New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
Newsbriefs Rethinking Homelessness since 1977
Page 1 New Hope Housing, Administration Office 8407-E Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309 703-799-2293
Volume 22 Issue 6
September 9, 2016
A glimpse inside Fairfax County’s homeless shelter system By Angela Woolsey/Fairfax County Times, August 19, 2016
Jeff Lisanick was homeless from June to December 2009. Like many other Americans, he lost his job in the wake of 2008’s Great Recession, and he had nowhere else to go. So, he found himself seeking a bed at the Eleanor U. Kennedy Shelter on Richmond Highway in Fort Belvoir. “[It’s] kind of hard to describe, but it was like being in boarding school,” said Lisanick, who now works at the same shelter as a residential coordinator. “They really expect you to take responsibility, take ownership and do what you need to do to end your homelessness.” Operated by the nonprofit organization New Hope Housing, the Kennedy Shelter is one of seven emergency shelters in Fairfax County and one of three shelters geared toward homeless, single adults, with the other four aimed at families. Fairfax County wants to minimize its reliance on shelters as a means of addressing issues related to poverty and homelessness, treating its emergency shelters as a last resort, rather than the first stop, in case of a crisis. The county first changed its approach to its homeless population in 2008, when the Board of Supervisors adopted a 10-year plan to end homelessness. Titled “Blueprint for Success: Strategic Directions for the Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in the Fairfax-Falls Church Community,” the plan was developed by a committee of residents, nonprofit groups, and business, school and government leaders. Its ultimate goal is to eliminate homelessness in the county by 2018.
The plan calls for the establishment of social services and policies that can prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place as well as the creation of more affordable housing options, and homelessness has decreased by 42 percent since the 10-year plan started seven years ago. “We’re not there yet, but we’re making good progress,” said Lisanick, who serves as a volunteer on the consumer advisory council (CAC). The CAC includes people who’ve used the county’s homeless services and gives input to the governing board that oversees the 10-year plan’s implementation. A key component of the 10-year plan is the county’s Housing First policy, where it provides permanent housing and supportive services as soon as possible, preferably before someone has to enter a shelter. Rather than acting as a long-term option, Fairfax County’s shelters are meant to be temporary, with staff aiming to house shelter residents (typically referred to as “clients”) within 30 days, though the deadline is flexible depending on each person’s circumstances. At the Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Falls Church, for example, the average length of stay is 60 days. “We’re really working to make sure their stay in the shelter is as short as possible, that their homelessness is rare, brief and non-re-occurring,” Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) director Dean Klein said. “It’s really intended to be more of a crisis response to ensure those who need shelter have a place to go.” When an individual or family enters a shelter, they undergo assessments regarding their financial and employment histories, medical status, and their basic living needs, including requirements when it comes to housing and support services. Clients then typically meet with an assigned case manager within their first 24 to 48 hours at a shelter and a housing locator within their first week. Housing locators generally try to find new, permanent affordable housing for clients, but due to the limited availability of new affordable housing in Fairfax County, they often work with private landlords to find rental options instead.
“Affordable housing, I think, continues to be the number one challenge that we see as a cause for people coming into the shelter and as a barrier for them moving out of the shelter,” said Greg White, the chief operating officer of Cornerstones, which runs the Embry Rucker Community Shelter in Reston. With a median income of $110,674 for all households and $130,071 for families, per a 2014 U.S. Census Bureau survey, Fairfax County is simply too expensive for many people to live. More than 60 percent of the homeless families in Fairfax County have an adult who is working, according to Lisanick, who says that the county has built next-to-no new affordable housing in recent years. Fairfax County offers financial assistance to shelter clients, sometimes offering subsidies or paying a deposit or the first month’s rent so that they can hopefully keep their new residence, but some clients face more obstacles to finding housing than others.
Shelter House Executive Director & CEO, Joe Meyer walks through the halls of Patrick Henry Family Shelter, a 42 bed facility in Falls Church operated by the nonprofit.
