Administrator
Martha N. Johnson
General Services Administration

News of the Interagency Council on Homelessness - 2004

• 10-Year Planning Efforts and State Interagency Council Activity in Full Swing As We Head Toward The New Year

  December 20

  • ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano joins mayors and other city and state officials in Alaska, Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland, Connecticut and Massachusetts in whirlwind series of 10-year planning announcements.
  • Tennessee "Volunteers" to Establish State Interagency Council

  10 Year Plans

  Anchorage Mayor Begich and ICH Executive Director, Philip Mangano

  Anchorage, Alaska Mayor Mark Begich has presented the city's new 10-year Plan to the Anchorage Assembly. The plan was created by a 24 member Mayors Task Force. The group's vision for 2015 is that homeless people will be steered toward safe and affordable housing within three months of being identified by a local service agency. The Assembly will vote on the plan in January and will be asked to create a five-member oversight board. Key elements of the Plan include:

  • 500 new housing units goal and the creation of a city development authority to create housing on city owned land.
  • Mobile workers will target individuals living in camps and cars for engagement
  • Additional data collection will identify housing placement barriers and evaluate program performance.
  • Appointment of a senior staff person in the Mayor's office to lead a communication campaign and to work with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the new Alaska State Council,
  • Development of a One-Stop Engagement strategy to reduce the local impact of daytime homelessness, including in camps, and rotate homeless program staff through a single service site to broaden engagement possibilities for the hardest to serve
  • Establishment of a partnership between United Way and the city's developing HMIS system to create a Housing First linkage that supports the rapid housing goal of the Plan.

  Montgomery, Alabama's Friendship Mission was the site this week of the City of Montgomery's unveiling of a regional Blueprint Toward Ending Chronic Homelessness. Alabama's capital city joined 25 other state capitals with 10-Year Planning processes

  Among the recommendations in the Blueprint:

  • Improving discharge planning by conducting a survey of public agency discharge policies and creating a Memorandum of Understanding between the Homeless Coalition and public agencies to strengthen interagency relationships and provide point of contact support for individuals facing discharge.
  • Placing persons experiencing chronic homelessness into 50 new units of housing by October 2006 and placing a total of 300 formerly homeless person into housing that they will retain or one year.

  The Nashville, Tennessee Strategic Framework for Ending Chronic Homelessness was also unveiled this week. The Framework is the product of a five month effort by a 26 member Task Force appointed by Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. The Task Force represented an unprecedented convening of representatives of law enforcement, emergency services, health care providers, hospitals, philanthropy, the United Way, Chamber of Commerce, local, state, and federal officials, business and political leaders, service providers, and advocates.

  Four work groups were created to focus on housing, health, economic stability, and systems coordination, including data and discharge planning. In addition to seeking input from homeless people, business, faith community, and service providers in Nashville, the groups researched other cities' plans and investigated best practices. The Task Force also seeks input from homeless people, service providers and representatives of business and the faith community, the Task Force systematically assessed current and past efforts in Nashville to impact chronic homelessness

  "All these efforts had their merit in informing the city, creating segments of needed infrastructure and improving pockets of services. In looking back at all this work, it is evident that to have a significant impact, a clear focus has to be determined, the vision has to be longer than 3-5 years, and the commitment to the plan has to be expanded to include the entire city. The work done dating back to 1984 has brought Nashville to this point where a unified coordinated 10-year plan is the logical next move."

  "A Results-Driven framework must be imbedded in all our services, programs, and endeavors. Success must be clearly defined and measured. Only services proven effective will be funded."

  "Maryland has never engaged in anything like this before," stated Maryland Department of Human Services Office of Transitional Services Director Gregory D. Shupe, as the state's first Homelessness Summit convened in Baltimore this week to create the framework for a 10-Year Plan for the state. On behalf of Governor Robert Ehrlich, Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Christopher J. McCabe welcomed the federal, state, and local government partners who participated along with advocates, providers, and consumers. Summit work groups focused on housing, health, income, and supportive services, relying on the Action Plan developed by the state's Policy Academy Team. The Action Plan Vision Statement called for "a Maryland where homelessness is rare and brief."

  In his keynote speech, ICH Executive Director Mangano noted that the first telegraph line ran between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. "Ever since your state has been well positioned to receive the message and respond in partnership. As public officials you are extending your leadership and political will to eradicate that which seems intractable. "

  Maryland's largest city, Baltimore, will develop its own plan soon in coordination with the state initiative. Laura M. Gillis, recently appointed by the City as President and CEO of the quasi-public agency Baltimore Homeless Services Inc., will lead the City process.

  Congressman Shays, Kathleen Hunter, Philip Mangano, Mayor Fabrizi, & State Senator John McKinney

  Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayor John Fabrizi this week called on his newly named Leadership Group to develop a Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in the Greater Bridgeport Area. Merle Berke-Schlessel, President of the United Way of Eastern Fairfield County and Bridgeport Housing Department Acting Director Kathleen Hunter will co-chair the planning effort, scheduled to be completed by July 2005. Among those joining Mayor Fabrizi at the announcement were ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, U.S. Representative Christopher Shays and State Senator John McKinney, son of the late U.S. Representative Stewart B. McKinney for whom the federal McKinney Act is named.

  Fall River, Massachusetts Mayor Ed Lambert this week appointed Citizens Union Savings Bank President Nicholas Christ and Michael Coughlin, the city's Director of Health and Human Services to co-chair the city's 10-Year Planning Committee.

  Speaking at a City Hall press announcement where he was joined by ICH Executive Director Mangano , Mayor Lambert said, "While Fall River may not have the street homelessness problem that other communities have, we need to recognize that it's our responsibility to be ahead of the curve. We want to make sure that as Fall River experiences its renaissance, no one is left behind. Fall River residents should expect results both short term and long term."

  State Executive Orders

  Commissioner Keys, Governor Bredesen, & Philip Mangano

  Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen last week signed Executive Order No 21 creating "The Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness" . Commissioner John Keys of the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs will chair the Council. The Council will be a multidisciplinary committee including the Governor, commissioners from the Departments of Children's Services, Correction, Education, Health, Human Services, Mental Health,

  Veterans' Affairs, the director of TennCare, the chair of the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole, and the executive director of the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. ICH Executive Director Mangano attended the signing ceremony and congratulated the Governor for his action in creating this state council which will benefit all Tenneseeans.

• Engaging Partners in Solutions to Homelessness

  October 14 Federal, state and territory officials came together last week for a National Learning Meeting to discuss the outcomes and lessons learned from federally-sponsored Policy Academies on increasing access to services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Over the past three years, the federal government has sponsored a series of Policy Academies designed to assist states develop strategic plans to improve access to mainstream health and human services, housing and employment opportunities for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

  Fifty-two states and territories participated in the Policy Academies that were funded by several Interagency Council members including the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs and Labor. In addition to the formal Policy Academy meetings at which states began work on developing Action Plans, the federal agencies have continued their support of the state efforts by providing extensive technical assistance. The U.S. Department of Education recently announced it is becoming the fifth federal agency to partner in this endeavor.

