10/27. HUD issues technical corrections to 2009 Continuum of Care NOFA and extends application deadline to November 25 by 2 pm Eastern.
2009 National Project Homeless Connect Week December 7-13. Visit our NPHC page.
HUD releases FY 2009 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Availability through which it will make available approximately $1.43 billion in Homeless Assistance Grants funding to CoCs across the nation. Application deadline date is November 9. The Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Grants NOFA is an annual application process. Additional information about the 2009 competition can be found, and will continue to be posted, on the HUDHRE.info e-snaps Training and Resources page.
Want to know what's in the President's FY 10 budget request to help prevent and end homelessness? Read a summary .
View our Recovery Act page for information on funding announcements and implementation guidance for these new resources which can help prevent and end homelessness. -- Updated
"President Obama and I are personally committed to ending homelessness among Veterans within the next five years. Those who have served this nation as Veterans should never find themselves on the streets, living without care and without hope."
VA Secretary Shinseki
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki unveiled a five-year plan framework to end Veteran homelessness at a National Summit on Homeless Veterans last week in Washington, DC. Addressing approximately 1200 government, business, community and faith based providers, Secretary Shinseki was clear about the mission: “My name is Shinseki and I am here to end Veteran homelessness." The Secretary outlined a comprehensive framework that will enlarge and enhance the scope of VA’s efforts to combat homelessness "aiming as much if not more on prevention as it does rescuing those who live on the streets."
The VA plan calls for leveraging the full range of VA housing, service, and benefit resources and expanding collaborations with other federal agencies, State Directors of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Service Organizations, and national, state and local social service providers and community groups. The VA’s goal is to have a “no wrong door” approach so that Veterans who seek assistance directly from VA’s programs, or from community partners or through contract services will be able to access the needed services.
“If we want to end Veteran homelessness, we must attack the entire downward spiral that ends in homelessness—we must offer education and jobs ( see related story below on President Obama’s new Executive Order), treat depression and fight substance abuse, prevent suicides, and provide safe housing,” said the Secretary.
The VA will spend $3.2 billion this year to prevent and reduce homelessness among Veterans—$2.7 billion on medical services; and $500 million on specific homeless programs, a 23% increase over FY 2009 that includes a six-fold increase in funding for contract residential care. The VA currently partners with more than 600 community organizations to provide transitional housing to 20,000 Veterans while these Veterans leverage VA’s health care and other benefits to return to productive lives. The VA is developing regulations to implement legislation that strengthens the VA’s ability to prevent Veteran homelessness by enabling the VA to offer grants to organizations offering supportive services for low-income Veterans and their families.
Under the five year plan, outreach will focus on “screening in”; housing options and mental health care will be expanded; discharge planning for Veterans coming out of long term institutionalized care or incarceration enhanced; and benefits processing improved. Every year, 40,000 Veterans are released from prison. The Incarcerated Veterans Re-Entry program has contacted and provided discharge planning assistance to more than 13,000 Veterans since 2007 and has contacts in more than 1,000 federal and state prisons across the country (two-thirds of all prisons). Complementing this effort is a new VA initiative for justice-involved Veterans begun in FY2009 to support State and local Veterans Court Programs. Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists are working with courts to develop relationships and referral procedures to provide VA health care instead of incarceration for eligible Veterans with substance use disorders, PTSD or mental health conditions.
Federal Interagency Collaboration
Also addressing the Summit participants were U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims and U.S. Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training Ray Jefferson, both of whose remarks affirmed Secretary Shinseki observation that federal interagency collaboration “ is just beginning -- we are going to do some monumental things for Veterans.” Deputy Secretary Sims noted that the federal interagency collaborations allow the agencies “to take advantage of what each does best” with synergistic results, citing the HUD-VASH collaboration in which HUD through its public housing agencies is making available housing choice vouchers while the VA provides case management and supportive services for homeless Veterans including homeless Veterans with families. He noted that HUD’s Recovery Act funded Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) is a complement to the HUD-VASH program, providing resources to prevent homelessness and which communities can also use to provide security deposits in conjunction with HUD-VASH vouchers. In 2008, HUD provided 10,150 HUD-VASH vouchers for homeless Veterans. HUD-VASH II, approved in 2009 for 2010 implementation, provides 10,290 more vouchers. Of the 13,000 Veterans accepted for HUD-VASH housing to date, 11 percent are women, and another 12 percent are Veterans with family members. Deputy Secretary Sims also noted that HUD is making reductions in homelessness a measure of success for every HUD program. HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs Mark Johnston has been tasked with leading a comprehensive review of HUD’s mainstream programs to identify barriers that limit their potential for preventing and ending homelessness.