High barriers, as those obstacles are called, include a past record of evictions, debt or credit trouble, a bad financial or employment history, and a criminal background. It’s also difficult to find affordable housing in Fairfax County for large families, says Shelter House executive director and CEO Joe Meyer. Shelter House is another one of the local nonprofits contracted by the county to operate its shelters. The organization runs the Patrick Henry Family Shelter and Fairfax’s Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter. “We really work on a housing-first model, meaning that income and all that shouldn’t be a barrier to folks getting housing,” Laura Woody, Shelter House’s director of programs and services for region 2, said. “That’s sort of the best practice model for housing, and it works for a lot of people.” While in a Fairfax County homeless shelter, clients receive case management, housing, employment assistance, and medical and mental health services. The shelters also sometimes provide subsidies for public transportation use and food. The Patrick Henry Family Shelter stands out from other shelters because it has apartment-style rooms, allowing the nondescript, unmarked building to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood.Families at Patrick Henry cook their own food with supplies donated to the shelter and children can get transportation to school from the shelter. According to Woody, the shelter works with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to also provide on-site tutoring.
However, none of this means a homeless shelter is a good place for people to live long-term. “We really believe that spending time in a shelter isn’t helpful to a family, just for their mental health,” Woody said. “Even if we’re the nicest, greatest shelter, this isn’t stable… If we can avoid you coming here altogether and keep your family stably housed, let’s do that.” Though there are some variations from one shelter to another, depending on if they’re designed for single adults or families, OPEH issue strict guidelines for shelters in Fairfax County. For instance, Lisanick recalls that he had to follow a set schedule for meals and laundry when he lived at the Kennedy Shelter. Clients must adhere to a 9:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew. People who fail to show up during that time and don’t have permission from the shelter’s staff to stay out at night forfeit their bed. These stringent rules don’t always sit well with clients, who are already in the middle of the toughest period of their lives. Alexandria native Mike Davis, for example, said in May that he’d been denied entry to Embry Rucker, where he’d been staying for about a month, when he had to stay at a hospital for five days to get surgery on his leg. “They said the reason they put me out was because I didn’t let them know I was out of the shelter for more than 48 hours,” Davis said. “That’s a very sorry excuse to put me out of there.” Once an outspoken advocate who solicited and distributed donations to homeless people along Richmond Highway, as chronicled in a 2013 article in the Alexandria Times, Davis has been in and out of shelters for more than 25 years, in part due to his diabetes, which he has had for 20 years, and other medical issues that have made it difficult for him to get and keep a job. “I have enough physical and emotional problems without [the shelter] adding on to it,” Davis said, adding that he isn’t going to return to Embry Rucker. frustration regarding the housing that the shelter initially offered her.
“They wanted to send me out to Roanoke, Virginia to live, and because I turned the housing down there, I felt like everyone was turned against me,” the woman, who asked not to be identified because she’s still working with shelter staff members, said. “It was such an inconvenience for all of us out there. They just didn’t want to hear it.” A mother of two, the woman said that she wanted to stay in Fairfax County and was looking to get a temporary job so that she would have some income before seeking a more permanent position. However, while they try to accommodate requests for a specific location or type of house, housing locators take clients’ current income into consideration when finding residences that would be suitable for each individual, according to Meyer and Woody. Meyer says that clients are never forced to move outside of Fairfax County, but sometimes, they have to be realistic about the potential benefits of relocating to a different, less expensive jurisdiction. “I tell people myself, we want you to get housing in Fairfax County, but we can’t work miracles,” Woody said. “I don’t have vast amounts of affordable housing in my back pocket. We’re working within a system that’s out of our control, so we have to figure out how to make it sustainable.” According to Woody, 75 percent of the families at Patrick Henry have permanent housing when they leave the shelter, and the remainder usually enter a transitional housing program or temporarily move in with family or friends. Ultimately, though, Fairfax County’s shelters are a transient, individualized solution to the much deeper, systematic issues of the region’s lack of affordable housing and the wide disparity between the rich and poor. The million-dollar houses and elegant, new apartment complexes that populate the county can obscure the prevalence of poverty and homelessness in the community. According to point-in-time data from an annual community survey issued in January, roughly 1,000 people have experienced homelessness in the Fairfax County and Falls Church area in 2016, down from more than 1,800 in 2008. Many other people may be one or two paychecks away from the same situation. Lisanick says that, in addition to advising the governing board, the CAC focuses on raising awareness about homelessness and lending a personal touch to the issue, pushing back against the stereotype of people who are homeless as lazy and inept. “As someone who was formerly homeless, we do get redemption,” Lisanick said. “We’re not hopeless. We’re not worthless. We’re not useless. We can make a positive contribution to society. Homeless people, they’re people.”