  The two-day National Learning Meeting included discussions of federal and state level barriers and challenges that have been encountered in developing and implementing state action plans, and provided opportunities for peer to peer discussions and exchanges of information on innovative approaches various states have adopted. Among the topics discussed were: (1) informing public policy with data (2) utilizing multiple financing streams to develop supportive housing (3) creating effective collaborations (4) effective use of such mainstream programs as TANF, SSI and Medicaid (5) developing and implementing discharge policies (6) prevention opportunities and (7) strategies for addressing rural homelessness.

  The closing plenary session included a Listening Session attended by senior federal officials to hear a summary of the key action items identified by the attendees during the course of the two day meeting. The meeting concluded with remarks by the senior officials of each of the four federal funding agencies and ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano on federal initiatives to prevent and end homelessness.

  Don Winstead, HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Evaluation, spoke of the investment HHS will make this year on research into the characteristics and dynamics of homeless families with children and noted that states have become laboratories for innovation and that the bulk of the HHS money available to provide services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness is distributed directly through state and local governments. Patricia Carlile, HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs Assistance whose office handles over $1 billion a year in grants to support state and local homelessness efforts, described the work of HUD's intra-agency Task Force which is bringing Department wide resources to the homelessness effort.

  Peter Dougherty, Director of the VA's Homeless Programs Branch, reported that the VA is on track for creating 1000 points of access for veterans services which includes increased attention to ensuring that mental health services are available and spoke of the VA's new initiatives to provide services to children of women veterans and to developing transitional assistance plans for incarcerated veterans. Charles Ciccolella, Labor Deputy Assistant Secretary for Veterans Employment and Training Services noted that the federal government spends $12 billion annually on workforce development and that "it is up to every one of us to live out how we are making the system work for the benefit of homeless people."

  In his remarks, ICH Director Mangano spoke of the national movement underway to prevent and end homelessness- 20 federal agencies partnered through the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, 50 Governors of states and territories committed to establishing State Interagency Councils on Homelessness, and 155 cities and counties developing 10-Year Plans.

  He noted that in addition to the work being done by the four sponsoring federal agencies, a number of other federal agencies have exciting initiatives underway including the Social Security Administration through its streamlining of the disability determination process, the Justice Department which is implementing the President's $300 million multiyear re-entry initiative, the Department of Transportation which is seeking through an interagency work group to make our federal transportation investments more responsive to the needs of homeless people, and the Department of Education which is utilizing homeless liaisons in every school district and other initiatives to create educational parity for homeless students.

  Mr. Mangano encouraged the state participants "not to reinvent the wheel. Be larcenous. Steal the best ideas that are achieving results and replicate them. Identify, disseminate and where applicable adopt innovative technologies that are results-oriented such as Assertive Community Treatment Teams, supportive housing and discharge planning protocols with contractual obligations." He urged the state participants to incorporate prevention strategies into their action plans, participate in data collection and research, and focus on being consumer centric.

  A full report on the meeting is being prepared by the federal funding partners and will be made available on the Policy Academy website maintained by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

• VA Secretary Principi Convenes Interagency Council Meeting at White House Conference Center

  September 29 The 6th Cabinet-level meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council since our revitalization in 2002 demonstrated the continuing commitment of the Bush Administration to meeting the goal of preventing and ending chronic homelessness. With announcements of over $160 million in new federal resources as well as additional technical assistance to support and improve outcomes from programs already in place, agencies as varied as Veterans Affairs, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Social Security, and Education are collaborating at an unprecedented level to focus resources on preventing and ending chronic homelessness.

  The federal commitment is being joined by an equally important commitment and effort by states and communities and the private sector. The Council, chaired by VA Secretary Principi, was pleased to have the opportunity to hear from Horace Sibley, who at the request of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, has been leading that community's 10 year planning effort to end chronic homelessness, and from Craig Chancellor, President of Triangle United Way in North Carolina, who discussed the commitment of the United Way to the goal and to their role in helping bring resources from the business community to the effort.

  Council members also heard from providers of services to veterans who have benefited from the expansion of resources made available through the VA - Marsha Four, Director of Homeless Services for the Philadelphia Veterans MultiService and Education Center; Toni Reinis, Executive Director of New Directors in LA; Kathryn Spearman, Executive Director of Volunteers of America-Florida; and Charles Williams, Executive Director of the Maryland Center for Veterans Employment and Training. Michael German, the Region IV Interagency Council coordinator, led off the panel discussion by describing the many outreach efforts to homeless veterans that are underway, including more than 20 Stand Down events in his region.

  ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano reported that 49 Governors of states and territories have created state interagency councils on homelessness and 152 cities and counties have committed to developing 10-Year Plans. Mr. Mangano also reported on the progress of the Council's first major initiative - the awards last year to 11 community partnerships through the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness, an historic funding collaboration by HUD, HHS and the VA.

  ICH Executive Director, Philip Mangano and VA Secretary Principi

  Mr. Mangano noted that the federal resources invested in these 11 communities "are demonstrating tangible, visible, and quantifiable results". To date, the Collaborative Initiative grantees, through community partnerships that combine asserting outreach teams coordinated with housing and services including mental health, substance abuse and primary health care, have successfully ended the homelessness of over 400 men and women whose periods of homelessness total over 2800 years.

  Broward County, Florida is one of the 11 Collaborative Initiative grantees. Steve Werthman, Homeless Initiative Partnership Administrator for Broward County, spoke to the Council about the progress of their project. Known as HHOPE, Housing and Health Options, they have successfully housed 24 people to date and those 24 were previously homeless for a total of 161 years.

  Steve Werthman, Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership Administrator addresses Council.

  "I would guess that the challenges of this new way of collaborating are no less daunting at the federal level than we find them to be at the local level. However, the prospects for lasting systems change keeps us enthused about the project as we address each bureaucratic challenge. We understand that the President's Samaritan Initiative proposal would go a long way in providing the statutory framework to reduce and help eliminate many of these bureaucratic barriers.

  Our inter-agency model at the local level, mirroring the federal example, has improved collaboration between the partners, and particularly with the VA which had only a minimal presence in our County as recently as two years ago... Our VA collaboration has improved to the point where we were asked to present on it during recent national conferences. All of our partners, including mainstream agencies, are privileged to be part of this initiative." --Steve Werthman

  L - R: Kathryn Spearman, Marsha Four, Toni Reinis, Charles Williams and Michael German

  In another example of the commitment of the Council to forging partnerships at all levels of government to better coordinate resources and improve program delivery, members of six Federal Regional Councils joined the Interagency Council meeting by phone at the opening of their proceedings.

  The Council's e-newsletter for this week will provide additional information about the meeting. You may subscribe to the e-newsletter through the link provided In The News section of this web page.

• Samaritan Bill Introduced in Senate

  September 22 U.S. Senators Wayne Allard (CO) and Elizabeth Dole (NC) today introduced
  S 2829, the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004. The legislation has been referred to the Senate Banking. Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Senator Allard chairs the Committee's Housing and Transportation Subcommittee.

