HomeMy WebLinkAboutHomeless Response System presentation.HFB July 2026
Homeless Response system
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Continuum of Care Administration
Discussion with Jefferson County &
City of Port Townsend
Housing Fund Board
July 22, 2026
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5-Year Plan Goals
Objective 2: Promote an equitable, accountable and
transparent homeless crisis response system
Action 2.A.1: Research and evaluate different CoC and Housing Fund Board models for meeting Jefferson County’s COC responsibilities.
Measure of Success: Evaluation Report completed
Timeline/Milestone: August 2026
Lead/Responsible Party: Housing Fund Board
Action 2.A.2: Develop and seek service provider input on HFB/CoC restructuring/implementation plan with effort to minimize adverse impacts from change.
Measure of Success: CoC Restructuring Plan completed
Timeline/Milestone: November 2026
Lead/Responsible Party: Housing Fund Board
Action 2.A.3: Complete HFB/CoC reorganization.
Measure of Success: CoC Enactment completed
Timeline/Milestone: May 2027
Lead/Responsible Party: Housing Fund Board
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Continuum of Care & Consolidated Homeless Grant
Lead Grantee Decision
Jefferson County
Elected to delegate the role as Lead Grantee for the CHG during the 2025-2027 fiscal period. Dept. of Commerce then assigned it to OlyCAP, who had applied for the role through a Commerce
NOFA process.
This opportunity will recur in early 2027 for the 2027-2029 biennium. CHG follows the state fiscal year and is granted for a biennium from 1 July of the first year through 30 June of
the second year.
Deadline for decision is likely to be around January 20, 2027 (if similar to 2025).
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CHG/CoC Lead Grantee
Administrative Requirements
Administrative requirements of all CHG Leads statewide are updated regularly and contained within the CHG Guidelines produced by WA State Dept. of Commerce.
#1 Strive to improve housing outcomes as measured by statewide performance targets.
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Statewide Data on Performance of the Homeless Response System
Dept of Commerce CHG Performance Tracker
CHG Performance Tracker v2 | Tableau Public
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#2 Low barrier projects
Each county must have at least one low barrier project serving homeless adults and at least one low barrier project serving homeless households with children.
As of July 1, 2025, no less than 80% of a county’s CHG funded projects (programs and facilities) were required to be low barrier.
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#3 Coordinated entry system
Each county must maintain a Coordinated Entry (CE) process.
CE is a coordinated system of intake, assessment, and referral that gets households in a housing crisis connected to available resources in the community. The goal of CE is to help communities
prioritize assistance to ensure people who need the assistance the most can receive it in a timely manner.
Lead/subgrantees providing direct service must enter client data into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for all temporary and permanent housing interventions regardless
of funding source.
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#4 Reporting requirements
Local Homeless Housing Plan: Lead must work with local task force to prepare this or participate if that function is delegated elsewhere (as is the case in Jefferson County).
Annual county Expenditure Report: Lead must provide expenditure tracking to Commerce.
Point in Time Count: Lead must ensure it is performed in accordance with Commerce guidelines.
Essential Needs Report: Lead must ensure this reporting is completed.
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#5 Required training
Lead/subgrantees must identify staff within the homeless response system to attend and complete trainings. These staff should include staff that provide direct services, supervisors
of direct service staff, and staff that manage homeless grants.
The following trainings are required at least every three years and attendance must be documented:
Trauma Informed Services, Supporting survivors of domestic violence, Local coordinated entry policies and procedures as required by lead CE entity, Fair Housing, Housing First, Racial
Equity, LGBTQ+ competency, Rapid Re-Housing, Progressive Engagement and Problem-Solving (Diversion).
Other recommended trainings include mental health first aid, crisis intervention, professional boundaries, and case management.
In addition, lead/subgrantee staff are highly encouraged to attend the annual Washington State Conference on Ending Homelessness.
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#6 Subgrantee requirements
Lead grantees may enter into an agreement with any other local government, Council of Governments, Housing Authority, Community Action Agency, nonprofit community or neighborhood-based
organization, federally recognized Indian tribe in the state of Washington, or regional or statewide nonprofit housing assistance organizations who operate programs to end homelessness
within a defined service area.
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Continuum of Care Models
in
Other Washington State Counties
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Lead Grantee: Community Services Division within County Public Health Department with partnership (contracted services) to NorthStar.
NorthStar is a public-private partnership uniting local governments, first responders, housing and healthcare providers, and other community leaders in a shared effort to address homelessness
and behavioral health challenges.