DOL Assistant Secretary Jefferson described new initiatives in the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP). This year, the program’s budget has been increased by 34%. $4 million of the increase will support an incarcerated Veterans initiative that is expected to serve 1500 veterans. $5 million will be used to provide customized services to homeless women Veterans and those with families. The Department’s Women’s Bureau has held over 60 listening sessions and will shortly make its report available.
The VA is working with the Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration to certify Veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses for listing on the Federal Supply Register, which enhances their visibility and competitiveness, creating jobs for Veterans.
“Real strategies, with real measurements and outcomes”
Over three days, Summit participants were exposed to the latest data, research, and numerous best practice programs from around the country. Participants were encouraged to brainstorm with each other and with the presenters, all toward the ultimate goal of implementing measurable strategies that will produce the outcome of preventing and ending Veteran homelessness in communities across the nation.
PRESIDENT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER AIMED AT OPENING UP MORE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS IN THE FEDERAL SERVICE
On Monday November 9, President Obama signed an Executive Order to increase employment opportunities for Veterans in the Federal Government. The Executive Order creates an interagency Council on Veterans Employment cochaired by VA Secretary Shinseki and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and establishes a Veterans Employment Program office within numerous federal agencies that will be responsible for helping Veterans identify employment opportunities in the federal Executive Branch and helping the recently employed Veterans adjust to civilian live and the different workplace culture.
"Honoring our sacred trust with America's Veterans means doing all we can to help them find work when they come home so they never feel as if the American Dream they fought to defend is out of reach for them and their families," the President said in an accompanying statement noting also that recruiting and hiring Veterans would “ continue to fill the ranks of federal employees with men and women who possess the skills, dedication and sense of duty that Americans deserve from their public servants."
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HOLDS SECOND MEETING IN FOUR MONTHS OF THE U.S. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS
OCTOBER 20, 2009. WASHINGTON, D.C. The Obama Administration held the second Full Council meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness yesterday. It was the first meeting chaired by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who was elected chair by his fellow Cabinet Members and agency heads at the Council's first meeting on June 18, 2009. Members of the homeless advocacy community including the National Law Center on Homelessness and Policy, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and National Coalition for the Homeless attended and participated for the first time in several years.
Secretary Donovan noted that we live in very challenging times. Even as we see most major housing indicators improving and responding to the Administration's comprehensive approach to stabilizing the housing market, the country's overall economic situation continues to put stress on families - and has resulted in numbers of Americans becoming homeless for the first time, many of whom are families with children.
The first action of the meeting was the appointment of Barbara Poppe as the new Executive Director of the Council. For the past 15 years Poppe has served as executive director of the Community Shelter Board in Ohio, which allocates over $12 million annually to support homeless programs and services in Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio. CSB has been nationally recognized in particular for its innovative Rebuilding Lives program. Former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretaries Henry Cisneros and the late Jack Kemp in their 2004 report, coauthored with Kent Colton and Nic Retsinas and published by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University: "Opportunity and Progress - A Bipartisan Platform for National Housing Policy," cited CSB's program as a model for the nation in ending chronic homelessness. Pictured are Council members congratulating Poppe (standing) after announcing her appointment.
Barbara Poppe brings both a deep understanding of how to make federal programs work to benefit homeless persons at the local level and years of engagement at the national level as an advocate, resource person, and thoughtful analyst. No stranger to the challenges and importance of federal agency collaboration in making federal funds more responsive to the needs of local communities, Poppe was invited to represent the 11 grantees of the original HUD-HHS-VA Collaborative Initiative to help end chronic homelessness at the 2003 meeting of the Council where the grants were announced. It’s expected she will take over the duties of Council Executive Director in mid November.
Secretary Donovan also reported that HUD recently issued its annual Notice of Funding Availability for its competitive Continuum of Care homeless programs. Just over $1.4 billion dollars will be awarded to communities. HUD is encouraging communities to continue to use these resources to end chronic homelessness as well as to house other homeless sub-populations, including families with children. HUD expects to fund well over 6,000 projects. This money is in addition to the $1.5 billion dollars HUD received under the Recovery Act for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program, which have been awarded to states and communities. Pictured here are Council Chair Donovan and other Council members and newly named Council Executive Director Barbara Poppe with advocates attending the meeting including Maria Foscarinis of the National Law Center, Steve Berg of NAEH, and Neil Donovan of the National Coalition for the Homeless who addressed the Council.