  Excerpts from Senator Allard's remarks:

  U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (CO)

  Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004, and I am pleased to have Senator Dole join me in this effort. The Samaritan Initiative would mark the beginning of a new, collaborative approach in the Federal effort to end chronic homelessness. The Initiative would create a groundbreaking joint effort between the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Resources, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

  For many years now I have been a strong advocate for the Government Performance and Results Act, which requires a focus on outcomes through clear, measurable goals. I am pleased to say that the Samaritan Initiative embodies this outcome-based focus and requires visible, measurable, quantifiable performance outcomes in reducing and ending homelessness. A focus on outcomes, rather than case management or process, also allows for new, innovative solutions to chronic homelessness. This will ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in a responsible, effective manner.

  I am proud to say that the Samaritan Initiative is supported by The U.S. Conference of Mayors, The National Association of Counties, The National League of Cities, The Enterprise Foundation, The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the National AIDS Housing Coalition, The National Alliance to End Homelessness, The Corporation for Supportive Housing, the Association for Service Disabled Veterans, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, and many other groups. I look forward to working with them, along with my colleagues in the Senate, to end chronic homelessness in America.

  Denver, Colorado is one of 11 communities currently benefiting from federal funds awarded last October under the HUD/HHS/VA Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is acting as lead partner for the $3.4 million awarded to the Denver Housing First Collaborative. Eleven Denver agencies are partnering as part of this Collaborative to create a

  U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole (NC)

  comprehensive and integrated strategy to provide 100 units of permanent housing to enable persons who are chronically homeless to move from the streets and emergency shelters into “stable, permanent housing and receive the services and other support they need to achieve greater self-sufficiency.” Of the 100 units being made available through this initiative, 60 are directly funded through the Collaborative grant award with the remaining 40 leveraged through the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. The Denver Housing First Collaborative is using a “housing first” strategy, combined with an assertive community treatment approach . Partners in the Denver Housing First Collaborative include the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and its Stout Street Clinic which together with Denver Health is providing primary care services; the Denver Department of Human Services, the Mental Health Corporation of Denver, Arapahoe House which is providing substance abuse treatment services, and the Denver VA Medical Center.

  Over the past year communities throughout North Carolina have begun engaging in 10-year planning processes to end chronic homelessness including Asheville, Durham, Henderson/Vance County, Raleigh/Wake County, and Winston-Salem. Raleigh/Wake County has the distinction of being the 100th community in the nation to commit to developing such a plan. Enactment and funding of the Samaritan Initiative would provide new resources for the creation of permanent supportive housing for persons experiencing chronic homelessness.

• From Sea to Shining Sea

  • A mayors 10-Year Plan summit in Puerto Rico… the 90th annual St. Vincent de Paul Society meeting in Phoenix, AZ, a Housing and Homeless Coalition Conference in Riverside, California… the announcement by Nashua NH Mayor Streeter of a 10-year Plan to end chronic homelessness in that community… a meeting of the Arizona State Interagency Council on Homelessness…the dedication of housing facilities for the chronically homeless on Skid Row in Los Angeles…an Affordable Housing Conference in Bellevue, WA…

  September 20 At these recent events and so many others around the country, community leaders, faith based organizations, the business community and citizens are taking action to develop and implement plans to end the disgrace of homelessness. 20 federal agencies comprising the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. 49 Governors of states and territories who have established state interagency councils on homelessness. 140 mayors and county executives who have committed to developing 10 year plans to end chronic homelessness in their communities. All partnered. All extending political will on the issue of homelessness made tangible in research-informed and results-oriented interagency and intergovernmental collaborations and local plans.

  “I am sorry this morning that I do not remember more Spanish. But I do know this: that no matter which language we speak, homelessness is wrong in all of them.” ICH Director Philip Mangano speaking at Sept 7 Mayors Summit in Puerto Rico

  “Today, Nashua and New Hampshire are part of an unprecedented partnership on homelessness that literally extends from the White House to the streets. In Washington there are now 20 federal departments and agencies meeting together to make resources more available and accessible to homeless people. All focused on the President’s initiative to end the homelessness of the most vulnerable, those on our streets, long term in our shelters, disabled, most at risk of death." September 17th press conference with NH Gov Craig Benson and Nashua Mayor Bernard Streeter
  

  
  “Let’s begin where we should. Homelessness is wrong. Morally, spriritually, economically, socially – wrong. What is the moral common sense of the future on homelessness? Our children and grandchildren will know- a home for every American.” ICH Director Mangano speaking at the Sept 13 Riverside County Conference of Housing and Homeless Coalition, CA

  “In the prayer of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul: “ that those who have no home may quickly find a place in which they can live a decent and happy life.”

  The President has called for a new initiative to be created to address the homelessness of those who are disabled on our streets and long term in our shelters in support of his call to end chronic homelessness in the next 10 years. It’s called the Samaritan Initiative and as the name implies, it is targeted to those who have been left behind on our streets. Others have passed by. But this Administration and its partners will stop and ensure that those on the side of the road are moved forward toward housing and services. It’s in the Congress now and needs the support of all Americans. It’s the down payment to end chronic homelessness." Sept. 10 90th Annual Conference of Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix, Arizona

• Dallas Mayor Names Business Leader and Civic Hero as 'Homeless Czar'

  In 2003, Dallas received over $10 million in federal HUD targeted funds for homelessness assistance, a record funding level for the city and a 113% increase over the 2002 level. The funds were part of a record $1.27 billion in homeless resources awarded by the Bush Administration to communities across the nation.

  September 3 Longtime civic leader Tom Dunning has been named to lead Dallas’ effort to prevent and end homelessness in the 8th largest city in the nation. The announcement of Mr. Dunning’s appointment as “homeless czar” for the city was made by Mayor Laura Miller at a press conference last Wednesday attended by ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, Dallas City Councilmember Lois Finkleman who chairs the Council’s Committee on Health, Environment and Human Services, and representatives of various providers, non profit organizations and the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance. Mr. Dunning, who is Chairman and CEO of Lockton Dunning Benefit Company in Dallas, will form a task force of homeless providers and others to develop a central assistance facility for the homeless in Dallas in conjunction with the city’s recently adopted 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. That plan was adopted by the City Council in June making Dallas the first city in the state of Texas to have developed such a plan. Nationally, more than 120 communities have developed or are engaged in the process of developing 10-Year plans to end chronic homelessness.

  From left to right: Councilmember Lois Finkelman, Tom Dunning, Mayor Miller. Behind her: Councilmember Rasansky, Mr. Mangano, Councilmember Veletta Forsythe Lill

  Mr. Dunning brings a wealth of experience and civic leadership to this new endeavor. He is a Board member of the Southwestern Medical Foundation and Baylor Medical Foundation, and a member or the Dallas Citizens Council. Said ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, “Mayor Miller has joined other mayors across the country in demonstrating wisdom and leadership in appointing a “local hero” to implement the city’s 10-year plan…in announcing a local hero of such community commitment to lead the partnering process, to insure stakeholder involvement in an inclusive and expansive process, Dallas has taken a great leap forward. Those cities who have moved the furthest in their response and implementation have had strong and capable leadership from the mayor and from a local hero. The added value of that hero cannot be underestimated… Last year’s Renaissance Award winner “to restore and revitalize downtown Dallas” now has a new mission: to restore and revitalize the lives of our homeless neighbors.”

