Holiday Schedule

Dear Friends,

It’s the holiday season!

With that, we wanted to let you know that MDHI will be closed from December 23rd until December 31st to assure our staff gets some much-needed, quality time with loved ones. 

Here is information on how we will respond to time-sensitive requests during this holiday break. Thank you for your understanding on delayed responses of non-emergency requests.

HMIS Help Desk

The HMIS Help Desk will only be monitored for HMIS lock outs or system failures. Any requests for training or non-urgent technical support will be answered when we return to the office on January 3rd.

OneHome

Any urgent OneHome requests during this time should be emailed to contact@onehomeco.org.

Housing Stability Flex Fund

The Housing Stability Flex Fund will also be responding to urgent requests only. We can approve urgent requests, but we will not be able to process checks until we return on January 3rd.

From our staff to you, thank you for your support during 2021, and we look forward to what we can accomplish together in 2022! Wishing you a joyous holiday season.

-The MDHI Staff

Final NOFO Priority List and Con App

Here is the final version of the 2021 NOFO Priority List for the CoC as well as Con App.

Priority Listing

Con App

Within Reach Campaign

Make a direct impact this season through the Within Reach Campaign!

The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative’s Housing Stability Flexible Fund directly houses individuals in our community. This fund was created by the Metro Mayors Caucus and has housed hundreds of our neighbors because we understand flexible funds are paramount to ending homelessness. Our goal this season is to assist 50 households by either staying in their home or moving into a safe stable place to call home.

DONATE HERE

Here’s the full information:

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative Launches  

"Within Reach” Campaign to House 50 Families 

[Denver, CO- (Nov. 4)]:  The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), the region’s Continuum of Care tasked with coordinating a regional response to homelessness, will be launching the MDHI Within Reach Giving Campaign.  The Campaign will run November 9th-December 31st, 2021 as has a goal of housing 50 families.  

This campaign to support the organization’s Housing Stability Flexible Fund is designed to remove the last financial barrier that prevents a household from obtaining or remaining in permanent housing.  MDHI works with over 80 local organizations to provide one-time emergency funds to households facing a housing crisis.  When all other funding has been exhausted, the Housing Stability Fund steps in.   

“Without the Housing Stability Fund, hundreds in our region would have fallen into homelessness or remained unhoused over the past three years,” said Jamie Rife, MDHI’s Director of Communications and Development. “This is literally a fund of last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted by a household’s case manager.”  

The Housing Stability fund is made possible from strong and consistent support from the Metro Mayors Caucus, the Denver Foundation, Mile High United Way, Wells Fargo, and private donors. 

The goal this winter is to raise $75,000 for households in crisis.  This will help 50 families either stay in their homes or secure housing.  To reiterate, households must be literally homeless to at-risk of becoming homeless to be eligible for this emergency assistance.  Funding is issued to the appropriate third-party vendor, such as a utility company, landlord/property owner, moving company, etc.  MDHI is not able to approve requests directly from households themselves; all requests are made by organizations that partner with MDHI on behalf of their clients. 

All assistance is tracked through the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to ensure there is not duplication of services or requests for the client.  MDHI works directly with landlords and other third parties to provide the necessary assistance.  

“In some cases, we’ve seen as little as $57 that’s keeping a family from a home. This Fund helps remove those last few barriers,” shared Rife. “With the holidays quickly approaching, we’re asking for the community’s support in providing hope in the form of housing this season.” 

Housing stability is Within Reach and MDHI needs your support! To donate, visit MDHI.org/donate All donations received between November 9 and December 31 will go directly to housing households in need.   

Consolidated Application Input & Office Hours

It’s time to submit the annual NOFO to HUD and we need your input! Here’s the most current draft of the document where you can add comments, suggest changes, and share any work MDHI hasn’t captured in this draft. Changes are due by 5 pm on November 8th.

Office hours will be held on November 8th at 11:00 am for anyone interested in providing verbal feedback. Here’s the information to join this event:

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 720-388-1618,,39495164# United States, Denver

Phone Conference ID:394 951 64#

Find a local number | Reset PIN

NOFO Organizational Racial Equity Assessment

The purpose of the Organizational Racial Equity Assessment is to provide a baseline for our CoC to advance racial equity by identifying the barriers in the homelessness system that are working against the people we serve. At its core, homelessness is the result of systemic inequities, which disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, People of Color. According to the 2020 State of Homelessness Report, Black and Indigenous peoples experience homelessness at a rate 4-7 times higher than their relative makeup of the general population, respectively. Internally analyzing our own organizations for racial equity will help us identify key areas for improvement to meet our goals of housing people in a way that is not only safe and effective, but equitable, inclusive, and culturally appropriate.

