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WASHINGTON, DC. April 15, 2008. More than 250 state and local jurisdictional leaders, their representatives, “community champions”, and other business and community leaders partnered in over 325 10-Year Plans and in 53 State Interagency Councils gathered in Washington DC last week at the National Press Club for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Third Annual National Summit for Jurisdictional Leaders.
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This year’s event, America’s Road Home: Future Directions for Policy and Investment in Abolishing Homelessness - Partnering for Results in Ten Year Plans, focused on sustaining the “visible, measurable, and quantifiable” progress that has been made through Ten Year Plans and the America’s Road Home effort in reducing and preventing chronic homelessness, and broadening awareness of the policies and innovative research informed, evidence-based, and field-tested initiatives responsible for achieving these results. The Summit featured remarks by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and USICH Chair Dr. James Peake, and U.S. Senators Wayne Allard (CO) and Jack Reed (RI).
In remarks followed by a lively question-and-answer session, Secretary Peake promised the Summit partners that he would continue the work begun by his predecessor as Council Chair, HHS Secretary Leavitt in carrying out the "moral duty" to address homelessness. Secretary Peake said that he would use the year ahead to set goals and measure results in ending the "scourge" of homelessness. Noting the heartening trend of a downturn of numbers in the homeless veterans population, Secretary Peake said that he would seek "proactive partnership" and collaboration with state, local, and faith-based partners in "changing the end of the story of homelessness." Concerned about homeless veterans in rural America, Secretary Peake said he had pulled together a team to improve understanding of the issue. The Secretary also expressed his concern for the special pressures felt by married servicemen and reservists and their families and noted the importance of helping the servicemen/reservists and their families adjust to the return home.
Senators Allard and Reed - cosponsors of S. 1518, the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act which would reauthorize McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance programs including the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Department of Housing and Urban Development homeless assistance programs - stressed the importance of the reauthorization process to focus on new strategies, results, and accountability. The Senators indicated that more new ideas are welcome as the bill moves forward and that “what is working” will be supported and “what is not working” cannot depend on scarce federal resources. S.1518 has been developed during a lengthy and interactive process with stakeholders and passed unanimously out of committee late last year.
An “Innovators Symposium” of expert practitioners from across the nation; plenary sessions on family homelessness; cost-benefit research results, and re-messaging the issue; and Peer-to-Peer Dialogue sessions for states, counties, and cities on “What’s Working and What’s Not” were all intended to insure that participants had access to the best ideas for preventing and ending homelessness. Read more about the Innovators Symposium and the Peer to Peer Dialogue sessions in special sections below on this page. The plenary session on family homelessness featured Dr. Dennis Culhane of the University of Pennsylvania who discussed models of how the new research findings on family homelessness are being used to implement policy in states. Fleishman-Hillard Senior Partner and Creative Strategist John Armato discussed the “messaging” of innovation and results in 10-Year Plan efforts.
Dr. Priscilla Ridgway of Yale University, who is credited with developing the innovation of permanent supported housing and received the Council’s Home for Every American Innovations of Special Merit-Housing Award, was the Awards Luncheon Speaker. Dr. Ridgway offered her reflections on the evolution and future of the permanent supported housing strategy she pioneered and urged Summit participants to remember that "people with the greatest needs have the most unique needs." Another special feature of the Summit program was the Washington premier of the new feature film Where GOD Left His Shoes starring John Leguizamo about one family’s homeless odyssey.
Summit participants were welcomed by USICH Executive Director Philip Mangano who noted that the National Partnership constellated by the Council includes more Governors, Mayors, and County Executives than ever before, and more research, resources, and results than ever. “For the first time in a quarter decade, innovative policies and initiatives have led to decreased homelessness – on our streets, in our shelters. We have moved from being demoralized that what we faced is intractable to being re-moralized that change is happening.” Director Mangano reported that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter recently became the 250th signatory to the America’s Road Home Statement of Principles and Actions. “Why would 250 Mayors and County Leaders sign on? Why would more than 400 jurisdictional CEO’s create 10-Year Plans to End Homelessness? What accounts for this unprecedented political will extended on this issue? Certainly our collective and conspiratorial work together, supporting each other, boosting morale, sharing innovation. No question. But, perhaps, the most sustaining impact has been made by economics, which is now driving both policy and solutions and about which we will be hearing a lot during this Summit.”
The Council’s Home for Every American Awards celebrate political will, partnership, and innovation in ending chronic homelessness.