  The 10-Year plan adopted by the Dallas City Council in June was developed in partnership with Deloitte, the United Way, and the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance. Following the press conference, Mr. Mangano addressed the Dallas City Council on federal initiatives to end chronic homelessness.

  Further, the state of Texas received a total of $52 million plus in last year’s awards, a 28% increase over the $41 million of 2002 and a record amount for the state.

• It's Been A Revelation…

  August 16 That's how one project manager described the experience of developing and implementing a project under the HUD/HHS/VA Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness. At this first annual meeting of the Collaborative Initiative grantees and their federal funding partners held in Washington DC last month, heads nodded in agreement. For grantees and federal officials alike, the process that began with a conversation among three Cabinet Secretaries at a White House meeting of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, led to a federal financial commitment of up to $55 million to 11 community partnerships, and resulted in housing for more than 300 chronically homeless men and women to date, has been instructive and revealing.

  Revealing of the statutory, regulatory and cultural barriers that exist between federal agencies and programs that must be overcome to support joint initiatives. Revealing that real collaboration and partnership at both the federal and local level takes a lot of "energy, resources and compromise". Revealing that even the hardest to serve homeless will respond to clinically based outreach and engagement. Revealing that initiatives like this can be "a window of opportunity to go beyond the immediate NOFA and affect the community" through real systems change. All agreed that the undertaking, demanding and difficult at times, is achieving housing success for long time homeless men and women, and is promoting systems change, and expressed support for the Samaritan Initiative legislation pending before Congress, which would provide additional funding opportunities.

  "It's all about access..."

  The Collaborative Initiative grantees attending the meeting represented partnerships in 11 communities that are utilizing their federal funding awards to build a seamless and sustainable system of outreach, housing, primary health care, mental health, substance abuse treatment and other supportive services to end the homelessness of men and women with disabling conditions who have been living on the streets, in encampments and in shelters in their communities for years. The 36 men and women who have been housed through the Contra Costa program had a combined 473 years of homelessness, an average of 11 years each. Sadly, grantees are finding many veterans among their chronically homeless population but as Sage Foster, housing manager for the Contra Costa project said, having Veterans Administration participation in their project, "has made a dirt road into a superhighway for getting chronically homeless veterans the help they need".

  "You got a stir going. The project has been a catalyst for systems change in my community..."

  Participants discussed how the project is having an impact on the way services are being made available for homeless people in their community. For Chicago, the project has strengthened relations between local government agencies and non profits and they have been able to target the grant to an area of the city where there has been an inequity of resources. For Los Angeles, the Skid Row area was already a service-enriched area but there had been a "disconnect" between many of the service providers which the collaborative initiative project is helping to overcome. For some projects, the opportunity to develop a closer working relationship with Social Security has been a big plus. Columbus reported the length of time for SSDI determinations has been reduced to 3-6 weeks, down from 6-12 months. In Denver, they've included an employment specialist on their team and will be benefiting from a recent Social Security HOPE grant that will provide expedited benefit determinations. In Portland, they've developed a strong positive relationship with landlords that is reducing the time between outreach/engagement and housing. In Chattanooga, they've committed to broadening the circle of support for the project to include transportation. The partnerships required to achieve the project's objectives "makes us accountable to each other", said one participant.

  Breaking the cycle of homelessness and doing so in a way that is cost effective for government.

  Research in recent years has shown that chronically homeless persons generally have a disabling condition such as a developmental or physical disability, substance abuse or mental health condition. Persons experiencing chronic homelessness cycle repeatedly through a variety of community care systems including shelters, correctional and medical care facilities, making them some of the most expensive citizens in the community. The 11 projects being supported through the Collaborative Initiative are focused on engaging chronically homeless persons, assisting them in entering housing, providing supportive services needed to maintain those tenancies and connecting them to mainstream resources such as employment services and social security, where appropriate. The research has shown that such supportive housing solutions are effective in ending the homelessness of even the hardest to serve, promotes greater self sufficiency and recovery, has a visible impact on community streets, and offers potential savings in city and county budgets for emergency medical care, jail and other correctional costs.

  During the conference, Chattanooga reported that "they liked the idea of proceeding from a proven model"--that model being Assertive Community Teams (ACT) combined with a Housing First approach and improved access to mainstream program resources. The model was allowing them to "meet the housing, fiscal and health needs of homeless mentally ill persons in our community". Concerns they originally had about whether chronically homeless persons would choose to continue to stay in their housing had been allayed. Of the 51 chronically homeless men and women they had been able to house to date, there had only been three turnovers.

  Describing the 90 unit Empress Hotel which is being master leased for their project, a San Francisco participant noted, "the brilliance of this grant is sustainability. If we were just using the money to do another building, it would not be so exciting". San Francisco is targeting the "high flyers" among their chronically homeless population, those who most frequently use community health care services - and by stabilizing them in housing with primary and behavioral health care services is seeing a reduction in community costs.

  "I saw the genuineness of their caring..."

  Effective outreach and engagement is key to a successful program. In Contra Costa, teams are doing outreach into encampments, using cell phones to arrange for on- demand service. In Chattanooga, the local housing authority made space available to store donated furniture and other household items that were then used to furnish the apartments. The donations sprang from an email passed along through the community. Having peer caseworkers on the ACT teams were found to be helpful to both the team and to consumers.

  National Performance Assessment

  The federal partners are funding a National Performance Assessment of the Collaborative Initiative projects. The assessment is being led by Dr. Robert Rosenheck, Director of the VA's Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). The assessment is designed to provide a high level of public accountability for the investment of federal resources and further our knowledge of effective interventions.

  The assessment consists of two parts:

  Dr. Robert Rosenheck, Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health at Yale Medical School and Director of NEPEC

  • The first part will collect detailed information on the health and well being of clients when they enter the program and will reassess them every three months for up to three years. This part of the evaluation will tell us whether we helped people exit from homelessness, whether their exit was sustained and what other improvements they experienced in health, community adjustment and well being. Because we will collect extensive data on the kinds of services each client receives, we should also be able to identify services or interventions that are most effective in achieving program goals.
  • The second part of the evaluation is an annual survey of inter-organizational relationships in each community. Which organizations are working together? How well do they collaborate with each other? How do they share funds? What services do they provide? With answers to these questions, we hope to identify community differences that may affect program effectiveness.
    



• No Longer Carrying a Ghost Key…

  July 27 He is a Vietnam veteran who had been homeless, living on the streets of Contra Costa County for more than 30 years. She is a 41year old single woman, the mother of 4 children between the ages of 17 and 24 no longer living with her, with a psychiatric history including prior suicide attempts who’d been living on the street for 3 years in Broward County.

  They are just 2 of the more than 300 men and women who have recently been able to move off the streets and out of shelters after years of homelessness into permanent supportive housing through a historic partnership between the federal government and 11 community collaborations across the country.

