Chicago Continuum of Care

Governance Charter

Proposed for Ratification

on

June 25, 2014

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CONTENTS

ARTICLE 1: Continuum of Care Mission, Values, Goals and Responsibilities 3

ARTICLE 2: Continuum of Care Membership 5

ARTICLE 3: Continuum of Care Governance Structure 8

ARTICLE 4: Officers 11

ARTICLE 5: Board of Directors Rules of Governance 13

ARTICLE 6: Board of Directors Meetings & Action 14

ARTICLE 7: Committees and Ad hoc Working Groups 17

ARTICLE 8: Advisory Boards 21

ARTICLE 9: Commissions 22

ARTICLE 10: Selection and review of the Collaborative Applicant and HMIS 22

ARTICLE 11: Coordination of CoC and ESG Recipient 26

ARTICLE 12: Continuum of Care Policies 27

ARTICLE 13: Appeals 29

ARTICLE 14: General Provisions 30

ARTICLE 15: Terms and Definitions 32

Appendix A

Appendix B

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ARTICLE 1: Continuum of Care Mission, Values, Goals and Responsibilities

SECTION 1: Mission

The Chicago Continuum of Care (CoC) is a membership-based organization whose mission is to

prevent and end homelessness in our city. We achieve this by fostering shared responsibility,

collaborative planning and aligning the stakeholders and resources essential to implementing

the strategic priorities of Plan 2.0, Chicago’s plan to prevent and end homelessness.

SECTION 2: Values

The Chicago Continuum of Care carries out its Mission through a set of Core Values that guide

its governance:

Clear and logical governance processes, structures and lines of accountability.

Transparent decision making that makes the greatest possible use of data.

Open, accessible, inclusive Continuum of Care that includes all stakeholders and allies

needed to achieve the goals of the Plan to End Homelessness.

Compliance with federal requirements for Continuums of Care.

Communication between all members, committees, and bodies that make up the

Continuum of Care.

Flexibility to respond to emerging ideas and challenges.

SECTION 3: Goals

These Core Values are incorporated into the Goals of the Chicago Continuum of Care that

include:

Provide funding for efforts by nonprofit and faith-based providers, and state and local

governments to prevent homelessness when possible and quickly rehouse homeless

individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless

individuals, families, and communities by homelessness

Promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs and resources by

homeless individuals and families

Optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness

The Continuum’s Goals are achieved through the implementation of programs by a dedicated

group of Stakeholders that include but is not limited to people with lived homeless experience,

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nonprofit homeless assistance providers and employment providers, domestic violence and

sexual assault providers, faith-based organizations, funders, governments, businesses,

advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social service providers, mental health

agencies, substance use treatment providers, hospitals, universities, affordable housing

developers, law enforcement, organizations that serve veterans, small non-profit and faith-

based providers that do not receive HUD ESG or CoC funding, and individual community

members.

SECTION 4: Responsibilities

The CoC’s work is guided and assessed through the execution of Core Responsibilities, derived

from community feedback, Plan 2.0 and the HEARTH ACT. These responsibilities include:

Establishing project and system performance standards and monitoring outcomes for all

CoC- and Emergency Solution Grant (ESG)-funded projects.

Developing, implementing and monitoring the function and impact of a coordinated

access and assessment system, in consultation with the ESG recipient (Chicago

Department of Family and Support Services).

Establishing written standards for client eligibility, assessment, prioritization for

assistance, and type/extent of assistance for all ESG- and CoC-funded projects in

coordination with the ESG recipient (Chicago Department of Family and Support

Services).

Implementing, monitoring and supporting a robust Homeless Management Information

System (HMIS) that operates in compliance with HUD requirements and applicable

federal, state, and local laws.

Designing, operating, and following a collaborative plan for preparing the annual

application for HUD Continuum of Care funding, which covers the selection and

prioritization of projects for inclusion in that application.

Planning efforts that include:

o Implementation of housing and service strategies set forth in Plan 2.0

o Annual or biennial point-in-time counts of sheltered and unsheltered homeless

persons

o An annual gap analysis of the homelessness-related needs and services in

Chicago

o Participation in the development of the City's Consolidated Plan

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o Consulting with the Department of Family and Support Services regarding the

use of ESG program funds and reporting on and evaluating the performance of

projects operated by ESG recipients and subrecipients

Systems alignment

Resource and fund development for the CoC through various methods, including policy

and advocacy work

SECTION 5: Plan 2.0: A Home for Everyone

Plan 2.0: A Home for Everyone is Chicago’s plan to prevent and end homelessness. Developed in

2012 through extensive community dialogue and feedback, Plan 2.0 establishes seven strategic

priorities to achieve over seven years. Plan 2.0 serves as Chicago’s plan for coordinated

implementation of a housing and service system that meets the needs of individuals (including

unaccompanied youth) and families that are experiencing homelessness in Chicago. Its

evaluation and updating are key responsibilities of the CoC as outlined throughout this Charter.

ARTICLE 2: Continuum of Care Membership

The Chicago Continuum of Care (CoC) is made stronger through the participation of broad and

diverse Members. Therefore, membership in the CoC is open to any individual or organization

that embraces the mission, values and goals of the CoC. Much of the work of the CoC will be

carried out by the CoC Board of Directors and Committees, with input from Members, with the

following exceptions:

Members will vote directly to approve the governance framework set forth in this

Governance Charter and any subsequent changes or additions to the Governance

Charter; and

Every three (3) years following initial approval of this Governance Charter, Members will

review, update, and ratify changes to the Governance Charter; and

Members will vote annually to approve a slate of directors to available board positions.

SECTION 1: Membership Structure

Organizations and individuals may be Members. All Members, both individuals and

representatives of organizations will be allowed to vote on all-CoC decisions as outlined in

Article 2. To be eligible to vote at all-CoC meetings, Members must have completed

membership registration no less than 14 days prior to the all-CoC meeting. While registration

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for membership will be accepted in person at all-CoC meetings, voting will be limited to

Members who register prior to the 14-day deadline.

Membership Benefits and Responsibilities

A CoC Member is any individual or organization with an interest in understanding and

addressing the issues related to homelessness, and a desire to participate in some way in the

City of Chicago’s coordinated plan to end homelessness. The Chicago CoC recognizes that

many stakeholders are invested in addressing homelessness in our city. However, the CoC

believes that the most important stakeholders are people with lived homeless experience and

those at risk of homelessness. Because their participation is essential to the CoC governance

and management, they are considered Members and afforded all of the benefits of CoC

membership whether or not they pay dues.

Membership Benefits

Invitation to semi-annual open CoC meetings

CoC orientation

Voting rights on issues set forth in Article 2

Eligible for committee and board service

Access to training and technical assistance opportunities

Access to CoC information via special website portal and CoC listservs

Opportunities to network with people doing similar work or interests

Membership Responsibilities

Attendance at semi-annual public CoC meetings

Participation in advocacy initiatives

Pay annual dues if applicable

Members are committed to working together to advance the mission and purpose of the CoC

and achieve the goals of Chicago’s plan to end homelessness and adhere to all guidelines,

policies and procedures set forth by the CoC.

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SECTION 2: Membership Dues

The CoC will establish a dues structure that includes general dues for all Members, which will

be a nominal fee that will not limit access to participation. The Membership Committee

established in this Charter will develop recommendations for additional dues or fees to support

CoC fundraising goals for Board of Director approval and CoC approval for addition to this

Charter. In the proposed dues structure, the Membership Committee will include a process for

requesting waivers for financial hardship for individual and organizational Members. As noted

in Section 1, because meaningful participation of persons with lived experience of

homelessness is essential to the CoC governance and management, they are considered

Members and afforded all of the benefits of CoC membership whether or not they pay dues.

Membership dues will fund work of the Collaborative Applicant for administrative support of

the CoC, which may include but is not limited to staff support for committees, production of

meeting materials, and costs of a CoC website.

SECTION 3: CoC Member Meetings

The Chicago CoC will hold semi-annual public meetings for all members.

SECTION 4: Outreach to New Members

The CoC Membership Committee is charged with annual outreach to people with lived

homeless or at risk of homelessness experience as well as all entities named in the Goals

section of this Charter and in 24 CFR Part 578.5, the HUD regulations governing establishment

of Continuums of Care, including but not limited to: people who are homeless, formerly

homeless or at risk of homelessness, nonprofit homeless assistance providers and employment

providers, domestic violence and sexual assault providers, faith-based organizations,

governments, funders, businesses, advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social

service providers, mental health agencies, substance use providers, hospitals, universities,

affordable housing developers, law enforcement, and organizations that serve veterans, small

non-profit providers that do not receive HUD funding, and individual community members.

Outreach activities will include community meetings, press releases, emails to CoC listservs and

announcements on the CoC website. New Members may also join the CoC at the annual public

meeting. In the first year of this Charter, the Membership Committee will develop a process to

orient new members of the CoC.

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ARTICLE 3: Continuum of Care Governance Structure

SECTION 1: CoC Board of Directors

The Chicago Continuum of Care shall be governed by a Board of Directors (the Board), currently

the Chicago Planning Council on Homelessness, which will provide oversight and accountability

for all Chicago CoC responsibilities.

SECTION 2: Board Responsibilities

Except for those responsibilities assigned to the Chicago CoC Members in Article 2, the Board

will act on behalf of the Chicago CoC to fulfill the regulatory duties of a continuum of care as set

forth in 24 CFR § 578, or as otherwise articulated by HUD. The Board will be responsible for

approval and implementation of all CoC policies and procedures and Chicago’s Plan 2.0.

SECTION 3: Board Composition

The Board will consist of an odd number of directors totaling no fewer than 21 and no more

than 29. Board membership must consist of only Members as defined in Article 2, Section 1,

and will include the following slate:

5-6 Persons with Lived Homeless Experience

5-6 Service Providers

2-3 Key Stakeholders, such as non-HUD funded providers, faith-based

community providers, housing developers, landlords, employers or others. (If no

candidates for these seats are recommended to the Nominating Committee by

any constituency, the Nominating Committee for the final slate will select at

least two candidates.)

ESG Recipient (currently DFSS)

2-3 representatives from public agencies partnering closely on the

implementation of Plan 2.0 (CHA, VA, CPS or others as appropriate)

2-3 representatives from state agencies or other major systems addressing

physical or mental healthcare, jail/corrections, substance abuse treatment, child

welfare or other systems essential for addressing homelessness.

2-3 Private Funders

2-4 At Large Members

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Each constituency category on the board slate will nominate or appoint one

Alternate except for people with lived experience of homelessness who may

nominate multiple Alternates.

The Collaborative Applicant will not have dedicated seats on the Board.

The CoC’s intention is to ensure a balance of constituencies represented on the Board while

ensuring a path for new stakeholders to serve on the Board. The Nominating Committee will

ensure that the total government representatives nominated from the ESG, Plan 2.0 and state

or major systems categories totals the number of people with lived homeless experience and

service providers on the slate while ensuring the Board does not exceed 29 members.

To the extent that Directors represent an entity or constituency, they are responsible for

relaying information back to that constituency about what is discussed at board meetings

(unless that would violate someone's confidentiality), and should serve as conduits to relay the

concerns and opinions of members of their constituency back to the Board.

SECTION 4: Board of Directors Terms

All Directors will serve staggered terms of three years so that approximately one-third of

directors will transition off the Board or go through the nomination process each year. A

Director may serve for up to three consecutive years with one additional successive term and

then must wait one year before accepting nomination to the Board again.

In the first year of this Charter, newly appointed directors will draw lots to determine the length

of their terms—one, two, or three years.

SECTION 5: Nomination and Approval of Board of Directors Slate

Each year, the CoC Membership Committee (established in this Charter) will form an ad-hoc

Nominating Committee which will solicit nominations for open At-large, Persons with Lived

Homeless Experience, Service Provider and Key Stakeholder Board positions from CoC

Membership. DFSS, Plan 2.0, State Agency/Major System and Private Funder seats will be

assigned or appointed and given to the Nominating Committee. Nominations for the Persons

with Lived Homelessness Experience and Service Provider seats will come from the Lived

Experience and Service Provider Commissions and if the nominations are not qualified for any

reason, the Nominating Committee would go back to the Commissions for additional nominees.

