Interagency Commission on Homelessness
Created and Purpose
Created
The Interagency Commission on Homelessness (ICH) was established by the County to act on behalf of residents experiencing homelessness and to provide advice, counsel, and recommendations to the County Executive and County Council. ( Mo. Co. Code, Ch. 24-62 through 24-70, effective 7/10/14)
Purpose
The Commission serves as the governing board of the County Continuum of Care (CoC), and duties include promoting a community-wide goal to end and prevent homelessness, developing a strategic plan, and reviewing and monitoring programs that are components of the CoC. The Commission recommends to the County Executive and County Council improvements to the CoC, educates the community about homelessness, and recommends and promotes partnerships with private organizations, businesses, and foundations, or any state or federal government agency, to improve the County’s ability to prevent and reduce homelessness.
The CoC is Montgomery County's local homeless program planning network. It is a public-private partnership that includes County and other government agencies, non-profit service providers, landlords and others who have a role in the community's housing market. The purpose of the CoC is to encourage and support local organizations in coordinating efforts to address housing and homeless issues and reduce homelessness.
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
The Commission will promote a community-wide goal to end homelessness by developing a strategic plan and reviewing and monitoring programs that are components of the CoC. The Commission will recommend to the County Executive and County Council improvements to the CoC, educate the community about homelessness, and recommend and promote partnership with private organizations, businesses and foundations, or any state or federal government agency, to improve the County's ability to prevent and reduce homelessness.
Membership
The Commission has 25 members (Ex officio, Representatives of the Montgomery County Continuum of Care, Public members).
| Member | Position |
|---|---|
| Chelsea Andrews | Executive Director
Housing Opportunities Commission Position: Ex Officio Member |
| Margarita Bohorquez | Montgomery County Public Schools |
| Captain Michael D. Brickles | Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
Position: Government Agency |
| James C. Bridgers, Jr., Ph.D. | Director
Department of Health and Human Services Position: Ex Officio Member |
| Scott Bruton, Ph.D. | Director
Department of Housing and Community Affairs Position: Ex Officio Member |
| Stacy Gold | Executive Director
Stepping Stones Shelter Position: Homeless Services Organization |
| Jeffrey (Jeff) Goldman, Chair | Resident of Montgomery County
Position: Public Member |
| Courtney Hall | Chief Executive Officer
Interfaith Works Position: Homeless Services Organization |
| Gwendolyn A. Harter, Ph.D. | Director of Montgomery County Programs
Pathways to Housing DC Position: Homeless Services Organization |
| Manual Hidalgo | Executive Director
Shepherd's Table Position: Homeless Services Organization |
| Christine Hong | Chief
Department of Health and Human Services Services to End and Prevent Homelessness (SEPH) Position: Ex Officio Member |
| Ebony Alyse Grey, Ph.D., Co-Chair | Resident of Montgomery County
Position: Public Member |
| Kathry Kelly, M.D. | Kelly Collaborative Medicine
Position: Hospital or other Healthcare Provider |
| Oluwapelumi Olatinpo | Ignite JHDC Church
Position: Private Organization |
| Karishma Sheth | Chief Program Officer
EveryMind Position: Private Organization |
| Beth Shuman | Chief of Staff | Councilmember Gabe Albornoz' Office
Montgomery County Council Position: Councilmember or Council Staff |
| Delegate Vaughn Stewart | Maryland State Delegation
Member of the County Legislative Delegation Position: Ex Officio Member |
| Earl Stoddard, Ph.D. | Offices of the Montgomery County Executive
Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Position: Ex Officio Member |
| Staff person | Position |
|---|---|
| Rozina Adhanom | Continuum of Care Coordinator
MC Department of Health and Human Services | Services to End and Prevent Homelessness |
| Vicky M. Suero | Administrative Support Specialist
MC Department of Health and Human Services | Services to End and Prevent Homelessness |
Read More . . .
