MDHA Board Meeting Minutes Board Meeting Minutes November 19, 2002 Attendees: Clair Laric, Melodie Shatzer, James Waghorne, Yvonne Butler, Paula Melvin, Jan Mitura, Paige Flink, Pam Schaefer, Vincent Golbeck, Dorothy Masterson, Don Maison, Alfred Walker, Jr., Donald Clemons, Bruce Buchanan, Jonathan Vickery, Betts Hoover, Jesse Aguilera, Robert R. Hollins, Timothy C. Evans, Bill Thompson, Lemuel Price representing Royce West and Eileen Purdy. National Hunger & Homeless Awareness James Waghorne reported 600 were fed, haircuts were provided. UPS participated in the job fair and wants to be on board for future events. The event received good publicity. Mayor Miller spoke and said she wants a new Day Resource building. Homeless Summit Paige Flink reported that 300 attended, including 8 or 9 City Council members and the Mayor. Paige subsequently met with the Mayor and other City & County officials. She requested the Mayor's support for the 10 year plan and the MDHA Board. Paige feels that she received a commitment for that from the Mayor. A new Day Resource Center (an intake center) was discussed; others left the meeting looking for buildings. Who would provide services and who would pay rent at the new intake facility was discussed. A motion was approved for Paige to draft a letter for Jonathan's signature on behalf of MDHA to the Mayor re-iterating the commitments she made. The letter will be sent Certified, Return Receipt Requested. It will state that MDHA must be part of the process and designate Paige as the liaison. MDHA Advocacy MDHA needs to develop a strategy for getting dollars into the bond package and consider hiring a professional advocate to push the 10 year plan to the Council. A motion was approved to create an ad hoc Bond Package committee to develop a package of what MDHA will advocate for the package, to include a defined intake center. Committee members are Jesse Aguilera, Bruce Buchanan, Dorothy Masterson and Alfred Walker; either James Waghorne or Robert Hollins will participate. Pam Schaefer will attempt to find a business leader to participate or chair the committee. The package developed will be presented to the Board for vote at its January meeting. Treasurers Report Bill Thompson reported at October 1, 2002, the checking account balance was 2,664.26; the CD balance was 11,993.07, for a total of 14,279.96. Documents to change the name on the accounts from DASH to MDHA must be executed. Jonathan Vickery as President, Melodie Shatzer as Vice President and Bill Thompson as Treasurer will be the authorized signers on the accounts. Motions were made and approved to (1) change the name of the bank accounts from DASH to MDHA, (2) execute the documents for the signers as noted and (3) approve the Treasurer's report. Minutes The September 17, 2002, minutes were approved with name spelling and title corrections. 10 Year Plan Hiring a resource to develop the plan will cost a minimum of 10,000. The Urban League has funds which must be spent. Jonathan will remind the Urban League of his conversation with them regarding the use of the funds then ask Lee Schimmel to contact the League to make a formal request. A motion was approved for the Planning & Development Committee to develop an RFP to solicit proposals for creation of the plan. The RFP will be presented to the Board for its review at the January meeting. In the interim, the Alliance will attempt to identify funding sources for the RFP. MDHA Organization The Nominations Committee will develop a plan to facilitate transition from the DASH continuing board to the official MDHA board as defined in the bylaws. Clair Laric, Dorothy Masterson, Vince Golbeck and Alfred Walker will be added to the Nominations Committee; Bennett Miller will be asked to participate. Don Maison chairs the Committee; Paige Flink also serves. Next Meeting The next MDHA Board meeting will be January 21, 2003, at 3:30 p.m. at the Housing Crisis Center. Submitted by, Eileen Purdy March 6, 2003 MDHA Board Meeting In Attendance: Donald Clemons, Neil Phillips, Don Maison, Betts Hoover, Jesse Aguilera, Bill Thompson, Cliff Gay, Jonathan Vickery, Rep. Jesse Jones, Eli Davis, Clora Hogan, Bennett Miller, Melody Shatzer, Yvonne Butler, Paige Flink, Lee Schimmel, Bruce Buchanan, Sgt. William Reese, Danna Campbell, Tim Evans, Dorothy Masterson, Manuel Carrasco, James Waghorne, Kit Lowrance, Paula Melvin Roll Call Mr. Vickery started the meeting with introductions and greeting guests. Adoption of the Agenda Mr. Vickery asked for the adoption of the agenda, Betts Hoover made the motion to adopt; it was seconded by Bruce Buchanan. Motion was passed. Adoption of the Minutes of the Board meeting Jan.21, 2003 This was tabled until the next meeting. MDHA Board Event Paige Flink reported that Charlie Steele had invited MDHA's Board members to her organization, South Side on Lamar for an informal gathering. The purpose of the event is to develop relationships among the members, and welcome new Board members. Ms. Schimmel suggested using the event to do public relations work by inviting the mayor and various foundations. It was then generally agreed that the Board needed to be a more cohesive body before such an event could be held. The new members and members rotating off the Board are encouraged to attend. The event will be April 3 starting at 4pm. Paige Flink, Don Maison, Danna Campbell, and Lee Schimmel will call and personally invite Board members to attend. Brief Overview of Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance Informational material was handed out concerning MDHA history and mission. Mr. Vickery asked Bill Thompson to give a brief overview of the history of MDHA and its predecessor DASH. DASH (Dallas Area Services to the Homeless) started in the mid 80's and Mr. Thompson joined that organization in 1988. Mr. Thompson said that DASH had the goals of involving the community in the issues of homelessness and developing a comprehensive approach to ending homelessness. In the late 80's DASH struggled with new zoning laws and lack of county and city support. Membership of DASH dropped even though at one point, there were up to 70 members on paper. Ms. Dorothy Masterson added that during this time Melody Shatzer developed 2 