The Nominating Committee will prepare for Membership approval a slate of candidates for the

Board. The Nominating Committee will prepare brief bios that outline employment, board

affiliations, and qualifications for the CoC Board of Directors for the presentation of the Board

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slate to the CoC Membership. Finally, the Nominating Committee’s primary goal is ensuring a

balanced and representative Board.

Balanced and Representative Board

To ensure a Board of balanced stakeholder groups, no more than one member of the board or

staff of a particular organization, plus no more than one volunteer or consumer affiliated with

that organization may serve on the Board of Directors at the same time. Organizations with

separate affiliate organizations will be held to the same requirement and may not have more

than one member of the board or staff of any affiliate within their structure, plus no more than

one volunteer of consumer affiliated with any arm of that organization serve on the Board at

the same time.

If the Nominating Committee nominates two candidates with a common organizational

affiliation (e.g., CEO and consumer), the materials presenting the slate to the CoC membership

should note their shared affiliation, and should include a rationale for that decision. If the

Nominating Committee determines that a candidate put forth does not meet eligibility criteria

or decides not to include a candidate on the slate for any reason, the Nominating Committee

will notify the entity making the nomination and allow a new nomination to be put forth. In the

case of the Service Providers and Persons with Lived Experience stakeholder groups, the

Nominating Committee will notify the Service Providers Commission and Lived Experience

Commission of the need for additional nominations, allowing them to use the practices they

have in place to nominate their own representatives.

Approval of Board of Directors Slate

Approval of the Board of Director slate will take place during the last scheduled all-CoC meeting

of the calendar year by a majority vote of all Members present.

SECTION 6: Resignation and Removal

Unless otherwise provided by written agreement, any Director may resign at any time by giving

written notice to the Chair. In addition, Directors may be removed by a majority vote of the

Board for repeated absence, misconduct, failure to participate, or violation of conflict of

interest policies.

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SECTION 7: Vacancies

When a Director resigns, is removed from the Board or cannot serve his/her full term for any

reason, the Nominating Committee will accept nominations from the CoC Membership or

appointments depending on the stakeholder group of the vacant seat. The Board will elect the

new Director from the slate of nominations presented. The Alternate for the stakeholder group

represented by the vacant seat may fill the seat until the Board officially fills the seat.

ARTICLE 4: Officers

The Chicago CoC Board of Directors will elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and at-

large officer that will make up the Executive Committee. The Chair position will be held by a

different stakeholder group each year according to a rotation set by this Charter. Beginning

with the first year of this Charter, the rotation will be as follows: Public Funder, Consumer,

Service Provider, Key Stakeholder, and Private Funder.

Chair and Vice Chair

The Chair is responsible for scheduling meetings of the CoC and Board, ensuring that the Board

meets regularly or as needed, and for setting the agenda for these meetings in collaboration

with the Executive Committee. The Chair governs and leads the Board of Directors. In the

absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair assumes the duties of the Chair.

Secretary

The Secretary will keep accurate records of the acts and proceedings of all meetings of the

Board, or designate another person to do so at each meeting, including documenting all actions

taken without a meeting. Such records will include the names of those in attendance. The

Secretary will be responsible for the timely posting and dissemination of all meeting

summaries, minutes, announcements, and notices, or for ensuring that such minutes,

announcements and notices are posted and disseminated by designated entities. The Secretary

will chair Board meetings in the case of the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair.

Treasurer

The Treasurer will keep the board informed of key financial events, trends, concerns, and

assessment of fiscal health in addition to completing required financial reporting forms in a

timely fashion and making these forms available to the board. The Treasurer will also serve as

the Chair of the Finance Committee of the Board.

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At-Large

The At-Large Officer will participate in the development of Board agendas and will be

responsible for coordinating, with designated Committees, the review of performance and

designation processes for the designated entities described in Article 9, Sections 1-3:

Collaborative Applicant and HMIS Lead Agency.

SECTION 1: Election and Term

The Board will elect the officers from nominations received by the Ad-hoc Nominating

Committee at the first Board meeting of the calendar year. The officer ballot must include

representatives from each Board stakeholder group noted in Article 3, Section 3. In order to be

eligible for nomination, a candidate must have served at least one year on the Board. The

person receiving the majority votes for each officer position will be selected. If there is a tie,

there will be a re-vote between only the persons receiving the same number of votes. If there is

another tie, the outgoing Chair will break the tie.

Each officer will hold office for a term of one year or until their successors have been elected

and qualified. No person may hold more than one office.

SECTION 2: Responsibilities of Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is responsible for setting and timely dissemination of the agenda for

CoC Board meetings, including regular updates on the work of Committees; for setting and

timely dissemination of the agenda for the two annual all-CoC member meetings; for providing

Board leadership in ensuring clear and effective lines of communications between the Board

and CoC members and stakeholders; and for providing Board leadership in ensuring that CoC

planning and implementation is consistent with requirements articulated by HUD in 24 CFR Part

578 and other directives, with applicable federal, state, and local laws, and with the strategic

direction of Plan 2.0.

The Executive Committee will be responsible for setting and upholding process decisions to

determine which issues go to the Board for official vote, and for determining when the need for

action is sufficiently urgent as to require either an unscheduled meeting, or a vote by the Board

on a matter which was not included on the publicly disseminated meeting agenda, or action by

the Board without a meeting. In the interest of transparency the rationale for such decisions

should be communicated to the CoC membership and stakeholders along with the outcome of

such actions.

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SECTION 3: Resignation of Officers

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Chair. Any such resignations

will take effect at the time specified within the written notice or if the time is not specified

therein upon its acceptance by the Chair.

SECTION 4: Officer Vacancies

Vacancies among the officers may be filled for the remainder of the term by a vote of the

majority of the Board at any meeting at which a quorum is present.

ARTICLE 5: Board of Directors Rules of Governance

SECTION 1: Quorum and Voting

A number equal to a 2/3 majority of the Board will constitute a quorum for the transaction of

business decisions at any meeting.

At all meetings, every effort should be made for business items to be decided by arriving at a

consensus of the Board. Votes will be by voice or ballot at the will of the majority of those in

attendance at a meeting with a quorum represented. Each representative seat will have one

vote. No Director shall vote on any item that presents a real or perceived conflict of interest.

If a Director calls for Division of the House under Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised,

individual votes can be recorded in the meeting minutes and the Board Chair will be responsible

for ensuring accurate documentation of those votes.

SECTION 2: Alternates

Directors will be expected to attend regularly scheduled and emergency board meetings as part

of their service; however, in the event of unavoidable absence Directors may request an

Alternate representative, who was approved in the annual Board slating process, to attend

meetings and vote in the Director’s stead. Each stakeholder category list in Article 3, Section 3,

will have one Alternate, except for persons with lived homelessness experience who may have

multiple Alternates. The inclusion of additional Alternates for persons with lived homelessness

experience reflects the CoC’s commitment to promoting meaningful participation for persons

with lived homelessness experience.

Alternates will be required to attend all Board meetings.

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SECTION 3: Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall

govern the CoC in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent

with these bylaws and any special rules of order the CoC may adopt. A non-voting

parliamentarian will support all Board meetings.

ARTICLE 6: Board of Directors Meetings & Action without Meeting

SECTION 1: Meeting Frequency

The Board will meet no less frequently than six (6) times per year at such times and places as

the Board will determine, and the twelve month calendar of regularly scheduled meetings will

be set and approved during the first meeting of each year. The Executive Committee may call a

special meeting of the Board provided it meets all notice and quorum requirements.

SECTION 2: Open Meeting

Attendance at meetings of the Board of Directors will be open to any interested person to

observe.

SECTION 3: Communicating Information about Board Meetings

In keeping with the values enumerated in Article 1 Section 2, the Board shall take all reasonable

and practical steps to keep CoC Members and stakeholders informed about upcoming Board

meetings, pending matters before the Board, actions proposed for consideration by the Board,

and decisions made by the Board; shall hold meetings in accessible and convenient locations;

and shall expect CoC Committees to maintain those same standards of inclusiveness and

transparency. Specifically, the Board will provide for the timely dissemination to the full CoC of

notices about its upcoming meetings, including agendas and descriptions of any motions

proposed for a vote at such meetings; information helpful to understanding pending matters;

and, within seven (7) days of such meetings, summaries of the decisions and actions taken by

the Board.

The Board will disseminate agendas and any motions proposed for a vote seven (7) days in

advance of scheduled meetings. If stakeholders, acting through a board member, wish to

propose a substitute or amended motion in place of a motion on the agenda, it must be

submitted prior to the meeting and the proposing entity of the original motion must have a

response at the scheduled Board meeting. The Board may accept motions submitted closer to

or at the Board meeting with a 2/3-majority vote agreeing to do so.

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SECTION 4: Notice of Meeting

The calendar of regularly scheduled meetings of the Board will be posted on the CoC website.

Special meetings may be called in situations when the Board must vote on decisions that need

to be made off the regular meeting schedule. When such a meeting is called, the Board will

post the meeting notice on the CoC website and send out meeting notice to the full CoC email

list at least ten (10) business days in advance.

SECTION 5: Action without Meeting

The Board of Directors may take an action without a meeting, provided:

The action is within its authority

At least three-business day notice is provided via CoC communication mechanisms

outlined in this Charter

It is approved via email or conference call (or letter when email is unavailable)

It is approved by a 2/3 majority of all then-seated Board members who are entitled to

vote on the matter and meet quorum requirements

The Board gives an explanation of the urgency of acting without a meeting

ARTICLE 7: Committees and Ad hoc Working Groups

SECTION 1: Formation

Standing committees are designated in this Charter. Ad hoc working groups may be formed and

given specific responsibilities as needed by the Board. All Charter provisions governing the

accountability, transparency, and general responsibilities of committees apply to ad hoc

working groups.

In the first year of this Charter, the Board will ask each Committee to propose a set of

responsibilities and decisions that they envision making under the parameters noted in

descriptions below. The Board will review these proposed scopes of work and note and

facilitate resolution of any overlapping tasks. Once the Board votes on adopting (or amending)

a Committee's scope of work, that list of responsibilities would be proposed as a Charter

amendment at the next all-member meeting.

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SECTION 2: Membership

The Nominating Committee will develop a standard process for establishing slates and selecting

committee members from the Board and wider CoC membership for each standing committee.

Committee slates will include slots for all stakeholder groups represented on the Board, using

the same ratio of representation as the Board Slate. To that end, all committee slates will

include slots for persons with lived experience of homelessness. The Nominating Committee

will solicit nominations of members from all constituencies, using broadly disseminated emails.

The Board will determine ad hoc committee or working group membership.

All committees, standing and ad-hoc, will be comprised of a minimum of twelve (12) members.

Committee membership will be evaluated by the Nominating Committee and issues identified

will be addressed during the annual charter review process.

SECTION 3: Committees of the Board

The Chicago CoC Board of Directors has three (3) standing committees that conduct Board and

CoC administrative business:

Finance – this committee is responsible for reviewing membership dues revenue,

trends, concerns and the use of dues, in addition to completing required financial

reporting forms in a timely fashion and making these forms available to the Board.

Membership – this committee will be responsible for developing an outreach plan to

outreach to the full diversity of stakeholders, including persons/organizations that are

not currently members and will establish and annually review a dues structure and

membership process/application for the CoC in the first of year of this Charter. The

Membership Committee will convene an ad-hoc Nominating Committee which will have

overall responsibility for slating Board of Director and Committee nominations, while

ensuring diversity, balanced stakeholder representation and institutional memory. In

the first year of this Charter, the Nominating Committee will make recommendations to

the Board for a slating process that will include the Nominating Committee’s review of

all CoC slates and management of all CoC slating processes except where otherwise

specified in this Charter.

Executive – this committee will fulfill the responsibilities set forth in Article 4.

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SECTION 4: Committees for the Board and CoC

The Board has four (4) committees that serve as the implementation and planning bodies of the

system. These committees are charged with establishing strategies, recommendations and

work plans to achieve particular outcomes. These groups may also be directly responsible for

specific strategies or exploring options to solve particular concerns. These committees include:

Funders Collaborative – Public and private funders responsible for establishing, aligning

and coordinating funder priorities to support CoC and Plan 2.0 activities.

