covid

January 21, 2021 Membership Meeting

by

Click here to view our COVID-19 vaccine information for homeless service providers. Click here to see Dr. Yang’s slide deck. Thank you Dr. Maria Yang, Medical Director at the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC), and Jody Rauch, Clinical Quality Lead at Health Care for the Homeless Network, for joining us to discuss what is currently available and known about COVID-19 vaccines. State Legislative Advocacy Speak Up Pop Up Workshop Series: Want to gain and practice advocacy skills, help build a strong community of housing justice advocates, and learn enough about our state legislative process to be an effective voice? Join us at our Speak Up Pop Ups! These drop-in workshops will occur every Tuesday from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. throughout the legislative session and are open to people of all levels of interest and experience with legislative advocacy. We firmly believe that everyone can be an effective advocate for themselves and their community; advocacy really just means speaking up! You do not have to attend all the workshops, but we invite participants to attend multiple session to help you learn and practice advocacy skills, build a community of housing justice advocates, and ensure sustained momentum throughout the legislative session. Click here to register. Coalition Member Updates Salvation Army Sodo Single Adult Shelter: A shelter for single adults run by Salvation Army has opened in a new location in SoDo and is accepting referrals from select social service agencies (view referral form here). Three previous shelter locations (City Hall, Fisher Pavilion, King County Admin) have consolidated into this site at 1039 6th Ave S Seattle WA, 98134. Entry is located at the north end of the property at the personnel gate. Turn South on to 6th Avenue from Airport St or Charles St. Security will check you in and arrange for staff to meet …

Read more

COVID-19 Vaccine Info for Homeless Service Providers (Last Updated 01/21/2021)

by

The Coalition has compiled some resources to help answer some frequently asked questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccines more generally.  Please review Dr. Maria Yang’s presentation reviewing the effects of Covid-19 on King County and information about currently available Covid-19 vaccines from our January 21, 2021 Membership Meeting.Dr. Maria Yang works as the medical director for DESC. She has spent most of her career working in community psychiatry settings. She also likes cookies. Is the vaccine safe and effective? Short answer: Yes, and yes (about 94% effective).  Watch the video below from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) about how the vaccine works in your body. We recognize that you or others you know may experience vaccine hesitancy, which is driven by the mistrust of public health and medical institutions due to their historical mistreatment of and unethical studies on Black, Indigenous, POC, disabled, and impoverished communities. Watch and share this video with Public Health staff Hana Tadesse and Dr. Jeff Duchin that debunks common myths about the vaccine, and can help people make their decisions.   When will I and the people I serve be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?  We are currently in Phase 1B, tier 1 of vaccine distribution to anyone 65 and older, and all people 50 and older who also live in a multigenerational household. This is in addition to populations eligible during phase 1A including health care workers at high risk for COVID-19 infection, first responders, people who live or work in long-term care facilities, and all other workers in health settings who are at risk of COVID-19. Public health wants you to know that getting vaccinated is not a substitute for mask wearing and social distancing. Stay masked and six feet apart, and if you are concerned you may have been exposed to someone showing …

Read more

August 20, 2020 Coalition Membership Meeting

by

Defund the Navigation Team and City of Seattle Budget Advocacy  The Seattle City Council voted to defund the entire Navigation Team as part of their 2020 budget rebalancing work, but Mayor Durkan vetoed the Council’s budget, so our work is not over. Check out this Op-Ed from REACH Co-Director Chloe Gale and our Executive Director Alison Eisinger explaining why the Navigation Team is wasteful, ineffective, and does not help to end homelessness. Negotiations over the 2021 city budget begin in a few weeks. Click here to sign up for advocacy alerts. Defunding the Navigation Team is part of a border effort to re-balance the city budget towards more culturally appropriate community support services and affordable housing. This effort is being led by a coalition group called Decriminalize Seattle, which the Coalition on Homelessness is a member. You can learn more about their efforts at participatory budgeting  here.  COVID-19 Toolkit for homeless service providers  The King County Healthcare for the Homeless Network (HCHN) has updated its COVID-19 Outreach Provider Toolkit to aid homeless service staff in their work. Michael Young-Hall and Chante Stubbs with HCHN will be joining us Thursday to review the toolkit and discuss how best to utilize it at your program.  Coalition Community Updates  Census 2020: The 2020 Census is underway, and under attack. The Federal Government is threatening to intentionally not include all residents in the final reported count, and the deadline for data collection has been arbitrarily shortened from October 31 to September 30. When in Doubt, Count. It is more important than ever to help those you work with complete the Census by the end of September. For those without a traditional address, the census will be conducting Service Based Enumeration to survey people at locations such as overnight shelter programs and meal sites from September …