WELCOME NEW
On Call RSS Kennedy Shelter/FCHS
BIO “I was born and raised in Oxon Hill, Md. I currently live in Ft. Washington, Md. I graduated from Virginia State University in 2008 with a BS in Criminal Justice. I am also a proud member of the greatest fraternity of all, Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc.”
Interesting and Fun Facts
Die hard Redskins fan
I love cars.
I love to travel.
WELCOME NEW
On Call RSS Kennedy Shelter/FCHS
BIO “I was born in Washington, DC. I attended DC public schools, and I also attended college in the city. I worked with numerous nonprofits before I started a career as a Director of a local trade school.”
Interesting and Fun Facts
I am a breast cancer survivor.
I have three children! Two are in college and my son just entered middle school. I work with returning citizens and I volunteer for my son’s football team.
New Hope Housing thanks volunteer group from Fairlington United Methodist Church for the yard work that they did at Max’s Place. They did a great job clearing weeds and sprucing up the house grounds!
Please join Supervisor Storck for a community discussion with Police Chief Edwin Roessler Monday, Sept 19, from 7:00-8:30 pm Walt Whitman Middle School
This is an opportunity for the community to hear more about the ad hoc police practices review commission and their recommendations regarding use of force, citizen oversight, diversity & vetting, mental health, and communication and the Board's implementation of those recommendations to date. The Board of Supervisors, at their September 20th Board meeting, will be considering the establishment of an independent police auditor and a community oversight committee. Your input is important, so please join us!
The New Hope Housing Board of Directors, Trustees, and Staff cordially invite you to our
2016 Volunteer Celebration! Saturday, September 24, 2016 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Aldersgate United Methodist Church (Guback Center) 1301 Collingwood Road, Alexandria VA 22308 Please join us for breakfast to celebrate YOU, our wonderful volunteers! RSVP: Nicole Dillon at ndillon@newhopehousing.org Or 703-799-2293 x.22
Webinar Available On Demand September 20, 2016 at 12:00pm Effective Communication With Children Kids won't listen? Learn techniques that help you to communicate more effectively and to avoid communication styles that hamper conversation and increase conflict.
To View Webinar On Demand visit the INOVA EAP Website: 1. www.inova.org/eap 2. Click on “Member Login” 3. Enter Username: newhopehousing 4. Enter Password: Mondloch 5. To access webinar, on homepage click on “Online Seminars” link. You no longer need to register in advance to attend Online Seminars at a set time. Seminars will be prerecorded and uploaded on the third Tuesday of each month. If you have questions, type them into the "Ask a question" box. You will receive an e-mailed answer within five business days. All questions and answers will be posted on the FAQ tab.
Please get prior approval from your supervisor if you will view webinar during work hours.
Thursday, October 6th Friday, October 7th 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Pillar Church of Woodlawn (Dining Hall) 9001 Richmond Highway Alexandria, VA 22309
LaKesha McGuire sends Kudos to:
Shanice Gomire Kudos (cont’d)
Jeff Lisanick, Heath Thayer, and Nicole Dillon for giving me a heads up about traffic patterns going to and from Kennedy, as well as other Route One congestion alerts. Sending these notifications to all staff was greatly appreciated by our commuters!
Steve L.- Thanks for stepping in your new role and making a big difference on the 4pm-12am shift.
Reed Livers for being “Fix It Felix” here at NHH Admin. I’ve made several requests, and you stepped up to assemble, breakdown, and hang items with no complaint and with a BIG smile. Thanks for all that you do!
Rosa and Luis- you guys are working so hard, thanks for all you do. Alexcia- Thanks for the encouragement you give. Not only to the clients, but to staff as well. Chandra- Thanks for being so understanding these last few weeks. Thanks! Priscilla- Welcome back!!
A.J. and Eddie, I appreciate the two of you going out of your way to make sure staff have what they need! Thanks for your attentiveness. You two are great morale boosters! Vince, I greatly appreciate you going out of your way to create a detailed spreadsheet for the Purchase Power invoice. It was a great aid to me during negotiations with a customer service rep. You are AWESOME!