symposiums which exposed homeless issues to the public. Ms. Masterson suggested conducting similar events in the future. Mr. Vickery said that DASH wasn't an unsuccessful undertaking, and reminded everyone that may people did a lot of good work while DASH functioned. The main problem with DASH was its lack of infrastructure. At this point, we need to talk about revenue to pay for a structure to build upon and develop a more permanent organization. Mr. Vickery believes that MDHA needs long term plans. They cannot let the development of the 10 year plan direct or act as the Board plan. Mr. Vickery continued stating that there would be a Board training where the responsibilities of being a member of the MDHA Board would be discussed. It was suggested that decision makers need to attend meetings. Update on Scores fro HUD Continuum of Care Ms. Flink reported on the HUD score for the COC. The COC is a collaborative grant package. Agencies prepare applications which are attached to an Exhibit 1 document outlining the situation of the homeless population here in Dallas County. The 2002 grant package received a dangerously low score of 73.5; the cut off for funding is at 72 points. A telephone conference was held with HUD to discuss the grant. The main items HUD found fault with were housing funds vs. services funds requested, community-wide involvement and documenting use of mainstream services. Mr. Maison said that some agencies would have scored higher points if HUD had known that they were located in enterprise zones. The Enterprise Zones are part of an initiative to encourage job creation and capital investment in areas of economic distress and to promote neighborhood revitalization in targeted areas. Don Maison reported that the Hilcrest House was built in an Enterprise Zone. The City's staff entered the wrong address for Hilcrest House on the HUD map zone search and erroneously decided to omit this detail from the grant as a result. Lee Schimmel said that the Peer Review Panel had met earlier that day. The panel had set the criteria for accepting applicants for the 2003 COC grant. Ms. Schimmel said that the criteria had a heavy emphasis on housing this time around because the COC committee had recommended a 60% housing and 40% service balance. Ms. Schimmel will send Mr. Vickery the criteria list, which he will then email out to the Board. Ms. Shatzer said that the City of Arlington received a score of 71 and didn't get any funding for the year. She reported that ABC Behavioral Health did not receive some funding because HUD would not fund another acquisition grant while an acquisition grant was currently pending. HUD had also decided that ABC's proposal for a Safe Haven was not cost effective. Ms. Shatzer warned that it was necessary to get more community involvement and work toward completing a 10 year plan in order to mention it in Exhibit 1. It was suggested that 4 people volunteer to research 10 year plans form other cities. The ad-hoc committee will make recommendations to the Board. Later the plan to plan would be used to develop a draft of the 10 year plan. James Waghorne, Jonathan Vickery, Melody Shatzer, Danna Campbell, Bennett Miller, Jesse Jones and Bill Thompson agreed to be on the committee and review the 10 year plans. Jesse Aguilera will chair the committee. May 2003 City of Dallas Bond Package million have been proposed for a homeless shelter in the City of Dallas's bond package. The vote will take place in May. The City has asked the MDHA's Board to recruit volunteers to address a design for a new Day Resource Center. Hope Stedman (volunteered by Jesse Aguilera), Bennett Miller, James Waghorne, and Bruce Buchanan volunteered. We need to gain public support and promote this issue for the upcoming vote. Several suggestions for promoting the issue and improving our public image were made. Bennett Miller proposed that everyone agree to do at least 3 things to promote our cause such as speaking with clergy, writing press releases, and lobbying. Ms. Yvonne Butler said that she would call her press contacts and speak with the local African American Pastors Association. Mr. Vickery agreed with Mr. Miller and said that everyone could do 3 things to promote homeless issues to help pass the bond vote. He added that at the next meeting everyone could report on their actions The June MDHA position statement on the DRC needs to be updated and include more detail. Paige Flink volunteered to go to the editorial board to promote the bond issue and draft a new position. Jonathan Vickery will then email the new position statement for Board review. Proposal to endorse Grant Proposal- Interagency Council's Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness Ms. Melody Shatzer reported that a meeting was held on February 19 to discuss participation in the Interagency Council's collaborative grant. The grant includes V.A., SAMSHA, HRSA, HUD funding for agencies that deal with the chronically homeless as defined by HUD. There will be a total of mill. awarded nation-wide, so this is a very competitive grant package. Dallas Urban League has agreed to act as the lead agency aided by Turtle Creek Manor and Dallas MetroCare. Dallas Urban League in collaboration with MetroCare and the V.A. intends to propose building 50-60 units of housing. The Interagency Council's grant package needs the endorsement of the COC. It has been warned that the COC will be penalized if there is no submission for the interagency grant package. Ms. Shatzer said that we needed to focus on getting this grant done on time and making sure it serves its target population. Mr. Vickery suggested a summary of the grant proposal be drafted so that the Board could endorse it. Status of 2003 Budget/ Treasurer's Report Mr. Thompson gave a report on the current budget situation. Mr. Thompson handed out a projected budget of the next 3 years and a list of membership dues paid. Mr. Vickery told us that the Urban League of Dallas did not get approval form the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, so they would be unable to grant MDHA the money they had hoped to award. Mr. Thompson said the he and Mr. Vickery would go over the budget and write it out in more detail. He also reported that MDHA currently