System Performance and Evaluation- Responsible for several CoC Planning activities

including:

o Using Point-In-Time Count data to conduct an annual gap analysis that is

presented to the Board.

o In coordination with the Collaborative Applicant and DFSS (ESG

Recipient), establishing CoC system performance metrics and standards;

evaluating CoC system performance; establishing metrics and standards

for measuring the performance of ESG- and CoC-funded projects; and

evaluating performance of those CoC and Emergency Solution Grant-

funded projects.

o Convening an Evaluation Tool Subcommittee to develop a tool to

evaluate performance of CoC-funded projects.

o Developing a CoC system performance dashboard that is presented to

the Board and CoC stakeholders at a minimum annually.

o Convening a Point-in-Time Count subcommittee led by the Department

of Family and Support Services with support from the Chicago Alliance to

End Homelessness to plan and implement a Point-In-Time Count every

other year at minimum in accordance with HUD requirements.

HMIS Committee –This committee provides recommendations to the HMIS Lead Agency

on HMIS issues including project participation, policies and procedures for participant

privacy, data security, data quality, and HMIS governance. This committee also hears

grievances related to sanctions by the HMIS Lead agency as outlined in the Interim HMIS

Governance Charter (Appendix A). Finally, this committee will lead the annual process of

reviewing the performance of the HMIS Lead Agency and the every-three-year process

of either re-appointing the HMIS Lead Agency or undertaking a competitive process.

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Collaborative Applicant Committee – This committee is responsible for annually

reviewing the performance of the Collaborative Applicant, fact-finding and helping to

resolve stakeholder challenges of decisions by the Collaborative Applicant, and leading

the process of deciding whether to re-select the Collaborative Applicant or to undertake

and facilitate a competitive process with the possible outcome of selecting a new

Collaborative Applicant.

SECTION 5: Plan 2.0 Implementation Committees

As noted throughout the Charter, the CoC Board is responsible for oversight of Plan 2.0

implementation. The following Board committees directly correspond to system wide

implementation of the seven strategic priorities of the Plan.

Plan Advisory –This committee makes recommendations to the Board on annual Plan

2.0 priorities and reports on the implementation of Plan 2.0 action items with a system

wide project management tool that is updated quarterly (Appendix A). The Board will

delegate the evaluation of the type of committees needed to implement Plan 2.0 to the

Plan Advisory Committee in the first year of the charter. This structure may be modified

to adapt to changes in annual priorities.

Advocacy - Engage all of Chicago in a robust plan that creates a path to securing a home

for everyone in our community. This committee will be responsible for coordinating,

partnering and/or leading efforts to influence policy and resource allocation that affects

the CoC. The committee will work in coordination with other political advocacy groups

on shared policy agendas and may also lead policy initiatives that closely align with CoC

goals.

Chicago Task Force on Homeless Youth – Create a comprehensive, developmentally

appropriate menu of services for youth who experience homelessness in order to

prevent homeless youth from becoming the next generation of homeless adults.

Plan 2.0 Employment Task Force - Increase meaningful and sustainable employment

opportunities for people experiencing or most at risk of homelessness.

Coordinated Access Steering Committee – This committee is responsible for

developing, monitoring the progress and impact of, and periodically recommending any

necessary revisions to an implementation plan for a coordinated access and assessment

system for all homeless and prevention resources. This committee will also create

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recommendations for written standards for eligibility, assessment, prioritization for all

CoC and ESG program types that will be included in future Charter updates.

SECTION 6: Committee Leadership

Chairs and co-chairs will be elected by committee members to serve as leaders for the

committee. Committee leadership will be responsible for establishing the work plan for the

committee, ensuring adherence to committee governance and voting rules as well as

committee responsibilities set forth in this charter. Chairs and co-chairs will also be responsible

for ensuring meaningful participation of all stakeholder groups on the committee. This includes

ensuring meetings are accessible and supporting persons with lived experience with meeting

attendance, meeting preparation and opportunities to serve as chair/co-chair.

Committee chairs are also responsible for ensuring that the Board has been duly apprised of an

issue before a committee recommendation is presented to the Board for a vote. As such,

committee chairs will give written updates to the Board at least seven (7) days before Board

meetings on a schedule established with the Board calendar each year. The committee

leadership will notify the Board Chair to place an issue on a Board meeting agenda when the

committee has an update that requires Board feedback or consultation and when the

committee has a recommendation or motion for a Board vote.

SECTION 7: Committee Terms

Committee members will serve staggered terms of three years so that approximately one-third

of members will transition off the board or go through a nominating process each year to

ensure continuity of membership.

In the first year, newly confirmed committee members will draw lots to determine the length of

their term—one, two, or three years.

SECTION 8: Quorum and Voting

A number equal to a 2/3 majority of the committee will constitute a quorum for the transaction

of voting decisions at any meeting.

At all meetings, business items may be decided by arriving at a consensus. If a vote is necessary,

all votes shall be by voice or ballot at the will of the majority of those in attendance at a

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meeting with a quorum represented. Each representative seat will have one vote. No member

will vote on any item that presents a real or perceived conflict of interest.

If a committee member calls for Division of the House under Robert’s Rules of Order Newly

Revised, individual votes can be recorded in the meeting minutes and the Committee Chair will

be responsible for ensuring accurate documentation of those votes.

If a committee cannot vote or endorse a recommendation because a quorum cannot be

achieved, the Committee chair will notify the Board chair and the Board Executive Committee

will determine the course of action to complete the committee task, including referring the

matter to the Board with a report from the Co-Chairs representing significant points of view on

the Committee.

SECTION 9: Meeting Frequency

Committee leadership will determine the frequency of committee membership with the

approval of committee members and will be responsible for communicating the schedule and

location of meetings, including opportunities for telephone participation, when available. Such

advance notice will include a proposed agenda, brief background information about the

intended topics of discussion, including any proposed votes. Such information will be conveyed

to the members of the Committee (and Alternates) and to the Board Secretary, who will be

responsible for disseminating that information to the broader CoC membership.

SECTION 10: Open Meeting

Attendance at committee meetings of the Chicago CoC will be open to any interested person to

observe.

SECTION 11: Agendas and Motions

The committee leadership will disseminate agendas and any motions proposed for a vote seven

(7) days in advance of scheduled meetings. Motions will be considered without one-week

advance notice through a 2/3-majority vote of the committee accepting such motions.

SECTION 12: Notice of Meeting

A calendar of regularly scheduled committee meetings will be posted on the CoC website.

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SECTION 13: Action without a Meeting

Committees may take an action without a meeting, provided:

The action is within its authority

At least three business day notice is provided

It is approved via email or conference call (or letter when email is unavailable)

It is approved by a 2/3 majority of all Committee then-seated members who are entitled

to vote on the matter and meet quorum requirements

The Committee gives an explanation of the urgency of acting without a meeting

SECTION 14: Other Committee Roles & Responsibilities

Each committee will be responsible for:

Establishing policies and procedures governing the functioning of the Committee, and

providing them to the Board

Ensuring transparency of its process and meetings

ARTICLE 8: Advisory Boards

If necessary, due to longer-term, consistent oversight or other system implementation

requirements, the Board of Directors may form one or more specific Advisory Boards. As

Advisory Boards are established, they will be added to the Charter. Current Advisory Boards

include:

Central Referral System Managing Entity Advisory Board – this advisory board is

responsible for making policy decisions on CRS implementation policies and procedures,

making recommendations to the Managing Entity on monitoring compliance of users,

and making recommendations to the CoC Board of Directors on issues that impact

prioritization of resources, other system components or action related to compliance

findings for users.

SECTION 1: Formation of Advisory Boards

The Board of Directors will select members of Advisory Boards following committee formation

guidelines set forth in Article 7, Section 1 and 2.

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SECTION 2: Governance and Structure of Advisory Boards

Advisory Boards will follow the same guidelines as committees set forth in Article 7, Sections 6 -

14.

ARTICLE 9: Commissions

The Chicago CoC includes commissions that are comprised of like stakeholders organized

around common goals of ending homelessness in Chicago. These commissions and their

authorized constituency groups play a vital role in the work of the CoC, including the

development of leaders for the Board and Committees and ensuring communication between

stakeholders and other CoC structures. CoC members who represent commissions on the CoC

Board or CoC Committees are responsible for sharing information from those bodies with the

commissions. Through their representation on CoC Committees or the CoC Board, commissions

may use those structures to advance issues and recommendations to the full CoC.

Each commission noted in the charter has a charter or established policy and procedure

documents that can be found on the CoC website. In the first year of this Charter, the

Commissions will review and update charter and policy procedure documents.

Constituency group listings may also be found on the CoC website.

Current CoC commissions include:

Lived Experience Commission –this commission is a coalition of individuals who are

receiving or have received services from Chicago’s homeless system, people who were

formerly homeless or people at risk of becoming homeless. This commission was

formed to ensure an organized voice for those with lived experience of homelessness.

Service Providers Commission – this commission is a coalition of approximately 80

organizations providing homeless services and advocacy in Chicago. The Service

Providers Commission was formed to ensure an organized voice for homeless service

providers.

ARTICLE 10: Selection and Review of the Collaborative Applicant and HMIS Lead Agency

Except as otherwise specified in this section, the process for Collaborative Applicant and HMIS

Lead Agency designation will be as follows:

There will be a separate selection process for each appointed entity.

The full CoC will formally select appointed entities based on Board recommendation

every 3 years.

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Specific performance expectations and reporting requirements for each designated

agent will be outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the selected

agent and the Board.

Through designated committees, the Board of Directors will review performance and

renew designations and their MOUs each year with the endorsement of the full CoC

membership.

Designated agent relationships may be terminated upon mutual agreement or for cause

with a 2/3 vote of the then-seated Board.

Annually, the Board and Collaborative Applicant and HMIS Lead Agency will define priorities for

committee staffing and deliverables based on CoC priorities. The Collaborative Applicant and

HMIS Lead Agency will then determine staffing patterns needed to meet work expectations of

the MOU or Governance Charter.

The selected Collaborative Applicant and HMIS Lead Agency are responsible for raising

additional funds to support work not paid for by membership fees, CoC Planning grant or CoC

HMIS grants.

A broad description of each appointment is provided in this section of the Charter.

SECTION 1: Collaborative Applicant

The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) has been designated as the current

Collaborative Applicant for the Chicago Continuum of Care and will serve in that role until the

next annual review of performance and CoC confirmation, which will occur no later than

12/31/15.

For the purposes of the annual HUD CoC application and the management of CoC Program

planning grants, the Chicago CoC must designate a grant recipient to be the Collaborative

Applicant. The Collaborative Applicant is the only entity that may:

Submit the CoC Consolidated Application to HUD

Apply for CoC Program grants from HUD on behalf of the Continuum

Apply for and receive CoC Program planning funds on behalf of the Continuum

The Collaborative Applicant will also assume responsibility for:

Monitoring CoC programs in accordance with an approved quality assurance plan to

ensure compliance for HUD requirements including:

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o Compliance with CoC Program Rule, NOFA-specific terms and conditions and the

Written Standards adopted by the CoC

o CoC program progress reporting and compliance with HUD match requirements

o Ensuring CoC Programs serving families establish policies and procedures to

comply with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

o Maintaining confidentiality of participant information and project location

information in the case of family violence projects.

o Involving persons experiencing homelessness in project

construction/rehab/operation/services (as volunteers and employees) to the

maximum extent possible.

o Supporting the Lived Experience Commission directly or through a contracted

entity selected by the Lived Experience Commission. Support includes but is not

limited to leadership development, technical assistance, supporting people in

CoC leadership positions and generally ensuring meaningful participation of

people with lived experience of homelessness in the CoC.

o Supporting the Service Provider Commission until such time that the

Collaborative Applicant becomes the Unified Funding Agency. At such time, the

Service Provider Commission and UFA will evaluate and mutually agree on the

role of support to the Service Provider Commission.

The duties, assignments and responsibilities of the Chicago CoC, the Board of Directors,

Collaborative Applicant Committee, and Collaborative Applicant will be set forth in further

detail in the Collaborative Applicant Memorandum of Understanding.

Annually, the Collaborative Applicant Committee will review the Collaborative Applicant’s

performance on metrics agreed upon in the MOU. The Committee’s recommendation will be

reviewed by the Board of Directors annually and renewed by 2/3 votes of then-seated Board

members. The renewal will be approved by the full CoC.

Every three years, the Collaborative Applicant Committee will be charged by the Board to lead a

process of recommending reselection of the Collaborative Applicant or initiating a competitive

process to select a Collaborative Applicant.

