The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is in the process of updating its Olmstead Plan and is looking for feedback through its online website at https://www.mass.gov/forms/olmstead-planning-committee-plan-development-feedback. The Olmstead Plan memorializes the Commonwealth’s commitment to promote opportunities for persons with disabilities to live, work, and be served in community-based settings. The Commonwealth released its first Olmstead plan in 2008. This updated Olmstead Plan “tracks the progress that the Commonwealth has made towards achieving that [ Continue reading. ]
City Wins Federal Homeless Assistance Funds
Mayor Jon Mitchell has announced that the City of New Bedford has been awarded $1,721,502 in homeless assistance funding by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of a competitive grant process under the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Program. HUD awarded a record $2 billion to support more than 7,300 local homeless assistance programs across the nation providing critically needed support to local programs on the front lines serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The grant award is part of a very [ Continue reading. ]
1-800-HOMELESS IS COORDINATED ENTRY!
Are you in need of shelter? For all requests related to homelessness including shelters serving individuals, homeless prevention funding and rapid rehousing assistance, please call our coordinated entry line at 1-800-HOMELESS (1.800.466.3537) from a 508 or 774 area code for assistance. If you are a family in need of shelter, please contact the MA Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD)'s "telephonic intake line" at 1.866.584.0653. If you are interested in reviewing the Operating Standards for the Coordinated Entry System, you can [ Continue reading. ]
ANNUAL POINT IN TIME COUNT ANNOUNCED!
The New Bedford 2018 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count is approaching fast and your help is needed! This year, the homeless count is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, January 24th @ 2pm until Thursday, January 25th @ 2pm (24 Hours). Please be part of the Count! HOW TO HELP… PIT Volunteers. Fifty (50)+ or more volunteers are needed to help conduct the PIT Count. Teams of volunteers will be out surveying from Wednesday, January 24th @ 2pm thru Thursday, January 25th @ 2pm. Volunteers are asked to sign up for a two hour period. Similar to last year, [ Continue reading. ]
Looking Back at 2017…
The HSPN accomplished a great deal in 2017; from data counts to mental health discussions, encampments to displacement, the HSPN has been busy. Take a look at just how busy with the HSPN ANNUAL SUMMARY.2017. [ Continue reading. ]
Special StreetSheet release for those coming to New Bedford and who are displaced as the result of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
In cooperation with the United Way of Greater New Bedford and its Family Resource Center, the City of New Bedford's Homeless Service Provider Network has now published a special StreetSheet intended to assist those individuals and families displaced as a result of Hurricane Maria's devastation in Puerto Rico. This version of the StreetSheet is available here in both English and Spanish and will be available through the United Way and service providers throughout the city. The information provided within the brochure was accurate and available as of [ Continue reading. ]
FY2017 Final Rank and Order of Projects
On August 17, 2017 the HSPN membership voted to accept the ranking of this year's CoC projects. Get all the information on our CoC funding competition page! [ Continue reading. ]
2017 CoC RFP RELEASED!
The City of New Bedford’s Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development [DPHCD] issued a Continuum of Care [CoC] Request for Proposals (RFP) for 2017 applications for funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. The RFP notice included an application for both new projects (including those created as a result of a reallocation process) and for renewal projects to be used for existing CoC permanent supportive housing and CoC rapid rehousing programs. Please contact Jennifer Clarke, [ Continue reading. ]
2017 NEW BEDFORD HOMELESS COUNT…
The City of New Bedford has conducted its annual “Point In Time” [PIT] count that creates a census of those individuals and families experiencing homelessness within the city, both sheltered and unsheltered. This is a big operation and requires a lot of effort and many hands. The results from the 2017 PIT, initially presented at the HSPN April 20, 2017 meeting, are now available here: 2017 PIT PRESENTATION. [ Continue reading. ]
HUD CoC NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY UPDATE…
On April 11, 2017, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Registration Notice was released through the HUD Exchange Mailing List. Similar to previous years, in FY2017 HUD will require each CoC Collaborative Applicant to register in advance of applying for funding available through the FY 2017 CoC Program Competition. The City of New Bedford’s Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development is the designated Collaborative Applicant and is responsible for completing this step that leads up to the CoC Program Competition NOFA. [ Continue reading. ]