has approximately 13,000 in the bank. Jonathan Vickery and Mr. Bennett Miller will be approaching different foundations for seed money in the near future. Bruce Buchanan moved to pass the budget report; this was seconded by Jesse Aguilera. Other agenda items would be addressed next meeting due to lack of time. Meeting adjourned. April 3, 2003 MDHA Board meeting In Attendance: Don Maison, Bill Thompson, Jonathan Vickery, Eli Davis, Bennett Miller, Yvonne Butler, Paige Flink , Lee Schimmel, Bruce Buchanan, Danna Campbell, James Waghorne, Paula Melvin, Clair Laric, Danny Garcia, Karen Williams, Karen Boudreaux, Boadicea White, Alvin Green, Phil Romano, Lou Smith-Galbraith Roll Call Mr. Vickery started the meeting with introductions and greeting guests. Adoption of the Agenda Mr. Vickery asked for the adoption of the agenda, Danna Campbell made the motion to adopt; it was seconded by Bruce Buchanan. Motion was passed. Adoption of the Minutes of the Board meeting March 6, 2003 The minutes from January 21 MDHA Board meeting were unavailable. Yvonne Butler made the motion for adoption of the March 6, 2003 minutes; it was seconded by Bruce Buchanan. The motion was passed. Continuum of Care Grant FY 2004 Yvonne Butler gave a report on the current status of the COC grant. On March 25, the committee met to discuss criteria for ranking agencies, RFP announcement, and addressed any questions regarding the upcoming grant package. The HUD SuperNofa has not been released yet. Neither the City of Dallas nor Linda Hadley has any further information on the release date at this point. The committee is looking at the weak points of last year's grant package, including documentation of mainstream resources. Service providers need to better document their use of mainstream resources, (such as TANF, WIC, SSI, Medicaid, and the Food Stamps program). It has also been suggested that local agencies do an inventory of equipment that they are willing to make available to other service providers. All agencies need to have their applications in by April 15. The Peer Review Committee will look over new grant applications and renewals then make recommendations to the COC Committee. The COC Committee will then take it to the MDHA Board for final approval. Boadicea White said that the Board needed to vote on how to prioritize the renewals and how to rank the suburban applicants. Lee Schimmel added that last year the suburban proposals were overlooked in favor of renewals. MDHA needs to do more to encourage suburban participation in order to gain the pro rata funds which would be added to the general funds. The pro rata is a 7% increase of the total fund award for every city in the county that participates. Ms. Schimmel suggested that the Board authorize the COC Committee to develop a plan that would insure that at least part of the pro rata funding from suburban communities is used to fund competitive projects in those communities. The Board could then decide whether or not to adopt the plan. Paige Flink asked if the suburban projects would be ranked above renewals. Karen Boudreaux said that at this point only New Beginnings had a proposal, so it was unlikely to have a big impact on renewals. Lee Schimmel moved that the Board authorize the COC Committee to develop such a plan, on which the Board will have final approval. Bruce Buchanan seconded this motion, all were in favor, and the motion was carried. Ms. Butler continued her report on the COC grant stating that the Committee was also looking into the ratio of housing vs. services proposals. HUD is moving towards the funding of housing and away from funding support services. The COC Committee has recommended a 60%-40% split on housing versus support services in this year's application. Ms. Flink asked Ms. White about the rescheduling of the COC public meetings. The meetings were supposed to be held last month but were cancelled due to a problem with public notification. Ms. White said that unfortunately, the City of Dallas no longer had money in its budget to buy advertisement space in the newspaper. Last year they advertised at a cost of $1,700. Bennett Miller generously proposed to cut one of his real estate ads in order give the public notification of the COC public meetings. Ms. Boudreaux reminded everyone that we needed to also advertise the "homeless priorities". Yvonne Butler spoke about the METSYS system. The METSYS system is a data base used to collect information about homeless people and to make referrals to local agencies. HUD requires all cities to have this system in place by next year in order to receive federal funding. The METSYS sub committee has been meeting with agencies to work out any problems in the new system. At the moment, MDHA does not have a policy and procedures manual outlining issues of confidentiality, technical resources, or general information. Ms. Butler has agreed to draft such a document for MDHA use. Peer Review Ranking Ms. Schimmel reported that last Tuesday the Peer Review Committee met to further clarify the criteria for ranking the COC applications. Housing will be a major priority as well as addressing the gaps in services. Karen Williams and Paige Flink voiced concerns about families being overlooked in favor of single adult males, who make up the majority of the homeless population. Ms. Boudreaux said that Ken Flat has finished preparing a gaps analysis which includes family statistics. Ms. Williams was also concerned that non-housing agencies that offer vital support services would be left out. According to the criteria, agencies such as Rainbow Days, Vogel Alcove, dental and legal services will receive no points for housing which accounts for up to 35 points. For several years HUD has been moving away from the funding of any non housing project. Ms. Butler suggested that MDHA needed to start looking for alternative funding for these service agencies. Ms. Boudreaux added that the real problem at this point isn't the smaller service agencies; it was the large organizations that provide housing but are also putting too much money into support services. Agencies need to find other funding sources for supportive services. MDHA agrees that the COC shouldn't be just about getting HUD money, it should be involve total care for the homeless. Lee Schimmel asked the Board to approve the criteria. Mr. Maison made the motion; it was seconded by Rev. Buchanan. The criteria were approved. Treasurer's Report Rev. Thompson gave the Treasurer's Report to the Board. There is a total of 14,373.59 in the bank at present. These funds include MDHA's CD and dues collected. 