Please call 2-1-1 for information and services on homelessness near you.
Please call 2-1-1 for information and services on homelessness near you.
Sacramento Steps Forward aims to support the continued training and development of our community’s homelessness-focused providers and professionals.
Browse below community discussions and learning opportunities, as well as other training resources!
NFHTA Forum | Violence Against Women Act, Part 1: Understanding Survivors’ Experiences
Wednesday, October 19 at 11AM PT
In March 2022, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (“VAWA 2022”) was signed into law, which amended and strengthened VAWA’s housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. VAWA 2022 further gave HUD new enforcement authority, beginning October 1, 2022. This forum series will help participants understand key information related to implementing the housing provisions of the VAWA.
2022 ConnectHomeUSA Virtual Summit
October 25-27, 2022
HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing is sponsoring a 3-day virtual summit on timely digital inclusion topics for ConnectHomeUSA (CHUSA) communities, public housing authorities (PHAs), tribes, multifamily housing owners and operators, public-private stakeholders, and anyone interested in digital inclusion. Participants will hear from a wide range of organizations, from federal agencies tasked with administering new broadband funding programs, private-sector stakeholders who will provide updates about their programs, to CHUSA communities that have innovative programs to share!
The summit will feature training webinars and breakout sessions which will allow participants to engage directly with speakers and leave with tools for continued growth.
Housing Counseling Webinar: Introduction to Agency Approval and Participation
Tuesday, October 25 at 11AM PT
This webinar will cover the nuts and bolts of the HUD Housing Counseling Agency (HCA) approval process and program requirements, benefits to agencies and a demonstration of tools and resources that are available to agencies on the HUD Exchange. The session is designed for nonprofits and public agencies, as well as state housing finance agencies (SHFAs) seeking to participate in the HUD Housing Counseling Program.
HOME-ARP 101: Non-Congregate Shelter Basics
Wednesday, October 26 at 11AM PT
HUD’s Office of Affordable Housing Programs (OAHP) is hosting a webinar which will cover the basic HOME Investment Partnerships American Rescue Plan Program (HOME-ARP) Non-Congregate Shelter (NCS)-eligible activities, what Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) need to consider before investing HOME-ARP funds in NCS development, maintaining compliance once developed, and further considerations when converting HOME-ARP NCS projects into permanent housing.
NFHTA Fundamentals of Fair Housing – Intake – November 2022
November 7-10, 2022
The Fundamentals of Fair Housing – Intake course covers best practices in fair housing intake for FHIP and FHAP staff. This course will provide an overview of the responsibilities and customer service orientation to conducting intake. Participants will learn how to conduct interviews, including conducting exercises on the do’s and don’ts of interviewing techniques, and learn how to establish jurisdiction and apply lessons in drafting timely complaints.
Innovations & Solutions for Ending Unsheltered Homelessness
March 1-3, 2023
Oakland, CA
This conference will bring together service providers, system leaders, advocates, and people with lived experience of homelessness to learn from each other, discuss best practices, and share new innovations in the field.
Registrants will have the opportunity to attend roundtable discussions, plenaries, and workshops focused on innovative solutions to emerging issues surrounding unsheltered homelessness. In addition to regular workshops, the conference will offer a variety of session formats to provide attendees exciting new ways to learn and engage.
2023 Housing California Annual Conference
March 27-29, 2023
San Diego, CA
This year’s theme is Housing’s Next Chapter. As we enter the third year of a global pandemic, we have witnessed a historic response from both state and federal leadership and impactful shifts in resources and funding which urge us to think about how to carve a path towards housing justice that is intersectional, equitable, and urgent.
*SSF hosted learning opportunities.
Stay tuned for more training opportunities!
NFHTA Basics of Fair Housing – May 2022
Date & Time: May 23-26, 2022
Location: Online
Conference Description:
The Basics of Fair Housing course ensures that FHIP and FHAP participants have a foundational framework, which they can build upon to carry out their duties in a professional and proficient manner.
Responding to Homelessness: Effective Strategies for Law Enforcement and Community Partners
Date & Time: May 24 at 11AM – 12:15PM PT
Location: Online
Description:
The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center are sponsoring a virtual justice briefing that will feature the BJA Director, Karhlton Moore, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Executive Director, Jeff Olivet.