Receiving the Council’s "Home for Every American Award" this year for inspiring, innovating, and investing through research, resources, and results on behalf of our homeless neighbors were:
JURISDICTIONAL LEADERS:
GOVERNOR:
MAYOR:
COUNTY LEADER:
- Hudson, N.J. County Executive Thomas DeGise
- Lincoln County, OR County Commissioner Bill Hall
STATE LEGISLATIVE:
- Washington State Representative Mark Miloscia
COMMUNITY CHAMPION:
- Robert J. Schwarz, Springfield, MA
INNOVATOR OF SPECIAL MERIT-Housing:
- Dr. Priscilla Ridgway
INNOVATOR OF SPECIAL MERIT-Employment:
- George McDonald, The Doe Fund
PHILANTHROPY:
- Elaine Rosen, The Kresge Foundation
- The Kendeda Fund
- Richard Schaden and America’s Road Home
INNOVATION - Cost Benefit:
Chicago Housing for Health Partnership
INNOVATION - Housing:
- Downtown Emergency Service Center
PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT:
- Denver’s Road Home
INNOVATORS SYMPOSIUM: Re-shaping Our Response
Nine expert practitioners shared their experience during an open dialogue and interactive plenary session. Read about each of their innovative initiatives:
Employment:
George McDonald, The Doe Fund
Street Engagement:
Roseanne Haggerty, Common Ground Community
Panhandling:
Jamie Van Leeuwen,
10-Year Plan Manager, Denver’s Road Home
Political Will:
William Siedhoff, St. Louis, MO
Project Homeless Connect:
Pastor Greg Dyson, Springfield, MA
Veterans Initiative:
Robert Hess, Commissioner for Homeless Services, New York City
Housing First:
Dr. Sam Tsemberis, Pathways to Housing
Cost Benefit Research:
William Hobson, Downtown Emergency Service Center, Seattle, WA
Arturo Bendixen, Chicago Housing for Health Partnership
Community Champion:
Horace Sibley, Atlanta’s Blueprint to End Homelessness
PEER-TO-PEER DIALOGUE SESSIONS
Three Peer-to-Peer dialogues were held during the Summit. Divided into states; cities, counties and territories over 250,000; and those under 250,000, the interaction affirmed the commonness of challenges and brought innovations into discussion leading to “takeaways” for improving results from 10-Year Plan efforts back home.
During the Peer-to-Peer dialogues, participants identified results through local and state 10-year planning initiatives, discussed family homelessness in light of new research, and had an opportunity to interact with federal agency representatives.
Facilitators for the Peer-to-Peer sessions were Denver’s Roxane White for the large cities/counties/territories; Norfolk’s Katie Kitchin and St. Louis County, MN Commissioner Steve O’Neil for the medium/small cities/counties/territories; and Michael DeVos for the states.
During the State Peer-to-Peer Dialogues, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and Connecticut reported having special funding initiatives to support the development of, and services for, permanent supportive housing. The state officials talked about the challenges faced in helping persons experiencing homelessness obtain identification; the importance of the federal SOAR initiative; and the need to better coordinate employment and permanent supportive housing initiatives.
Discussions during the City, County, and Territories Peer-to-Peer Dialogue Sessions covered such topics as:
1. Reinvestment of cost savings from 10-Year Plans and maximizing revenues
2. Overcoming organizational silos within - a) traditional services; b) housing authorities; c) veteran’s services
3. Engagement of traditional service providers in developing and implementing 10-Year Plans and decision-making in funding “what’s working”
4. Surmounting service challenges - a) prisoner re-entry and recidivism; b) Multi-Service centers
5. The Street to Home initiative
6. Signing onto America's Road Home
7. Furthering political will - a) succession planning; b) working across political boundaries
8. Recalibrating plans
During a final combined Peer-to-Peer session, participants had the opportunity to hear from federal agency representatives and to engage with Fleishman-Hillard’s John Armato concerning message integration strategies.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services Policy Melissa Pardue listed the various mainstream and targeted homeless programs administered by HHS, noting that resources available through mainstream programs are far greater than targeted programs - approximately $260 billion a year for mainstream programs and $383 million for targeted programs. Targeted programs include: Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (GBHI), Health Care for the Homeless, Domestic Violence Health Initiative (DVHI), Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), Runaway and Homeless Youth, and Title V (surplus property).
DAS Pardue encouraged Summit participants to access the following resources:
- HHS Strategic Plan on Homelessness,
- USICH-HHS-HUD sponsored 2007 National Symposium on Homelessness Research,
- SAMHSA National Registry of Evidenced – Based Programs and Practices.
Also available is the newly released USICH Inventory of Federal Programs That May Assist Homeless Families With Children, posted on the Council’s web site as well as on the HHS Homeless web page.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs Mark Johnston reported that the Administration's FY 09 CoC funding request is nearly $1.7 billion which is an increase over FY 08. He encouraged the Summit participants to consider whether their existing CoC projects and programs still meet a priority need. This year there will be the $25 million rapid rehousing for homeless families demonstration project approved by Congress. DAS Johnston noted that the demonstration will require long term tracking of clients so only applicants with HMIS systems will be eligible and the congressional language requires that applicants must have a successful track record in rapidly rehousing families. He expects that 15-40 projects will be funded under this demonstration. $120 million will be available this year for the Samaritan permanent housing bonus for new permanent housing projects for persons experiencing chronic homelessness. About 50% of CoC applicants received the bonus in the last funding round. The FY 08 NOFA is expected to be released in July.
DAS Johnston also noted that the Administration’s FY 09 budget includes $75 million to fund another 10,000 or so HUD-VASH Section 8 vouchers. These would be in addition to the approximately 10,000 vouchers funded for HUD-VASH in FY’08. During VA Secretary Peake’s presentation to the Summit participants earlier in the day, VA Director of Homeless Programs Pete Dougherty explained that the distribution plan for the FY 08 HUD-VASH vouchers was done in consultation between HUD and the VA and that at least some vouchers would be available for homeless veterans in every state. Each homeless veteran receiving a HUD-VASH voucher will also be linked to the VA health care system.
USICH Deputy Director Mary Ellen Hombs noted that the U.S. Department of Justice will issue a solicitation this spring for approximately $500,000 in technical assistance monies to promote best practices in law enforcement in addressing chronic homelessness. NOTE: HUD-VASH awards announced April 16.
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