Read more

June 18, 2020 Coalition Membership Meeting

by

Thank you to everyone who attended our June Membership Meeting! Sign up for Coalition emails to make sure you receive updates and notice of upcoming meetings. Highlights and resources shared on the call are below. Acknowledgement and Reflection Juneteenth Week 2020 is a week long celebration hosted by the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Black Lives Matter – Seattle/King County, Tabor 100 and the FW Black Collective. Our purpose is to honor and remember a special milestone in black history: June 19, 1865. On this day, African Americans forced into slavery in the United States were officially and legally free (ish). Urban League’s Juneteenth Week of Activities Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County Juneteenth Week of Activities Pandemic EBT Benefits Thank you to Claire Lane, Director, Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition for your informative presentation of this crucially important benefit. You can View Claire’s PowerPoint presentation here. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has a toolkit with language translations to help you get the word out the community, click here to learn more. The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer Program (P-EBT) is a one-time award available to families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals through the school they attend. Families with children eligible for free and reduced price meals may be able to receive as much as $399 per child in this benefit. This benefit does not consider immigration status and is not subject to the Public Charge Rule. This means that P-EBT is one of the few benefits available to undocumented communities excluded from much of the COVID relief funds so far. Click here to review the program in more detail Households already enrolled in free or reduced price meals can apply for P-EBT through the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) starting June 28. Eligible household can apply …

Read more

Website links for kids and learning during COVID-19 – updated 5/22/2020

by

Thanks to one of our Coalition members for compiling the start of this list! We’ll add more as we hear about other resources – if you have ideas to add, please email projectcool[at]homelessinfo.org Free computer resources for kids Cirque de Soliel – https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/cirqueconnect – watch a different hour long show on-line, see behind the scenes and more! Google Arts & Culture – https://artsandculture.google.com/partner?hl=enGoogle is offering free virtual tours of more than 1,200 museums across the globe. ABCmouse.com – www.abcmouse.comABCmouse is offering their lessons in different subjects like math, science and art for free thanks to UNICEF. All you have to do is go to ABCmouse.com/redeem and type in the code “AOFLUNICEF” Readworks.org – https://www.readworks.org/If you’re looking to really zoom in on reading comprehension, Readworks is going to be a great fit for you, providing content from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. Readworks is a nonprofit, donation-based service, and the suggested donation is $25, though you can access the content for free. 123 Homeschool4me – https://www.123homeschool4me.com/home-school-free-printables/Resources are organized by subject and grade. Helpful education activities to keep kids learning and printable worksheets when you need them to sit and get some work done. Arcademics – https://www.arcademics.com/Multiplayer educational games for KG-8, from free math games to language games. Combines the excitement of video games with educational content to produce a high rate of learning. Bedtime Math – http://bedtimemath.org/bedtime-math-for-families/Bedtime Math provides free apps, books and printable activity pages. The platform is targeted toward children age 2 through elementary school. BeeLine Reader – http://www.beelinereader.com/educationImproves the reading ability of students of all ages and skill levels. Free access to the BeeLine Reader Browser Plugin for Chrome through September 2020. Email education@BeeLineReader.com for a free account! BlocksCAD – https://www.blockscad3d.com/distance_learningBlocksCAD builds math and computer science skills by using specialized 3-D CAD (computer-aided drafting) software. A …

Read more

May 21, 2020 Coalition Annual Membership Meeting

by

Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Membership Meeting! Sign up for Coalition emails to make sure you receive updates and notice of upcoming meetings. Highlights and resources shared on the call are below. Click here to view the Coalition’s PowerPoint Presentation. 9:00 – Welcome and Introduction Opening Ceremony by Chief Seattle Club Drummers – thank you Randy Tippins-Firstrider, Youth Outreach Case Manager with Chief Seattle Club ——– New Coalition Mission, Vision, and Values – Thank you to Coalition Board members for sharing our new guiding principles. And thank you to all our members who contributed to this process Kate Baber, President, Coalition on Homelessness Board Anna Strahan, Coalition on Homelessness Board Member Derrick Belgarde, Treasurer, Coalition on Homelessness Board ——– Board of Directors Election: Each dues-paying member organization has one vote to elect the slate of candidates for the Board. We are pleased that four Board members have agreed to renew their terms of service: Derrick Belgarde, Katie Escudero, Benjamin Miksch, Jenn Romo. Primary membership contacts will hear from us directly about this. If you think you are the person who should vote, or have a question, please email us Highlights from the past year with the Coalition – see photos in our PowerPoint Presentation linked above! ——– City, County and Statewide Advocacy Opportunities Regarding sweeps currently happening in the City of Seattle, Alison shared: “We don’t find it to be acceptable under any circumstances that people are left to fend for themselves. We have proudly and successfully wrangled with multiple mayoral administrations over these kinds of dehumanizing and morally wrong actions. And now this. In the context of a global health emergency, in context of interim guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that clearly states in the absence of individual housing options people living unsheltered should …