The justice briefing will:
Resilient Building Codes Webinar Series: Action at the Community Level
Date & Time: May 26 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
In this webinar series, Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and CDBG Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grantee staff will learn how upgrading local building codes to reflect resilient construction strategies can position them to better withstand the threats of natural hazards and severe weather events. Participants will learn why resilient building codes matter, how they can build the business case for upgrading their codes, and dive into the various strategies for upgrading codes.
This third webinar will connect the “what” to the “how” and what role participants can play at the local level to address resilience in buildings.
Paving The Way to College for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Date & Time: May 31, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
In this interactive NCHE webinar, presenters will review important information about supports available to youth experiencing homelessness as they seek to attend college.
Attendees can hope to gain a better understanding of:
Learning Community: Trauma-Informed Outreach and Engagement
Date & Time: June 7 – August 2 at 11:30AM PT
Location: Online
Description:
This Learning Community will cover the fundamentals of trauma-informed care and best practices for outreach to and engagement with individuals experiencing homelessness who have a serious mental illness (SMI), serious emotional disturbance (SED), substance use disorder (SUD), or co-occurring disorders (COD).
*All sessions will be recorded and available following the webinar. ASL Interpretation and live captioning will be provided. Attendees who complete a post-event evaluation will receive a certificate of participation for each session. No CEUs are provided.
Session 1: Trauma-Informed Care: Responding to the Trauma of Homelessness, June 7, 2022, 2:30-4:00pm ET
This session will provide foundational information on trauma and the fundamentals of providing Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) from the lens of working to engage and provide services for people with behavioral health needs who are also experiencing homelessness.
Session 2: Best Practices for Person-Centered Outreach, June 21, 2:30-4:00pm ET
This session will cover best and emerging practices for conducting outreach and engagement with individuals experiencing SMI, SED, SUD, or COD who are also experiencing homelessness.
Session 3: Making the Connection to the Homelessness Response System, July 12, 2:30-4:00pm ET
This session will help participants understand the basics of Coordinated Entry and how to connect people to housing and housing-related resources in the homeless response system.
Session 4: Providing Behavioral Health Care in Unsheltered Environments, August 2, 2:30-4:00pm ET
This session will offer information, examples, and guidance on conducting behavioral health care assessments and providing behavioral health services in encampments and other unsheltered environments.
Reset, Renew, Recharge: A HOPWA Program Strategy Webinar
Date & Time: June 8, 2022 at 10AM
Location: Online
Description:
HUD’s Office of HIV/AIDS Housing is sponsoring a webinar for Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) grantees, project sponsors, and community partners to introduce and discuss HOPWA: Reset, Renew, Recharge, an overarching strategy intended to enhance HOPWA program design and promote core values that will positively impact the lives and housing stability of people living with HIV/AIDS. Webinar topics include:
Determining McKinney-Vento Eligibility
Date & Time: June 8, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
In this interactive webinar, presenters will review the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless children and youth. Presenters will cover:
Rural Gateway Peer-to-Peer Web Conference Call: Best Practices – Investing in Rural Prosperity
Date & Time: June 8, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
Tim Lampkin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Higher Purpose, will focus on Black business ownership and community wealth in Mississippi. Caitlin Cain, Vice President and Rural Executive Director, will discuss climatic capacity in rural places. Gbenga Ajilore, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Rural Development, will focus on effective and ethical rural development.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System recently published Investing in Rural Prosperity, a book that delves into the past challenges and future promise of rural communities in the United States. Investing in Rural Prosperity outlines a framework for how to approach rural development successfully, showcases stories of progress in different communities, and highlights recommendations for action by policymakers, practitioners, funders, and researchers. By highlighting insights from rural development experts across the country, Investing in Rural Prosperity seeks to help rural communities achieve shared economic prosperity.
HCV Utilization Best Practices Webinar Series: Payment Standards
Date & Time: June 10, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
This webinar aids public housing authorities (PHAs) in understanding and using payment standards, exception payment standards, Fair Market Rents (FMRs), and Small Area FMRs (SAFMRs). Participants will also learn best practices and tools to use in implementing payment standards, FMRs, and SAFMRs.
Meaningful Collaboration to Advance Housing Equity: A June Homeownership Event
Date & Time: June 21, 2022 at 11AM – 1PM
Location: Online
Description:
Join the National Fair Housing Training Academy (NFHTA) and HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) in a forum commemorating the 20th year celebrating June National Homeownership Month, as we discuss how local community organizations, and you can connect the dots to ensure the American Dream for our neighbors.