December 2023
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December 2022
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December 2021
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December 2020
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November 2019
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November 2017
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| Annual Report
November 2016 |
Annual Report
November 2015 |
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Agendas | Presentations | Meeting Minutes
| Meeting | Date | Agenda | Presentation | Minutes | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communitywide Meeting | May 8, 2025 | N/A | Presentation | N/A | N/A |
| Full Commission | March 18, 2025 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | January 14, 2025 | View |
ICH Presentation
New Residency Policy Presentation Approved Residency Policy |
View | View |
| Meeting | Date | Agenda | Presentation | Minutes | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Commission | November 6 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | August 7 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | June 4 | View |
View
View - Progress Place Security |
View | View |
| Full Commission | March 20 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | January 10 | View | View | View | View |
| Meeting | Date | Agenda | Presentation | Minutes | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Commission | November 1, 2023 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | August 1, 2023 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | May 24, 2023 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | March 22, 2023 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | January 18, 2023 | View | View | View | View |
| Meeting | Date | Agenda | Presentation | Minutes | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communitywide | December 14, 2022 | View | View | N/A | N/A |
| Full Commission | November 2, 2022 | View |
View
ICH Update Data Dashboard |
View | View |
| Full Commission | September 14, 2022 | None | Approved 2022 MD 601
Funding Recommendations |
View | View |
| Communitywide | September 8, 2022 | View | View | None | View |
| Full Commission | June 22, 2022 | View | Panel Discussion Only | View | View |
| Full Commission | April 6, 2022 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | February 2, 2022 | View | View | View | View |
| Meeting | Date | Agenda | Presentation | Minutes | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Commission | December 9, 2020 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | September 30, 2020 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | July 22, 2020 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | May 20, 2020 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | April 27, 2020 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | March 4, 2020 | View |
View | Presentation
View |Public Comment 1 View |Public Comment 2 |
View | View |
| Communitywide | January 7, 2020 | View | View | N/A | N/A |
| Meeting | Date | Agenda | Presentation | Minutes | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Commission | November 13, 2019 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | September 11, 2019 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | July 11, 2019 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | April 23, 2019 | View | View | View | View |
| Full Commission | February 27, 2019 | View | View #1 | View #2 | View | View |
| Communitywide | February 7, 2019 | View | N/A | N/A | View |
Committees | Sub-committees | Workgroups
The Montgomery County Continuum of Care (CoC) created eight committees to conduct the work of the CoC, including the Governance Committee, which has the authority to create additional committees, subcommittees, or workgroups based on the need and recommendations from committees, subcommittees and workgroups, and the majority vote of the Governance Committee. Each committee will be responsible for submitting regular reports to the Governance Committee on their activities. The responsibilities of each committee are outlined below:
Governance Committee
Purpose:
- Recruit and nominate for County Executive confirmation, Interagency Commission on Homelessness (ICH) commissioners from the homeless services system, private sector, and general public
- Schedule and create agendas for ICH meetings, reviewing committee reports in details, and recommend actions to be voted on by the ICH
- Coordinate with the full Continuum of Care (CoC) to adopt, follow, and update annually a governance charter, to include a conflict of interest policy, in consultation with the Collaborative Applicant and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Lead
- Issue a public invitation annually for new members to join within a geographic area
- Adopt and follow a written process to select a CoC Board and review, update, and approve at least once every five years
- Appoint additional committees, subcommittees, or workgroups
- Assist in planning of the CoC activities in coordination with appropriate groups including all other committees, subcommittees, and workgroups
- Review summary reports from all activities of committees, subcommittees, and workgroups
- Approve all membership applications
- Hold meetings of the full membership, with published agendas, at least semi-annually
Minutes and Agendas
| Agendas | Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | January 2023 |
| Feburary 2023 | February 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 2023 |
Intragovernmental Advisory Committee
Purpose:
- Recruit and nominate for County Executive confirmation, ICH commissioners from local and county government
- Meet at least semi-annually to exchange information, and discuss challenges and opportunities, related to current efforts and progress in ending and preventing homelessness
Agenda and Minutes:
| Agendas | Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | January 2023 |