Read more

Discounted Telephone Service Programs Updates due to COVID-19 – updated 7/15/2020

by

UPDATED 07/15/2020: List of Lifeline Supported Providers: Click here to see if you qualify for a Lifeline phone, then contact one of the below approved area providers for next steps. Thank you to Michael-Hall Young and his team at the Healthcare for the Homeless Network for sharing this information. Access Wireless – apply online or via mail, takes about 7-9 business days to process applications if apply online Assurance – apply online or via mail, takes about 5-7 business days to process applications if you apply online TerraCom Wireless – Apply via phone, takes about 3-5 business days to get phones out to clients. cell phone service only. enTouch – Apply via website/mail, clients must provide phones – bring unlocked phone (no guarantee to work), get phone from trusted partner, or purchase for ~$50 from enTouch, takes 5 days to approve application & 7-10 days to ship SIM card Safelink – Apply online or by phone, clients must provide unlocked phone, takes about 7-10 days to process applications (if apply online) Other resources – link to discounted phone services from City of Seattle Low Cost Telephone Access: As social service agencies close their offices and transition to remote case management to meet Public health recommendations, access to affordable phones is more important than ever. The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), in conjunction with Lifeline have adopted some changes to make it easier for people to access discounted telephone service. The Coalition will update this as we gather additional information, if you have anything to add please email Jason Lifeline: A federal program that provides discounted phone and internet service to qualifying low income households. To qualify, a household must be at or below 135% Federal Poverty Limit or be enrolled in a program such as SNAP, SSI or …

Read more

April 16, 2020 Coalition Membership Meeting

by

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 …

Read more

Community ideas to support people experiencing homelessness and service providers during COVID19 pandemic

by

Online “marketplace” connects donors with people and organizations in need during COVID-19 outbreak The King County Regional Donations Connector is now available online to link up individuals, businesses, non-profits, and others who have resources with those who need them during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Donations Connector will help make sure services, supplies, and funding reach health care providers, first responders, and social service entities working on the front lines. The website at kingcounty.gov/emergency/donate serves three major functions: A system that allows donations and offers of assistance to be used in the response effort. An online “marketplace” where offering organizations can be matched to those in need. An easily searchable list of ways the public can get help. Donating businesses, agencies, and individuals are invited to share what they have to contribute (such as funding, medical supplies, masks, counseling, or other goods and services) and link up with organizations involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Who is the Donations Connector for? Private and public entities with items or services to donate Community and faith-based organizations The general public What types of donations are requested? Funding Food (both perishable and non-perishable) Medical supplies Sanitary supplies Facility space Services such as counseling (legal, mental health, etc.), labor, janitorial, catering, event planning, and more Volunteering People who want to volunteer their time can contact local volunteer groups or register through the United Way of King County at volunteer.uwkc.org/volunteer-response-covid-19. You can also view our Coalition member organizations here who may need volunteers.

March 19, 2020 Coalition Membership Meeting Zoom Call – Agenda, Zoom tips, Resources

by

Thank you to all who joined our meeting – we had over 100 folks participate. Sign up for Coalition emails to make sure you receive updates and notice of upcoming meetings. Highlights of resources shared on the call are below. Agenda from Thursday, March 19 meeting 9:00 – Introduction to meeting, zoom call tips, welcome from Coalition, Grounding exercise 9:15 – 10:25- COVID-19 for Homeless Service Providers Jody Rauch, Clinical Quality Lead, Health Care for the Homeless Network Marta Lema, Homelessness Response Coordinator, Public Health Seattle-King County Environmental Health Services Division Leo Flor, Director of King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) Email covidhomelessnessresponse@kingcounty.gov to get on mailing list, get information about calls, share service changes, stay in touch. 10:25 – 10: 35 – Legislative Session Wrap-Up part 1 Representative Nicole Macri, Legislative District 43 10:35 – 10:50 – COVID-19 State policy changes (just a couple) Xochitl Maykovich, Political Director at Washington Community Action Network Eviction Moratoria in Seattle / King County and Washington State Marcy Bowers, Director, Statewide Poverty Action Network Changes to WorkFirst compliance guidelines during the pandemic ABAWD waiver, possible changes to EBT reporting requirements COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies on DSHS website 10:50 – 11:10 – 2020 Legislative Session Debrief Sarah Brady, Policy & Advocacy Manager, Child Care Resources Michele Thomas, Director of Policy & Advocacy, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance 11:10 – Census 2020 Update Stay tuned for further communications Partners on the phone: Maya Manus, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Debbie Carlson, LGBTQ Allyship/Queer the Census Coalition Next Monthly Membership Meeting: Thursday, April 16, 9:00 a.m. via Zoom (Please register for call). Resources from the meeting we’ll highlight (more to be added after the meeting) COVID-19 related Email covidhomelessnessresponse@kingcounty.gov to get on mailing list, get information about calls, share service changes, stay in touch. …

Read more