27 members have paid dues so far and Rev. Thompson will send out invoices to agencies for their records. James Waghorne offered to send it via MDHA email. Bruce Buchanan moved for approval of the Treasurer's Report, this was seconded by Don Maison. Proposed Budget for Grant Solicitation Purposes Lee Schimmel presented the proposed budget for the Dallas Foundation Grant. Mr. Bennett Miller and Ms. Schimmel had made a project budget for the purpose of applying for the Dallas Foundation's spring funding cycle. Don Maison moved to approve the proposed budget; it was seconded by Yvonne Butler. Discussion of the Election of Board Officers and Board Committees Jonathan Vickery distributed election ballots for the Executive Committee. The ballots will be collected next Board meeting. There are 5 Board Committees: Advocacy and Policy, Membership, Audit and Finance, Nominations, and the Resource Development Committee. Each committee already has elected chairs or co-chairs. Anyone wishing to participate as a member of one of these committees should make that known to the Board. Lee Schimmel said that Desralei Jackson of the V.A. wanted to participate on the Resource Development Committee, and asked if it was alright to have people on committees who were not board members. Jonathan Vickery confirmed that it is alright. Position Statement Paige Flink handed out copies of the new Position Statement for the Day Resource Center. Ms. Boudreaux clarified what some of the services currently available at the DRC were, such as limited phone and mail services, and limited storage. The Board reviewed the document, and then Lee Schimmel moved that the Board adopt the Position Statement, it was seconded by Don Maison. The motion was passed. Vista Report James Waghorne gave the Vista Report. The new MDHA website has been launched. The website includes links to area service providers and useful resources for the homeless community. The new web site address is: www.dallashomeless.org. MDHA also has a new mass email that people can use to forward messages to the general membership. The email address is: mdha@mail.com. Trinity Works will no longer be forwarding the mail. Jonathan Vickery will contact Pam Schaefer from Trinity Works to thank her and her agency for their generous help. Update on Resource Development Ms. Schimmel said that the Dallas Foundation Grant was ready. On the advice of Barbara Van Pelt, a grant manager with the Foundation, the request is for ,000 to fund the cost of a consultant to work on the Ten Year Plan. Lee said that Barbara had further indicated that the Foundation may be interested in working with MDHA on developing the Ten Year Plan as well, and suggested that we apply for funding in the fall for operational money to hire an executive director and for office expenses. On Monday the committee has a meeting with the Meadows foundation. Ms. Flink added that the Harold Simmons Foundation wants a presentation given. Old/New Business Paige Flink said there were steps being taking on the 10 Year Plan. It was suggested that HUD be contacted to inquire about consultants to prepare the 10 Year Plan. Mr. Waghorne added that the VISTAs were looking at who other cities had hired as consultants. Ms. Flink suggested that Jesse Aguilera's 10 Year Plan Committee give Ms. Boudreaux information regarding their progress to be put into Exhibit 1. Lee Schimmel volunteered to help Mr. Aguilera with that statement. Rev. Bruce Buchanan announced that the Stewpot will host another Class C Misdemeanor Project. On May 17 individuals with tickets can attend a special court hearing and be assigned community service work on the same day. Applicants need to turn in paperwork by May 2. James Waghorne gave a brief report on the ad hoc committee meeting concerning the development of a new DRC. Participants were asked to rank services based on perceived community needs and to indicate which agencies should be on site or rotating days of service. Meeting was adjourned. May 1, 2003 MDHA Board meeting In Attendance: Don Maison, Bill Thompson, Sam Prince, Eli Davis, Bennett Miller, Yvonne Butler, Paige Flink, Lee Schimmel, Bruce Buchanan, Danna Campbell, James Waghorne, Ben Johnson, Paula Melvin, Clair Laric, Cathey Brown, Karen Bradford, Rev. Alfred Walker, Lou Smith-Galbraith, Dr. Melodie Shatzer, Jay Dunn, Jan Mitura, Kit Lowrance, Catherine Steele, Dorothy Masterson, Hattie Johnson, Desralei Jackson, Clare Nilson, David Lawson,Jesse Aguilera Roll Call Paige Flink, on behalf of Jonathan Vickery started the meeting with introductions and greeting guests. Approval of the Minutes of the Board meeting April 3, 2003 Rev. Bruce Buchanan made the motion for approval of the April 3, 2003 minutes; it was seconded by Danna Campbell. The motion was passed. Ratification of Board Slate and the Executive Committee Ms. Flink read the list of Board Members as follows: Karen Bradford, Rev. Bruce Buchanan, Danna Campbell, Commissioner Mike Cantrell, Paige Flink, State Rep. Jesse Jones, Clair Laric, Don Maison, Bennett Miller, Jan Mitura, Klaire Powers, Phil Ramano, Lee Schimmel, Lou Smith, Catherine Steele, Rev. Bill Thompson, Jonathan Vickery, James Waghorne, Rev. Alfred Walker, Senator Royce West, Effie Worrell, and one membership position is vacant at this time. It was agreed that Karen Bradford be stricken from the list due to her inability to be present at the meetings. Senator West's representative Myrtis Evans will permanently replace Senator West due to his inability to attend. The Members of the Board will be presented to the MDHA Membership on May 2, 2003. Rev. Buchanan moved to ratify the Board slate; it was seconded by Don Maison. All were in favor and the motion was passed. There were suggestions about the open spot on the Board. Mr. Miller suggested a representative of an area hospital. Ms. Flink suggested filling the opening with a business