SECTION 2: APPLICATION FOR UNIFIED FUNDING AGENCY STATUS

The Chicago Planning Council on Homeless selected the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness

as the CoC’s planned applicant for Unified Funding Agency on May 4, 2011. With the approval

of this Charter, the Chicago CoC endorses the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness’

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application to HUD to become a Unified Fund Agency and to assume the regulatory duties of a

unified funding agency as set forth in 24 CFR § 578, or as otherwise articulated by HUD.

Once approved by HUD, the UFA will establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with

the CoC Board and the UFA will be evaluated by the Board three years from the execution date

of the MOU, unless otherwise specified by HUD or an amendment to this Charter.

SECTION 3: HMIS Lead Agency

The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) has been designated as the current Chicago

CoC HMIS Lead Agency and will serve in that role until the next annual review of performance

and CoC confirmation, which will occur no later than 12/31/15.

The HMIS Lead Agency is responsible for ensuring that the Chicago HMIS is administered in

accordance with the HEARTH Act, with regulations and notices promulgated pursuant to the

HEARTH Act, and with other applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances.

SECTION 4: HMIS Software

The Chicago CoC designates Bowman System’s ServicePoint as the official Homeless

Management Information System for the Chicago CoC.

SECTION 5: HMIS Responsibilities

The Chicago CoC has responsibility to ensure that the HMIS Lead executes written HMIS

Participation Agreements with Contributing HMIS Organizations (CHOs), requiring compliance

with its Standard Operating Procedures, and in turn, with the requirements laid out in various

regulations, Notices, and guidance documents, as well as with applicable federal, state, and

local laws.

The respective responsibilities of the Chicago CoC, the Board of Directors, HMIS Lead, HMIS

Committee and CHOs, including expectations to contribute to the cost of their HMIS

Participation, are set forth in further detail in the draft version of the Standard Operating

Procedures which will be approved by the Board this year and included in this Charter through

the annual update process. Additional roles and responsibilities of the aforementioned entities

are included in the Interim HMIS Governance Charter (Appendix B) which will be affirmed with

this Charter.

Annually, the HMIS Committee will review the HMIS Lead Agency’s performance on tasks

agreed upon in the Interim HMIS Governance Charter. The Committee’s recommendation will

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be reviewed by the Board of Directors annually and renewed by 2/3 votes of then-seated Board

members. The renewal will be approved by the full CoC.

Every three years, the HMIS Committee will be charged by the Board to lead a process of

recommending reselection of the HMIS Lead Agency or initiating a competitive process to select

a HMIS Lead.

ARTICLE 11: Coordination of CoC and Emergency Solutions Grant Recipient

As required by the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and CoC Program Interim Rules, the CoC

and ESG recipient will coordinate on system planning, funding allocation, development of the

Consolidated Plan for Chicago, and project and system performance evaluation activities. This

Article outlines coordination that has not already been specified in other sections of this

Charter.

SECTION 1: Chicago Department of Family and Support Services

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) is the Emergency Solutions

Grant (ESG) recipient for Chicago.

SECTION 2: City of Chicago Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan

The City of Chicago will work with the Collaborative Applicant and HMIS Lead Agency to collect

CoC information needed to inform the City of Chicago Consolidated Plan and Action Plans. To

support connection between the CoC and these local planning processes, DFSS as the ESG

recipient will have a seat on the Board. In addition, a designee from the Collaborative Applicant

and a member of the Board will be invited to participate on the City’s Consolidated Plan

Committee.

Section 3: ESG Funding Allocations

DFSS will present its ESG funding allocation recommendations to the Board annually, for their

consideration and comments. DFSS funding allocations are made in alignment with Plan 2.0 and

CoC priorities and adhere to ESG Interim Rule allocation requirements.

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ARTICLE 12: Continuum of Care Policies

SECTION 1: Conflict of Interest & Recusal

It is the policy of the Chicago CoC that a conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, between the

Board of Directors or any of its official committees and the organizations, which are receiving

awards of grants or benefitting from other business items, shall in all cases be avoided. No

member of the CoC (Board, Committee, Member, Agent or employee of Agent) shall vote or

make recommendations on funding decisions that directly benefit them or any organization in

which they have a direct financial interest. To that end, neither Board nor Committee members

whose organizations are submitted in the HUD CoC Application and ranked for that application

may participate in discussions about ranking policies or vote on ranking policies. Such members

may participate in the development of performance targets and the evaluation tool. Persons

with lived homeless experience who receive services from an organization that may directly

benefit from a funding decision may vote or make recommendations on funding decisions.

Members of the CoC will disclose potential conflicts of interest that they may have regarding

any matters that come before the Chicago CoC in full session, Board of Directors or committee.

SECTION 2: Disclosure and Conflict of Interest Form

As soon as they become aware of any actual or potential conflict of interest, whether at the

beginning of a meeting or, during the course of a meeting of the full CoC, the Board, or any

committee or advisory board, CoC members, Board members, and committee members must

disclose such actual or potential conflicts of interest regarding any business included in the

meeting’s agenda.

If any person who is a Board or committee member is aware that the CoC is about to enter into

any business transaction directly or indirectly with such person, any member of such person’s

family, or any entity in which such person has any legal, equitable or fiduciary interest or

position, including without limitation as a director, officer, shareholder, partner, beneficiary,

trustee or employee, such person shall:

a) Immediately inform the Chair

b) Aid the persons charged with making the decision by disclosing any material facts within

such person’s knowledge that bear on the advisability of such transaction from the

standpoint of the CoC; and

c) Not be entitled to vote on the decision to enter into such transaction

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Each calendar year, CoC Board Directors and Committee/Advisory Board Members must sign a

conflict of interest form affirming that they have reviewed the conflict of interest policy and

disclosing any conflicts of interest that they face or are likely to face in fulfillment of their duties

as Directors or Committee/Advisory Board Members.

SECTION 3: Abstention from Decision-Making

Any matter in which CoC members, directors, or committee/advisory board members have an

actual or potential conflict of interest will be decided only by a vote of members with no actual

or potential conflict of interest. To the matter of general policies of the CoC, even when such

votes have impact on the general distribution of resources, it will be sufficient in the discussion

and voting that the members of the CoC disclose their relationships. In those cases, it will be

left to the discretion of the Executive Committee or Committee Chair to determine if the

member may participate in the discussion and vote.

In addition, the minutes of any meeting at which such a vote is conducted must reflect the

disclosure of interested directors’ and committee members’ actual or potential conflicts of

interest and their abstention.

SECTION 4: Attendance

A Board, Committee or Advisory Board attendance problem occurs if any of the following

conditions exist:

The member has two unexcused absences in a row (unexcused means the member did

not notify the Chair of the respective body before a regular meeting to indicate they

would be absent from the upcoming meeting).

The member misses one third of the total number of regular board or committee

meetings in a consecutive twelve-month period.

If an attendance problem occurs, the Board, Committee or Advisory Board will decide what

actions to take regarding the member’s status on the body at the next regular meeting. If the

body decides to terminate the member’s membership, termination will be conducted per this

policy. Committees and Advisory Boards will notify the Board and Membership Committee

about decisions made related to attendance problems and then the body will promptly initiate

a process to begin recruiting a new member according to the steps outlined in this Charter. The

Membership Committee will take attendance into consideration when developing slates for all

CoC bodies.

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The Committee Chair or Board Chair will call the member with the attendance problem and

notify him or her of the board’s decision to terminate the member’s membership per the terms

of the CoC Attendance Policy.

ARTICLE 13: Appeals

If any party feels aggrieved by decisions made by the Collaborative Applicant, HMIS Committee

or Board of Directors, the Board of Directors will refer appeals to be adjudicated via a panel

from the Appeals Committee. In all cases, the Appeals Committee has the final authority on

appeals decisions.

Formation of Appeals Committee

The Board of Directors will select members of the Appeals Committee following committee

formation guidelines set forth in Article 7, Section 1. The Board will ensure that no person

serving on the Appeals Committee would benefit from a decision made by the Committee that

year. For each individual matter, the Board will select a minimum of five committee members

to hear the appeal.

Scope of Appeals

Appeals will be limited to HUD funding related decisions (ranking priorities, reallocation,

defunding) and HMIS sanctions.

Appeals Process for Collaborative Applicant Decisions

(1) Individuals or organizations with appeals will first submit a written appeal to the

Collaborative Applicant stating the reason for the appeal. The recipient will have ten

(10) business days to respond to the appeal.

(2) If the Individual or organization wants to further appeal the response from the

Collaborative, a written appeal must be submitted to the Collaborative Applicant

Committee with the appeal, response from the Collaborative Applicant and basis for

further appeal. The appeal will be considered at the next scheduled Collaborative

Applicant Committee meeting or within fifteen (15) business days.

(3) If the individual or organization wants to appeal the decision made by the Collaborative

Applicant Committee, the individual or organization will submit a written appeal to the

CoC Board stating appeal history and basis for additional appeal. The Board will

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convene a panel from the Appeals Committee to review the appeal and submit a

response to the Board within ten (10) business days.

Appeals Process for HMIS Sanction from HMIS Lead Agency

(1) Individuals or organizations who wish to appeal an HMIS sanction must submit a written

appeal to the HMIS Lead Agency stating reason for the appeal. The HMIS Lead Agency

will respond within ten (10) business days.

(2) If the Individual or organization wants to further appeal the response from the HMIS

Lead Agency, a written appeal must be submitted to the HMIS Committee stating

sanction, appeal history and basis for additional appeal. The appeal will be considered

at the next scheduled HMIS Committee meeting or within fifteen (15) business days.

(3) If the individual or organization wants to appeal the decision made by the HMIS

Committee, the individual or organization will submit a written appeal to the CoC Board

stating sanction, all appeal history and basis for additional appeal. The Board will

convene a panel from the Appeals Committee to review the appeal and submit a

response to the Board within ten (10) business days.

Appeals Process for Board of Directors

(1) Individuals or organizations with appeals will submit a written appeal that meets the

scope of appeals outlined in this section to the Board Chair. The Board will convene a

panel of the Appeals Committee to review the appeal and the panel will submit a

response to the Board and appealing entity within ten (10) business days.

ARTICLE 14: General Provisions

SECTION 1: Operating Year

The operating year of the CoC will commence on January 1st of each calendar year and end on

the 31st day of December of said calendar year.

SECTION 2: Review and Update of Governance Charter

The Board, in coordination with the Collaborative Applicant and HMIS Lead Agency, will review

this Charter annually to ensure it remains consistent with HUD’s CoC Program requirements as

well as Continuum objectives and responsibilities. This review process will also include the

annual review and update of conflict of interest and recusal policies. A final, updated draft

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charter will be presented to the CoC for endorsement at an all-CoC meeting. Additionally, every

three years, the Board will invite interested CoC Members to participate in a review and

discussion of the Governance Charter. Based on consensus achieved in that discussion, the

Board will ask Chicago CoC Members to ratify the existing Governance Charter or approve

proposed changes to the Governance Charter at their next all-CoC Meeting.

SECTION 3: Accessibility of Meetings

While in-person meetings are encouraged for all-CoC, Board, and Committees, leadership

members will strive to improve access to meetings with alternative methods such as

conference video/call, listserv, webinars and online meetings. When technology is used,

leadership members will provide instruction on how to participate/observe on the CoC website

and in the meeting notice.

SECTION 4: Orientation of Board, Committee and CoC Members

Each calendar year, staff from the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) and the

Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness as the lead implementers of Plan 2.0 will provide an

orientation to the new board and committee members about the HEARTH Act, Plan 2.0 and

strategic priorities of both for the year. DFSS and Collaborative Applicant staff will serve in

advisory capacities to the Executive Committee throughout the year.

Similar orientations will be held at least annually for new CoC members to ensure opportunities

to learn about the CoC structure and governance, process for engaging with committees and

the Board and providing clear pathways to leadership opportunities within the CoC. The Board

Executive Committee and Committee Chairs are also responsible for ensuring new members are

oriented to their specific work, promoting meaningful participation and supporting new

leaders.

SECTION 5: CoC Decision Making Transparency

Meeting summaries of decisions made at all Board, Committee, and Advisory Board meetings,

will be posted on the CoC website within seven (7) business days unless otherwise specified in

this Charter. Formal meeting minutes will be posted within seven (7) business days of approval

by the Board, Committee or Advisory Board from which they originated.