Staff: 3 Public Health staff funded by Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG)
20 subgrants, 2024-2025 funding was $3.9 million
Housing Service Providers still have issues with operations and maintenance of properties.
Worked with a consultant, TenFold, to determine how to move forward across system with reduced funding. (We can ask for those results)
Coordinated Entry Intakes are completed by Volunteers of America of Western Washington, using 211 crisis line along with walk-in service.
Skagit County
Population: 131,000 (approximately 3.9x larger than Jefferson)
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Consolidated Homeless Grant
Document Recording Fees
A portion of behavioral health funds (1/10th of 1% Mental Health sales tax (“Hargrove tax)
Grant funds for programs
Skagit County FUNDING SOURCES
Population: 131,000 (approximately 3.9x larger than Jefferson)
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Lead Grantee: County Public Health Department
Staff: 2 dedicated to Consolidated Homeless Grant administration
Contract Grant Manager and a Fiscal Specialist ..”communication is the key, communication with grantor, subgrantees, task force…”
Housing Task Force – Think Tank including businesses and churches
3 housing service providers and multiple contracts with Coastal Community Action Partnership (CAP)
CE Intakes are performed by Coastal CAP (single point of entry)
Auditing and Quality meetings to ensure programmatic compliance with policies and procedures: FMR – Rent Reasonableness, quarterly data quality meetings with each subgrantee & case conferencing.
Grays Harbor County
Population: 77,290 (approximately 2.3x larger than Jefferson)
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Funding Sources:
Consolidated Homeless Grant
Document Recording Fees
Criminal Justice Treatment Account (CGTA) for housing therapeutic courts’ participants
Some HUD grants to meet Housing Quality Standards – associated with Housing Choice Voucher programs for Domestic Violence sufferers
Grays Harbor County
Population: 77,290 (approximately 2.3x larger than Jefferson)
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Previously, Chelan County, Douglas County, the City of Wenatchee, and the City of East Wenatcheeformerly operated a task force together called the “Homeless Steering Committee”
In 2021, there were concerns raised by County Commissioners on failures of addressing key issues the community was facing. It became clearer that there were competing priorities of the
Cities and the Counties. The decision was made to separate the two and create their own respective task forces.
Now, the Columbia River Task Force is responsible for the provision of homeless and housing programs funded through the two cities’ available funding
The Chelan-Douglas Homeless Housing Task Force is responsible for the provision of the homeless and housing programs funded through the available funding through the two counties.
Each task force has their own set of bylaws and policies and procedures on how to disseminate funding and operate specific programs. And each develops their own 5-year plan.
Chelan and Douglas County formed an Interlocal Agreement in 2021 to continue to work collaboratively with the designated funding sources to be administered by one entity and to serve
Chelan and Douglas County residents consistent with the Local Homeless Housing Strategic Plan.
The Homeless Housing Task Force meets at least quarterly and may have additional special meetings or meetings of subcommittees created by the task force to address emergent needs.
LEAD GRANTEE: Chelan County Housing Department (“Best decision we ever made.”)
Staff: Approximately 6 people funded by CHG
Chelan & Douglas Counties
Population: 82,500 + 46,473 = 128,973 (2 counties combined: approx. 3.8x larger than Jefferson)
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Chelan & Douglas Counties FUNDING SOURCES
Population: 82,500 + 46,73 = 128,973 (approximately 3.8x larger than Jefferson)
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Lead Grantee: Serenity House of Clallam County
County leadership for the oversight, implementation, and progress tracking of homelessness action plans.
Staff: 1 county staff person mostly focused on affordable housing solutions
Homelessness Task Force (HTF) has developed a series of strategic documents to guide the county’s homelessness response, in addition to 5-year plan: Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness
in Clallam County; and Clallam County Homeless System Needs and Gaps Report 2021
On March 15, 2022, the BoCC established a Housing Solutions Committee. The committee is responsible for developing programs to promote housing solutions in Clallam County. The committee
also makes recommendations to the Board of Clallam County Commissioners for expenditures of 1406/1590 funds (similar to Jefferson County/City of PT’s Housing Fund Board.)
Clallam County
Population: 77,960 (approximately 2.3x larger than Jefferson)
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Clallam County FUNDING SOURCES
Population: 77,960 (approximately 2.3x larger than Jefferson)
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Clallam County FUNDING SOURCES
Population: 77,960 (approximately 2.3x larger than Jefferson)
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NEXT STEPS: Continuum of Care Decision
Additional Local Housing Service Provider interviews
Department of Commerce presentation at August 2026 Housing Fund Board meeting
Discuss and make a recommendation to BoCC
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