  In October 2003, 11 communities were competitively chosen from more than 100 applications to participate in the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness. This “Chronic Homelessness Initiative” was an unprecedented effort by the U. S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs to provide communities with housing, primary and behavioral health care, and other supportive services targeted toward ending the homelessness of those who have been living long term in the streets and in shelters. The announcement of the awards was made at a meeting of the Interagency Council, which has guided the effort, and included the following communities:
  Chattanooga TN; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; Broward County, FL; and Contra Costa, CA.

  Last week representatives of each of these 11 community collaborations, including housing providers, substance abuse treatment and mental health counselors, outreach workers and case management staff, met in Washington with federal agency officials from the DC and regional offices to assess progress in the implementation of these programs and learn approaches for program sustainability. This 3-day “grantees conference”, sponsored by SAMHSA with participation by all the federal partners, will be reported on in more detail in future website stories.

  “I’m no longer carrying a “ghost” key – the key I never had to a home”
           -- formerly homeless man participating in Contra Costa project

• Hearing Held on Samaritan Initiative Legislation

  July 19 The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity held a hearing last week to receive testimony on the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004. The Samaritan Initiative was proposed in the President's FY '05 budget, and introduced in Congress by Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona as H.R. 4057. The legislation, which would authorize federal agencies to work together to offer new housing and supportive services funds to communities through a single application, supports the President's goal of ending chronic homelessness in ten years and is strongly supported by communities across the country which have been developing 10-Year Plans.

  The House hearing was chaired by Representative Renzi and Subcommittee Chair Robert Ney (OH), who convened two panels of witnesses that included mayors, national advocacy organizations, faith-based organizations, service providers, and United States Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano.

  Support for Samaritan Initiative National League of Cities letter National Organizations letter NAMI letter US Conference of Mayors Letter LA/NYC/SF/Chicago Mayors Letter U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution Boston Globe Editorial

  On the first panel testifying before the Subcommittee were representatives of cities advancing local strategies to end chronic homelessness and representatives of national advocacy and service organizations focused on homelessness: Philadelphia Deputy Managing Director Robert Hess; Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Executive Director Mitchell Netburn; Columbus/Franklin County, OH, Community Shelter Board Executive Director Barbara Poppe; National Alliance to End Homelessness President Nan Roman; National Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Donald Whitehead; Alameda, CA, Housing Authority Director Michael Pucci; Prescott, AZ, United States Veterans Initiative Director Stephanie Buckley; and Denver Catholic Charities CEO James Mauck who testified on behalf of Catholic Charities USA, Lutheran Services in America, and Volunteers of America. The benefits of the Samaritan Initiative were discussed as well as concerns over the sufficiency of the funding request , homeless families, and funding for the Section 8 housing voucher program. Copies of the witness testimony can be found on the House Financial Services Committee website.

  When our country says that we will no longer tolerate the homelessness of our long term, disabled homeless neighbor; we'll no longer tolerate a homeless veteran foraging for food from a dumpster; we'll no longer tolerate a mentally ill person finding their sleep on our streets; we'll no longer tolerate a homeless elder succumbing to exposure; When our toleration of street homelessness diminishes, our country's soul will feel the healing. And that remedy will move us closer to the day when everyone in our communities will be known by a single name - neighbor - and be treated as one. The Samaritan Initiative moves us as a nation beyond indifference and insulation, and allows us with all our partners to stop on the side of the road for that neighbor." Philip Mangano in testimony to the House Financial Services Housing Subcommittee in support of H.R. 4057.

  ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano testified on behalf of the Administration on a panel of government officials that also included Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Baton Rouge Parish Mayor Bobby Simpson. Denver and Baton Rouge are 2 of the 126 communities across the nation that have developed or are in the process of developing 10-Year Plans. Denver is one of the 11 communities benefiting from last year's historic Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness, the precursor to the proposed Samaritan Initiative. Guided by the Interagency Council, this Collaborative Initiative combined for the first time the resources of the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs into a single application process for communities to receive both permanent housing and supportive services funding targeted toward persons living long term on the streets and in shelters.

  The Samaritan Initiative would provide new resources and further refine the approach developed in the earlier Collaboration - to pool federal resources and expertise, engage in a partnership with local communities, support research based and field tested supportive housing strategies and reduce administrative costs and paperwork burdens on communities.

  The Subcommittee hearing was one more step in a long legislative process. To date 24 representatives have signed on to cosponsor the legislation and numerous national groups have sent letters of endorsement. Continued support will be necessary to move the bill forward.

• House Hearing on Samaritan Initiative Tomorrow

July 12 At 10 am on Tuesday, July 13, in room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity will hold a hearing on H.R. 4057, the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004. ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano will testify on behalf of the Administration in support of this legislation, which would authorize new federal resources to promote and support community efforts to end chronic homelessness.

The Samaritan Initiative was proposed in the President's FY '05 budget, and introduced in Congress by Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona. The legislation supports the President's goal of ending chronic homelessness in ten years and is strongly supported by communities across the country which have been developing 10-Year Plans. Testifying with Mr. Mangano on the first of two witness panels will be Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Baton Rouge Mayor Bobby Simpson. Denver and Baton Rouge are 2 of the 126 communities across the nation that have developed or are in the process of developing a 10-Year Plan. Denver is also one of the 11 communities benefiting from last year's historic Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness. Guided by the Interagency Council, this Collaborative Initiative combined for the first time the resources of the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Service, and Veterans Affairs into a single application process for communities to receive both permanent housing and supportive services funding targeted toward persons living long term on the streets and in shelters. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless received $3.4 million.

• ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano	Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper	Baton Rouge Mayor Bobby Simpson

  A second witness panel will include:

  • Stephanie Buckley, Director, United States Veterans Initiative, Prescott, Arizona
  • Robert Hess, Deputy Managing Director of Adult Services, Office of Emergency Shelter Services, City of Philadelphia
  • James H. Mauck, President, Catholic Charities and Community Services
  • Mitchell Netbum, Executive Director, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
  • Barbara Poppe, Executive Director, Community Shelter Board, Columbus, Ohio
  • Mike Pucci, Executive Director, Housing Authority of the City of Alameda
  • Nan Roman, President, National Alliance to End Homelessness
  • Donald Whitehead, Executive Director, National Coalition for the Homeless

  Chairman Bob Ney of Ohio	Rick Renzi of Arizona

  The Samaritan Initiative legislation refines and expands the HUD/HHS/VA collaboration by authorizing new funding, adding workforce investment boards as eligible participants and further streamlining the application, review, award and monitoring processes. The legislation, which was introduced on March 30, has bipartisan support. Sponsors include several members of the housing subcommittee including Chairman Bob Ney of Ohio, Vice-Chair Mark Green of Wisconsin, Julia Carson of Indiana, Peter King of New York, Christopher Shays of Connecticut, Melissa Hart of Pennsylvania, Michael Capuano of Massachusetts, Patrick Tiberi of Ohio and Rick Renzi of Arizona.