In this forum, panelists will discuss ways to move the needle in promoting homeownership and addressing the racial wealth gap in low-income minority communities. This includes consent agreements, community benefit agreements, and litigation levers that FHIPs and FHAPs can utilize to promote homeownership in strategically targeted areas. Additionally, housing counseling agencies can help to identify possible patterns and practices of systemic fair lending violations in your communities.
Lead Safe Housing Rule Webinar Series: Subparts J and K – June/July 2022
Date & Time: June 15 – July 7
Location: Online
Description:
HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) is sponsoring a webinar series that will review federal lead regulations with a focus on the Lead Safe Housing Rule (LSHR) activities:
Presenters will provide a step-by-step explanation of how practitioners can create healthy housing while complying and documenting compliance with the LSHR.
Housing Counseling: Nuts and Bolts of Manufactured Housing: Access, Affordability, and Opportunity
Date & Time: June 21, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
Industry advances have launched a new class of homes that are indistinguishable from site-built homes, featuring pitched roofs with shingles and gabled ends, porches, garages, permanent foundations, and more.
In this seminar, housing counselors and industry professionals will learn about manufactured housing, common myths, and how best to serve clients seeking affordable housing through various financing options. Information shared will assist both HUD certified housing counselors and those seeking certification in understanding the ins and outs of manufactured housing.
McKinney-Vento School Selection Rights
Date & Time: June 30, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
In this interactive NCHE webinar, presenters will review important changes related to school selection for homeless children and youth under the McKinney-Vento Act.
Presenters will cover:
Clarification of Rent Standard Requirements for HOPWA
Date & Time: July 6, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
HUD’s Office of HIV/AIDS Housing (OHH) is sponsoring a webinar to clarify rent standard requirements for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program and provide an overview of new guidance for setting rent standards that will be released prior to the webinar.
Understanding the Special NOFO to Address Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness
Date & Time: July 7, 2022 at 12PM
Location: Online
Description:
HUD’s newly-announced supplemental NOFO is making $322 million available for communities to address both unsheltered and rural homelessness. This funding provides an opportunity for CoCs to identify strategic approaches to reducing and eventually ending unsheltered homelessness in their communities. It is also a chance to reverse course on punitive tactics, support critically needed street outreach, and demonstrate meaningful reductions in unsheltered rates to their communities.
Join the Alliance to learn more about the structure, scoring, and priorities of this funding opportunity, so that communities can craft the most competitive applications possible.
Strategies for Addressing Discrimination: Housing Providers’ Use of Criminal Records
Date & Time: July 20, 2022 at 11AM – 1PM
Location: Online
Description:
This National Fair Housing Forum will focus on how housing providers’ criminal records policies may violate the Fair Housing Act and other civil rights laws. It will review the 2016 Guidance, discuss tips for conducting investigations related to the use of criminal background information, and provide best practices for housing providers who may be concerned about potential liability related to the use of criminal records.
2022 National Conference on Ending Homelessness
Date & Time: July 25-27, 2022
Location: Washington, D.C.
Description:
Registrants will have the opportunity to attend plenaries and workshops focused on long-standing and emerging issues in the homelessness field, including race equity, creative housing solutions, peer support, older adult homelessness, unsheltered homelessness, and much more.
Names are being added to the waitlist. Should a spot become available, you will be contacted by July 8, 2022.
Basics of Fair Housing – July 2022
Date & Time: July 25-28, 2022
Location: Online
Description:
The Basics of Fair Housing course ensures that FHIP and FHAP participants have a foundational framework, which they can build upon to carry out their duties in a professional and proficient manner.
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Students Experiencing Homelessness
Date & Time: July 27, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
In this interactive webinar, presenters will review key concepts related to the education of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness included in the McKinney-Vento Act.
Presenters will cover:
– The definitions of “unaccompanied” and “homeless”
– K-12 educational rights and supports for unaccompanied homeless students
– Supports for unaccompanied homeless youth transitioning to higher education
Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with presenters, work through scenarios and participate in Q&A.
NCRC Training: Navigating Eviction
Date & Time: July 27-29, 2022
Location: Online
Description:
As agencies respond to the urgent needs of homeowners within their communities, they must do so while complying with HUD’s expectations. According to HUD’s guidelines, there are specific elements which programs must incorporate when offering mortgage delinquency and foreclosure prevention counseling.
This training covers:
For questions about this training, contact NCRC at training@ncrc.org or (202) 524-4884.
HUD Office of Housing Counseling 2022 Community Conference
Date & Time: August 9-11, 2022
Location: Online
Description:
HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) is sponsoring a virtual conference for all of HUD’s participating housing counseling agencies (HCAs) and their counselors. Participants will interact with housing counseling leaders from Federal and State agencies, Local Housing Counseling Agencies (LHCAs), national and regional Intermediaries, State Housing Finance Agencies (SHFAs), and Multi-State Organizations (MSOs).
Conference goals include:
It is open to all HUD-approved HCAs, as well as national, regional, and local industry stakeholders interested in partnering with HCAs.
Paving the Way to College for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Date & Time: August 18, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
In this interactive NCHE webinar, presenters will review important information about supports available to youth experiencing homelessness as they seek to attend college. Attendees can hope to gain a better understanding of:
NFHTA Litigating Fair Housing Cases – August 2022
Date & Time: August 23, 2022 – September 1, 2022
Location: Online
Description:
The Litigating Fair Housing Cases course is designed for those who are involved in FHIP and FHAP litigation to understand and apply the methods and strategies for effective fair housing enforcement.
Presented topics include:
Understanding Doubled Up
Date & Time: August 30, 2022 at 11AM
Location: Online
Description:
In this 45-minute NCHE webinar, presenters explore the issue of doubling-up. Doubled-up is the informal wording used to describe a concept included in the McKinney-Vento Act’s definition of homeless. It refers to shared living arrangements, some of which may be considered homeless, while others may not be, depending on various factors. In this session, attendees will explore some of these factors in greater detail. Attendees also will have the opportunity to interact with presenters and fellow attendees through polls and Q&A/discussion periods.
2022 Fair Housing Office Hours: Session 14 – Data Collection and Analysis
Tuesday, September 27 at 1PM PT
This virtual office hours session will allow HUD program participants to ask questions related to fair housing planning and the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Interim Final Rule, “Restoring AFFH Definitions and Certifications.”
This office hours session will discuss the following:
Public Housing Repositioning: Wednesday Webinar Series: You Have SAC Approval – What Now?
Wednesday, September 28 at 10AM PT
This webinar will provide an overview of the steps Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) must take to implement a Special Applications Center (SAC) approval.
Panelists will discuss the following:
COVID-19 Programs & Resources
Since 2019, the state of California and Sacramento County has made substantial progress in combating the COVID-19 crisis through coordinated community response. With the announced end of the local COVID-19 State of Emergency (SOE) and Public Health Emergency on February 28, 2022, there have already been noted changes to COVID-19 relevant activities in the coming months.
Housing Problem Solving 101
Our community is exploring ways to improve access to very limited resources. Housing problem-solving is an approach currently being used in communities nationwide. It aims to prevent households from entering the system altogether or quickly exiting them using a strengths-based approach with creative problem-solving conversations, mediation, resource connections and financial assistance.
Creating & Connecting: Professional Development Opportunities for the Homeless
Utilizing California Services to Enhance Homeless Programs for Families & Seniors
Intersectional Approaches for Serving Homeless Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Survivors
Fair Housing:
Policies that Protect the Housing Safety and Rights of Individuals and Families Experiencing Homelessness
This 3-hour training provides information around accommodations for persons with disabilities and persons with service and companion animals, regulations that protect families with children, and immigrant-related protections.
Mitigating COVID-19 and
Promoting Community Wellness at Encampments and Shelters
A 1-hour overview of COVID-19 mitigation basics and discussion of recommended actions for minimizing risks for PEH and individuals serving PEH, as well as strategies for navigating potential barriers in our forward progress to be a safe, healthy, and prepared community.
Providing Trauma-Informed Support in the COVID-19 Era for Persons Experiencing Homelessness
In 1-hour, we discuss how we can help our homeless communities navigate the COVID vaccination decision-making process using a trauma-informed lens. We will also explore opportunities for improving access to health and social resources, and more.
Contact Kathreen Daria at kdaria@sacstepsforward.org for questions or suggestions regarding our provider trainings. We also encourage you to reach out with any relevant training opportunities that you or others are offering so that we can help share with our networks.
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Sacramento Steps Forward is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) charity serving the Sacramento region. EIN# 27-4907397