The meeting also highlighted emerging collaborations among federal agencies to end homelessness. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed the HUD-HHS partnership to strengthen the link between housing, health care and social services. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki updated the Council on the status of the HUD/VASH partnership creating housing opportunities for veterans. He also reported that earlier this month the VA awarded more than $17 million in grants to community groups in 19 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that will create 1,155 transitional housing beds for homeless veterans this year. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis spoke about the emerging new levels of partnership between Labor and VA on employment for homeless veterans.
Council members also discussed the 2010 Census with Department of Commerce Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Rebecca Blank and received a report on trends in homeless student data from the Department of Education which oversees administration of the McKinney- Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program (EHCY) designed to work with states and local educational agencies to improve education outcomes for children and youth in homeless situations. Pictured here is Under Secretary Blank with Cabinet Secretaries Sebelius, Donovan. Solis, and Shinseki and Council acting director Pete Dougherty.
Nearly half a million children were reported to have received EHCY funded services in the 2007-2008 school year. The Recovery Act provided $70 million in additional EHCY funds to the Department of Education which has been allocated to school districts across the nation. Zollie Stevenson, Department of Education Director of Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs, is shown here during his presentation to the Council.
Michael German, who leads the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness’ team of Regional Coordinators created through interagency partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has been awarded the Citizen Services Award by the Partnership for Public Service.
The award was presented at the Service to America formal gala in Washington DC during which nine federal employees were recognized for their commitment, innovation, and significant contributions to the nation.
In awarding the Citizen Services Medal to Michael, the Partnership cited his achievement in having “created partnerships to reduce homelessness with more than 850 state and local leaders, which has contributed to a 30 percent reduction in long term homelessness.” For the past five years, Michael has crisscrossed the country tirelessly meeting with mayors, governors, county executives, business and non profit leaders promoting and assisting the development of jurisdictional business- principled 10 Year Plans that are bringing housing solutions and best practices in outreach and engagement, supportive services, and benefits acquisition to the prevention and ending of homelessness. Saying he was “humbled and honored” to receive the award, Michael acknowledged the work of his colleagues at the Council including Regional Coordinators Paul Carlson (Seattle), Ed Cabrera (San Francisco), and John O’Brien (Boston) and the support he has received from Acting Council Executive Director Peter Dougherty. He also paid tribute to the Council’s federal agency members, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, International Downtown Association, the United Way, and the “ thousands of providers on the front lines" across America who are partnered in the quest to end homelessness.
Several senior Obama Administration officials participated in the event including Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry who read a letter of congratulations from President Obama, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag who presented Michael with his award, Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair, and VA Secretary and past Council Chair Eric Shinseki. Dr. Janet Kemp of the VA was named Federal Employee of the Year for her work establishing a suicide-prevention hot line that employs more than 400 full-time counselors and interventionists who have fielded more than 160,000 inquiries and intervened in more than 3,000 potential suicides.
HUD SECRETARY AND CHAIR OF THE U.S. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS SHAUN DONOVAN AFFIRMS OBAMA ADMINISTRATION COMMITMENT TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A FEDERAL STRATEGY TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS
"It's a question of whether we believe in our ability as Americans to do great and important things," said U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan as he addressed the National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference in Washington DC on Thursday. Pointing to the success of reducing the number of chronically ill, long term homeless by nearly a third in three years through the delivery of permanent supportive housing via a targeted pipeline of resources, Secretary Donovan said, "We have proven we can house anyone. Our job now is to house everyone - to prevent and end homelessness. All homelessness."
HUD AWARDS HUD-VASH PROGRAM VOUCHERS THAT WILL PROVIDE HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO 10,000 HOMELESS VETERANS, INCLUDING WOMEN VETERANS AND VETERANS WITH FAMILIES
July 16. When the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness met on June 18 for the first time under the Obama Administration, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, elected at the meeting as Chair of the Council, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki announced that $75 million would soon be going to public housing authorities in the states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam to provide permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans under the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) which combines housing resources from HUD with dedicated case management and clinical services from the VA. This week HUD announced the specific allocations to individual housing authorities of the more than 10,000 housing choice vouchers (also known as Section 8 vouchers).
