The Homeless Planning Team (HPT) carries out the homeless planning efforts of Monarch Housing Associates. The mission of the HPT is to work to end homelessness in New Jersey through sound planning and the creation of housing opportunities for all. To this end, HPT works with Eighteen (18) of the twenty-one (21) counties on homeless planning efforts. HPT activities include, but are not limited to:
HUD CoC support
HUD has established the Continuum of Care program in order to promote community wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness. Funding to communities who engage non-profits with state and local governments is provided by HUD to those who are able to complete the necessary application and demonstrate the CoC’s ability to resolve homelessness. It is in this process that Monarch serves as a consultant to CoC’s. We provide the following services in order to ensure that CoC’s are well positioned to end homelessness in their community and qualify for the necessary funding to that end.
- Preparation of CoC application
- Grant management
- Program & system monitoring
- Planning Oversight
Data Analysis
Part of being in compliance with HUD and receiving funding for CoC’s ending homelessness efforts is getting an accurate homeless count and the availability of facilities to be utilized by those experiencing homelessness. With these numbers we can determine how effective CoCs are at identifying those experiencing homelessness and getting them to the available services. We assist in this goal by providing data analysis in the services below.
- Statewide Point-in-Time Count
- Statewide HMIS data analysis
- Rutgers project
System Planning & Program development
Monarch supports CoCs by providing its expertise in the field of homeless support to review plans and ensure systems are working toward the goal of ending homelessness in a cogent and efficient manner. This may include in the development of programs that CoC’s may not already be utilizing. Monarch assist in these efforts.
- Strategic plans to end homelessness
- Program development – housing first, rapid re-housing, coordinated assessment, homeless trust fund
Racial Equity & Homelessness
Monarch Housing Associates is committed to ensuring our homeless service systems are built with a lens of racial equity. To this end, Monarch has been at the forefront of facilitating conversations around race and homelessness within New Jersey. Building on the Public Policy Forums of our Policy team from 2015 (Evicted – A conversation with Mathew Desmond), and 2016 (The Color of Law – A conversation with Richard Rothstein), Monarch has continued creating opportunities for collective understanding of the impact of systemic racism on housing and homelessness. In 2019 Monarch hosted a 2-day summit designed to explore racial equity and homelessness. Through this work, Monarch’s Ending Homelessness Team has developed a portfolio of services to assist communities in building planning processes rooted within a racial equity lens and driven by impacted communities.
To learn more about Monarch’s work to build equity into our homeless service system click here.