person. James Waghorne pointed out that according to by-laws the spot needed to be filled by a homeless or formerly homeless person. The obligatory composition of the Board is found on pg.6 of the by-laws. Ms. Bradford arrived and announced that she would be able to fulfill her duties as a Board member. Don Maison moved to reinstate Ms. Bradford on the Board, Paige Flink seconded. The motion was passed. Ms. Flink read the Executive Committee slate as follows: Chair, Danna Campbell Vice Chair, Bennett Miller Treasurer, Rev. Bill Thompson Secretary, Clair Laric Membership, Paige Flink At Large, Klaire Powers Past Chair, Jonathan Vickery Don Maison moved to approve the Executive Committee slate; it was seconded by Lee Schimmel. All were in favor and the motion was passed. Danna Campbell took over facilitating the meeting as new chair. Ms. Campbell then read the list of new committees and members as follows: A. Nominating Committee- Paige Flink and Don Maison. B. Policy and Advocacy Committee- Mike Cantrell, Jesse Jones, Royce West (Myrtis Evans), Rev. Walker, James Waghorne and Lou Smith. C. Audit and Finance- Bill Thompson and Jonathan Vickery. It was suggested that a CPA be on the committee. Ms. Campbell is a CPA but at the moment would like to leave this place open for another person. D. Membership Committee- Paige Flink. E. Research Planning and Development Committee- Bennett Miller, Phil Romano, Lee Schimmel, Jan Mitura. F. The Selection Committee- Clair Laric, Rev. Buchanan, Danny Garcia, Catherine Steele, Danna Campbell, Karen Bradford. The Selection Committee will select a consultant for the Ten Year Plan. Ms. Campbell added that at the next Board meeting, committee work will be delegated to members. Old Business COC Report Ms. Jan Mitura gave a summation of the ranking criteria which will be used to rank applicants. Housing will be given the highest points. Other criteria such as leveraging; past use of funds, good management, and community needs will be taken into account. The Peer Review Team has not begun site visits because the City has not turned over the proposals. The schedule for the Grant Review Committee may need to be adjusted if the site visits are not done soon. Rating of the suburbs- the COC Committee has recommended that if all things are considered equal, suburban proposals be given priority. Dallas County needs to be more inclusive of the suburban areas. At this point there are only two suburban applicants: New Beginning Center and Brighter Tomorrows. Ms. Mitura drafted a letter on behalf of New Beginning Center for Board endorsement. The letter is simply a show of support for the agency by MDHA. New Beginning has requested the letter because it is in the process of applying for CDBG funds from the City of Garland, and these grants are very competitive. It is believed that the letter in support of the organization may improve its chances for approval. Ms. Campbell as Board Chair will sign the letter. The Grant Review Committee Members: Chair, Barbara Van Pelt- The Dallas foundation Molly Bogen- Senior Source Steve Davidson- Meadows Foundation Hedy Helsell- Center for Non-Profit Management Michael Meadows- Southwestern Medical Foundation Sarah Cotton Nelson- Dallas Women's Foundation Rhoda Pherigo- Center for Non-Profit Management Klaire Powers- The Baron and Blue Foundation Susan Saunders- SGS Solutions Michelle Smith- Foundation for Community Empowerment James Waghorne- formerly homeless, MDHA Jenny Walsh- Grants Specialist, Parkland Hospital Robert Washington- formerly homeless, City of Dallas VISTA Clair Laric- formerly homeless, US District Courts Paige Flink moved that the Grant Review Committee Members be approved; Ms. Campbell seconded. All were in favor. Mandatory Meeting Concerning METSYS System Yvonne Butler reported on the METSYS/HMSIS System. This system is a database which will be used community-wide to track the homeless population and make referrals. All cities throughout the U.S. are required to have such a system up and running or face being denied HUD funding. In January of 2003 the COC Committee formed a sub-committee to address the problems agencies had with getting on-line. At this point there are still many agencies not participating- this could jeopardize the whole COC Grant. There will be a mandatory meeting at 9:00 on May 13 at Family Gateway to discuss this issue. Any agency not willing to participate will not be allowed to submit proposals for the COC. Issues of confidentiality and Ms. Butler's draft of the policy manual will be discussed at this meeting. A person with authority to sign documents for each agency needs to attend. It is recommended that personnel who will be using the system also attend. May 30 is the deadline for METSYS compliance. A letter will be sent to all applicants concerning the meeting and the May 30 deadline. Jan Mitura will draft the letter for Danna Campbell to sign. Treasurer's Report Rev. Thompson gave the Treasurer's Report to the Board. There is a total of 14,373.59 in the bank at present. These funds include MDHA's CD and dues collected. The only expenditures were 435.74 and another 276, not yet listed on the budget, for VISTA expenses. Bennett Miller has graciously provided 475 for 19 scholarships to enable homeless people to become MDHA members. Rev. Thompson will once again send out letters/invoices to agencies for their records. Agencies will be able to format the invoices themselves if needed. Ten Year Plan (Selection Committee) Jesse Aguilera reported on the Ten Year Plan Committee meetings. The committee has reviewed plans nation-wide and found all the plans use the National Alliance to End Homelessness "4 steps to Ending Chronic Homelessness" which includes: 1. Plan for Outcomes- planning, evaluating, and managing results using a set of strategies which has community-wide support and commitments. 2. Close the Front Door- invest in homeless prevention and deal with the chronically homeless. Stop the "revolving door" aspect of homelessness. 3. Open the Back Door- transition people out of the system. People should be helped to exit homelessness as quickly as possible through the "housing first" approach. 