HD20 - Progress Report on the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development's Training Initiative


Executive Summary:
In fiscal year 1997, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development offered two training sessions focused on collaboration and cooperation for nonprofit and local government providers of shelter or services to the homeless through its Division of Housing. Flyers announcing the training sessions were disseminated to all providers of shelter or services who receive funding through the Department and to all other known providers in the Commonwealth.

The Department will offer another session focused on collaboration and cooperation to meet the needs of the homeless at the 1997 Governor's Conference on Housing. A workshop concerning data collection and reporting, with a concentration on centralized intake of homeless persons seeking shelter and services and computer software programs for that purpose, is planned for the Summer of 1998.

The Department will facilitate the development of a Statewide Continuum of Care Plan through the compilation of regional Continuum of Care Plans, organized on a Planning District basis. Southwest Virginia will be the focus of the Department's initial efforts to facilitate the development of a regional Continuum of Care Plan. Subsequently the preparation of other regional Plans will be facilitated by the Department.