| February 2023 | February 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 2023 |
Tab 2
Tab 3
Tab 4
System Coordination Committee
Purpose
- Coordinate the implementation of a housing and service system
- Recommend to the Executive and Council any improvements to local policy to improve the system response to ending and preventing homelessness
- Oversee the Coordinated Entry System Subcommittee, charged with establishing and operating a coordinated assessment system in consultation with recipients of Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds and establishing and following written standards for providing CoC assistance in consultation with recipients of ESG funds
- Conduct, at least biannually, a Point-in-time (PIT) count of homeless persons that meets Housing Urban Development's (HUD) requirements
- Oversee population specific workgroups
Committee Responsibilities and Composition
Agenda | Minutes
| Agenda | Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | January 2023 |
| February 2023 | February 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 2023 |
Outcomes and Improvement Committee
Purpose
- Establish performance targets appropriate for population and program type in consultation with recipients and subrecipients
- Monitor recipients and sub-recipients performance
- Evaluate project outcomes of ESG and CoC programs, and report those outcomes to the Partnership and Funding Committee
- Provide training and support on best practices
- Oversee Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), including establishing an HMIS subcommittee charged with:
- Designating a single HMIS for its geographic area and designating an eligible applicant to manage its HMIS
- Reviewing, revising and approving privacy, security and data quality plans
- Ensuring consistent participation of recipients/subrecipients in HMIS
- Ensuring that HMIS is administered in compliance with HUD requirements
Committee Responsibilities and Composition
Agenda and Minutes
| Agendas | Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | January 2023 |
| February 2023 | February 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 2023 |
Partnership and Funding Committee
Purpose
- Review performance of recipients and subrecipients and take actions against poor performers
- Provide information required to complete the Consolidated Plan(s)
- Consult with State and local ESG recipients in the geographic area on the plan for allocating ESG funds and report/evaluate performance of ESG programs
- Recommend and promote partnerships with private organizations, business, corporation, philanthropic organization or foundation, and any municipal, state or federal government agency to improve the County's ability to prevent and reduce homelessness
- Design, operate and follow a collaborative process for the development of applications and approve submission of applications in response to a CoC Program NOFA (Notification of Funding Availability)
- Establish priorities for funding projects
- Rank multiple applications, if required by HUD
- The Collaborative Applicant must collect and combine the required application information from all projects within the geographic area and will apply for funding of CoC planning activities
Committee Responsibilities and Composition
Agenda and Minutes
| Agenda | Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | January 2023 |
| Feburary 2023 | February 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 2023 |
People's Committee
Purpose
- Provide critical input and feedback on ICH and committee work, including policy development and barriers and improvements to system coordination
- Recruit individuals with lived experience to participate in the effort of the ICH and provide recommendations to ICH members and CoC stakeholders on how people with lived experience should be involved in all aspects of the homeless system operations and the CoC Governance structure and process
Committee Responsibilities and Composition
Agenda and Minutes
| Agendas | Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| December 2022 | December 2022 |
| January 2023 | January 2023 |
| February 2023 | February 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 2023 |
Communication Committee
Purpose
- Educate the community about homelessness, best practices to reduce homelessness, resources needed to reduce homelessness, and long-term savings that are achieved by providing permanent, stable housing
- Market the work of the CoC to the general public
- Manage the CoC's website and take lead role in events planning and messaging, including messaging and marketing of special initiatives
Committee Responsibilities and Composition
Agendas|Minutes
| Agendas | Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | January 2023 |
| February 2023 | February 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 2023 |
Subcommittees | Workgroups
Subcommittees are established to provide oversight or facilitate the development of policies related to a specific function of the CoC. There are three standing subcommittees listed below and further defined under their respective committee section:
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Subcommittee
HMIS Subcommittee : Provides oversight of the homeless management information system.
Coordinated Entry System Subcommittee
Purpose:
Provides oversight of the community's Coordinated Entry System.
Allocation Subcommittee
Purpose:
Establishes process for review, approval, and reject of applications for funding to the CoC program
Legislation - By-Laws
- Enabling Legislation | Estabished an Interagency Commission on Homelessness Effective July 10, 2014 (PDF)
- Montgomery County Code - Public Ethics Law, Chapter 19A (PDF)
- Open Meetings Act - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
Montgomery County Interagency Commission on Homelessness (ICH)
- ICH Orientation Outlines - 2022 with attachments (PDF)
- Montgomery County ICH Stategic Plan January 2020 - December 2023 (PDF)
- Montgomery County Continuum of Care Governance Charter - Revised March 29, 2019 (PDF)