. If you would like to be added to our meeting email list, please contact Joy Scott or Saleena Salango Thank you to everyone who joined our Wednesday, March 3 meeting. On Tuesday, March 16, The Federal Way City Council will be considering a $400,000 proposal to build the first ever permanent single adult shelter in the city’s history, a historic step towards addressing the crisis of homelessness in South King County. This proposal is part of the city’s updated 2021 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan, which you can read here. Those who live and work in Federal Way have an opportunity to support crucial investments in safety and human dignity. If you want to make a general statement of support, please email your remarks to Community Service Manager Sarah Bridgeford. To provide comment during the public hearing at the March 16 City Council meeting, you may do one of the following: Sign up to speak during the Zoom meeting by clicking here and specify you want to talk about the “Updated 2021 CDBG Annual Action Plan” as the “Agenda Item” Email your written comment to both council@cityoffederalway.com AND ck@cityoffederalway.com and specify you want it read aloud during the Public Hearing for the “Updated 2021 CDBG Annual Action Plan” Below is a summary of all resources discussed at the meeting. View meeting presentation materials here. South King County Mobility Commission: Part of the King County Mobility Coalition, SKCMC’s mission is to improve our region’s transportation network for people from all ages, backgrounds, incomes, and abilities. Services include a transportation resources line, offering one-on-one transportation support M-F from 9am to 4pm. Call 425-943-6760 or email mobility@hopelink.org. Other engagement opportunities, including a bi-monthly public meeting and weekly updates newsletter, can be …

Helping Homeless Students: McKinney Vento 101 Info & Resource Session for Homeless Service Providers

February 26, 2021September 8, 2020 by Sasha Koeberling

Thank you to everyone who attended our Helping Homeless Students: McKinney-Vento 101 Information and Resource Session on Thursday September 3. A huge thank you to Kayla Blau, Mehret Tekle-Awarun, Samie Iverson, Oliver Alexander-Adams, Karen Pillar, Sharonne Navas and Jessyca Murphy for sharing their knowledge and passion with us. We appreciate the lively conversation had in the chat box and out loud during the workshop. You can review some of the tools and resources discussed at the information session below. If you have questions or wish to provide additional materials to this collection, please email your questions to Jason. Read about Education Rights for Homeless and Unstably Housed Students, which includes our updated 2020-2021 King County McKinney Vento Liaison list. Building Changes Click here to view Building Changes’ PowerPoint presentation. Mehret Tekle-Awarun and Samie Iverson shared information about Schoolhouse Washington, a project of Building Changes. In partnership with the Raikes Foundation, they have created the Washington State Student and Youth Homelessness COVID-19 Response Fund to augment existing public dollars that will be used to support students, youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Building Changes will distribute funds to help organizations, schools, and local tribes meet needs that may otherwise be difficult to fulfill or sustain without additional assistance. Student Needs Survey: To identify homeless students most immediate needs, Schoolhouse Washington also surveyed McKinney-Vento liaisons across the state who work directly with highly mobile students and their families. In return, they received responses from liaisons in 74 school districts across 32 counties who collectively serve nearly 17,000 students experiencing homelessness in Washington State. Click here to review the findings of their study. The top five needs identified by survey respondents were: food, mobile hotspots/internet access, devices (e.g. laptops, tablets, computers, phones), hygiene supplies, and rental assistance. Narrative responses shed light on what school districts are doing …

April 16, 2020 Coalition Membership Meeting

December 22, 2020April 15, 2020 by Sasha Koeberling

Thank you for joining our meeting!Sign up for Coalition emails to make sure you receive updates and notice of upcoming meetings. Agenda for Thursday, April 16 meeting 9:00 – Introduction and welcome Poetry reading by Anitra Freeman Coalition Solidarity Fund Solidarity Fund – Rapid Response to COVID-19 pandemic Coalition on Homelessness COVID-19 Homeless Service Change Tracker View tracker here: http://homelessinfo.org/resource/covid/ Email notices@homelessinfo.org with program updates Food Assistance Update Christina Wong, Government Relations Director, Northwest Harvest Seattle City Councilmember Gonzalez’s Bills Vy Nguyen, Legislative Aide to Seattle City Councilmember Lorena González CB 119761 will create another defense to eviction due to nonpayment over the next six months (such as temporary loss of income, etc.) CB 119762 will require landlords to accept payment plans for back rent Statewide Eviction Moratorium Extension Xochitl Maykovich, Political Director, Washington Community Action Network Updates to the temporary moratorium on evictions Public Benefits: COVID-19 Related Changes to State Public Assistance Programs Eric Tayag, Social Service Training Specialist, DSHS Hannah Rosenberger, Benefits Attorney, Solid Ground Grete Shultz, Benefits Attorney, Solid Ground COVID-19 Public Health Information Dr. Julie Dombrowski, Deputy Director, Public Health – Seattle & King County HIV/STD Program Coalition Staff Updates Advocacy work on hygiene stations Census 2020 Veterans Assistance Programs HOLD Thursday April 30, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (sign up for Coalition emails for notice of upcoming meetings) Next Monthly Membership Meeting: Thursday, May 21, 9:00 a.m. via Zoom (Please register for call). Resources from the meeting Coalition Select Committee on Homelessness Strategies and Investments, 4/8/2020 Public Benefits COVID-19 Related Changes Temporary Emergency COVID-19 Rule Changes on Public Benefits, presentation from Eric Tayag, DSHS One-page Washington State Public Benefits COVID-19 Updates, Solid Ground Additional Resources Northwest Harvest COVID-19 response page, with FAQ on food distribution changes Live map where you can find what food banks or meal programs are …

Seattle/King County Coronavirus (COVID-19): Information for Homeless Service Providers

January 19, 2021March 2, 2020 by Sasha Koeberling

**We are no longer updating this blog post. Please visit our COVID-19 Resources page for the most up-to-date Coalition resources.** UPDATE: To find COVID-19 resources for homeless service providers, including an online tool to report positive cases at your program, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/providers.aspx (Last Updated: April 2, 2020 at 4 p.m.) This blog contains information about COVID-19 and resources for housing and homelessness service providers. Information about calls and webinars are at the top of this post, helpful documents are below. Please visit Public Health Seattle-King County’s website (www.kingcounty.gov/covid) or Public Health’s blog for general COVID-19 updates and information. Please visit Healthcare for the Homeless Network’s website for Homeless Provider specific information and documents. Public Health Seattle-King County is working closely with the WA State Department of Health and tracking information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Our goal is to ensure that homeless services and housing providers and advocates have timely and accurate information and resources to help you do your work well. IMPORTANT: Direct Homeless Service Providers should email covidhomelessnessresponse@kingcounty.gov to get on their distribution list for calls, important documents, and timely updates. Novel Coronavirus Call Center: 206-477-3977, hours: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily Tell the call center you work at a homeless service providing organization, or are with someone who is homeless who is showing symptoms (or has tested positive/awaiting results) – their phone tree will get you to somebody specific to provide support. Call if you are in King County and believe you were exposed to COVID-19—or if you’re a healthcare or service provider with COVID-19 questions. ————————————————————————————- Changing or reducing services or hours at your agency? If your agency is reducing or modifying any of your services as a result of COVID-19, please notify Public Health at …