HUD released seven priorities for the 2021 COC NOFO, two of which explicitly highlight the importance of completing an Organizational Racial Equity Assessment: Advancing race equity and Engaging people with lived experience in decision-making. The Organizational Racial Equity Assessment is intended to provide our grantees with a starting point to meaningfully engage with these priorities. The remaining five priorities for the HUD COC NOFO are inexplicitly yet inextricably tied to advancing racial equity:

• How can we end homelessness for all in a system that is structurally racist and inequitable?

• When using a housing-first approach, are we prioritizing in a racially equitable way?

• Can we reduce unsheltered homelessness without being mindful of systemic forces and cultural barriers that keep people from shelter?

• How can we improve system performance if we have no baseline for our own internal DEI?

• Are we partnering with housing, health, and service agencies that provide culturally appropriate care and are representative of the populations we serve?

Our Internal DE&I Work

• Hiring Director of DEI

• Understanding White Supremacy Culture Characteristics and naming them when present

• Hiring consultants for objective perspective in assessments, meeting facilitation, racial caucusing, etc.

  • ESD Consulting and Syah B. Consulting

• Refocusing priorities around racial equity: internal work and processes, relationship-building in the community to identify needs, and resetting lived experience committees (Young Adult Leadership Committee)

Our DE&I Assessment Methodology

In the spirit of co-creation, ESD Consulting engaged primarily with MDHI’s Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion to develop the assessment and interview questions. ESD utilized two primary methods to collect feedback which were surveys and interviews. Surveys were sent to all staff and board members and feedback was anonymous. Additionally, all staff members were invited to participate in one-on-one interviews with ESD.

• MDHI Assessment Outline

Building Your Racial Equity Assessment

Please consider using the following assessment categories when creating your Organizational Racial Equity Assessment:

• Demographics of Staff/Board

• Organizational Commitment, Leadership, and Governance

• Organizational Climate, Culture, Communications

• Service-Based Equity

• Human Resources

• Community Engagement/Collaboration

Assessments are due on 2/14/22, 90 days after MDHI submits the NOFO on 11/16/21. Please email to nofa@mdhi.org. MDHI will consider granting up to two 30-day extensions.

Racial Equity Assessment Examples

• Assessing Organizational Racism (Western States Center)

• Racial Equity Toolkit (Housing Development Consortium)

• Racial Justice Assessment (Western States Center)

• Tool for Organizational Self Assessment (CCC)

• Transforming Organizational Culture Assessment (MP Associates)

Metro Denver DE&I Consultants

• Emily Shamsid-Deen, ESD Consulting

• Syah B. Consulting

• Celesté Martinez, Celestial Alegria

• Nora Bashir, Praxis LLC

• Regan Byrd, Regan Byrd Consulting

Other Resources

• Racial Equity Tools

• NAEH - Racial Equity Network Toolkit

• NAEH – Racial Equity Learning Series

Progress on Regional Coordination

In March of 2021, MDHI in collaboration with Community Solutions, the VA, Department of Local Affairs, DRCOG, and the Metro Mayors Caucus convened hundreds of elected officials to discuss the issue of homelessness at the Regional Convening on Homelessness, suggesting the need for regional collaboration on the issue. Hundreds of others tuned in via Facebook Live to watch the event.

The day rolled out Built for Zero as a way to coordinate regionally on the issue of homelessness. Since then, the nine subregions have been working diligently to establish the Built for Zero framework in their local communities, starting with Veteran homelessness.

We are excited to share that this approach is working! Communities collaborating together has brought reductions in Veteran homelessness. In fact, while all other types of homelessness are increasing due to the economic impact of COVID-19, Veteran homelessness has decreased by over 12% since the beginning of 2021. This is encouraging news. Some communities, sparked by this momentum, have already begun applying this framework to other subpopulations such as those that are chronically homeless, families, youth, etc. Our region is at a point where we know Veterans experiencing homelessness by name and are working to meet their individual housing and stability needs.

As we finish out this 2021 calendar year, we anticipate these reductions will continue and have set a goal to be the first major metro region in the nation to reach Functional Zero, making homelessness rare and brief for those that have served our country.