Bea-Thanks for being the front line person for communication with the clients and case managers. Ken- Thanks for your calm spirit in the office. Tonya- Thanks for allowing us to have our team building experience, it was fun.
Denae Hilliard sends Kudos to:
Roxanne- Thanks for the speedy response with dealing with our fly issue.
Veronica Letsinger for covering my shift so that I could enjoy my birthday.
Martha Faconer sends Kudos to:
Marian Washington for her continued act of kindness. Lisa Washington for always being a team player when I need her assistance! Weekend RSS Staff at MP and MH for always willing to work as a team through any situation.
Shanice Gomire sends Kudos to: Ollie- Thanks for everything, you are such a big help! Melissa- My P.I.C, thanks for being you and helping when you can.
A.J., Eddie, Anthony, Stephen and Tony for emptying out storage on short notice. Thank you so much! Special thank you to Lavora for all your extra help and coverage that allowed kitchen staff to take some time off. I appreciate all that you do!
Jo Mullen sends Kudos to: LaKesha for taking charge of our placement and trainings of our new copiers! And for being a great office manager and HR assistant while I took a much needed vacation. You did a terrific job wearing many, many, hats, including I.T. THANK YOU!! Shawn, Vince, Tek, and Shaun for all the hard work and dedication getting ready for the audit. As “newbies” you all have it together, and make a great team. Tonya G. for organizing a much needed “management team” regular meeting. I am looking forward to its development, and I am ready to assist or guest speak whenever needed! Shawn and Oliver for looking into online training for the entire staff. Pam for being forward thinking and working to bring NHH computers, data, software/hardware into the current generation and working to move us to the “cloud”. Sharina for always having the children’s best interest at heart. You do many, many, behind the scene works that no one even knows about. I enjoy having you here at admin in the evenings, and seeing the children light up when they see you. You mean a lot to them!!
Latasha Younger sends Kudos to: I would like to give Kudos to ALL the Residential Staff under PSH program. You all are on the front line of things and deal with the most challenging clients that NHH serves. Keep up the good work! C.J.- Thank you for being consistent with all the maintenance issues at MP. Heath- I can always depend on you. Thank you for running back and forth to Kennedy so the residents at MH get their dinner during the week. Kenny- Thank you for assisting us with that resident that was decompensating. Stacey- Thank you for cooking/grilling out for the residents at MH and MP on Labor Day. They said they had a good time. Marian- Thank you for following through with E.R. staff and keeping me informed to try and locate our resident that is in desperate need of assistance. You did a good job! Sheila- Thank you for helping me figure out coverage issues and covering a shift when I need you. Lisa- Thank you for keeping me informed about MH residents. Denae- Thank you for providing coverage at the last minute. West- I know I can always count on you. I can’t thank you enough for all that you do. I really appreciate you.
Latasha Younger sends Kudos to: Tonya- I want to thank you for all that you do. You keep me focused and you make sure I don’t forget anything. I really appreciate you. Veronica- Thank you for providing coverage at the last minute. Nathalia- Thank you for keeping me updated and giving me suggestions on Susan’s Place. Martha- Thank you for making sure things run smoothly over the weekends at Susan’s Place. I value your input and I appreciate you. Patricia- Thank you for picking up extra shifts at Susan’s Place. William- Thank you for making sure that the residents at Susan’s Place do their chores at night. George- When I need you, you are there. I really appreciate all that you do at Max’s Place. Angelica- Thank you for picking up extra shifts at Max’s. Monica- Thank you for volunteering your time by cooking out on the grill on Labor Day for the residents at Max’s. The residents really appreciate that. Simajah- Thank you for all that you do. You really show that you are committed in the work that you do for PSH team. I appreciate your time and input. Tonya- Thank you for coming in and giving me suggestions. You are a truly an asset to NHH. Priscilla- You will be missed at PSH, but I appreciate all the encouragement you gave to staff before you left our team. Operations Team- I can’t express enough how much PSH team depends on you. Thank you so much for all that you do for us. Roxanne- Thank you for working diligently on all our maintenance issues. You Rock!! Lance- I know I can always count on you. Thank you for being a big part of our team.
