Family Homelessness Initiative Thank you for taking an interest in the Initiative to Prevent and End Family Homelessness in King County. This website is intended to provide community stakeholders with information about the initiative and offer an opportunity to provide feedback. News and EventsFree Training: The Campaign to End Child Homelessness presents a free training series on trauma and trauma-informed care: "Children and Trauma: Understanding Impact and Strengthening Resilience." Join trainer Kathleen Guarino this spring for a four-part series on homelessness, trauma, trauma-informed care, and self-care for service providers. Each month from February - May, the Campaign will be offering opportunities to learn more about how trauma can impact all facets of a person's life. Special focus will be given to kids and families who are experiencing homelessness and how organizations can provide trauma-informed services to these populations. Click here to register and start the training. Free Photo Exhibit: The Seattle University Project on Family Homelessness will host Looking Into Light, the national touring photo exhibit from the National Center on Family Homelessness, beginning Monday, March 5 at Seattle's City Hall. Seattle is only the third city to host this compelling collection as it travels around the United States for two years. To tell our state's story,we're adding to the collection with photos by noted photojournalist Dan Lamont. And our community partner, Building Changes, will demonstrate how providers throughout the state work to end homelessness. The Project on Family Homelessness is funded by a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Click here to learn more. BackgroundIn December 2008, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and United Way of King County awarded a grant to King County to undertake a local planning process to develop a plan that will reduce family homelessness. King County is one of three communities (Pierce and Snohomish are the other two counties) participating in this expanded work of the Washington Families Fund managed by Building Changes. The planning process King County undertook encompassed three distinct phases of work: A landscape assessment report that contains a detailed analysis of the county's existing resources and systems for addressing the needs of homeless families. A strategic plan that proposes specific strategies for improving county systems, with particular emphasis on the five promising approaches identified in the landscape assessment. An implementation plan that describes specific time lines, resources, responsibilities, and desired outcomes for implementing the strategies identified in phase two.
Moving Forward with implementation Initial planning efforts are completed. King County is implementing strategies focused on creating change in the five key areas that will have the most significant impact on overall system change. - COORDINATED ENTRY AND ASSESSMENT - Give families a convenient and standard way to find the services and housing they need as quickly as possible.
- PREVENT HOMELESSNESS FOR FAMILIES MOST AT RISK - Keep families who are on the edge of homelessness housed and quickly connect them to the services they need.
- MOVE FAMILIES QUICKLY TO STABLE HOUSING - Help families regain stability by moving them into non time-limited housing as quickly as possible.
- FOCUS SUPPORT SERVICES ON HOUSING STABILITY - Provide individual families with the right services at the right time and connect families to services they need and want to maintain housing stability and self-sufficiency.
- INCREASE COLLABORATIONS WITH MAINSTREAM SYSTEMS - Assist families in accessing the services, housing and income supports they need to maintain housing stability.
Current Implementation Efforts:Coordinated Entry and Assessment - Please click here to find out more about Coordinated Entry and Assessment. You can also find a link to this website on the right hand side of this web page.
Systems Change - We have concluded the Summer Speakers Series in September and have planned a fourth presentation to continue this series into the fall. Please look above under our Upcoming Events section. We will also be meeting with local providers to wrap up these sessions as we move into the next phase of implementation to discuss lessons learned and reflect on how we can turn the information we learned into practical strategies.
- Conducting a funding analysis of sample programs to identify potential barriers and opportunities to system transformation models. This will be used to develop a tool kit that explains options to shift away from shelter and transitional housing strategies and toward prevention and Housing Stabilization approaches.
Implementation Advisory Group: This group advises the Family Homelessness Initiative lead staff in support of the Committee to End Homelessness Funders Group investment priority. The Advisory Group consists of community partners, funders, and field experts from diverse agencies and specialties from across the County. The group meets monthly.
Technical Assistance and Support We are available for technical assistance and support throughout this systems change process. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have, meet with you one-on-one, or come out to your agency to talk with your Board and staff about the initiative. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Our contact information is listed below. Contact usPROJECT LEAD: Debbi Knowles , 206-263-9088 or at debbi.knowles@kingcounty.gov
COORDINATED ENTRY AND ASSESSMENT: Deborah Kuznitz, 206-263-9071, deborah.kuznitz@kingcounty.gov
SYSTEMS CHANGE: Triina Tennelo, 206-263-9110, triina.tennelo@kingcounty.gov Please let us know what you think about specific information found on this page or your thoughts on the implementation process as it unfolds. Contact Debbi Knowles, 206-263-9088 or at debbi.knowles@kingcounty.gov
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