For more on how Built for Zero is helping communities reach this milestone through coordination, collaboration, and strategic investments, watch this short video below.

MDHI would like to extend its sincere thanks to the providers, staff, partners, elected leaders, and stakeholders that are doing this work each day to collaborate on real solutions to the homelessness and housing instability crisis facing our community. Only by working together, can we make homelessness history in our region!

NOFO DV Bonus Deadline Extended

Dear Partners, 

We are implementing an extension for the 2021 HUD CoC NOFO Domestic Violence (DV) Bonus to ensure that we have an opportunity to apply for our full allocation of funding ($1,875,185). DV Bonus projects serve households fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and survivors of human trafficking. Read more about the DV Bonus here, or view the full NOFO.

If your agency is interested in applying for a new DV Bonus project, we request that an intent to apply be emailed to nofa@mdhi.org no later than 5pm on October 7. The email of intent should indicate the amount and project type for which you'll be applying. 

For new DV Bonus projects only, the deadline for applications into e-snaps will be 5pm on October 15.

Please reach out to nofa@mdhi.org with any questions, or view our 2021 NOFO Headquarters for more information.

Meet the YALC

At the beginning of 2021, MDHI began a thoughtful reset of our Youth Action Board (YAB) - a committee of young adults ages 18-24 with lived experience of homelessness. For years, the YAB had several challenges that had to be addressed head-on:

• How do we create a safe space where youth can feel heard and not tokenized?

• How do we share our lived experiences in a way that is not traumatizing for ourselves or others?

• How can MDHI invest in the youth more than we solicit from them?

• How can we elevate their voices to empower them to create meaningful change in our community?

With these questions in mind, Sierra Trujillo, our Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, decided to rename the group the Young Adult Leadership Committee (YALC). This group would treat its members like “young adults” instead of “youth” and focus on giving them the tools to succeed through professional development. With the help of Layla Said, a staff member at MDHI with lived experience of homelessness, the YALC rooted itself in an empathy framework that is person-centered, needs-based, and culturally competent.

Sierra and Layla have put a lot of thought and intention into creating a safe and culturally appropriate space where members feel valued and heard rather than triggered and tokenized. The YALC does this in a few ways, including but not limited to:

• Reading a Land and Cultural acknowledgment at every meeting to ground ourselves in the history that brought us to this work

• Being transparent about our group agreements so that everyone is treated the way they want to be treated

• Encouraging everyone to always advocate for their needs

• Doing a wellness check-in with every member before diving into the agenda for that meeting

• Engaging in professional development training that promotes empathy, combats internalized oppression, and creates confident leaders

• Asking for feedback after every meeting to ensure that everyone feels safe, heard, valued, and engaged

The YALC will continue to engage the community through our YALC page, where you can learn more about our work, hear from young adults with lived experiences of homelessness, and apply to advocate with us.

2021 NOFO Information

The timeline for New and Renewal applicants to submit their materials for the 2021 CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is now available.

New and Renewal applicants should register for the mandatory HUD CoC Program Workshop on 9/17.

New applicants can use this template to write their non-binding Letter of Intent, which should be emailed to nofa@mdhi.org no later than September 21, 2021.

For more information and resources, please visit our 2021 NOFO Headquarters.

Denver Rental Assistance

ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO PAY RENT?

You’re not alone and it’s not your fault.

Because of COVID-19, many people need a little extra help right now. We’re here to help you get the assistance you deserve.

The Denver Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) assists eligible households with:

· Up to 15 months of assistance for current and/or overdue rent payments

· Relocation assistance, including security deposit and rent

Apply now at Denvergov.org/RentAssistance or call 1-844-926-6632 with questions.

DO YOU QUALIFY?

Your household may qualify if at least one individual:

· Is eligible for unemployment, has experienced a reduction in household income, or has incurred major costs or financial struggles due directly or indirectly to the COVID-19 pandemic.

· Is at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

· Your household falls below the following income limits:

1 Person 2 People 3 People 4 People 5 People 6 People

$55,950 $63,950 $71, 950 $79,900 $86,300 $92,700

Immigration status and landlord participation are NOT required in order to receive assistance.

Households with housing vouchers may receive assistance for their portion of the rent.

HOW TO APPLY

VISIT: DenverGov.org/RentAssistance

CALL: 1-844-926-6632

Sheltered PIT Released

ANNUAL COUNT SHOWS INCREASES IN SHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, DOUBLING OF NEWLY HOMELESS 

The 2021 annual Point-in-Time count which captured sheltered data only this year due to COVID-19 showed an increase of individuals staying in shelters on a single night and showed a drastic increase in those experiencing homelessness for the first time.  

