Our Community - Suncoast Continuum of Care
Moving Forward in 2019
[Annual Unified Request for Proposal (AURFP)]
In 2018, for the first time, our Continuum of Care, has solicited an Annual Request for Proposal (RFP) that will cover most every funding opportunity that might present itself during the year. This avoids time consuming multiple RFP's and allows the focus to be on developing collaborative, innovative and effective projects that have the greatest opportunity to make a difference for those who are homeless. For 2019, we have improved the process and have published the AURFP on December 21, 2018 for a due date of February 8, 2019. Click here for the full AURFP document.
[Homeless Crisis Response System]
In 2017, the Suncoast Partnership joined the City of Sarasota, the County of Sarasota and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation as together we worked to begin the implementation of a roadmap for progress and collaboration on the issue of homelessness. The report written by Dr. Susan Pourciau, through the Florida Housing Coalition (FHC), provided detailed recommendations approved by city and county commissioners. Through a consulting agreement, the FHC has been working with the partners to begin the plan’s full implementation. A recent review of the implementation of this plan indicates we have surpassed many of the goals set forth. For 2019, we are expanding the scope of this plan to include the full CoC and implementing new strategies to assure those who the longest term homeless and those who are chronically homeless are prioritized for permanent housing.
[Leadership Council]
In FY 2017 we began a process to build the capacity of the Continuum of Care and it’s lead agency to better serve the communities of Sarasota and Manatee counties. A new Continuum of Care Leadership Council has been created, made up of community leadership from the public, non-profit, private sector, education and government. This council works to identify the focus for the Continuum of Care and assure, with the Suncoast Partnership, that strategies are developed to fill service gaps as they are identified. As we enter 2019, we continue to set challenging goals for our CoC and identify needs that are unfulfilled.
[Oneby1 Coordinated Entry]
As required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Suncoast Partnership began developing, with the assistance of local service providers, a coordinated entry system, Oneby1, that meets the federal and state requirements. This system identifies those who are seeking permanent housing and prioritizes clients on a by name list so that those with a high acuity of need are served first. Entering into our second full year of Oneby1 coordinated entry, we have streamlined processes, improved the priority system and fully implemented case conferencing.
[Suncoast Partnership Board of Directors]
Of course, one of the most important changes was the creation of a new Board of Directors for the Suncoast Partnership whose sole focus is assuring the success and sustainability of the organization. With the chair for FY 2019, Rita Smith, and other members of the board, the non-profit company has been provided with a Board of Directors who have already proven their capacity to introduce new ideas and support the mission of the Suncoast Partnership.