  Several national organizations have endorsed the Samaritan Initiative including:

  • National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
  • The Enterprise Foundation
  • National Alliance to End Homelessness
  • Corporation for Supportive Housing
  • Association for Service Disabled Veterans
  • National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
  • National Aids Housing Coalition

  In June, Charles Lyons, President of the National League of Cities, with 1700 member cities and representing more than 18,000 cities, villages and towns in partnership with 49 State Municipal Leagues sent a letter in support of the bill.

  At its recent annual meeting in Boston, the U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously endorsed a resolution urging Congress to support the Samaritan Initiative legislation and funding. This action followed a letter sent by over 80 mayors to members of Congress in support of the bill and funding.

• San Francisco Unveils 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness

  • Plan focuses on developing permanent supportive housing for the estimated 3000 chronically homeless individuals living on the streets

  June 30 San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, joined by community leaders, members of the Ten Year Planning Council to End Chronic Homelessness, and citizens, today unveiled a 10-Year plan to end chronic homelessness in the "city of St. Francis". The Ten Year Planning Council, led by former Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Angela Alioto, developed the San Francisco Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness at the request of the mayor over a five month period. More than 300 individuals, representing 126 organizations, participated in the eighty-five meetings held to develop the plan that calls for the creation of 3000 new permanent supportive housing units by 2010.

  "The plan we present to you is a no non-sense plan, a "let's house people now" plan that I firmly believe is the key that will unlock the door to the homes our people so desperately need." Ten Year Planning Council Chair Angela Alioto in her report transmittal letter to Mayor Newsom

  "For the first time in the 20 years I have been in public life, I feel the united excitement, the electric energy, the profound intelligence, and the strong will to end chronic homelessness in our great City. It's time to roll our sleeves up and get to work on what will be one of the most rewarding accomplishments of anyone's life." Angela Alioto, Chairwoman of SF Ten Year Planning Council to End Chronic Homelessness

  The estimated 3000 chronically homeless persons in San Francisco are 20% of the city's total homeless population but consume 63% of the city, state and federal funding available for homeless services in the city. According to the Plan report, the care of one chronically homeless person in San Francisco currently costs the city an average of $61,000 a year in emergency room and incarceration costs whereas the cost of providing permanent supportive housing, including treatment and care, is only $16,000 per person per year.

  "The $16,000 in permanent supportive housing would house the person as opposed to the $61,000 in care and services that leaves the person living on the street. Logic and compassion dictate that moving 3000 chronically homeless into permanent supportive housing would be cost effective, saving the taxpayers millions of dollars each year. Doing so would also provide the chronically homeless with their best opportunity to break the cycle of homelessness that controls their lives."  Excerpt from SF Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness

  "The promise of America remains unfulfilled as long as any one of our neighbors is without a place to live. We need to keep that promise for every American. We have a higher calling than the testimony of our streets and shelters. Our work is not to preserve the status quo, no matter how well intentioned. Our mission is to end homelessness." ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano

  ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, who joined Mayor Newson for the announcement of the plan, congratulated the mayor and the city, noting that "today's announcement is good for every San Franciscan, homeless and housed." With the "formal introduction of a management plan to end chronic homelessness, your city begins a multi-year incremental process to bring remedy to its streets and hope to every heart, and ultimately to end all homelessness."

• U.S. Conference of Mayors Endorses Samaritan Initiative at Annual Meeting

  June 28 The Administration's Samaritan Initiative proposal to provide new resources targeted toward ending chronic homelessness received the endorsement of the U.S. Conference of Mayors today at their 72nd Annual Meeting in Boston.

  ICH Executive Director Mangano addressed the Community Development and Housing Committee, chaired by Charlotte Mayor McCrory, at the U. S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Boston.

  The resolution, introduced by a bipartisan group of mayors led by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, was first considered and favorably reported on Saturday by the Community Development and Housing Committee chaired by Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory. ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was invited to speak at the Committee meeting, applauded the mayors for their continuing support and partnership in the effort to end chronic homelessness. Mr. Mangano noted that the challenge the Conference of Mayors had accepted last year to have 100 cities engage in developing 10-Year Plans to end chronic homelessness had been surpassed. More than 120 cities across the nation have already developed or are engaged in developing a 10-Year Plan. In the last two weeks, the mayors of both the nation's capital, Washington DC, and the nation's largest city, New York, announced their city's 10-Year Plan.

  2004 resolution | 2003 resolution

• New York City Mayor Bloomberg Unveils Plan to End Homelessness in Nation’s Largest City

  • The Plan, Uniting for Solutions Beyond Shelter, was developed by a partnership of city, public and private sector groups and individuals
  • Announcement comes just one week after the nation's Capitol released its plan
  • Over 120 cities have initiated the process of developing 10-Year Plans since the Bush Administration announced a goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2012

  June 23 At a morning breakfast of business, non profit and public sector leaders hosted by the Association for a Better New York for the release of a 10-Year Plan to end homelessness in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg called on his city not to surrender to the scourge of homelessness and committed to putting the full weight of his administration behind ending chronic homelessness in the city. ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano joined Mayor Bloomberg and NYC Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Linda Gibbs for the announcement.

  "We are too strong, and too smart, and too compassionate a city to surrender to the scourge of homelessness", said Mayor Bloomberg. "We won't do it. We won't allow it.... When any New Yorker who wants a home, has one-it will be a victory for all of us".

  Over the past five years, the annual budget for New York City's Department of Homeless Services has grown from $400 million to $700 million. The average family stay in the shelter system is 11 months. Under the plan revealed today, money and manpower which has been used to manage homelessness, will be devoted to ending homelessness.

  “For too long, when New Yorkers in need had to go somewhere, the only place that would take them in was a shelter. Tonight, when the day’s work is done, I think we should all stop and think about that. Think how fortunate we are to be… going home. And then wake up tomorrow ready to rededicate our efforts to satisfy that same basic human need for everyone in our city.” Mayor Bloomberg

  Mayor Bloomberg challenged his city commissioners to dramatically reduce homelessness including such specific goals as reducing by two-thirds the number of homeless men and women living on the streets and in the shelters between now and the end of 2009. Noting that "an over-reliance on providing shelter instead of preventing homelessness has taken a powerful toll on the lives of the very people we have sought to help", the Mayor outlined initiatives that will redirect the focus away from maintaining an ever growing shelter system and toward preventing homelessness. Among these initiatives are increased investments in supportive housing (from 5000 to 12,000 units to be created), rental assistance, and improved discharge planning.

  Recently, Mayor Bloomberg joined Chicago Mayor Daley, Los Angeles Mayor Hahn and San Francisco Mayor Newsom in signing a letter to Congress urging passage of the Samaritan Initiative, a Bush Administration proposal which would provide new resources to communities to implement supportive housing strategies for persons experiencing chronic homelessness.

• June 16 D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams today unveiled a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness for the nation’s Capital city. Joined by ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, National Alliance to End Homelessness Executive Director Kirk Gibson, and local service providers and advocates, Mayor Williams unveiled Homeless No More, a plan to move homeless residents into permanent housing as quickly as possible and provide them with the social services needed to help resolve the issues that caused them to become homeless.