[Denver, CO – August 25, 20201]: The 2021 annual Point-in-Time count which captured sheltered data only this year due to COVID-19 safety concerns showed a 40% increase in the number of individuals staying in emergency shelter on a single night and a doubling of the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time.  

The Point-in-Time count is an annual count normally conducted on a single night during the last week in January on the number of people staying in the region’s emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe haven, as well as outdoors or other places not meant for human habitation. Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, the region did not conduct a count of individuals staying outdoors. Instead, those staying in sheltered situations were counted on a single night in February. This included emergency shelters, transitional housing, and safe haven, data which was mostly able to be pulled from the region’s homeless management information system.  

“The seven-county metro-Denver region saw an increase of 40% for people staying in emergency shelters on a single night, for a total of 4,072. The overall increase in sheltered homelessness rose 22% year over year,” said Dr. Matt Meyer, Executive Director of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI). “One of the most striking pieces of information is the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time. In 2020 there were 1,273 people in shelter that were experiencing homelessness for the first time. This year, that number doubled to 2,530 demonstrating the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the stability of our neighbors,” added Meyer.  

The following are some of the data gleaned from this count of individuals staying in sheltered situations: 

• Veteran sheltered homelessness decreased by 10% 

• Family sheltered homelessness increased by 10% 

• Individual sheltered homelessness increased by 27% 

“Unlike other parts of the country where shelter space was decreased during COVID-19, our community worked diligently to meet this challenge and stood up additional shelter spaces to help ensure the safety of those who needed it most,” Meyer shared. “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication of our providers in responding to increased need while crafting creative solutions to meet the demand for those experiencing homelessness.”  

Additionally, the region has been piloting the Built for Zero framework to create reductions specifically in Veteran homelessness. “We saw a 10% reduction in sheltered veteran homelessness year-over-year, and we have been able to reduce veteran homelessness overall by 15% since the beginning of the year, even in the midst of a pandemic,” said Dr. Jamie Rife, Director of Communications and Development at MDHI.  

Providers, the VA, nonprofits, elected officials, municipal leaders, Community Solutions, the national nonprofit architect of the Built for Zero framework, and others have been working together to create person-specific data as well as a person-specific approach to Veteran homelessness. “We are getting to a point where we know all veterans by name and can work to meet their specific needs, and it’s working,” added Rife.  

Emergency Housing Vouchers

Emergency Housing Vouchers are a new resource for our community and are different than any other housing resource that has previously been available.  MDHI is working with each Public Housing Authority to determine who might best be served by this resource.  Populations eligible for support include:

·  Households experiencing literal homelessness (staying in shelter, staying in a place not meant for human habitation, or staying in a motel paid for by an agency)

·  Households with recent homelessness (currently living in housing for formerly homeless people)

·  Households currently fleeing domestic/intimate partner violence or human trafficking

If you are experiencing literal homelessness you should connect with a homeless service provider to determine eligibility for the OneHome Coordinated Entry System. If you are currently fleeing domestic or intimate partner violence or human trafficking please reach out to a Victim Service Provider.  You can view this list of homeless service agencies or call 2-1-1 for support.  MDHI cannot support individual requests for support for Emergency Housing Vouchers and households in need must work with a partner agency.

Executive Director Transition

Dear MDHI Stakeholders,  

As you may be aware, MDHI’s Executive Director, Matt Meyer, has resigned and will be leaving MDHI at the end of August. Matt leaves MDHI in an extraordinarily strong position for continued growth. We thank him for all his contributions and leadership over the past two years. The Board wishes Matt the best of luck on his future endeavors.   

After his departure, Rebecca Mayer will be the acting Executive Director of MDHI. The Board is managing the process of permanently filling this position. This is a crucial decision for our Continuum of Care and the people we serve, and we will be sharing updates as the job is posted and the hiring process progresses.  

Thank you all for your partnership,  

Mike Malloy 

MDHI Board President 

Flex Fund

Started in 2016, the Housing Stability Flexible Fund has helped over 875 either remain housed or become housed out of homelessness. Here’s just one of the stories of how it’s helped during COVID-19:

“A local mother’s child had to quarantine due to COVID-19, and unable to find alternative childcare to maintain her hours at work, she missed a significant number of days, leaving her unable to pay rent. Without the Flex Fund, she and her child would have faced eviction and the cycle of homelessness.”

In some cases, the last barrier to a household’s housing stability is as little as $57. MDHI is thankful to the partners that make this fund possible including the Metro Mayors Caucus, Wells Fargo, The Denver Foundation, the COVID-19 Relief Fund and donors like YOU!

If you’re interested in making a direct impact on homelessness, click the donate button above. Every dollar counts!

Housing Connector Comes to Denver

Background:

Housing Connector a B2B non-profit partnering with properties and case managers to reduce barriers and increase access to housing for folks experiencing homelessness. Housing Connector has created a new marketplace, in partnership with Zillow, where landlords can advertise vacant units in real time and case managers can search for homes that not only match their clients’ preferences but also have waived barriers. Through this model Housing Connector not only increase the speed of move ins, but also makes mechanisms of housing discrimination obsolete by pre-negotiating screening criteria. The results are more people getting housed and staying housed.

The model has been tested in the Seattle region over the past 20 months and has seen 1,800 people housed and 750 properties joining the partnership. This significantly expanded case manager and client access to affordable units.

Benefits of Housing Connector include:

-        Zillow hosted search engine for case managers

-        Access to reduced screening criteria for folks experiencing homelessness

-        Customer support to address lease violations

-        24-months of eviction prevention support to maintain housing stability

Impact by the Numbers

· 1,800 people housed (67% individuals of color)

· 750 property partners accounting for 35,381 units

· 74 participating service providers

· 1 eviction (0.14% of total households)

· 96% successful retention rate

Expansion into Denver:

Given the growing need for affordable rental housing, MDHI and Housing First Lab have been in conversation with Housing Connector to bring this resource to the Denver Metro area. We are excited to share that Housing Connector and Zillow agree that this solution would be a huge value add in increasing access to housing for our community and plan to launch operations in Q4 of 2021.

Over the next few weeks MDHI will be connecting Housing Connector with various service providers in the community to share this model and attend a virtual demonstration by Housing Connector scheduled for July 15 at 11:00 am. To RSVP for this event please click here

EHV Update

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, which provides over $1.9 trillion in relief to address the continued impact of the -COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, public health, State and local governments, individuals, and businesses. Section 3202 of the ARP appropriates $5 billion for new incremental EHVs, the renewal of those EHVs, and fees for the cost of administering the EHVs and other eligible expenses defined by notice to prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus to facilitate the leasing of the emergency vouchers, such as security deposit assistance and other costs related to retention and support of participating owners. HUD has allocated approximately 70,000 emergency housing vouchers (EHVs) to public housing agencies (PHAs).

For Denver Metro, the following PHAs are receiving EHVs:

· Aurora Housing Authority

· Boulder County Housing Authority

· Boulder Housing Partners

· Colorado Division of Housing

· Foothills Regional Housing (Jefferson County)

· Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver

· Maiker Housing Partners (Adams County)

Eligibility for these EHVs is limited to individuals and families who are

(1) homeless;

(2) at risk of homelessness;

(3) fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking; or

(4) recently homeless and for whom providing rental assistance will prevent the family’s homelessness or having high risk of housing instability.

After September 30, 2023, a PHA may not reissue any previously leased EHV, regardless of when the assistance for the formerly assisted family ends or ended.

PHAs are required to collaborate with CoCs (MDHI) and referrals must come through coordinated entry (OneHome) (see 1,2,4 above).

MDHI is entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each of the local PHAs. In addition, PHAs may enter an MOU with Victim Services providers or anti-trafficking service providers to receive referrals (see 3 above).

MDHI is working with local PHAs to identify how to implement EHVs to have the greatest impact.

· Transferring households from Rapid Rehousing who have a need for a longer-term voucher and MoveOn from PSH—this also frees up housing resources

· Developing criteria and process for referrals in partnership with service provider partners in order to determine eligibility, prioritization, and the order in which households will be referred to EHVs

Please stay tuned for more updates on this exciting new resource. MDHI’s main point of contact for EHVs is Rebecca Mayer, Rebecca.mayer@mdhi.org.

Provider Appreciation

It's been over a year since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and we thought it was time to say that we appreciate you! Watching you, our provider community, rally around those experiencing homelessness has been inspiring and humbling. While no words can fully express our gratitude, we wanted to share this short video from our MDHI staff to you, letting you know how much we appreciate your tireless efforts over this past year. You're amazing!

