Homelessness

Council for the Homeless has named Sesany Fennie-Jones as their new Executive Director. Fennie-Jones will begin her role in late-September after relocating from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she led an organization that provides emergency shelter and supportive housing to women and children. Fennie-Jones is a collaborative and passionate leader, who brings key stakeholders together to improve outcomes of historically marginalized populations.

We are entering a time of year when the temperatures dip and the suffering of those living outside increases. But the cold presents opportunities for warm compassion. America has many sides to her, yet one of the most beautiful is the acts of care between our neighbors and within our communities.

Council for the Homeless has been a catalyst for many projects throughout the years in partnership with community agencies and local groups. We are pleased to announce the 2021 Catalyst Grant funding opportunity is open to organizations in our community working to support our neighbors who are unhoused.

On behalf of the Continuum of Care Steering Committee, please see important information below regarding the FY2021 Continuum of Care (CoC) funding opportunity for new bonus funding, reallocated and renewal projects.
The FY2021 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been released.

As a team, everyone at Council for the Homeless (CFTH) strives to make sure that all of our clients feel empowered and included, that they matter as individuals. All of this hard work is one in many ways, including data collection and analysis. We also solicit direct feedback from clients on the quality of our work.

It is our responsibility as service providers to understand and remedy racial disparities that occur when people access emergency shelter and housing assistance in our community,” shares CFTH Executive Director, Kate Budd. “We do this by breaking down program data by race and ethnicity and analyzing the outcomes of each program,” she says.

Siobhana McEwen brings a powerful background to her new role as Equity and Advocacy Director for Council for the Homeless.

She grew up in a small Midwestern town, but served aboard one of the oldest Navy aircraft carriers to sail the seas. She has a Master’s degree, but learned much of what drives her through oral histories of community elders, neighbors, and loved ones. She is biracial but is often seen as white. She has been a journalist, teacher, and direct service provider…

The year 2020 was one like no other. Before COVID, I would never have believed someone if they told me restaurants and theaters were going to shut down, and everyone was going to be wearing masks. Or that people living on the streets across the nation were going to be housed in motels in order to have a home in which to “stay home and stay healthy.” And yet these things and many more surprising realities occurred.

People experiencing homelessness can access the latest Covid-19 Relief Federal Stimulus of $1,400 per adult and $1,400 per child. These direct payments to households are called economic impact payments, or EIPs. EIPs will not be taxable or be required to pay back.