What does Backbone do?• Works to prevent and end youth homelessness• Advises the CoC Board of Directors on policies and practices• Supports the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program in our community• Meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays, 5:00-7:00 p.m. (includes a Zoom option, dinner if in person) Who can be on Backbone?• Youth and young…
Author: Admin
FY 2022 CoC Program and Special Unsheltered Funding Opportunity
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development released two Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for which the Alliance and other Marion-Polk region nonprofit organizations, governments, faith-based organizations, and tribal organizations are eligible to apply: the annual NOFO for the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program funding and a special NOFO for unsheltered homelessness. The Request…
What is a Continuum of Care?
The Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance is a Continuum of Care (CoC). You may have heard our name used synonymously with the “Alliance” or “CoC,” because we use these terms interchangeably to describe our organization. Our official name is Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance. To shorten it we use “the Alliance,” but are categorized as a CoC…
Point-in-Time Count Tells Part of the Story
The Point-In-Time (PIT) Count that occurred in January across Oregon’s Marion-Polk region involved volunteers, shelter staff, and outreach workers who connected with 879 unsheltered individuals and 926 temporarily sheltered individuals for a total of 1,805 people. This is approximately 15 percent more than the 1,554 people contacted during the 2021 PIT Count. The PIT Count…
People Experiencing Homelessness and Mental Health Awareness Month
Every year, millions of people around the world honor the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. During this time, people fight the stigma against mental illness, educate the public, and advocate for change regarding various mental health conditions. How does mental health impact our local community members experiencing homelessness? Researchers agree that between…
Local Competition to End Youth Homelessness
This week the Alliance issued a Request for Proposals for local projects aimed at ending youth homelessness in the Marion-Polk region. Organizations can compete for approximately $3.4 million in HUD funding for programs designed to identify homeless youth, provide support services and establish or expand access to transitional housing and rapid re-housing so that the…
Coordinated Community Plan to End Youth Homelessness
Marion and Polk counties are on a mission to prevent and end youth homelessness. The community is committed to making youth homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. Six months after learning that the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a $3.7 million dollar Youth Homeless Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant to the Marion-Polk region,…
Coordinated Community Plan to End Youth Homelessness Submitted for HUD Approval
Six months after learning that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had awarded a $3.7 million dollar Youth Homeless Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant to the Marion-Polk region, the required Coordinated Community Plan (CCP) has been submitted for HUD approval. The plan calls for much more than $3.7M to end youth homelessness. It elevates…
2nd Annual CoC Summit
127 people representing themselves and/or 76 different agencies participated in the 2nd annual CoC Summit on February 10, 2022. The event kicked off with a Year in Review presentation, followed by a keynote address from Dr. Johnny Lake on Navigating Multicultural Contexts. Attendees also participated in breakout sessions – one offered as a keynote follow-up…
Meyer Memorial Trust invites applications for Statewide Housing Gathering
Applications are due by February 22, 2022 for a three-day gathering in June. More information here. Oregon Housing Justice Forum: Catalyzing Change, Building PowerVirtual Kick-Off: May 12, 2022In-Person Gathering: June 27-29, Lincoln City, Oregon