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SECTION 6: Open Meetings Act

In the event any provision(s) of this Charter conflict with any provision(s) of the Illinois Open

Meetings Act (OMA), or other applicable state or federal laws, rules, or regulations, the

conflicting provision in the Illinois OMA or other applicable laws, rules or regulations shall

prevail.

ARTICLE 15: Terms and Definitions

Collaborative applicant means the eligible applicant that has been designated by the CoC to

submit the annual CoC Consolidated Application for funding on behalf of the CoC. In addition,

the Collaborative Applicant is the only entity that can apply for a grant for Continuum of Care

planning funds on behalf of the Continuum. Article 10, Section 1 of this Charter designates the

Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness as the Collaborative Applicant for the Continuum.

The Continuum (Continuum of Care) means the group organized to carry out the

responsibilities required by the HUD CoC Program and that is composed of but not limited to

representatives of organizations, including nonprofit homeless providers and employment

providers, domestic violence and sexual assault providers, faith-based organizations,

governments, businesses, advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social service

providers, mental health agencies, hospitals, universities, affordable housing developers, law

enforcement, organizations that serve homeless and formerly homeless veterans, and

homeless and formerly homeless persons to the extent these groups are represented within

the geographic area and are available to participate.

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) means the information system designated

by the Continuum of Care to comply with the HMIS requirements prescribed by HUD.

HMIS Lead means the entity designated by the Continuum of Care in accordance with this part

to operate the Continuum‘s HMIS on its behalf. Article 10, Section 2 of this Charter designates

the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness as the HMIS Lead for the Continuum.

Plan 2.0 is the Chicago Continuum of Care’s strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.

Introduction to the Plan 2.0 Project Management ToolThe Plan 2.0 Project Management Tool will be used to track progress on implementation of the seven Strategic Priorities and eighty Action Items of Plan 2.0. The tool is a living document and will be updated as progress is made. TheChicago Alliance and the Department of Family and Support Services have primary responsibility for implementing Plan 2.0, with oversight from the Plan Advisory Committee and the Chicago Planning Council on Homelessness. It ishelpful to have a copy of Plan 2.0 on hand while working with this document. You can download a copy at www.thechicagoalliance.org. For additions or edits to the tool, please contact Amanda Borta at aborta@thechicagoalliance.org. Each tab represents one of the seven Strategic Priorities outlined in Plan 2.0:Crisis Response SystemAccess to HousingYouthEmploymentAdvocacy and Civic EngagementCross-Systems IntegrationCapacity Building On each tab, you will find the Action Items (divided into Short Term and Long Term/Ongoing) for each Strategic Priority. You will also find columns for Next Steps, Responsible Entity, Timeline, Outcomes, and Status. Next Steps: Immediate high-level actions to be taken to accomplish the corresponding Action Item. Responsible Entity: Person(s), organization(s), and/or group(s) responsible for carrying out the next steps. Timeline: The anticipated deadline for achieving the next steps, as specific and realistic as possible. Outcomes: Concrete and, if possible, measurable results that will indicate the next steps have been completed. Status: Current state of progress on the next steps. Options include Need to Begin, In Progress, or Completed. NOTES: The last four columns refer to the Next Steps rather than the Action Item in its entirety. As next steps are completed, they will be removed from the tool and included in semi-annual reports to the community on Plan 2.0implementation.

Strategic Priority 1: The Crisis Response SystemAction Item Next Steps Responsible Entity Timeline Outcomes Status

ShortTermActionItems

1. Develop a method for targeting homeless prevention assistance to householdsmost at-risk of entering emergency shelter.

1. Conduct research on evidence-based best practices for targeting homeless prevention assistance.2. Explore pilot opportunities with state homeless prevention fund to target assistance to those mostlikely to enter shelter.3. Explore options for targeting ESG.4. Determine if the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (run through United Way) can be used in amore targeted way.

Chicago Alliance (Kathleen Molnar)1CCH (Julie Dworkin)2

DFSS (Maura McCauley)3Prevention Constituency Group (Ric

Martel)4 By June 30, 20131Ongoing2-4

Recommendations to increase targetingof homeless prevention funds In progress

2. Conduct a universal assessment for all persons requesting assistance and connecthouseholds to the appropriate intervention. Transfer all emergency shelter requestcalls made to 311 to the coordinated access system for assessment and referral.

1. Create a process for developing a coordinated access system that includes significant communityinput.2. Create a systems map that will help determine current access points.  Chicago Alliance (Nicole Amling) and

DFSS (Maura McCauley) By February 28, 2013 Process approved by Planning Counciland implemented in 2013

The Coordinated AccessCommittee met May 1,and the week of May14.

They are in the process ofdefining exactly what

Coordinated access meansto our system, and theyare in the early stages of

Systems Mapping

3. Create system capacity for real-time bed management and the electronic transferof client information for seamless continuity of care.

1. Increase capacity of HMIS by upgrading to ServicePoint 5.0, expanding bed coverage from 60% to100%, and improving data quality.

Chicago Alliance (Padma Thangaraj) andHMIS Committee (Robert Wiksten and

John-Paul Beals)Ongoing

High-functioning HMIS system capable ofreal-time bed management and

electronic transfer of client informationIn progress

4. Allow the existing interim housing system to provide client-centered services whileworking to progressively reduce the amount of time people spend homeless withoutimposing uniform time frames.

1. Review data collection and service/resources needs from interim housing providers around length ofstay.2. Maintain interim housing beds as select grants transition to new providers.3. Update Program Models Chart to reflect new goals of Plan 2.0.

DFSS (Maura McCauley)1,2and Planning Council (Richard Rowe and

Kathleen Molnar)3Ongoing through 2013

Baseline data to use for future planning,reporting consistent with HMIS, and an

updated Program Models Chart

DFSS added new questionsto quartely report to getspecific data on lenght of

stay. Also will measure theimpact Rapid Rehousinghas on Interim Housing

programs

Models chart work has notyet begun however

preliminary data is beinggatered re: length of stay5. Test shelter diversion models to assess the effectiveness of providing temporary

housing alternatives instead of shelter placement.1. Research best practices and what has been done in other cities around Shelter Diversion Models.

Coordinated Access Steering Committee(Nicole Amling and Maura McCauley) Ongoing Increase knowledge to inform practice

and program development.

Not yet begun, However itis on the Steering

Committee for CoordinatedAccess' Agenda

6. Coordinate and expand outreach and engagement resources to create a universalapproach and coverage throughout the city, including outreach to people who arechronically homeless and living on the street.

1. Convene city-funded outreach and engament service providers to better coordinate service deliveryand coverage througout the city.2. Introduce Center for Housing and Health as coordinator of outreach services for CRS. DFSS (Chandra Levy)1 and Center for

Housing and Health (Art Bendixen)2 December 31, 2013 Increased level of coordinated outreachand access to housing. In progress

7. Ensure all housing programs support family preservation for children of all agesand genders, partners, and families without children. Provide training, technicalassistance, and capital as necessary to providers to make the changes required bythe HEARTH Act regarding age of children.

1. Assess turn-away reports to identify how many households are turned away for these reasons.2. Develop action plans and/or provide technical assistance to support compliance with HEARTH Actregulation.3. Conduct targeted trainings with providers around HEARTH Act requirements and address challengeswithin agencies.4. Strengthen Evaluation Instrument measures on this issue for 2014 process.

DFSS (Tami Cole)1-3 and ChicagoAlliance (Lisa Mayse-Lillig and Elizabeth

Perez)4Ongoing

Compliance with HEARTH Act regulationsregarding age, gender, family structureresulting in elimination of turn aways

based on these categories.In progress

Long-Term/

OngoingActionItems

8. Provide adequate resources to maintain the physical infrastructure and facilityoperations of emergency shelter and interim housing programs.

1. Assess capital needs to meet HEARTH Act regulations and maintain facilities, and allocate funds toaddress those needs, when possible.2. Install Thermal Area Treatment devices in all DFSS-funded shelters and provide training on preventionand remidiation of bed bugs in shelters. DFSS (Alisa Rodriguez and Tami Cole) Ongoing1

Improved physical standards andcapacity, as well as reduction or

elimination of bed bug issues in shelters.In progress

9. Blend public and private resources to ensure Chicago’s emergency shelter andinterim housing system has the capacity to meet the needs of all households incrisis.

1. As part of HUD TA, conduct funding analysis to identify gaps and areas of need.

Planning Council (Richard Rowe) andHUD TA Providers (Fred Berman) December 31, 2013

Understanding of current funding toidentify needs and ideal funding system

structure.Need to begin

10. Maintain and increase the housing safety net for victims of domestic violenceand their children, while also increasing the capacity of all housing programs tosufficiently address safety needs.

1. Issue RFP and create new shelter program for victims of domestic violence.

DFSS (Jennifer Welch) RFP issued; Completeimplementation by early 2014

Increase number of beds dedicated tovictims of domestic violence In progress

11. Increase the amount of mental health and substance use services available toconsumers. Ensure services can continue as needed after exit from emergencyshelter and interim housing in order to maintain housing stability.

(Follow up with SAMHSA Consortium about current efforts around mental health and substance use.)

Need to Begin

12. Expand resources for tenants and landlords who are facing eviction or needimmediate services, so they can be connected to homeless prevention and housingstability resources. Eviction prevention efforts should include all forms of permanenthousing, including permanent supportive housing and other subsidized housing.

1. Roll out trainings to increase capacity of program participants to be responsible tenants andneighbors.2. Develop plan to increase capacity of housing coordinators and case managers to prevent evictionamong program participants.

Landlord Training Workgroup (ValeryShuman, Carie Bires, and Jamie Ewing) Ongoing Increased system capacity to prevent

eviction and maintain housing stability Need to Begin

13. Provide family mediation services and temporary financial assistance, whenappropriate, to mitigate discord between families living doubled up, while alsoworking to connect families to other permanent housing resources in order toprevent homelessness. Need to Begin

Strategic Priority 2: Access to Stable and Affordable HousingAction item Next Steps Responsible Entity Timeline Outcomes Status

ShortTermActionItems

1. Increase rapid rehousing opportunities to enable non-disabled households withincome to locate housing and exit homelessness quickly. Blend federal, city, andprivate resources to scale intervention up to the maximum number of householdseligible.

1. Issue RFP and implement rapid rehousing pilot with ESG funds.2. Conduct an evaluation of rapid rehousing pilot to determine client and system impact.3. Look at CoC reallocation and repurposing opportunities to potentially fund new rapid rehousingthrough HUD funding, or by transitioning current projects into rapid rehousing.

DFSS (Maura McCauley),Emergency Fund (Kathleen

Molnar), and PlanningCouncil (Richard Rowe)

Spring 2013(1-2)Through 2013(3)

Rapid rehousing pilot successfullyimplemented and evaluation findings

used to inform future efforts

Completed (RFP)1

RFP completed:Emergency Fund is thesystems coordinator,partners are: La Casa

Norte, Center for Housingand Health, HeartlandHuman Care, Catholic

Charities. Advisory groupcreated standard

Assessment Tool. Trainingsheld for interim housingproviders and partneragencies. Program

officially launched in May.Will evaluate outcomes tomake sure the right group

has been targeted.

2. Target new resources for short-term rental subsidies and housing-related casemanagement toward homeless households living in emergency shelters andinterim housing to reduce length of homelessness, increase placement rate intostable housing, and improve housing retention.

1. Rapid rehousing pilot will be targeted at households living in interim housing.

DFSS (Maura McCauley) andEmergency Fund (Kathleen

Molnar)Spring 2013 Interim housing clients will receive

preference for new rapid rehousing slots In progress

3. Develop a supportive housing initiative to combine city, federal, and privateresources to strategically create a pipeline of new supportive housing.

1. Coordinate supportive housing pipeline through blended government resources. DFSS (Maura McCauley/JohnPfeiffer), CHA, and the Dept.

of Housing and EconomicDev. (Interagency

Coordination Group)Ongoing

Additional permanent supportivehousing units created: 438 units (199

veteran preference, 108 for families, 131integrated & supportive housing), with

an additional 52 in concept development

In progress

4. Implement a central referral system for permanent supportive housing thatprioritizes access by level of vulnerability and length of homelessness, andconnects to the coordinated access system.

1. Transition daily management of CRS from CSH to Catholic Charities.2. 50% of permanent supportive housing units will be using CRS.    3. Provide monthly trainings to new users. 4. Coordinate outreach efforts and ensure existing outreach services and workers are utilizing CRS asthe primary source for housing location and resources.

CSH (Betsy Benito), CatholicCharities (Sandi Murray), and

CRS Working Group1-3,Center for Housing andHealth (Art Bendixen)4

By December 31, 2013A successful central referral system that

prioritizes access by level ofvulnerability

In progress

5. Work with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) to effectively assist peopleexperiencing homelessness through the establishment of a special designationand prioritization on the CHA waiting list and/or utilization of a central referralsystem for its supportive housing portfolio.

1. Explore data sharing opportunities between HMIS and CHA to identify people experiencinghomelessness on the CHA Wait List.2. Work with CHA to ensure that CRS clients are being prioritized for available CHA-subsidized PSH andthat clients were not dropped during the information update.  

Chicago Alliance (KathleenMolnar), CSH (Betsy Benito),

and InteragencyCoordination Group (JohnPfeiffer/Maura McCauley)

OngoingAdditional people experiencing

homelessness receiving CHA housingassistance.

In progress1

6. Implement “Moving On” efforts to assist people in supportive housing to moveon to affordable housing in the community when appropriate, freeing up thesupportive housing unit for the next, most vulnerable community member.

1. Implement a "Moving On" pilot project.2. Track and evaluate progress of individuals who have participated in the pilot.3. Work with housing providers that are receiving Project Rental Assistance from CHA to identify peoplewho are ready to move on because they no longer need services.  CHA has committed to letting clientstake their vouchers and move on, and then replace the voucers at the PSH sites.

CSH (Christine Haley) andCHA; Mercy Housing,

Thresholds, and RenaissanceCollaborative

OngoingTen people are successfully transitionedfrom permanent supportive housing into

affordable housing. 140 PRA residents will also move on. 3 

In progress

LongTerm/

OngoingActionItems

7. Work with public and community partners, including the Chicago Department ofHousing and Economic Development and the Illinois Housing DevelopmentAuthority, to develop new affordable housing opportunities, including additionalrent subsidies and preservation of affordable rental units.

1. Establish external partners group that will identify new housing opportunities, as part of HUD's"Dedicating Opportunities to End Homlessness" initiative.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling) 2013 New housing opportunities identified and

next steps determined. In progress

8. Work with the CHA to develop new ways of serving persons with criminalbackgrounds, including through the Property Rental Assistance program.

1. Advocate for a change in admission policies for the Housing Choice Voucher Program to take intoconsideration mitigating circumstances for persons with criminal backgrounds.2. Implement a pilot program with three agencies to recommend persons with criminal backgrounds tothe Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Chicago Coalition for theHomeless (Rachel Ramirez),with St. Leonard's, Lutheran

Social Services, and theSafer Foundation

Change to admissions policy is inplace, will monitor

implementation. Pilot is ongoing.

Additional persons with criminalbackgrounds will receive Housing Choice

Vouchers.In progress

9. Improve access to permanent supportive housing for interim housing andemergency shelter clients including ex-offenders. Reduce documentation barriersand limit barriers to entry to solely reflect minimum requirements of funders.

1. Fully understand how HEARTH implementation may influence the ability of interim housing residentsto enter permanent supportive housing.2. Hold a joint meeting of the Permanent Supportive Housing and Interim Housing Constituency Groupsto discuss current barriers and brainstorm solutions.3. Work with CRS to ensure that interim housing residents have full access to permanent supportivehousing.

PSH and Interim HousingConstituency Groups (DaveThomas and Betsy Carlson),Tenant Selection Sub-Group,CSH, and Catholic Charities

2013Additional interim housing will have

access to permanent supportivehousing.

Need to begin

10. Develop and implement a coordinated, citywide landlord outreach strategy torecruit new rental partners.

1. Continue to conduct landlord trainings on housing first, stigma reduction, and benefits of workingwith social service organizations.2. Develop a curriculum to train housing coordinators and case managers on engagement and evictionprevention.3. Conduct tenant trainings on being good tenants and neighbors using curricula developed by AFC andHHCS through a partnership between CSH and MHRI.4. Identify possible housing opportunities with private landlords for people expected to exit facilities dueto Olmstead.

Landlord TrainingWorkgroup, with supportfrom CSH (Jamie Ewing),

HHCS (Carie Bires), CIC (TaftWest) and MHRI (Valery

Shuman)

OngoingIncreased pool of landlords working with

those at-risk of or experiencinghomelessness.

In Progress

11. Create a citywide affordable housing initiative that transforms foreclosuresinto affordable housing, using a combination of federal and local funds.

1. Implement the City of Chicago ordinance that designates Tax Increment Financing (TIF) resources torehab vacant buildings. (50% of resources must be used for affordable housing.)

Chicago Coalition for theHomeless (Julie Dworkin) Ongoing 142 units by 2015 In progress

12. Explore innovative solutions for increasing permanent housing options for ex-offenders, including landlord incentives and protections, and master leasing.

Need to Begin

13. Explore successful community housing models, i.e. home sharing, host homeprograms or roommate matching, for low-income households and youth.

Need to Begin

Strategic Priority 3: Youth HomelessnessAction Item Next Steps Responsible Entity Timeline Outcomes Status

ShortTermActionItems

1. Appoint the City of Chicago Task Force on Homeless Youth, which includeshomeless youth providers, youth consumers, and youth advocates, as the keyadvisory body to inform interventions, policies, and investments.

1. Appoint the Task Force as the key advisory body for youth homelessness.

DFSS (John Pfeiffer) By September 2012 Task Force is identified as keyadvisory body Completed

2. Conduct an accurate annual count of youth experiencing homelessness toinform plan implementation and resource allocation, and to set targets for thereduction of youth experiencing homelessness.

1. Enhance standard Point-in-Time Count by incorporating strategies to better access youthwho are homeless.2. Create a Task Force workgroup for Youth Point-in-Time Count.3. Plan and conduct a youth-specific count in addition to broader PIT Count.

DFSS (Adriana Camarda/AlisaRodriguez) Chicago Alliance

(Amanda Borta), and theTask Force (Tedd Peso)

By September 2013Baseline data on the numbers and

demographics of youthexperiencing homelessness

Completed1-2

In progress

3. Implement positive youth development, harm reduction, trauma-informed, andculturally competent service models in all homeless programs that serve youth.

1. Incorporate questions developed by the Task Force into the HUD renewal evaluation.2. Create a Task Force workgroup on supportive services.3. Develop trainings to educate homeless programs that serve youth on youth-specificservice models.

Chicago Alliance (Lisa Mayse-Lillig and Elizabeth Perez)1

and Task Force (Lara Brooks)2-3

OngoingIncreased capacity of homeless

programs to provide youth-centered services

In Progress

4. Increase the capacity of certain adult-serving emergency shelter and interimhousing programs to provide youth-centered services. Ensure such programshave appropriate facilities and well-trained staff and that youth are never placedin adult programs that present safety concerns.

1. Create a Task Force workgroup on supportive services.2. Identify providers that are serving highest number of youth.3. Identify strategies to increase the capacity of adult-serving programs to provide youth-centered services.

Task Force (Lara Brooks),Chicago Alliance (Nicole

Amling), and DFSS (MauraMcCauley/Alisa Rodriguez)

OngoingIncreased capacity of homeless

programs to provide youth-centered services

Need to begin

5. Work with Chicago Public Schools to increase support for homeless youththrough its Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) program; enhancetraining for school-based liaisons; and provide specialized resources for studentsin a housing crisis.

1. Develop and implement trainings for school staff (Liaisons, Administration, GuidanceCounselors)2. Explore collaboration between individual CPS schools and homeless youth providers.

Education and WorkforceDevelopment Workgroup(Beth Cunningham/Will

Bulka)

Ongoing Increased resources for CPSstudents in a housing crisis In progress

6. Request that the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)report on the number of emancipations, transitions out of child protective care,and disrupted permanent placements that result in homelessness. Develop jointprevention and housing efforts.

1. Create a Task Force workgroup on homeless prevention.2. Collect data on the number of youth experiencing homeless who were served by DCFS.3. Develop a plan for working with DCFS to conduct joint prevention and housing efforts. Task Force (Jeri Linas), DCFS

(John Cheney Egan) Ongoing Increased number of DCFS youthwho transition into stable housing In progress

LongTerm/

OngoingActionItems

7. Develop new youth housing, including low-demand emergency shelter beds,developmentally appropriate transitional housing, and permanent housing. Ensurenew housing is available in each area of the city.

1. Issue RFP and implement new low-demand emergency shelter bed programs.2. Work with advisory committee to review outcomes and promising practices.3. Consider targeting new bonus funding to youth housing as continuing priority.4. Create youth vulnerability index to improve youths' ability to access permanent supportivehousing

DFSS (Maura McCauley/AlisaRodriguez)1-2, PlanningCouncil (Richard Rowe)3,Housing Workgroup (Flora

Koppel)4

RFP issued end of 2012;Implementation and evaluation

through 2013Ongoing3-4

Increase number of youth beds andestablish best practice model forlow-demand emergency shelter

In progress

8. Provide a comprehensive array of services and interventions, as well as a safealternative to the street, at 24/7 drop-in centers on the north, south, and westsides of the city.

1. Issue RFP and implement new regional drop-in centers.2. Work with advisory committee to review outcomes and promising practices.3. Ensure drop-in centers coordinate with existing housing providers to create acomprehensive continuum of resources for homeless youth.

DFSS (Maura McCauley), withsupport from the Chicago

Alliance (Nicole Amling) andTask Force (Jeri Linas)

RFP issued end of 2012;Implementation and evaluation

through 2013

Increase drop-in center availabilitythroughout the city and establish

best practice modelIn progress

9. Improve crisis intervention and family mediation services, when appropriate, toprevent youth from becoming homeless. Increase collaborations withComprehensive Community Based Youth Services (CCBYS) agencies – the state-funded providers of family reunification for minor youth.

1. Create a Task Force workgroup on homeless prevention.2. Identify strategies to improve crisis intervention and family mediation services.

Task Force (Jeri Linas) Ongoing Increased number of youth whoremain stably housed In progress

10. Connect pregnant and parenting youth to housing and services that addressthe developmental needs of both the parent and the child.

1. New city-funded housing and drop-in centers will include services for pregnant andparenting youth.2. Task Force housing workgroup will explore appropriate models for serving pregnant andparenting youth in low-threshold shelter programs.

DFSS (Maura McCauley),Task Force (Flora Koppel) Ongoing

Approriate and sensitive serviceswill be provided to pregnant and

parenting homeless youth.In progress

11. Advocate for the Chicago Public Schools system to adopt and integrate therunaway prevention curriculum developed by the National Runaway Switchboard.

Need to begin

12. Work with the City Colleges of Chicago and other public and private colleges tocount the number of homeless college students and provide specialized resourcesfor students in a housing crisis.

1. Work with the City Colleges to track the number of homeless college students.2. Advocate for the City Colleges and the state to make food stamp benefits available tostudents who are homeless.

DFSS (Chris Denes), TaskForce Education and

Workforce DevelopmentWorkgroup (Beth

Cunningham/Will Bulka)

OngoingBaseline data on the number of

and increased benefits for collegeyouth experiencing homelessness

In progress

Strategic Priority 4: EmploymentAction Item Next Steps Responsible Entity Timeline Outcomes Status

ShortTermActionItems

1. Conduct an assessment of the current workforce system in Chicago and CookCounty to determine the most effective strategies for connecting peopleexperiencing homelessness to employment opportunities.

1. Research evidence-based and promising practices for connecting people experiencing homelessnessto employment opportunities (through the Connect to Work initiative.)2. Assess and determine the most effective strategies to connect people experiencing homelessness toemployment opportunities.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling) June 2014

Assessment of the employment servicelandscape and recommendations forimproving employment services forpeople experiencing homelessness

In progress

2. Improve data collection on the employment needs and outcomes of peopleexperiencing homelessness in order to set targets for the increase in number ofhouseholds employed at exit.

1. Explore survey options to identify barriers to employment.2. Research performance benchmarks for employment from other CoCs to determine appropriate goals.

