In March 2022, CSH announced a multimillion-dollar, five-year lending and capacity-building initiative geared toward directing capital and financial equity to communities of color. We called it Redesigning Access by Centering Equity (RACE), an initiative that aims to expand lending to housing developers led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The RACE Initiative offers pre-development, acquisition, and additional loans with preferential interest rates for affordable housing projects that include supportive housing units.
If you are a BIPOC developer looking to access financing and technical assistance for a supportive housing project, you can learn more about the RACE Initiative here.
 HOMEFRONTA CSH Newsletter |
Directing Financial Equity to Communities of Color, through the RACE Initiative  In March 2022, CSH announced a multimillion-dollar, five-year lending and capacity-building initiative geared toward directing capital and financial equity to communities of color. We called it Redesigning Access by Centering Equity (RACE), an initiative that aims to expand lending to housing developers led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The RACE Initiative offers pre-development, acquisition, and additional loans with preferential interest rates for affordable housing projects that include supportive housing units. Also, developers receive CSH’s Technical Assistance and other resources designed to help developers build, launch, and operate successful projects. In recognition of Black History Month, we are showcasing the work of BIPOC-led housing developers who have received lending through the CSH RACE Initiative, such as Detra Harris of Strive Real Estate. Detra is leading the development of Brooklyn Arms Apartments, a historical church in Oakland, CA that is being renovated and developed into affordable housing. The project is currently in the pre-development stage, with construction anticipated to start in mid-2024. Once renovation and construction are completed, the building will include 42 affordable homes, a commercial kitchen, and a multipurpose room that will house supportive services for residents. Hear Detra and partners speak about the impact that Brooklyn Arms Apartments will have on the community. If you are a BIPOC developer looking to access financing and technical assistance for a supportive housing project, you can learn more about the RACE Initiative here.  The CSH Supportive Housing Summit 2023 Offers Expanded Tracks and Sessions The CSH Supportive Housing Summit is back and this year, will be held in Philadelphia, PA, from May 31 to June 2, 2023. The Summit offers expanded tracks and sessions specifically geared towards building the supportive housing field and centering equity amid extraordinary challenges coming from all fronts.Join other professionals and community leaders for interactive sessions and discover innovative models and tools that you can bring to your community. We are excited to announce the 10 tracks for this year’s conference. Register to gain access to a wide variety of engaging sessions on: Supportive Housing Services Best Practices Innovations in Service Delivery Building More Equitable Systems Strengthening Supportive Housing Organizations Tenant Leadership and Inclusive Programs Health System Partnerships Partnering Across Systems Innovative Partnerships that Accelerate Supportive Housing Development Developing and Managing Supportive Housing Expanding Resources for Tenants and Programs Early bird registration is closing soon on March 10th. Register today to take advantage of the discounted rate! Register Today Become a Sponsor As a CSH Supportive Housing Summit 2023 Sponsor, your reach will extend beyond the attendees. Your brand will be seen by several thousand decision-makers who shape housing, healthcare, child welfare, justice, education, workforce development, and other critical policy areas on the local, state, and federal levels. Your organization’s support will help bring critical information and resources to the supportive housing field. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities by contacting Janet Perez. Join Us for a Timely Webinar on What You Need to Know About: Making Sure Residents with Medicaid Health Care Coverage Keep their Coverage through the Unwinding Process States are now beginning to put in place requirements that individuals need to meet, or they could lose their Medicaid coverage. The process of assessing for ongoing eligibility, known as redetermination, is beginning again in the first half of 2023. Homelessness and housing instability can make it difficult for individuals to receive their redetermination notices and respond in a timely manner. Because of this, national experts expect millions of individuals to lose coverage despite being eligible. If you are a homeless services or supportive housing provider, join the webinar to learn what the Medicaid “unwinding” means for you. Learn how you can help residents keep their healthcare coverage. Register Here *There is no charge to attend the webinar.  Earn a Certification in Trauma Informed Approaches CSH is pleased to now offer a competency-based certification program focused on trauma-informed practices. This professional certificate program is for anyone interested in developing the skills to provide quality trauma-informed services to people experiencing homelessness.Purchase the Course  Diana Yazzie Devine of Native American Connections Appointed to Board of Directors Diana “Dede” Yazzie Devine, a longtime community development advocate for America’s Indigenous people, joins CSH’s Board of Directors. Devine is President and CEO of Phoenix-based Native American Connections (NAC), which provides affordable housing, behavioral health, and economic development services that honor the cultural traditions and practices of the region’s tribal communities. Devine brings extensive housing and services expertise focused on equity to the board at a time when our country is experiencing an affordable housing crisis resulting in increasing homelessness as well as an overreliance on institutional care. Read the full announcement  Angela Brooks Named President of American Planning Association Please join us in congratulating Angela Brooks, FAICP, Director of Illinois Program at CSH, on starting her tenure as president of the American