AUGUST 2022

The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness – now part of the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development – is committed to eliminating the disproportionality of people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness from communities of color and other marginalized populations by providing equitable paths to safe, stable, affordable housing.
 

PARTNERSHIP UPDATES

• Annual Continuum of Care (CoC) Membership Invitation: The Fairfax County Continuum of Care (CoC) strives to ensure that membership and participation in the CoC includes a diverse and broad representation of all the necessary voices needed to accomplish the goal of preventing and ending homelessness. To help us learn more about you, as a new or existing member of the CoC, please complete this survey. 
   
• Bi-Annual Continuum of Care (CoC) Meeting: The Bi-Annual CoC Meeting was held on July 14th. This virtual meeting provided an overview of the Continuum of Care, including a review of the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and System Performance Measure dashboards as well as review the results of the Youth PIT Count, a review the roles of the CoC Committee as well as the role of the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, and an overview of several homeless services system initiatives. More information about the Bi-Annual Continuum of Care Meetings can be found at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/homeless/coc-meetings.
   
• Continuum of Care (CoC) Committee Meeting: The CoC Committee, the governing body of the CoC met at the offices of the Fairfax County’s Department of Housing and Community Development (3700 Pender Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030) on July 14th. Meeting materials are available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/homeless/coccommittee.
   
• Administration for Children and Families Roundtable Discussion: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is hosting round table discussions with the public to hear directly from Black and African American people about their experiences with its programs, and their encounters with racism and bias when doing so. The goal of the roundtable discussions is for the ACF to listen, learn, and understand challenges so they can address the barriers that Black people are facing so the perspectives can be centered into their policies, programs, and operations. To learn more about the AFC, visit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ and click here to register for an upcoming Roundtable Discussion. 

Funding Information

• Special Continuum of Care Program Notice of Funding Opportunity: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a Continuum of Care (CoC) Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness on June 22, 2022. Through this Special NOFO, HUD will award funding to communities to implement coordinated approaches --grounded in Housing First and public health principles-- to reduce the prevalence of unsheltered homelessness, and improve services engagement, health outcomes, and housing stability among highly vulnerable unsheltered individuals and families. Fairfax County's CoC (VA-601) can apply for up to $5,664,135 for Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, Joint Transitional Housing and Rapid Rehousing, or Supportive Services Only projects. For more information on how to apply, please visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/homeless/continuum-care. Applications are due to the CoC Lead by 4:00 p.m. on August 19, 2022.
   
• HUD Continuum of Care Program Competition – Coming Soon: The annual Department of Housing and Urban Development Continuum of Care (CoC) Program competition typically presents an opportunity to apply for new funding. The exact start of the 2022 competition is not yet known, although now is the time to start thinking about the opportunity to apply to bring new permanent housing resources into the homeless services system. The local 2022 competition schedule will be made available once the Notice of Funding Opportunity is released by HUD. For more information on the 2021 HUD CoC Program competition and process to apply for new funding, please visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/homeless/continuum-care. 
   
• 2022 ARPA Nonprofit Sustainability Grants: Fairfax County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) invites nonprofit safety net organizations to apply for a new round of grants funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The pandemic and its lingering effects have negatively impacted nonprofits through reduced revenues, increased expenses and community need, and persistent staffing concerns. These grants are intended to help nonprofit safety net organizations mitigate those impacts and remain sustainable partners in serving our community. One-time grants of up to $75,000 will be made to eligible organizations, based on organizational size. The simple application process must be submitted by Friday, August 26, 2022.
   
• Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funding: The Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development has announced the availability of an estimated $2 million in funding under the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs. Project proposals are being solicited to acquire, develop, and rehabilitate affordable rental housing to further advance the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors' goal of producing a minimum of 10,000 new units of affordable housing by 2034. The funding available under this request for proposals consists of an estimated $424,130 in CDBG funds and an estimated $1,625,816 in HOME funds (approximately $370,685 of which are reserved for Community Housing Development Organizations). A free Pre-Proposal Conference has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 23, 2022, at 1 p.m. Registration is required. To register, please email the name of the organization and the email addresses of attendees to RHA@fairfaxcounty.gov. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, September 23, 2022.
   
• $51.9 Million in Available Funding for Affordable Housing: In conjunction with the beginning of the 2023 fiscal year, the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) has issued a request for proposals for affordable housing with a notice of more than $51.9 million in local funding available for affordable housing projects. A free Pre-Proposal Conference has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 23, 2022, at 10 a.m. Registration is required by August 6, 2022. More information is available at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/housing/development/fundingavailability.
   
• Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot (VERP): The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development is now accepting applications for the Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot (VERP). The purpose of this pilot program is to create a local/regional coordinated systems approach to effectively prevent evictions. When evictions cannot be prevented, the system must also include how to divert evictions once the household has received an unlawful detainer. The systems approach will include creating a collective impact model where organizations that serve as a safety-net within the community collaborate to ensure households have early access to resources to stabilize their housing situations. Applicants are required to register and attend a How-to-Apply webinar. Applications for VERP 2023 are now open from July 18th, 2022 - September 16th, 2022. 
   
• Improving Adult and Juvenile Crisis and Community Reentry Program: Through this opportunity, the Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks applications for funding to state, local, and tribal governments, as well as community-based nonprofit organizations, to enhance or implement clinical services and other evidence-based responses to improve reentry, reduce recidivism, and address the treatment and recovery needs of people with mental health, substance use, or co-occurring disorders who are currently involved in the criminal justice system or were formerly involved. The closing date is August 2, 2022. 
   

Data Spotlight

• Continuum of Care Dashboard Reports:  The 2021 Continuum of Care (CoC) Dashboard Reports are now available on the HUD Exchange. These reports include maps of claimed geographic areas and geographic coverage changes from the previous program year. Reports also contain information on each CoC’s awards by award amount, program component type, and project type. Point-in-Time (PIT) count graphics present the types of households and subpopulations of those experiencing homelessness in the community, while the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) graphics quantify beds by target population and bed type.