Employment Task Force(Nicole Amling) June 2014

Improved data on the employmentneeds and outcomes of people

experiencing homelessness and theability to set targets.

Need to begin

3. Build and strengthen connections with the existing workforce system to createmore pathways to employment for people experiencing homelessness, includingmore intentional partnerships between workforce programs, emergency shelters,and interim housing programs to provide income-building opportunities forparticipants.

1. Participate in the statewide Connect to Work initiative (led by the Supportive Housing ProvidersAssociation) to strengthen connections between the housing and workforce systems.2. Survey providers to assess attempts to access main workforce system and possible barriers.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling), SHPA (Lore Baker)1

Employment Task Force2 

By June 30th, 2013120132

Identified partners in the workforcesystem that will help create pathways

for employment for people experiencinghomelessness

In progress

4. Work closely with the new Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership to ensurefederal workforce resources and job training opportunities are made available topeople experiencing homelessness.

1. Work with the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership to coordinate and target federal resources forhomeless households.2. Serve on the Service Delivery Committee of the Partnership to help design workforce programs thatmeet the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling), Employment Task

Force2014

Increased federal employment resourcesdedicated to people experiencing

homelessnessNeed to begin

5. Develop and implement a standard employment readiness assessment that isconsistent with the workforce system and leads to appropriate linkages withemployment services.

1. Look at assessment tools currently being used to begin process of determining standard assessment.

Employment Task Force(Nicole Amling) 2014

Identified necessary elements of astandard employment readiness

assessment.Need to begin

6. Increase resources within homeless programs to conduct employmentreadiness assessments, link to appropriate services, and provide job retentioncase management.

1. Build capacity and provide training on new employment tools.2. Ensure program model chart is updated to reflect new expectations.

Employment Taskforce1Planning Council (Richard

Rowe and Kathleen Molnar)22014

Increased number of peopleexperiencing homelessness will receive

employment services.Need to begin

LongTerm/

OngoingActionItems

7. Expand programming to engage long-term unemployed homeless people inbuilding personal work history and meeting basic financial needs.

1. Advocate for transitional job resources at state level. (Follow up for more information)

Chicago Jobs Council (LizCzarnecki) Need to begin

8. Expand employment and housing opportunities for ex-offenders by increasingclemency and expungement legal services and advocating to ban employmentdiscrimination based on criminal history.

1. Work with the Cabrini Green Legal Aid to provide assistance to ex-offenders in sealing or expungingtheir criminal records in order to access employment.2. Advocate for legislation that will support expungement efforts of ex-offenders seeking employment.

Chicago Alliance (SheriseAlexander) and Cabrini

Green Legal Aid (CynthiaCornelius)1, CCH (Julie

Dworkin)2

Through 2013Increased number of people

experiencing homelessness with acriminal record able to gain employment

In progress

9. Create career opportunities for consumers within supportive and affordablehousing developments, including expanded use of the Property ManagementCurriculum at the City Colleges of Chicago and within new housing initiativesfocused on rehabilitating foreclosed properties.

1. Form roundtable of housing providers to discuss ideas around career opportunities for consumerswithin and among their agencies.

Employment Task Force(Nicole Amling) 2014

Established collaboration among housingproviders and developed strategies for

increasing opportunities around in-houseemployment for consumers.

Need to begin

10. Prioritize more employment opportunities for youth including seasonal, full-time, and part-time jobs. Explore hiring peer mentors for homeless youth atschools and service agencies.

1. Create Youth Employment Council/Roundtable.2. Build collaboration with and awareness among the business community and youth job readinessprograms.3. Develop and conduct basic skills trainings for youth (i.e. interview, personality tests, workplaceetiquette)4. Explore paid internship opportunities through staffing firms.

Education and WorkforceDevelopment Workgroup ofHomeless Youth Task Force

(Beth Cunningham/WillBulka)

2013 Increased number of youth able toaccess employment opportunities. In progress

11. Ensure basic financial literacy and credit- and asset-building services areprovided to all households within the homeless assistance system.

1. Explore partnerships with regional savings centers, banks, or other financial institutions to conducttrainings or provide educational presentations on financial literacy and asset-building. Heartland Alliance(TBD),

Illinois Asset Building Group(TBD), Center for Changing

Lives (Ellen Ray)Ongoing

Increased trainings and educationaround financial literacy and asset-

building.Need to begin

12. Explore entrepreneurial innovations such as micro-lending programs forindividuals who are homeless or have had past experiences of homelessness.

1. Research innovative concepts and practices being used in other states to begin exploring options.

TBD TBDIncreased knowledge of best practices

and innovative strategies for increasingemployment among consumers.

Need to begin

Strategic Priority 5: Advocacy and Civic EngagementAction Item Next Steps Responsible Entity Timeline Outcomes Status

ShortTermActionItems

1. Support a strong Chicago Planning Council on Homelessness to continueChicago’s robust public-private partnership, monitor the Plan’s progress, andensure a comprehensive and effective homeless assistance system.

1. Provide staffing support to the Planning Council and the Plan Advisory Committee in order to makePlan 2.0 funding, staffing, and implementation decisions.2. Provide staffing support to HMV and HMIS Committees in order to help ensure the system iscomprehensive and effective.3. Facilitate various HUD technical assistance projects to improve the governance, outcomes, andeffectiveness of Chicago's homeless assistance system.

Planning Council (RichardRowe), Chicago Alliance

(Nicole Amling/Lisa Mayse-Lillig/Padma Thangaraj),

DFSS (John Pfeiffer/MauraMcCauley)

Ongoing A strong Continuum of Care that is ableto meet HEARTH performance standards In progress

2. Advocate for increased local, state, federal, and private resources to fundsolutions and successfully implement Plan 2.0.

1. Determine policy priorities for 2013.2. Advocate on behalf of homeless assistance system during implementation of the Affordable Care Act.3. Begin building relationships with new legislators to foster support for homeless issues.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling), Advocacy

Committee, and Partners 1,3;SHPA (Lore Baker), Heartland

Alliance, AFC2

End of February1Ongoing2-3

Public budgets that prioritize the housingand service needs of peopleexperiencing homelessness

In progress

3. Convene private partners (including foundation, corporate, and individualdonors) in order to coordinate and increase investments in Plan 2.0 goals.

1. Work with the local philanthropic community to convene an initial meeting of foundation partners toeducate them on Plan 2.02. Determine plans for continuing efforts with foundation partners and philanthropic community.3. Encourage corporate engagement outside of donors.

Grantmakers Concerned withEnding Homelessness

(Debbie Reznick), ChicagoAlliance (Kimberly Holley)and DFSS (John Pfeiffer)

Ongoing Increased investment in Plan 2.0priorities by local philanthropy

Completed1

In progress

LongTerm/

OngoingActionItems

4. Tell the story of the Plan to all of Chicago through semi-annual reports to thecommunity on outcomes, successes, and items that remain unaddressed.

1. Create Plan 2.0 discussion tools to encourage dissemination of and conversation about Plan 2.0.2. Prepare semi-annual reports (February and August) on Plan 2.0 progress.3. Present on Plan 2.0 progress at the all-Continuum of Care meeting.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling), DFSS (Maura

McCauley), and the PlanAdvisory Committee (Ann

Marie Grimberg)

By February/August 20132By June 30, 20133

Increased awareness and engagement inPlan 2.0 implementation

Completed1

In progress

5. Advocate for Illinois to provide a critical safety net to people at risk of orexperiencing homelessness by fully funding the Homeless Prevention, Emergencyand Transitional Housing, Homeless Youth, Homeless Education, and SupportiveHousing programs.

1. Work with state budget partners to advocate for increased and sustainable funding for homelessservices in Illinois' FY14 budget.2. Begin building relationships with new legislators to foster support for homeless issues.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling), SHPA (Lore Baker),

CCH (Julie Dworkin), HAIL(Bob Palmer), and Heartland

Alliance (Sam Tuttle)

By June 30, 2013Ongoing2

Increased funding for homeless servicesin the Illinois budget In progress

6. Advocate for safety net programs to remove disincentives to employment andtraining in order to help people work toward self-sufficiency without losing accessto supportive services and resources.

Need to begin

7. Conduct outreach to a wide range of faith communities in order to educatecongregations on the goals of Plan 2.0 and increase their level of engagement inthe homeless assistance system.

Need to begin

8. Share Plan successes at the national level through conferences, peer sharing,and updates to Chicago’s Congressional delegation, promoting Chicago’s progressand performance on key national goals.

1. Present at RHY Conference.2. Present at NAEH Ending Family and Youth Homelessness Conference.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling) February 20132

Increased awareness of Plan 2.0 andChicago's success and progress with

ending homelessness.

Completed1

In progress

Strategic Priority 6: Cross-Systems IntegrationAction Items Next Steps Responsible Entity Timeline Outcomes Status

ShortTermActionItems

1. Design and implement the Chicago Interagency Council on Homelessness.Secure commitments from key stakeholder agencies to actively participate in theCouncil. Through this process, work to ensure that the planning processes andpriorities of key stakeholder agencies are aligned so that the needs of peopleexperiencing or at risk of homelessness are addressed.

1. Work with key stakeholder agencies and identify opportunities for collaboration through the national"Dedicating Opportunities to End Homelessness" initiative.2. Explore options or advocacy opportunities for a State Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Chicago Alliance (NicoleAmling) and DFSS (Maura

McCauley), with support fromU.S. Interagency Council on

Homelessness (BeverleyEbersold) and SHPA (Lore

Baker)

Through 2013 Establishment of Chicago InteragencyCouncil on Homelessness 1:2-in progress

2. Dedicate Plan 2.0 staff to cross-systems integration in order to provideconsistent direction across government agencies and partners and to ensureshared accountability.

1. Conduct an environmental scan of current system integration initiatives to explore opportunities forcollaboration and areas of need. Plan Advisory Committee

(Nicole Amling and Ann MarieGrimberg)

2013Increased understanding of current

systems integration activities to betterplan for dedicated staff person.

Complete (environmental scan)

3. Increase resources for the SSI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) programto increase the number of people experiencing homelessness with serious mentalillness who are able to access Social Security disability benefits and Medicaid.

1. Continue SOAR trainings.2. Work with Health and Disability Advocates to understand challenges and needs of local SOARprogram and to identify opportunities for integrated advocacy.

Health and DisabilityAdvocates (Sue Augustus)

and Chicago Alliance(Kathleen Molnar)

OngoingIncreased number of people able toaccess Medicaid and Social Security

benefits.3:1/3:2 in progress

4. Explore all opportunities under implementation of the Affordable Care Act toprovide comprehensive physical and behavioral health care to peopleexperiencing homelessness, including care coordination with housing andservices.

1. Ensure providers are trained and prepared for Medicaid enrollment in 2014.2. Ensure housing and homeless programs are part of coordinated care planning and that the housingsystem is building capacity to appropriately reorient toward health care outcomes.3. Develop policy position on how Medicaid funding will impact homeless service funding.

Service ProvidersCommission (Sherise

Alexander), Together4Health(Tony Mastracci), SHPA (LoreBaker), CCH (Julie Dworkin)

2013 People experiencing homelessness haveaccess to coordinated care planning. 4:1/4:2 /4:3 In progress

LongTerm/OngoingActionItems

5. Increase collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and theJesse Brown VA Medical Center through integrated homeless outreach andimproved access to veteran-specific homeless programs.

1. Explore collaboration opportunities with America Works' Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program(HVRP) to obtain jobs for veterans within the homeless assistance system.2. Hear lessons learned from Mercy Housing's VA project in Danville, Illinois.3. Bring together all providers of veteran services to map out existing resources and areas of need.4. Convene focus groups and peer-exchanges that help providers and consumers share resourcesabout veteran services.

Chicago Alliance (SheriseAlexander) Ongoing Provide housing and services to more

veterans experiencing homelessness. 5:4 in progress

6. Partner with Illinois Department of Corrections to implement homelessprevention and rapid rehousing programs in order to prevent homelessness upondischarge and recidivism.

1. Provide training opportunities for providers on working with IDOC.2. Get an update on current discharge planning efforts at IDOC.

Chronic HomelessConstituency Group (ShaynaGray), CCH (Julie Dworkin),

CSH (John Fallon)

2013 Reduced number of people who peoplewho become homeless upon discharge. 6:1/6:2 in progress.

7. Increase access to public assistance programs (including Temporary Assistancefor Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and child careassistance) by connecting households to benefit applications at the point of accessand by providing referrals to legal advocacy services in order to appeal ifnecessary.