CONTINUING PREPARATIONS FOR FY 2009 HOMELESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS COMPETITION, HUD ISSUES NOTICE ON ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION AND OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS
July 16. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this week continued preparations for the FY 2009 Homeless Assistance Grants competition with the publication of a Notice for Continuums of Care on electronic registration procedures and also outlining some important changes from previous competitions. This follows HUD’s December 29 publication, which was later amended on April 16, of its General Section providing policy requirements applicable to all HUD FY 2009 discretionary program applications. Still to come is the actual Homeless Assistance Grants Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) which HUD states will not be published before August 15. HUD will announce the release of this year’s NOFA via its Homeless Assistance listserv. To join HUD’s listserv, go to http://www.hud.gov/subscribe/mailinglist.cfm and click on Homeless Assistance Program. Again this year, HUD is using the e-snaps electronic registration and submission system rather than grants.gov for the Homeless Assistance Grants Program.
HUD RELEASES 2008 ANNUAL HOMELESS ASSESSMENT REPORT TO CONGRESS; OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAM AWARDS ALSO ANNOUNCED
July 10. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued its 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, a national study that explores changes in homelessness nationwide. HUD's assessment concludes that while overall homelessness in America held fairly steady from 2007 to 2008, the number of homeless families, particularly those living in suburban and rural areas, increased.
HUD measures homelessness through the Annual Homeless Assessment Report in two ways: Point-In-Time 'Snapshots’- this data accounts for sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night, usually at the end of January. Homeless Management Information Systems - this data provides more detailed information on persons who access a shelter over the course of a full year. In the 2008 AHAR, 222 local communities contributed HMIS data to produce national estimates of sheltered homeless. HUD estimates that approximately 1.6 million persons experienced homelessness and found shelter between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008. HUD notes that the 2008 Report "is the fourth Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) and the first to provide year-to-year trend information on the prevalence of homelessness nationwide, the demographic characteristics of homeless people, and the way homeless people use the residential services system."
10th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision commemorated with announcement of new Administration effort to assist Americans with disabilities
Housing Choice vouchers and funding for expanding the availability of Aging and Disability Resource Centers in states are among the first resource opportunities announced
Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in the case of Olmstead v. L.C., and seeking to further the goal of that decision that persons with disabilities have meaningful choices to live and participate in the community, President Barack Obama this week launched "The Year of Community Living."
"The Olmstead ruling was a critical step forward for our nation, articulating one of the most fundamental rights of Americans with disabilities: having the choice to live independently," said President Obama. "I am proud to launch this initiative to reaffirm my Administration's commitment to vigorous enforcement of civil rights for Americans with disabilities and to ensuring the fullest inclusion of all people in the life of our nation."
UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS CONVENES FOR FIRST FULL COUNCIL MEETING OF OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
HUD Secretary Donovan Elected Chairperson
HUD and VA announce $75 million for HUD-VASH program to provide rental housing and support for homeless veterans
June 19. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) yesterday convened for the first Full Council meeting of the Obama Administration, under the leadership of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and Council Chairperson Eric Shinseki. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan was elected Chairperson for the upcoming year, and U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chairperson. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, also participated in the meeting.
In a statement released for the meeting, President Obama said: "It is simply unacceptable for individuals, children, families, and our nation's Veterans to be faced with homelessness in this country. I am confident that the Interagency Council on Homelessness, under Secretary Donovan's leadership, will have a renewed focus on coordinating efforts across federal agencies and working closely with our state, local, community-based, and faith-based partners to address these serious issues."
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS HOLDS HEARING ON ENDING VETERANS' HOMELESSNESS
“. . . until we reach a day when not a single Veteran sleeps on the street, our business is unfinished.” -- President Obama remarks during a March 26, 2009 online town hall meeting.
June 5. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, chaired by Congressman Bob Filner, held a hearing this week on “A National Commitment to End Veterans’ Homelessness.” In opening remarks at Wednesday’s hearing, Chairman Filner noted that the Committee and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, who is also the current chair of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, have made ending Veterans homelessness a priority and encouraged the four panels of witnesses to tell the Committee “what’s working, what’s not, and what you need” to accomplish this goal.
The Committee received testimony from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Labor officials, national and community based organizations, and researchers on the effectiveness of service and treatment programs being provided to homeless Veterans directly by the VA and in partnership with other federal agencies, local governments, and community based organizations. During the hearing, attention was also focused on the special needs of homeless and at risk women Veterans and on expanding outreach/marketing and early intervention efforts to prevent homelessness. Witnesses widely praised the VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program, the VA’s largest collaborative effort with local communities that has resulted in the development of nearly 14,000 supportive transitional housing beds for homeless Veterans with funding for another 1000 beds due to be awarded later this summer. Several recommendations were made for improving administration of the program, including the calculation and payment of the per diem rate, and increasing the program funding level to $200 million a year.