4. Build the Infrastructure- increase the supply of affordable housing. Change the system to be more comprehensive and wide-ranging. The Ten Year Plan Committee will draft a comprehensive outline based on Columbus, Ohio's Plan and incorporate the 4 steps as well as NAEH's "Ten Essentials for Communities"- with evaluations (results) as an important component. The draft will be based on Bennett Miller's RFP and is meant to act as groundwork to help guide consultant. It is hoped that the draft can also be used to aid the COC. Mr. Miller has warned that such a document could be confusing if not written properly. There will be further discussion at the next committee meeting which will take place on May 13 at 1:30pm. The meeting location is Center of Hope, 4815 Cass Street, Dallas Ms. Campbell will send out the RPF notice to consultants and via city email bidding system. Proposition 17 Ms. Flink reminded everyone that on Saturday May 3 the Bond Issue will be voted on. Proposition 17 calls for million to be spent on an intake facility for the homeless. Crayton Webb, Mayor Miller's Chief of Staff, told Ms. Flink that the Mayor was supportive of Proposition 17 and ensured Ms. Flink that MDHA would be at the table for discussions on the new intake facility. Reportedly, a building has not been pre-selected and the Mayor's office intends to introduce MDHA to the Loop Committee. New Business Homeless Conference A homeless conference entitled "New Partnerships for Ending Homelessness: Housing, Services, and Employment" will be held on July 16-19 2003 in Washington D.C. The Conference is sponsored by NAEH, Corporation for Supportive Housing and AIDS Housing of Washington. For further information visit NAEH's website at www.naeh.org and click on "Upcoming Events" at the bottom of the page. Ms. Campbell suggests that we send a representative to this conference. Services for Children Cathey Brown of Rainbow Days and Jan Mitura of Family Gateway gave a presentation on services available in Dallas County for children. The two advocates along with Barbara Landix of Vogel Alcove gave a similar presentation at conference in New York about the Safety Net created by the collaborative efforts of these three agencies. Ms. Brown voiced concern over the lack of support for children in the Dallas area as well as nation-wide. She said that in the past, children's issues were ranked as the number 1 priority of the SuperNOFA but children are now ranked alarmingly low. Jan Mitura Spoke about Family Gateway's services for children which include: medical assistance homework assistance and tutoring evening activities: including use of a computer lab and play therapy enrolling children in public schools and transporting them, immunizations, free breakfast/ lunch at school, disability referrals, training for teachers, teachers at family night, and parent /teacher meetings. Family Gateway: 711 S. St. Paul, Dallas, 75201 Phone: 214- 823-2475 Ms. Brown then spoke about Rainbow Days services for children which include: Filling the gaps in services at 16 different shelters. Rainbow Days provides a "menu" of services so shelters can select which services they would like to utilize. Support Groups for children and families Homework assistance Art with a Heart- therapeutic art activities for children Community Service activities- allows children to get involved with their community, build self esteem, confidence, social awareness Back to School Supplies- supplies Fall Harvest- new clothes for school Summer Day Camp Camp Broadway- summer day camp where children can be involved in theater arts. Kid's University- summer day camp to encourage children scholastically Family Time- family counseling, improving communication/parenting skills Learning Tool Kits- allows parent to help tutor their children Family Outings- giving families an opportunity for quality time Parent Support groups Rainbow Days: 4300 Mac Arthur Ave., Suite 260, Dallas, 75209 Phone: 214-887-0726 Ms. Brown then spoke on behalf of Vogel Alcove. Vogel Alcove's services include: Free child care Extensions Program- vouchers for placement in other day care center Stepping Stones- extended child care on a case-by case basis healthcare-immunizations, hearing, vision and dental, treatment of chronic and acute illnesses Developmental screening services- speech and language, social and emotional, cognitive, motor development, self-help Developmental Services- Speech therapy, play therapy, and occupational therapy On site resources- several service providers including: Rainbow Days, Project Kids and Child Find- Early Childhood Intervention Programs Parenting Classes Legal Services/ Job readiness- on site Vogel Alcove: 7557 Rambler Rd., Suite 262, Dallas, 75231 Phone: 214-368-8686 x 225 Clare Nilson said that many children did not have access to services due to restrictions put on parents at local shelters. Often homeless families are denied admittance for several reasons, such as lack of a marriage certificate or no I.D. Also the whole family will be turned out into the cold if any member breaks a shelter rule. Shelter staffs commonly are not trained to deal with children. Ms. Nilson also called for more outreach to help families living on the streets. James Waghorne added that he had spoken with Mark Pierce, a homeless education program manager for DISD, about the issue of children attending public schools. Mr. Pierce told him that many school officials were reluctant to sponsor homeless children programs within their schools and that homeless children commonly had problems obtaining school records and immunization records. A large percent of homeless children are not enrolled in public schools. Karen Bradford, of the City of Dallas, stated that children can visit local public health units. These clinics charge on a sliding scale (free in some cases) and will perform a records search and if necessary re-immunize the child. Ms. Brown said that there were obvious gaps in the services for children and that she would look into this matter further. Danna Campbell proposed that the next MDHA Board meeting on June 5, 2003 will be held at South Side on Lamar, located at: 1409 South Lamar, Dallas, 75215. Meeting was adjourned. June 5, 2003 MDHA Board meeting Board Members (or Representatives) in Attendance: Don Maison, Rev. Bill