1. Include benefit applications at point of access as part of the coordinated access system.

Coordinated Access SteeringCommittee 2013 Increased number of people who are

screened at point of access. In progress 7:1

8. Provide comprehensive services and innovative programming to homelessstudents and their families via their connection to Chicago Public Schools and theStudents in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) program. Work with STLS staff,homeless service providers, and other systems of care to provide access tohousing opportunities, mobile case management, early intervention services,and/or on-site childcare for parenting youth.

1. Advocate for renewing state funding for homeless education and to avoid school closures.2. Implement co-location of ChildFind screenings for special education at shelters.3. Address challenges presented by the different defintions of homelessness used by CPS and HUD.4. Identify resources for doubled up families who are homeless based on CPS definition.

Education Workgroup ofHomeless Youth Task Force(Beth Cunningham) and CPS

(Amber Damerow), FACT(Fiona Anderson)

Ongoing Increased resources for CPS students ina housing crisis. In progress 8:2

9. Increase the accessibility and affordability of public transportation for peopleexperiencing homelessness.

1. Create a Youth Connect Pass through the Chicago Transit Authority that would allow homeless youth-serving agencies to buy reduced fare passes for clients.2. Set up meeting with CTA board members to determine next steps and address concerns.3. Explore options for reduced fare cards for all homeless persons through disability rates.

Chicago Coalition for theHomeless (Julie Dworkin),

with support from theChicago Task Force on

Homeless Youth

OngoingIncreased number of youth experiencing

homelessness with access to publictransportation

9:2/9:3 in progress

Strategic Priority 7: Capacity BuildingAction Items Next Steps Responsible Entity Timeline Outcomes Status

ShortTermActionItems

1. Set annual system-wide performance benchmarks based on Plan 2.0 objectivesand HEARTH Act performance measures.

1. Hold CoC meeting to discuss current trends and system performance.2. Establish system-wide performance benchmarks.

Chicago Alliance (Lisa Mayse-Lillig and Elizabeth Perez),

with support from HUDTechnical Assistance

By June 30th1End of 20132

Performance benchmarks that willimprove service delivery and achieve

Plan 2.0 objectivesComplete 1

In Progress 2

2. Increase bed coverage and data quality in the Homeless ManagementInformation System (HMIS) in order to regularly identify system gaps that need tobe addressed.

1. Upgrade HMIS to ServicePoint 5.0.2. Reallocate a portion of HUD funding from transitional housing to HMIS.3. Create a strong training, technical assistance, and help desk team for HMIS.4. Work with agencies to improve HMIS data quality.5. Conduct outreach to agencies not currently participating in HMIS.

Chicago Alliance (PadmaThangaraj) and the HMIS

CommitteeEnd of 20121-2

Ongoing*Increased bed coverage and data quality

in HMIS

Completed 1, 2, 3

In progress 4, 5

3. Make better use of all available data sets and identify additional sources of datanecessary in order to determine housing and service gaps in our homelessassistance system. In addition, work to collect all local data sets in aclearinghouse for ease of performance analysis and advocacy.

1. Compile current available data sources.

TBD TBD Full understanding of what data sourcesare currently available. Need to begin

4. Create logical, direct linkages between online housing search tools in order tomaximize system capacity: www.direct2housing.org, www.ilhousingsearch.org,and www.chicagohousingoptions.org.

1. Meet to discuss options for moving forward and building off of work already begun on coordinatingwebsites. AIDS Foundation of Chicago

(Ric Martel), Corporation forSupportive Housing (Betsy

Benito)2013 Create an interactive online housing

search. Need to begin

LongTerm/

OngoingActionItems

5. Create an open HMIS system able to connect with multiple data systems inorder to reduce provider time entering data and to provide quality system-levelreports on usage. Ensure all applicable laws protecting confidentiality arefollowed.

1. Cross CHA waitlist with HMIS to explore opportunities for prioritizing homeless persons for publichousing.2. Make sure that HMIS is being linked with new and developing coordinated care entities under ACAimplementation.3. In developing a coordinated access system, ensure HMIS is used as the primary data collectionsystem.

Chicago Alliance (PadmaThangaraj), Together4Health,

Coordinated Access TaskForce

20131,320142

HMIS used as primary database whichconnects with other systems.

Need to Begin 1, 2In progress 3

6. Provide training and technical assistance on leading, evidence-based practicesand innovative pilots in order to ensure implementation of high-quality homelessservices.

1. Conduct a training needs assessment of Chicago's homeless assistance system.2. Create a training entity within the Alliance.3. Compile training calendars into one location for ease of access to connect people to appropriatetrainings. Chicago Alliance (Sherise

Alexander), CSH (BetsyBenito), SHPA (Lore Baker)

2014Increased capacity of homeless service

providers and improved quality ofservices

In progress

7. Provide training and support to all homeless service providers on commonstandards of harm reduction in order to more effectively serve people who areengaging in high-risk behavior.

1. Hold Annual Harm Reduction Housing Conference.2. Continue monthly Harm Reduction Roundtable.3. Conduct training and technical assistance through SHPA (webinars and in person trainings).4. Hold periodic MHRI fee-for-service trainings open to the public.5. Provide training and TA to permanent supportive housing providers, funded through ChicagoCommunity Trust. 

MHRI (Valery Shuman) Ongoing, 1-2, 4-5Through December 2013, 3

Increased training and understanding ofpractice standards for harm reduction

among service providers. 

In progress

8. Provide training and support to all programs that serve families to ensure thatthe educational, developmental, and health care needs of children are being met.

1. Provide trainings on the educational rights of students experiencing homelessness2. Conduct FACT cross trainings.

CCH (Rene Heybach),Heartland Health

Outreach (Fiona Anderson)Ongoing Programs able to serve families and

meet the needs of all members. In progress

9. Support providers of homeless services by ensuring sufficient training, skilldevelopment, and compensation for staff, as well as the long-term sustainability ofprograms and agencies.

1. Establish an early warning system for agencies that are failing through the Evaluation Instrument.2. Explore the possibility of providing capacity building trainings on board development, strategicplanning, and fundraising using curriculum developed by the city and Donor's Forum.3. Develop a safety net plan for how CoC will respond to significant public or private funding cuts.4. Explore opportunities for partnerships with for-profit companies to provide pro bono advice on agencyfiscal health.

HMV Committee (DebbieCulpepper/Ken Keibler),

Planning Council (RichardRowe)1TBD2-4

2014Providers are better able to sustain theirprograms and continue developing their

organizations.

In progress 1

Need to begin

10. Create a private funding pool to incentivize successful implementation ofHEARTH Act performance measures.

1. Consider equitable incentives for performance while establishing system-wide benchmarks.DFSS (Maura McCauley) andChicago Alliance (Lisa Mayse-

Lillig and Elizabeth Perez),with support from HUDTechnical Assistance

2013 Providers are equally motivated to meetsystem-wide performance benchmarks. Need to begin

11. Fundraise for system improvement planning grants that create opportunitiesfor programs to coordinate and implement strategic change.

1. Present ideas for cross-agency collaboration to funders group.

TBD 2014 Increase funding for programcoordination. Need to begin

12. Ensure adequate capacity within the homeless assistance system toappropriately serve people who speak languages other than English.

1. Require all providers to have a language access plan.2. Develop a sample language access plan based on leading practices and statuory requirements.3. Monitor agencies' adoption of language access plan through local HUD evaluation and/or DFSScontracts. CSH (Christine Haley) TBD Increased ability to serve populations

who speak languages other than English. Need to begin

13. End any discriminatory practices within the homeless system to ensureequitable access to housing and services.

1. Determine what discriminatory practices are taking place in our system by surveying consumers andproviders, as well as reviewing notes from Charette Week.2. Identify geogrpahic gaps in service provision.

TBD 2014 Better understanding of discriminatorypractices taking place in our system. Need to begin

Chicago Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and

Chicago Continuum of Care (CoC) Lead Agency

Interim Governance Charter

The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness is the lead agency for the Chicago Continuum of Care (CoC) as well as the HMIS Lead Agency for Chicago Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). The coverage area for both the CoC and HMIS is Chicago. The Chicago Continuum of Care Board of Directors (CoC Board) is the governing body of the CoC. The CoC Board relies on a number of committees and task groups to develop policy recommendations and provide guidance on implementation activities. These groups are committed to balancing the interests and needs of all stakeholders involved, including but not limited to homeless men, women, and children; service providers; funders (both government and private); and policy makers. The Governance Charter serves to delineate the roles and responsibilities of related key aspects of the governance and operations of the Chicago CoC and HMIS. The HMIS and its operating policies and procedures are structured to comply with the most recent HUD Data and Technical Standards for HMIS. Recognizing that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other Federal, State and local laws may further regulate agencies, the Continuum may negotiate its procedures and/or execute appropriate business agreements with Contributing HMIS Organization (CHO) so they are in compliance with applicable laws. Planning Council: As required by the CoC Interim Rule, the CoC Board , acting on behalf of the Continuum of Care, is responsible for:

Reviewing, revising, and approving a privacy plan, security plan, and data quality plan that is in compliance with HUD HMIS regulations and notices.

Ensuring consistent participation of recipients and sub-recipients in the HMIS.

Ensuring the HMIS is administered in compliance with requirements prescribed by HUD.

Approving data quality standards, policies and procedures for ensuring adherence to data quality standards for the CoC as stated by HUD.

Documenting, approving, and regularly reviewing the policies herein the “Chicago Homeless Management Information System Operating Procedures for Implementation” (commonly referred to as the SOPs).

HMIS - Key Roles and Responsibilities HMIS Lead: The HMIS department is comprised of the following staff:

a. Director of Information Services – Provides oversight of the operations and administration of the HMIS department.

b. Systems Implementation and Training Manager – Oversees the implementation of the HMIS system and develops a comprehensive, high- quality training structure for the CoC.

c. Data Analyst –This critical position creates systems to maintain high data quality, designs and implements reports based on user needs, and submits both program and community level reports from HMIS.

d. System Administrators - Assists with help-desk support, HMIS training and works closely with the System Implement and Training Manager to ensure users comply will all policies and protocols.

The HMIS Lead is responsible for:

Oversight of HMIS operations. Developing, overseeing and recommending periodically necessary revisions

to, and implementing all policies and procedures, including but not limited to the Standard Operating Procedures and Data Quality Plans.

Ensuring that all CHOs are in compliance with HMIS policies, agreements and HUD HMIS requirements.

Serving as a liaison and supervising contracts with the HMIS software vendor(s).

Providing training and technical support to all HMIS users. Establishing Continuum-level mechanisms for monitoring and/or enforcing

compliance with the approved SOPs. Staffing and supporting the HMIS Committee Ensures that HMIS operation meets all HUD technical and security standards Ensures participation of ESG and HUD McKinney Vento Submitting all HUD reports and applications

HMIS Committee:

The HMIS Committee is responsible for monitoring the implementation of Chicago's HMIS system and is appointed by the CoC Board.

Oversees all policies and procedures for HMIS system administration. Advises and recommends HMIS changes to the CoC Board. Convenes sub-committees as needed to address special tasks. Meets 6 times in a year (alternate months with the ATA Group).

Data Quality Steering Committee: Created by the HMIS Committee to work towards a consensus driven data

quality plan for HMIS in Chicago. The goals of the Committee are to bring together a diverse group of

stakeholders representing all major sectors of the homeless assistance system for creating and implementing an effective and efficient data quality and monitoring plan for Chicago HMIS.

Report regularly on their progress to the HMIS Committee. Agency Technical Administrator (ATA) Group:

The CEO or the Executive Director of every CHO must designate one person to be the ATA

The ATA will serve as a liaison for the CHO and the HMIS Lead team Is required to understand the system, be responsible for data quality and

ensure that the agency and programs are in compliance with all HMIS requirements as specified by the HMIS Lead team.

Meets 6 times in a year (alternate months with the HMIS Committee). HMIS CHO’s:

Execute the HMIS Partnership Agreement Agree to abide by the HMIS Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and all

other policies as approved. This agreement will be reviewed and updated annually by the CoC Lead and the HMIS Lead to ensure coordination and compliance. Director of Information Services Date

Planning Council Chair Date