  "Today is a good day in the nation's Capital. Washington, D.C. shows itself to be a compassionate and pragmatic city as it joins many other cities across our great country committed to ending the national disgrace of chronic homelessness in the next decade. Washington, D.C. joins cities all across our country in moving forward with a ten year plan to end the chronic homelessness of people on our streets and in shelters," stated ICH Executive Director Mangano.

  The 10-Year Plan was drafted by the Mayor's Policy Academy Team ("MPACT") led by Lynn French, Senior Policy Advisor for Homeless and Special Needs Housing and Dr. J. Stephen Cleghorn, Deputy Director for the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness and was based on the recommendations of a broad spectrum of city and business leaders, homeless providers and advocates, and homeless people.

  To achieve the goal of ending homelessness by 2014, the Plan calls for:

  1. Increasing homeless prevention efforts at both local and federal levels,
  2. Providing supportive services fully coordinated to include homeless programs and special needs housing, and
  3. Developing 6,000 units of affordable, supportive permanent housing to meet the needs of the District's homeless and other very-low-income persons who are at risk.

  The MPACT team will form the nucleus of a new District Interagency Council on Homelessness that will create cross-system strategies to facilitate the ending of homelessness. Mainstream public agencies and services would be transformed to better serve homeless persons. Traditional emergency shelters would be replaced by easy-access, rapid-exit "Housing Assistance Centers" and "Housing First" options would be offered to rapidly move homeless city residents to permanent housing where they would be supported by transitional, neighborhood-based services until they are beyond their crises. "Housing Plus" options would provide immediate placement along with ongoing supportive services.
  
  

• Momentum for Samaritan Initiative Continues to Build

  • The National League of Cities, with 1700 member cities and representing more than 18,000 cities, villages and towns in partnership with 49 State Municipal Leagues, becomes latest national organization to support H.R. 4057, the Samaritan Initiative Act.

  In a letter to Congressman Rick Renzi, the bill’s sponsor, NLC President Charles Lyons noted that the NLC has already adopted a resolution supporting the Administration’s efforts to end chronic homelessness within ten years and the development of 10-Year Plans by local governments.

  “The NLC believes that H.R. 4057 is a step in the right direction toward helping these visionary communities succeed in their difficult task. For example, your legislation authorizes Federal agencies to pool their resources, better enabling them to provide funding for permanent affordable housing and supportive services. Additionally, your legislation will allow the agencies to take geographic distribution of the chronically homeless into consideration, a step that will make both urban and rural communities eligible for grants. Finally, your bill authorizes $70 million in new funding. This will provide federal seed money to help communities to effectively implement and ultimately succeed in, their ten-year plans to end chronic homelessness”.

• Momentum for Samaritan Initiative Continues to Build

  May 13 The last month has seen momentum continue to build in Washington and across the country for H.R. 4057, the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004. The partnership between the federal government, the states, cities and counties, and the private sector to end the disgrace of chronic homelessness is flourishing.

  Letter from 4 Big City Mayors shows that ending chronic homelessness has bipartisan support

  On April 29th, Mayor Bloomberg of New York, Mayor Daley of Chicago, Mayor Newson of San Francisco, and Mayor Hahn of Los Angeles, sent a joint letter to Members of Congress urging "that funding be provided for the Administration's FY 2005 $70 million multi-agency budget proposal for the Samaritan Initiative." These mayors represent some of the largest cities in the country and their bipartisan letter shows that on the issue of homelessness, there is no partisanship, only partnership. Republican, or Democrat, Independent or Green Party, there is unity and dedication to the objective of ending chronic homelessness.

  Seven national organizations urge Members of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 4057

  Calling H.R. 4057 "a critical step in the President's initiative to end chronic homelessness by 2012," seven national organizations have written to Congress in support of the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004. In their letter, they note that chronic homelessness impacts all communities and the Samaritan Initiative will offer funding assistance to both urban and rural areas. They also note that the chronically homeless population "includes many of our nation's service disabled veterans."

  • The Enterprise Foundation
  • National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
  • National Aids Housing Coalition
  • National Alliance to End Homelessness
  • Corporation for Supportive Housing
  • Association for Service Disabled Veterans
  • National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

  Cong. Rick Renzi sends "Dear Colleague" letter urging fellow members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor H.R. 4057; House Financial Services Committee likely to hold hearing on the bill in June.

  On May 4, Congressman Rick Renzi sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to his colleagues urging them to cosponsor H.R. 4057.

  "The Samaritan Initiative responds to the concerns of elected officials, law enforcement, Chambers of Commerce and other business organizations and the public to adopt an approach to ending street homelessness that is humane for the individual, has a visible impact on the streets and is cost effective . . . Please join me in creating a new way to treat homelessness, which draws on the collective expertise and resources of our Federal agencies to work together in a seamless manner . . ."

  Meet the Members of the House who have already signed on to support H.R. 4057

  They are Republican and Democrat, representing big cities and rural communities, from all regions of the country. They are the 19 members of the House of Representatives who have taken the lead in sponsoring and cosponsoring HR 4057, the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004.

  Rick Renzi, Show Low, AZ	Anne Northup, Louisville, KY	Christopher Shays, Bridgeport, CT	Patrick Tiberi, Columbus, OH	Jim Matheson, Salt Lake City, UT
  Judy Biggert, western Chicago suburbs	Thomas Reynolds, Rochester, NY	Richard Burr, Winston-Salem, NC	Robert Simmons, Norwich, CT	Deborah Pryce, Columbus, OH
  Mike Capuano, Cambridge, MA	Mark Green, Green Bay, WI	Jim Greenwood, Doylestown, PA	Nancy Johnson, Waterbury, CT	Bob Ney, St. Clairsville, OH
  Jerry Lewis, Redlands, CA	Melissa Hart, western PA	Charles Pickering, Meridian, MS	Peter King, Long Island, NY	Julia Carson, Indianapolis, IN
  Philip English, Erie, PA

• Chinese 6 Companies Commit to Partnerships with Federal And Local Government to End Chronic Homelessness

  • ICH Director Mangano meets with group during trip to California that included meetings with city and county officials in Sacramento, Oakland, Contra Costa and San Francisco.
  • Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown announces 10-Year Planning process to end chronic homelessness.
  • ICH Executive Director Mangano speaks at California League of Cities meeting and attends meeting of Contra Costa officials organized by City of Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder.

  May 6 While in California for a series of meetings with city and county officials, ICH Executive Director Mangano met with the Chinese 6 Companies, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. The meeting was highlighted by mutual pledges of partnership and support in ending homelessness.

  The Chinese 6 and similar Asian American groups across the country are concerned about the occurrence of homelessness in their communities and that the percentage of people experiencing homelessness might be increasing. Chairman of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Daniel Hom stated, "It was an exceptionally great occasion to have been able to receive such a distinguished decision maker from Washington, D.C. and an honor for the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. Chronic homelessness is a problem for San Francisco and throughout California and we understand that it is also a national problem. The Chinese Six supports the government's work to end chronic homelessness." View local news coverage.

  San Francisco is one of over 100 communities across the nation engaged in a 10-year planning process. This week ICH Executive Director Mangano traveled to three communities in Massachusetts where Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and New Bedford Mayor Frederick Kalisz each announced the initiation of 10-Year Planning efforts in their communities to end chronic homelessness. View New Bedford Standard Times Editorial.