Sincerely,
MDHI Team

How to Access the Veteran By Name List

Instructions for Veteran By Name List Engagement

Audience: Providers

If you serve adults experiencing homelessness, then you are a Veteran service provider. The VA leads a Veteran By Name List (VBNL) that records the name, eligibility, and housing status of all Veterans who are literally homeless, and utilizes case conferencing to connect them to housing programs like Grant and Per Diem (GPD), Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), HUD-VASH as well as other Veteran benefits. Help is needed to ensure all Veterans experiencing homelessness that you work with get on the Veteran By Name List. 

SSVF Colorado Flyer

Audience: Clients

Intended for connecting Veterans to services. Available for use by partner agencies.

MDHI and Region Awarded Top Honors

SAN FRANCISCO and WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 25, 2021: The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Wells Fargo today announced 2020 CommunityWINS® grants to eight nonprofits to advance housing affordability solutions in local communities.

The grants totaling $1 million recognize outstanding mayoral-nominated initiatives that assist their city in reducing the cost burden of housing and increase access to safe, affordable places to live. Each nonprofit will receive funding aimed at assisting cities with the opportunity to invest, strengthen, and address housing affordability issues in municipalities across the United States.

“The 2020 CommunityWINS Grant Program is an opportunity to honor and showcase impactful affordable housing efforts that are making a real difference in communities across the country,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and executive director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “We appreciate Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation for their support of the CommunityWINS program, which also celebrates the leadership of mayors and city governments.”

An independent panel of judges selected recipients of the grants funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation from 139 applicants representing small, medium, large, and metropolitan cities as part of the competitive application process. The grants were presented virtually at the Conference’s 89th annual meeting.

“Even prior to the economic fallout caused by COVID-19, many vulnerable households were struggling with housing solutions,” said Nate Hurst, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation. “To foster a truly inclusive recovery, we have to recognize that the challenge of housing is even more profound in communities of color and be intentional about prioritizing the needs of underserved communities. CommunityWINS is an important example of the public and private sectors working together to help more people have a safe, affordable place to call home.”

The 2020 CommunityWINS Grant Program honorees are:

• Michael Hancock, mayor of Denver, receives the top honor in the metropolitan city category, and the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative is presented with a $300,000 donation. Grant funds will be used to assist households who are experiencing a housing crisis throughout the seven-county Metro Denver region. The Housing Stability Flexible Fund is designed to remove financial barriers that prevent a household from obtaining or remaining in permanent housing.

• Austin Quinn-Davidson, interim mayor of Anchorage, is the top honoree in the large city category, and nonprofit Covenant House Alaska (CHA) receives a $200,000 donation for its Bridge to Success program. Through the Bridge to Success project, CHA will renovate and expand space at the Youth Engagement Center to create 22 new on-site “micro-unit” apartments to

• serve young people ages 18 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness. Residents will have self-contained rooms, increased independence, and complete access to on-site services.

• Rosalynn Bliss, mayor of Grand Rapids is the top honoree among medium city mayors, and G.R.A.C.E. Homes receives a $150,000 grant for its Community Rebuilders project. This project will intentionally address the link between housing and health through the creation of affordable, service smart, rental housing.

• Layne Wilkerson, mayor of Frankfort, KY receives top honors among small city mayors, and Franklin County Women and Family Shelter Inc. receives a $75,000 grant in support of its Frankfort CARES Coalition Transitional Housing Initiative. This initiative will create a new and innovative approach to transitional housing for residents at risk of homelessness and will actively engage the community in support of the whole range of homeless needs under a holistic Continuum of Care model.

Additional 2020 CommunityWINS Grant Program Outstanding Achievement awards honorees include:

• Lori Lightfoot, mayor of Chicago, receives honors among metropolitan city mayors, and nonprofit Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago is awarded a $100,000 grant in support of the Preservation of Affordable Multi-Unit Properties Project. The grant will help launch a holistic, system wide solution and community resource for existing or potential owners of two- to four-unit buildings. The program seeks to not only support existing small landlords in keeping and fixing their affordable rental units, but also support and grow a next generation of millennial small landlords that can carry the community-oriented tradition of homeownership.

• Ras J. Baraka, mayor of Newark, NJ, is recognized among large city mayors, and nonprofit Invest Newark is awarded a $75,000 grant in support of its City of Newark/Invest Newark Section 8 Homeownership Conversion Program. Grant proceeds will support the conversion of blighted city-owned properties into homeownership opportunities for Newarkers at income levels lower than 80% of area median income.