Thompson, Eli Davis, Bennett Miller, Paige Flink, Rev. Bruce Buchanan, Danna Campbell, James Waghorne, Karen Bradford , Rev. Alfred Walker, Catherine Steele, Robert Hollins, Mike Cantrell, Klaire Powers, Jan Mitura Board Members Absent: Phil Romano, Lou Smith-Galbraith, Myrtis Evans, Clair Laric, Jonathan Vickery, Danny Garcia, Effie Worrel, Lee Schimmel Guests in Attendance: Karen Williams, Traci Enna, Hattie Johnson, Desralei Jackson, Cliff Gay , Jesse Aguilera, Paula Melvin Roll Call Danna Campbell started the meeting with introductions and greeted guests. Approval of the Minutes of the Board meeting May 1, 2003 Ms. Campbell asked for the minutes to be approved. Don Maison moved that the minutes be approved, James Waghorne seconded. The minutes were approved. Treasurer's Report Rev. Bill Thompson gave the Treasurer's Report. Rev. Thompson stated that he believed about only 40% of the members have paid their dues. Paula Melvin will send Rev. Thompson an updated mailing list of all meeting attendees. Paige Fink moved to approve the Treasurer's Report; this was seconded by Don Maison. All were in favor, the report was approved. Ten Year Plan Committee Report The draft Of the Ten Year Plan is not finished yet. Mr. Jesse Aguilera reported that the final document should be ready by the next Board meeting. Danna Campbell added that she had sent out the RFP for the consultant to develop the Plan and she hopes to get a consultant firm to do it pro-bono. Paige Flink will speak with United Way about a possible consultant. Bennett Miller said that he thought they would be getting funding soon. Karen Bradford recommended that someone speak with Mayor Miller, who has been getting a lot of pro-bono work done lately. Rev. Buchanan suggested reviewing NAEH's "toolbox". COC Goals and Objectives Jan Mitura read the Goals and Objectives for the COC Grant. She said that steps in the COC process has been changed-previously MDHA had planned to have the Application Review Team make recommendations to the COC Committee, then the COC Committee would bring this to the Board for approval. It has been decided that because too many members of the COC Committee have fiscal interest in this grant, the Application Review Team, headed by Barbara Van Pelt, will review finished grant proposals and then bring them to the Board for approval. At the next Board meeting scheduled on July 1, each applying agency will give a 3 minute presentation. Ms. Flink noted that the Board may have to do a proxy vote if members can not attend the next meeting. Jan Mitura asked that the revised COC calendar and new application process be approved. Rev. Buchanan made the motion for approval, Bennett Miller seconded. The motion was passed. After some discussion on the goals, Ms. Flink moved to have the goals approved, with the last goal rewritten to include a measurable outcome. Klaire Powers seconded the motion. Mr. Aguilera was opposed. The motion was passed. Committee Chairs Mr. Maison read the list of Committee chairs as follows: Nomination: Klaire Powers Resource and Development: Phil Romano Membership: Paige Flink Advocacy and Policy: Rev. Alfred Walker Audit and Finance: Rev. Bill Thompson/ Jonathan Vickery Selection: Danna Campbell Trip to Washington James Waghorne has agreed to represent MDHA at the conference entitled "New Partnerships for Ending Homelessness: Housing, Services, and Employment" which will be held on July 16-19 2003 in Washington D.C. Membership Report Paige Flink updated the Board on the May 2 Membership meeting. An OFF insecticide spray campaign is underway to aid homeless people living outside. The Advocates for Change group contacted Johnson Wax Company and received a generous donation of 432 cans. The spray will be distributed at the DRC and by Hunger Busters. PSAs and press releases will call for more donations throughout the summer. The issue of panhandling was brought up at the meeting. It was suggested that MDHA investigate putting containers in local stores to collect donations. Mark Gilman and Rev. Jay Cole agreed to look into the possibility. METSYS Jan Mitura reported that at the May 13th COC meeting, Ms. Butler distributed 2 forms, a user agreement between agencies and a sample of a release form for client consent. Only two agencies have not signed this user agreement form yet. Martha Blaine has reportedly said that MDHA is currently within acceptable limits. Sub-committees on special needs populations with confidentiality issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health and HIV/AIDS have met to discuss procedures and policies. Jesse Aguilera said that service providers will use a standard form to ensure HIPAA compliance (client/patient privacy laws). Karen Bradford added that documentation requirements are going to be changed in 2004 by HUD. She also said that there would be funding available for technical development of the system. New Business: Status of MDHA Ms. Campbell reported that MDHA has not made necessary legal changes to function as a 501(c)3 under the name Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance yet. She has spoken with a law firm about preparing the documents pro-bono. Mr. Maison moved to retain legal services for the future, Rev. Buchanan seconded, and all were in favor. Intake Facility Ms. Bradford reported on the new intake facility. Mayor Miller will announce on June 9 some new initiatives, one of which will have an impact on the new facility. The Mayor hopes to involve the faith-based community with the facility and envisions the facility would be operated by a non-profit. The Mayor also plans to recruit business leaders to participate on the facility Board. The Mayor would like MDHA to work collaboratively with this new Board and has requested that Dorothy Budd act as chair for one of her new initiatives. The Mayor is already looking for a site on which to build the facility, which she hopes to have donated. Bennett Miller asked where the City was looking for sites. Ms. Bradford replied that the City has been researching several areas throughout the city. Danna Campbell announced that the next MDHA Board meeting will be on Tuesday July 1, 2003 at 3:45pm. Members will be notified of the location via email. Meeting was adjourned. Submitted