Meeting Information

Planning and Performance

Encourages participation of the County of Kern and City of Bakersfield offices in ongoing CoC efforts, monitors outcomes of projects funded under both ESG and CoC HHAP programs as required by The HEARTH Act, and participates in applicable consolidated and yearly action plans.

Coordinates with the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Committee to:

• Ensure reporting of quality data: APRs and SPM and LSA; and
• Reviews the required HMIS policy documentation review for BKRHC members including but not limited to: HMIS Policies and procedures; MOU, Interagency Agreement, Client Consent, and End User Agreement.

Coordinates with the Collaborative Applicant to:

• Conduct a CoC-wide need gaps analysis;
• Coordinate Corrective Action Plan letters and responses for APR improvements; and
• Coordinate the HUD ranking and application process for HUD CoC funding.

Meets monthly on the third Wednesday at 2:00 PM. Meetings are held at 2101 Oak Street. 

SOAR

Directs and evaluates the work of COC-wide linkage to SSI/SSDI benefits for people who are homeless or at-risk for being homeless, using the SOAR method. Analyzes and reports outcomes to the Board with a focus on improving benefits’ access and promoting the SOAR process locally. (SOAR: SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery)

Meets monthly on the last Thursday of each month at 11:00 am at 601 California Avenue.

Coordinated Entry and Assessment

Oversees the Coordinated Entry System for Kern County in alignment with HUD and CoC guidelines, implementing streamlined processes to maximize BKRHC member resources.

Partners with community organizations to expand services countywide. Conducts annual reviews of the Coordinated Entry System procedures for approval by the Board.

Meets monthly on the third Thursday of each month at 10:30 AM at 1631 30^th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301.

HMIS/Data Quality

Manages the operations of the BKRHC Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), overseeing application implementation, conducting staff training, addressing technical support needs, and ensuring adherence to HUD standards for data collection and quality. Collaborates with subcommittees to utilize data for decision-making, identify obstacles, and evaluate outcomes. Conducts bi-monthly new user training and as-needed refresher sessions for participating agencies, along with quarterly trainings to enhance data quality. Develops and maintains both public-facing and internal dashboards to provide data to agencies, while also regularly reporting data quality standards to individual agencies on a monthly basis and to the CoC on a quarterly basis. Reviews HMIS policies semi-annually for compliance with HUD and Governance Charter (5.07) and advises on best practices for data quality collection and reporting, ensuring HIPAA compliance and security.

Meets monthly on the second Wednesday of each month at 9:00am. Meetings are held at 2900 Buck Owens Blvd, Bakersfield, CA 93308

Housing and Supportive Services

Studies best practices; recommend housing solutions, and engages potential private/public stakeholders, including landlords housing developers, and case management agencies to develop systems and standards that will end homelessness in our community.

Our focus is on the following areas:

Landlord engagement through:

• Incentives to house and sustain housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and;
• Outreach to potential landlords to educate and encourage them to rent to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and;
• Risk mitigation for landlords to minimize the financial impact of potential damages that may occur through the tenancy of individuals and families that were formerly experiencing homelessness.

Supportive Services through:

• Creating a system of case management standards, ratios, and best practices to ensure the long-term success and stable housing of families and individuals formerly experiencing homelessness and;
• Resource Development for case managers and;
• Creating strategies for shared housing solutions

Housing Development through:

• Creating information for developers regarding new construction, or repurposing, and rehabilitation of existing structures for affordable permanent housing

Meets monthly on the last Tuesday of the month at 2:30 PM. Meetings are held at 601 24th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301.

Inflow Prevention

Deals with discharge planning and Homeless prevention.  This is done by doing the following:

• Build relationships with local Homelessness stakeholders and the community at large to prevent discharges and entry into homelessness.
• These relationships are with the following agencies and personnel:
  • Medical
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Incarceration/Probation/Parole/Law Enforcement
  • Foster Care
  • Temporary Housing & Shelters
• The committee recommends policies to improve outcomes and maximize resources.
• Seek to identify barriers and help eliminate them.
• Identify additional funding sources for diversion & Homeless Prevention
• Identify and Utilize strategies for re-unification with family members or support systems.
• Develop early interventions for those experiencing severe mental illness and substance abuse that puts them at risk of being homeless.
• Work with Parole, and probation to create a discharge plan for post incarceration individuals.
• Work with hospitals, and other healthcare facilities to create a discharge plan and policy.

Meets monthly on the third Thursday of the month at 2:30 pm. Meetings are held at 821 E. 21^st street, Bakersfield 93305

Homeless Youth

Strategizes and works on action steps to engage, count and serve homeless youth 24 years and younger in Kern County. Focuses on both HUD-defined transitional aged youth and McKinney-Vento defined homeless students. The subcommittee collaborates with youth agencies, school personnel, child welfare, CoC Youth Action Board, and other agencies committed to ending youth homelessness in Kern. 

Meets monthly on the 2nd Monday of the month at 10:00 am at 2000 K. Street.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee (DEI)

To evaluate our service delivery to all of Kern but especially Communities of Color and Indigenous Communities. Through both data analysis and community outreach meetings, we will recommend policy change and strategic investment to reduce the inequities we identify.

Meets monthly on the first Tuesday at 03:00 PM.  Meeting location will be announced. 

Youth Action Board

Comprised of 10 members, who are transitional aged youth (18-24 years old) that have lived experience of homelessness. YAB provides recommendations for policy and procedural changes to the CoC, local leaders, and organizations that serve youth experiencing homelessness. 

YAB’s Vision Statement: “Every homeless youth should have a safe place to live. We define a safe place as somewhere homeless youth can take care of themselves without the stress or trauma of homelessness. It would be a place safe from drugs, violent people, theft, human trafficking and sexual assault.”

YAB’s Mission Statement: “Bridge the gap between homeless youth and supportive agencies by advocating for the needs of homeless youth and creating a safe space for youth with lived experience of homelessness.” 

Meetings are closed to the Public.

Street Outreach Sub-committee

Keeps agencies and the public informed of services available to those experiencing homelessness throughout Kern County. Meetings consist of presentations from service providers, discussion regarding community concerns and planning monthly outreach events. Ensures that outreach services are comprehensive and address the needs of all populations experiencing homelessness.

Meets monthly on the last Tuesday of every month at 10:00 am. Meetings are held at 615 California Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93304.

The Point in Time (PIT)

Plans and implements the annual Point in Time Count according to HUD guidelines while working closely with the CoC to prepare, organize, and submit the data to HUD.  Meets monthly beginning in mid-summer until the actual PIT Count in January.

Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of the month at 11:30am at 821 E 21st Bakersfield Ca.

Works toward measurably ending homelessness for all by strengthening data-driven systems that can continuously reduce homelessness. Built for Zero utilizes quality data collected from all CoC involved partners to identify the gaps in the homeless response system and comes up with new and innovative ways to satisfy these gaps.

Meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month at 10:00am. Meetings are held at 1921 19^th St Bakersfield CA 93301