• Juan “Trey” Mendez III, mayor of Brownsville, TX is recognized among medium city mayors and nonprofit Come Dream. Come Build is awarded a $50,000 grant in support of The SAMANO project. The grant will aid in the redevelopment of an unused Samano Securities Building into a small 6,000-square-foot grocery store, 39 studio apartments, a single one-bedroom unit, and a small rooftop hydroponics vegetable/herb farm.

• Jay Coelho, mayor of Waterville, ME, is honored among small city mayors, and Waterville Community Land Trust is awarded a $50,000 grant for the Milliken Project. The grant funds will enable the nonprofit to develop perpetually affordable homes for low-income families and build community assets that will revitalize the South End of Waterville neighborhood, which is suffering from decay and neglect.

The CommunityWINS Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation. The CommunityWINS recipients will be showcased in an upcoming webinar hosted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Wells Fargo has invested more than $6 million in the CommunityWINS Grant Program since 2016 and recently announced an evolution of the company’s philanthropic strategy that includes a $1 billion commitment to address the housing affordability crisis, and an increased focus on financial health and small business growth.

About the U.S. Conference of Mayors

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. More information can be found at facebook.com/usmayors or twitter.com/usmayors.

MDHI Receives $1.25 Million Bezos Day 1 Grant to End Homelessness

DENVER – (December 9, 2020): The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), the region’s Continuum of Care tasked with coordinating a regional response to homelessness, today announced that it has been selected to receive a $1.25 million grant from the Day 1 Families Fund. Launched in 2018 by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families.

“This funding is critical in the region’s response to keeping families safe and stable, particularly in light of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19,” said Matt Meyer, Executive Director of MDHI.

This one-time grant, awarded to organizations doing meaningful work to connect families with shelter and support, will allow MDHI to increase housing for families experiencing homelessness and provide additional services and supports. Additionally, this funding will support a full-time position dedicated to recruiting and retaining landlords for the region’s various housing programs. This is a much-needed resource as federal housing funds begin to flow into the Denver region.

MDHI is one of 42 nonprofits across the U.S. to receive the third annual Day 1 Families Fund grants, as part of a continuing commitment by the Day 1 Families Fund to help end homelessness for families. The Day 1 Families Fund issued a total of $105.9 million in grants this year. To select these organizations, the fund worked with an advisory board of homelessness advocates and leaders whose expertise spans housing justice, racial equity, direct services, homelessness policy, equity for Native American communities, and anti-poverty work. This year, the grant recipients from around the country include: Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness; The Cathedral Center, Inc.; Catholic Charities of Acadiana; Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention; Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida; Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison and Nicholas Counties; Congreso de Latinos Unidos; Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio; Denver Indian Family Resource Center; East Los Angeles Women’s Center; East Oakland Community Project; Facing Forward to End Homelessness; Families Together; Family Life Center; Friendship Place; HELP of Southern Nevada; The Homeless Families Foundation; Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System; HOPE Atlanta; House of Ruth; Housing Matters; Housing Up; Kahumana; MAHUBE-OTWA Community Action Partnership, Inc.; Metro Denver Homeless Initiative; MUST Ministries; The National Center for Children and Families; Native American Youth and Family Center; North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness; One80 Place; Poverello House; Rainbow Services; Refugee Women's Alliance; Safe Haven Family Shelter; Samaritan House; Solid Ground; St. Vincent de Paul CARES; Su Casa – Ending Domestic Violence; The Salvation Army Austin Area Command; Time for Change Foundation; United American Indian Involvement, Inc.; and WestCare California.

“We can immediately put these funds to use, meeting identified needs in our community for families experiencing homelessness, needs that other funding sources can’t meet,” added Meyer. “We are incredibly grateful to the Day 1 Families Fund for their support.”

The Bezos Day One Fund was launched in 2018 with a commitment of $2 billion and a focus on two areas: funding existing nonprofits that help homeless families, and creating a network of new, nonprofit tier-one preschools in low-income communities. The Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families. The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside. For more information, click here. 

About Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) is the Metro Denver Continuum of Care, the regional system that coordinates services and housing for people experiencing homelessness. This includes prevention/diversion, street outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing. MDHI works closely with each county in its continuum (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson) to build a homeless crisis response system that gets people back into housing as quickly as possible.