FEMA 2009 HURRICANE SEASON PREPAREDNESS MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE
2009 Hurricane Season began June 1. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has developed a number of resources to help citizens, local governments, and community organizations better prepare for responding to a disaster:
the 2009 Disaster Housing Plan, an operational guide for working with Federal partners, States, territories, Tribes, local communities, and individual disaster survivors to meet disaster related sheltering and temporary housing needs
FEMA You-Tube channel including an introductory video to the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide for state and local governments
www.disasterhelp.gov web site to apply online for assistance after a Presidential declaration of disaster
VA STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP ROLE IN PROMOTING RECOVERY ORIENTED CARE FOR HOMELESS AND AT RISK VETERANS WITH NEW NATIONAL CENTER ON HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS
May 23, 2009. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and current Interagency Council Chair Eric Shinseki announced on Wednesday the creation of a National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. The announcement was made by the Secretary during remarks at the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) National Conference. “President Obama has made it clear that homelessness among Veterans is unacceptable,” Secretary Shinseki said. “We have a moral duty to prevent and eliminate homelessness among Veterans.” The Center will be an opportunity to “develop, promote, and enhance policy, clinical care, research and education to improve homeless services, so that Veterans may live as independently as possible in a community of their choosing.” The VA estimates there are 131,000 homeless veterans on any given night.
The Center is designed to be a national resource for both VA and community partners, improving the quality and timeliness of services delivered to homeless or at-risk Veterans and their dependents. The Center will be co-located with the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and the Tampa VAMC with the support of host-site academic affiliates, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of South Florida. Initial research studies include Evaluating Housing Programs for Homeless Veterans (in conjunction with the University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute) and Applying Administrative Data to Estimate the Prevalence of Veterans Among Homelessness Program Users and their use of VA-Funded Health Services (in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania). Both research efforts will be rolled out first in VISNs 4 and 8. The VA provides services to veterans through 21 VA Service Networks (VISN). VISN 4 covers 104 counties in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. VISN 8 includes Florida, Southern Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Note: On June 3rd, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Veterans Affairs will hold a hearing on “A National Commitment to End Veterans’ Homelessness.”
NEW DATA SHOW JURISDICTIONAL EFFORTS TO END CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS THROUGH 10 YEAR PLAN STRATEGIES ARE PROVIDING HOUSING SOLUTIONS AND DEMONSTRATING COST SAVINGS
Massachusetts statewide pilot Housing First program for chronically homeless individuals data show a 67% decrease in annual health care costs per person after housing placement.
Data from Seattle/ King County's WA 1811 Eastlake Housing First initiative demonstrates $4 million in savings.
Sioux Falls/Minnehaha County, SD permanent supportive housing pilot for 20 individuals documents 50% decrease in per person costs for health care, detox, law enforcement, and other county services.
RECOVERY ACT INCLUDES RESOURCES TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS
On February 17, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This wide-ranging legislation included a number of provisions providing additional assistance and resources to states and communities to prevent and end homelessness. Key provisions are listed below:
"Making work Pay" Tax Credit
For 2009 and 2010, a refundable tax credit of up to $400 for working individuals and $800 for working families. This tax credit is calculated at a rate of 6.2% of earned income, and phases out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples filing jointly).
Economic Recovery Paymentof $250 for social security, SSI, railroad retirement and disabled veteran compensation recipients
Unemployment Compensation Benefits
$25 weekly increase inunemployment benefits through 2009 and the up to 33 weeks of extended unemployment benefits for workers who've exhausted their regular 26 weeks of benefits will continue through December 31, 2009.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
For married couples filing a joint return, raises the beginning of the phase-out threshold by $1880 and also increases the value of the credit for working families with three or more children
Tax Incentive for hiring unemployed veterans and disconnected youth
Under current law, businesses are allowed to claim a work opportunity tax credit equal to 40 percent of the first $6,000 of wages paid to employees of one of nine targeted groups. The new law creates two new targeted groups of prospective employees: (1) unemployed veterans; and (2) disconnected youth. An individual would qualify as an unemployed veteran if they were discharged or released from active duty from the Armed Forces during the five-year period prior to hiring and received unemployment compensation for more than four weeks during the year before being hired. An individual qualifies as a disconnected youth if they are between the ages of 16 and 25 and have not been regularly employed or attended school in the past 6 months.