A seven letter word containing thousands of letters.
Last Newsbriefs, Shanice Gomire was the first NHH staff member to answer this question correctly. Kudos to the Kennedy Shelter Team & Shanice! The first NHH Team Member to respond with the correct answer to this puzzle will receive a special treat! Email your guess to lmcguire@newhopehousing.org
Eleanor U. Kennedy Shelter Celebrates!!!! Rosa celebrated her birthday on September 4th
New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
Page 19
OPEN POSITIONS IMMEDIATE NEED SPREAD THE WORD! Case Manager Full Time Position- Alexandria Community Shelter Compassionate and caring person to provide full range case management services to residents at ACS. Residents include families and single adults with mental health and/or substance abuse issues living in Shelter. Responsibilities include resident assessment, service plan development, counseling, and crisis interventions. Some evenings are req’d. Bachelor degree required, preferably in s ocial services. Must have a valid driver's license, be able to provide an acceptable DMV record, and be able to drive agency vehicles as needed. Bilingual preferred. $42,000 a year plus benefits EOE/ADA that values diversity.
PSH Full Time Outreach Counselor Provide case management services and house coverage from 8am-4pm Monday-Friday at our group home in the Arlington. The group home is part of New Hope Housing's permanent supportive housing programs, serving 6 single adults with mental illness. Will also provide case management support to 3 scattered site Housing First units in Arlington. Daily activities may include routine case management duties (this is a HUD program, therefore paperwork can be heavy at times), life skills, engaging with residents, and proactively seek opportunities to assist residents to be positive members of society. Assist residents in finding appropriate services and transportation to get to appointments. Will rotate the on-call phone with other team members. BA/MA degree and considerable experience working with adults with serious mental illness; ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; experience with chronically homeless adults; strong counseling and crisis intervention skills; flexibility, creativity, and leadership skills; ability to make decisions independently and work autonomously and as part of a team. Some evening hours are required to meet residents’ needs. Must have a valid driver's license, be able to provide an acceptable DMV record, and be able to drive agency vehicles as needed. $43,000/year EOE/ADA that values diversity.
If interested, please send resume to hr@newhopehousing.org New Hope Housing is proud to be an EOE that values diversity!
New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
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OPEN POSITIONS On Call Resident Service Specialists- Kennedy Shelter & Alexandria Community Shelter Responsibilities include monitoring the shelter, answering the phones, greeting visitors, and most importantly interacting in a positive manner with our residents. Must be flexible, dependable, and have the ability to work with a diversified group of individuals. A High School diploma or GED is necessary, and previous experience with the homeless/mentally ill a plus. Successful candidates will be called to duty when we are short staffed. Hours are flexible, not scheduled, and you must be willing to cover shifts at a moment’s notice. $14.13 an hour. EOE/ADA that values diversity.
If interested, please send resume to hr@newhopehousing.org New Hope Housing is proud to be an EOE that values diversity!
Banana Cream Cheesecake - a delicious no-fuss, easy dessert that will have you enjoying your favorite Banana Cream Pie flavors in no time! Ingredients: Produce 1 Banana Baking & Spices 1 8oz (3 cups) tub Cool whip Snacks 1 cup Vanilla wafers Desserts 1 3.4 oz package Jell-o banana cream instant pudding Dairy 1 8oz package Cream cheese & 1 1/3 cups of Milk 1 1/3 cups Milk
New Hope Housing - Newsbriefs
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Location ACS EUKS
ACS Team EUKS Team
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Times 2pm 1pm
Every Wed Every Thu
Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday Rotating Locations of each month
PSH Team Community Services Team
Name Nathalia Brown Rosa Rapavi Denae Hilliard Luke Taylor Brandon Wright Qui'va Burroughs Chimere Stanley Ashley Marshall Reed Livers William Turner George Montgomery Martha Mickens Oliver Reid Latasha Younger
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Month September September September September September September September September September September September September September September
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Day 1 4 4 5 6 6 9 10 11 12 14 15 25 26
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Every 1st Monday of each month
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Name Martha Faconer
Month September
Day 12
Years 33
Reed Livers
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Arnita Latimer
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Ellen Shepard Monica Harrison
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Osborne West
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Chandra Beander
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Samir Suarez
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Khristina Koontz
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