by, Paula Melvin MDHA Board Meeting Minutes August 7, 2003 Members Present: Clair Laric Bennett Miller Paige Flink Lee Schimmel Bill Thompson Don Maison Bruce Buchannan Eli Davis (for State Representative Jesse Jones) Guests Present: Johnnie Griffin- City of Dallas housing program Linda Cahanin- MDHA VISTA Kit Lowrance- MDHA VISTA Approval of July Board minutes: Approval of minutes was tabled until next month, due to the absence of a quorum. Treasury Report: Reverend Thompson indicated that some new memberships were still being received, but that the budget made available this Spring was still accurate for the most part. Mr. Miller requested that the 17 scholarships provided for the homeless by his company be listed separately from his name on future reports. A brief discussion about how to let the homeless know about these scholarships and how to distribute them followed. Mr. Miller reported that ,000 has been promised by the Communities Foundation of Texas, and can be designated by the Board for any purpose according to the pre-approved budget. Ms. Schimmel also stated that she was drafting a proposal to the Meadows Foundation asking that they match our current funds. The budget and hiring of permanent staff will discussed in greater detail at the next meeting. Ten Year Plan Progress Update: Mr. Miller reported that little new information was needed, other than a timeline for implementation. Jesse Gonzalez is the liaison appointed by the United Way. Committees of 20 people have been discussed for each of the following areas: Prevention Outreach Emergency & Transitional Housing Permanent Housing At the last meeting, attendees were each assigned to contact potential members for committees, so chairpersons still need to be assigned. The goal is for each committee to meet for the first time in the third week of September. Two meetings should be scheduled in October, and the plan should be finalized in November. The final draft of the Ten Year Plan should be completed and ready for implementation by the end of this year (2003). New Business Jonnie Griffin with the City of Dallas presented a report on the recent HMIS Conference in Washington, D.C. She reported that there are approximately 30 questions which service providers will be required to enter into the system in order to remain in compliance with HUD. Reports describing the information were distributed to those who were present. METSYS is in the process of updating their systems to require all the needed information. Mr. Miller indicated that Martha Blaine will be asked about the changes and invited to the next meeting of the Board in order to discuss any pertinent issues. Assistance Center Selection Committee update- Mr. Miller reported that sites were still being considered within a two mile radius of the Downtown area, although he and some other advocates are pushing for a site within 1 mile. Concerns were raised as to whether the ten year plan committee will have enough input into what goes into the center and vice-versa. Bennett will ask Danna to write a letter on behalf of MDHA to make sure that our input is considered. Issues about whether or not the current $1.6 million operating budget will be sufficient to meet proposed needs. The meeting was adjourned. The next Board Meeting will take place on September 5th at 3:45 pm at the Center for Non-Profit Management, located at 2900 Live Oak St. Board Members (or Representatives) In Attendance: Paige Flink Family Place Danna Campbell Campbell Wilson James Waghorne Formerly homeless Klaire Powers Baron and Blue Foundation Jan Mitura Family Gateway Lee Schimmel Methodist Childrens Paige Flink Family Place Danna Campbell Campbell Wilson Klaire Powers Baron and Blue Foundation Jan Mitura Family Gateway Bennett Miller Bennett Miller Company Don Maison AIDS Services of Dallas Rev. Bill Thompson Union Gospel Mission Jonathan Vickery Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas Guests in Attendance: Kit Lowrance Americorps/VISTA Linda Cahanin Americorps/VISTA Roll Call: Danna Campbell started the meeting with introductions and greeting guests. Approval of the Minutes of the Board meeting August 7, 2003 Rev. Don Maison made the motion for approval of the August 7, 2003 minutes; it was seconded by Jonathan Vickery. The motion was passed. Treasurer's Report Rev. Thompson gave the Treasurer's Report to the Board. There is a total of ,376.92 in the bank at present. These funds include MDHA's CD and dues collected. The only expenditures were .00 for the Secretary of State and another .17 for VISTA expenses. There are still 19 scholarships which Bennett Miller has graciously provided . to enable homeless people to become MDHA members. Jan Mitura approved the treasurer's report. Ten Year Plan (Selection Committee) There are four main areas that have been designated as part of the 10-year-plan. The Task Force areas consist of: Outreach/Intake/Assessment, Prevention Strategies, Emergency Shelter/Transitional Housing, and Low Income Housing. Jonathan Vickery has accepted the responsibility to go to the three, possibly four, meetings with Deloitte and Touche. The MDHA Board members spent quite a bit of time trying to find the appropriate people to fill vacant slots. This was done as well as who will contact them. Homeless Assistance Center There were three stipulations regarding the location: It needs to be no more than 1½ miles from city hall, no larger than 8 acres and no smaller than 3, and as close as possible to other services. The City Dept of Management to identify any US or city surplus property. A committee will go and look at sites. Some sites have buildings on them. Continuum of Care Jan Mitura read the COC report. The previous vote to hire a grant writer was unanimous. Also the position of Executive Director of MDHA was discussed again, whether to hire him/her before the year's salary, .000, was in the bank or to just hire an Executive Director and hope the salary can be met. Jonathan will develop a job description. The group deferred to vote about the hiring. Danna Campbell proposed that the next MDHA Board meeting on October 3, 2003, the site of the meeting will be determined at a later date. Meeting was adjourned. Submitted by, Linda Cahanin