Are you eager to learn how communities are achieving results in preventing and ending homelessness? The Council’s Innovation Series has answers for you! In 2008, our three-part Innovation Series put the spotlight on 33 far-ranging replicable efforts focused on our common mission to end homelessness. Beginning with our “20 innovations in 20 days” series in May, followed by the July “5 in 5” series, and concluding with our holiday “08 in 08” series, each innovation was profiled in a special edition of our e-newsletter
that identified the innovation and the innovator, how it works, who benefits, the results being achieved, and who to contact for more information.
Interested in learning how communities have created successful dedicated revenue streams?
You’ll want to read the five innovations we profiled in our July “5 in 5” series.
Interested in learning about successful veterans housing and reintegration strategies?
You’ll want to read Innovations 11, 13, and 20 in our May “20 in 20” series.
Are your homeless consumers challenged in their efforts to access programs and benefits by lack of identification?
You’ll want to read Innovation 7 from our “08 in 08” series and Innovation 3 in our “20 in 20” series.
Want to enhance the effectiveness of your downtown engagement and housing strategies?
Innovations 14 and 17 from our “20 in 20” series and Innovations 2, 4, and 6 in our latest “08 in 08” series will help you.
These are just a few of the subject areas covered in our 2008 Innovation Series, which together with other innovative ideas, can be found on our Innovations web page
The
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
409 Third Street SW | Suite 310 | Washington, D.C. 20024
Phone (202) 708-4663 | Fax (202) 708-1216
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OCTOBER 20, 2009. WASHINGTON, D.C. The Obama Administration held the second Full Council meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness yesterday. It was the first meeting chaired by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who was elected chair by his fellow Cabinet Members and agency heads at the Council's first meeting on June 18, 2009. Members of the homeless advocacy community including the National Law Center on Homelessness and Policy, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and National Coalition for the Homeless attended and participated for the first time in several years.
The first action of the meeting was the appointment of Barbara Poppe as the new Executive Director of the Council. For the past 15 years Poppe has served as executive director of the Community Shelter Board in Ohio, which allocates over $12 million annually to support homeless programs and services in Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio. CSB has been nationally recognized in particular for its innovative Rebuilding Lives program. Former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretaries Henry Cisneros and the late Jack Kemp in their 2004 report, coauthored with Kent Colton and Nic Retsinas and published by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University: "Opportunity and Progress - A Bipartisan Platform for National Housing Policy," cited CSB's program as a model for the nation in ending chronic homelessness. Pictured are Council members congratulating Poppe (standing) after announcing her appointment.
Secretary Donovan also reported that HUD recently issued its annual Notice of Funding Availability for its competitive Continuum of Care homeless programs. Just over $1.4 billion dollars will be awarded to communities. HUD is encouraging communities to continue to use these resources to end chronic homelessness as well as to house other homeless sub-populations, including families with children. HUD expects to fund well over 6,000 projects. This money is in addition to the $1.5 billion dollars HUD received under the Recovery Act for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program, which have been awarded to states and communities. Pictured here are Council Chair Donovan and other Council members and newly named Council Executive Director Barbara Poppe with advocates attending the meeting including Maria Foscarinis of the National Law Center, Steve Berg of NAEH, and Neil Donovan of the National Coalition for the Homeless who addressed the Council.
Council members also discussed the 
Nearly half a million children were reported to have received EHCY funded services in the 2007-2008 school year. The Recovery Act provided $70 million in additional EHCY funds to the Department of Education which has been allocated to school districts across the nation. Zollie Stevenson, Department of Education Director of Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs, is shown here during his presentation to the Council.
"It's a question of whether we believe in our ability as Americans to do great and important things," said U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan as he addressed the National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference in Washington DC on Thursday. Pointing to the success of reducing the number of chronically ill, long term homeless by nearly a third in three years through the delivery of permanent supportive housing via a targeted pipeline of resources, Secretary Donovan said, "We have proven we can house anyone. Our job now is to house everyone - to prevent and end homelessness. All homelessness."
July 10. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued its 
June 19. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) yesterday convened for the first Full Council meeting of the Obama Administration, under the leadership of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and Council Chairperson Eric Shinseki. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan was elected Chairperson for the upcoming year, and U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chairperson. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, also participated in the meeting. 
2009 Hurricane Season began June 1. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (
On February 17, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This wide-ranging legislation included a number of provisions providing additional assistance and resources to states and communities to prevent and end homelessness. Key provisions are listed below: