Programs We Fund

There are a few questions we hear a lot: Where do my tax dollars go? What is Yakima County doing to address homelessness? What social service programs exist in our community and what do they do?

On this page, you can find an overview of the programs funded by the Yakima County Department of Human Services through the Consolidated Homeless Grant (State funding) and 2163 dollars (Local funding).

For a broader overview of performance data for publicly funded programs in Yakima County, please see our data page.

  1. Outreach
  2. Coordinated Entry
  3. Shelter/Sanctioned Encampment
  4. Capital Improvement
  5. Rental Assistance
  6. Permanent Supportive Housing


Funding is allocated for 2 years (July 1, 2020-June 30, 2022)

Rod’s House

Amount: $36,980
Program description: The Contractor will be responsible for offering street outreach targeted at youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and ensuring that data is captured in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
5-Year Plan Goals Addressed: Goal 1, Goal 2, Goal 4, Goal 5
Contract (Year 1, July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021)
Contract Mod 1 (Grants an additional $6,980) 
Contract (Year 2, July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022)
Website

Yakima Neighborhood Health Services

Amount: $70,560
Program description: The Contractor will be responsible for offering street outreach targeted at individuals and families experiencing homelessness and ensuring that data is captured in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
5-Year Plan Goals Addressed: Goal 1
Contract (Year 1, July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021)
Contract Mod 1 (Grants an additional $12,560)
Contract (Year 2, July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022)
Website


Our Accountability Metrics

Population Accountability

State Priority Populations
Identified by the State

Individuals and households experiencing unsheltered homelessness
Individuals and households fleeing violence

Local Priority Populations
Identified by the 5-Year Plan

Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness
Unaccompanied youth
Veterans
Families with children
Individuals over the age of 62 years

Performance Measures
How we know the desired result is achieved

Increase in percent unsheltered served – at least 60% of services should be for unsheltered homeless households and households fleeing violence OR an increase of at least 5% annually

Reduction of priority populations experiencing homelessness to functional zero

Program Accountability

5-Year Plan Goals
Goals developed by our community reflecting opportunities and needs within Yakima County, in alignment with State Objectives

Quickly identify and engage people experiencing homelessness through outreach and coordination between every system that encounters people experiencing homelessness

Operate an effective and efficient homeless crisis response system that swiftly moves people into stable permanent housing

Support the development of adequate affordable housing and permanent supportive housing

Track and publish data regarding homelessness in Yakima County

Address disparities among people experiencing homelessness and create resources to meet the needs of priority populations

Performance Measures
How we know the desired result is achieved

Increased exits to permanent housing

Reduced returns to homelessness after exits to permanent housing

Reduced average length of time experiencing homelessness

Data is collected and reported accurately

Participation in HMIS and Coordinated Entry

Fiscal Accountability

Expectations

Administrative expenses do not exceed 6% of total expenditures

Funds are evenly disbursed throughout the contract period, or program communicates a clear understanding of how to maintain their operating costs once the grant funds have been utilized

For Rental Assistance, HEN, and PSH contracts, rental assistance is a minimum of 67% of total expenditures

Reimbursement paperwork is submitted by the 10th of every month

Reimbursement requests are submitted with minimal errors

Submitted reimbursement requests are allowable per the funding source and the contract, grant recipients understand the scope of allowability for their funding

Performance Measures
How we know the desired result is achieved

Administrative expenses do not exceed 6% of total expenditures

For Rental Assistance, HEN, and PSH contracts, rental assistance is a minimum of 67% of total expenditures

Less than 25% of reimbursement requests are submitted late over the length of the contract period

Less than 25% of reimbursement requests need to be resubmitted due to clerical errors over the length of the contract period

Five-Year Plan Alignment

The Goals of the Yakima County 5-Year Plan are as follows:
5-year plan goals

The funds awarded through our 2020 RFP process address the following goals:


5-year plan funding alignment