Planning Association (APA). APA is a 41,000-member organization working to maximize the health, safety, and economic well-being of everyone living in communities. Brooks is the first Black female to be elected president of APA. She has dedicated her career to improving housing options and ensuring equitable access to safe and affordable housing.View a Q&A with Angela CSH’s Work Around The Country Handbook for Managed Care Plans on Housing-Related Community Supports In California, CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) is opening the door to a stronger whole-person approach when addressing the social factors that impact the health of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We developed a handbook that covers key considerations, useful steps, and best practices that managed care plan staff will need to successfully implement the housing-related Community Supports services under CalAIM. It also aims to support managed care plans in establishing and strengthening partnerships with homeless and housing service providers. We thank the California Health Care Foundation for their generous support in this work. While this handbook is focused on California, the information is applicable to all regions. Get the Handbook Fact Sheet | The Key Ingredient for Diabetes Prevention and Control Programs Through education and connections to health and community resources, Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Peer Specialists empower their peers in preventing or controlling diabetes. CSH and MHP Salud produced this fact sheet to highlight a multi-year examination of key benefits that CHWs bring. This fact sheet is perfect for health center leadership, clinical staff, and front-line staff who are working to advance the role of CHWs in diabetes prevention and control. Read More CSH Partners with the Association for Community Affiliated Health Plans (ACAP) to Support their Social Determinants of Health Innovation Center More than ever, health plans are beginning to focus on addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) or non-clinical factors that affect an individual’s health. As a field, supportive housing has been blending and braiding funding for more than 30 years to address community needs and social determinants of health. Drawing from our experience working with supportive housing providers, CSH presented to a nationwide group of health plans to help them learn from our expertise in utilizing multiple funding sources to address community needs. ACAP is a valued CSH partner. Learn more about ACAP’s Social Determinants of Health Innovation Center below. Learn More Celebrating the 15th Year of the Indiana Supportive Housing Institute This year marks the 15th year of the Indiana Supportive Housing Institute and the ongoing partnership between Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) and CSH to bring more supportive housing across the state for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. After a competitive selection process, CSH and IHCDA are excited to announce the 5 teams that will participate in this year’s Supportive Housing Institute. The selected teams represent locations in five counties, from urban to rural areas, demonstrating that homelessness impacts all communities. Learn More  Funder Spotlight  For 50 years, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has utilized philanthropy and leadership to ignite lasting change in DC, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Prince George’s County. Through the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s generous contributions, CSH has been able to enact change in the region by implementing strategies that will lead to the development of permanent supportive housing, and by providing technical assistance to supportive housing providers in the district around the provision of Medicaid-funded services.The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s strategic initiative of closing the racial wealth gap aligns with CSH’s commitment to building the capacity of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) developers and providers through efforts such as our RACE Initiative. We thank the Greater Washington Community Foundation for their generous support and commitment to our shared goal of transforming communities and closing the racial wealth gap. Featured Resources for Community Health Providers Webinar | Improving Vaccine and Healthcare Access Among Residents of Supportive Housing: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Attend a national webinar that presents the findings of a special project examining vaccine hesitancy, uptake, and healthcare access during COVID-19 for residents in supportive housing. Health center staff will learn from the voices and lived experience of patients with complex service needs and histories of homelessness. This webinar will also feature recommendations for improving engagement and access for special populations. Date: February 28, 2023 | 2:00PM – 3:00PM EST Register Extended Deadline for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program RFP This is an important opportunity for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program service providers serving youth, people involved in the justice system, and people identifying as LGBTQ+. Supporting Replication of Housing Interventions in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (SURE Housing) is designed to reduce disparities in HIV and housing outcomes among youth and young adults (ages 18-24), people who have been justice-involved, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) community. As such, the SURE Housing Program Team is aiming to distribute 10 awards evenly across these three priority populations to promote the replication of interventions that address their unique barriers to health and housing. We have extended the deadline (March 8, 2023 at 11:59pm EST) to ensure we receive a sufficient number of applications in each focus area to confidently make awards. Thus far, the majority of letters of interest we have received have indicated an intent to serve the LGBTQ+ population. We strongly encourage additional organizations to submit applications to serve the youth and young adults or justice-involved populations, as appropriate to skill and experience, as well as demonstrated need. Learn More |