  "The issue of homelessness needs special attention and as city officials we must take a leadership position in helping those individuals who need help. Therefore, I am committing every available resource at my disposal to working with the Interagency Council on Homelessness to rid Lawrence of homelessness in ten years. It is incumbent upon all of us as city officials and public servants to achieve this goal," -- Lawrence Mayor Sullivan

  Hop Wo Association President and Board Member of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Joseph Yu; Yan Wo Association President and Board Member of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Tim Cheuk; Council Executive Director Philip Mangano; Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Chairman Daniel Hom; San Francisco Committee to End Chronic Homelessness Chair Angela Alioto; and Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Board Member Thomas Ng.

  "Chronic homelessness can be eliminated in this city and across the country if city, state, and federal officials work together to make it happen. In tight local budget times, it's important for all of us to work together. Ending this kind of homelessness is quite achievable, if we all work together." -- Somerville Mayor Curtatone

  "The Interagency Council is closely working with communities across the country like
  New Bedford in joining a nation-wide effort to address and eradicate chronic homelessness. I am pleased to welcome the Interagency Council to our city to celebrate partnerships, product, and the outset of a new planning venture. I am privileged to be a part of this momentum as New Bedford moves forward and in step with federal initiatives, the leadership of the Interagency Council, and the profound needs of our city's residents." -- New Bedford Mayor Kalisz

• From Scranton, PA to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Partnerships are Developing to End Chronic Homelessness

  From left to right: Dr. Brenda Matos, President of Ponce Continuum of Care Coalition, Puerto Rico Acting Governor and Secretary of Justice Hon. Anabel Rodriguez, Philip Mangano, Executive Director of US Interagency Council on Homelessness, Laura Ayala, President of Caguas Continuum of Care Coalition, Maria Jaunarena, President of San Juan Continuum of Care Coalition

  April 28 ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano joined senior policy officials from the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs, to discuss federal initiatives to prevent and end homelessness at Puerto Rico's First Summit on Homelessness. Mr. Mangano was the keynote speaker on April 21 at this historic event which brought together over 300 elected officials, senior policy makers, service providers, representatives of the business community, citizens and homeless people from throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

  On Monday April 26, Mr. Mangano joined Scranton Mayor Christopher Doherty and Lackawanna County Commission A.J. Munchak at a press conference announcing the Scranton/Lackawanna County 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness.

  
  

  A Place to Live Wherever I go in this country I talk to homeless people. I meet with them alone. And I ask them what they want. Not what somebody else tells me they want. But what they want. And you know they're clear about what they want. Even if they have an addiction or untreated mental illness or have been out on the streets for years. They are clear. They never ask for a pill or a plan or a program. They ask for a place. A place to live. The President has asked for $70 million in his budget proposal to Congress for a Samaritan Initiative. We've all learned the story of the Samaritan. Someone was on the side of the road, on the street, disabled, ignored by some, arousing indifference in others and fear in yet others. The Samaritan stopped and offered assistance ensuring that housing and services were provided. For those experiencing chronic homelessness, this Administration has stopped. Others have passed by. We're not. And we're going to invest the resources necessary to move those most vulnerable, most disabled, most likely to be on the street, most likely to be in long term homelessness into supportive housing to retain and sustain the tenancy. We need those resources to create what homeless people most want, a place to live. ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano speaking at Puerto Rico's First Summit on Homelessness, April 21, 2004

  Today is a good day for everyone in Scranton and Lackawanna County. In creating this 10 year plan to end chronic homelessness, this great city and county show that you are hospitable to all your neighbors, inhospitable to homelessness. And what an effort by the city and county, partnering together with more than 50 agencies, the private sector, faith communities, the United Way, YMCA, Red Cross, academia, Habitat.

  In Mayor Doherty you have a leader who understands that government can be a catalyst for change. You recognized that as a caring community you would no longer be content shuffling homeless people from one city to another, from one side of town to the other, from one homeless program to another. Mayor Doherty and Commissioner Munchak and all the stakeholders knew Scranton deserved better than that. The old status quo response that left people on the streets wasn't good enough.

  And in County Commissioner Munchak you have a leader who understands how to apply business and finance principles to get things done. He recognizes that this plan leads the way out of the past to a future of strategic, coordinated innovation and investment that is outcome oriented and results driven.

  Thank you for your commitment to our 10 year planning process. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for the results you'll achieve through our investment in your efforts. You are creating a city and county where everyone will be known by a single name - neighbor - and treated as one. You should all be proud of your Mayor and Commissioner and all your partners and stakeholders who will achieve this mission. I can assure you, we are in Washington.

  Excerpts from the remarks of ICH Executive Director Mangano at April 26 press conference announcing Scranton's 10 year plan to end chronic homelessness.

• Communities in North Carolina Advance 10-Year Planning Processes

  Pictured at Raleigh/Wake County press conference (front row, l to r) are Mayor Charles Meeker, ICH ED Mangano, Wake County Commissioner Jeffries, St.. Augustine President Suber. Back Row: Steering Committee Co-Chairs Chancellor and Cutler, Wake County Commissioner Gardner, Congressmen Brad Miller and David Price, and Wake County CoC Co-Chair Tedrow.

  April 21 From the state's capital city of Raleigh to the small community of Henderson (pop 16,000), community officials and citizens throughout North Carolina are taking action to end homelessness. In a trip to several communities in North Carolina last week, ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano met with Asheville Mayor Charles Worley and Buncombe County Vice Chairman Bill Stanley, Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory, Henderson Mayor Donald Seifert, Jr, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker and Wake County Commissioner Kenn Gardner, Salisbury Mayor Susan Kluttz, and Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines to discuss 10-Year Plans, the Administration's Samaritan Initiative, and federal investments to end chronic homelessness.
  

  “Spare change is not enough. We need real change. Substantive change. On our streets. In homeless programs. In our communities. In the circumstances of homeless people.” Philip Mangano, speaking to the Inter-College Conference to End Homelessness at historic St. Augustine College in Raleigh on April 16.

  The development of 10-Year Plans to end chronic homelessness has been endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, and the National League of Cities. Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory was one of the sponsors of the U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution adopted last June. A planning effort in Raleigh/Wake County has resulted in "Ending Homelessness - The Ten Year Action Plan" which has been endorsed by Raleigh Mayor Meeker. At a press conference on Friday following his keynote address at the "Making A Difference: Student Conference on Ending Homelessness" at St. Augustine College, Mr. Mangano publicly congratulated Raleigh Mayor Meeker, Wake County Commissioner Gardner, city and county staff, and stakeholders for their commitment to ending homelessness.

  NC Homeless Policy Specialist Martha Are, ICH ED Mangano, Asheville Mayor Charles Worley and COC members Christy Carter and Robin Merrell	Attending Salisbury Press Conference were (l to r ): Deborah Lee, Bruce Burch, Eric Wilson, Tony McEwen, Office of Congressman Melvin Watt, James L. Robinson, III, Psy.D., Philip Mangano, Stacy Allison Office of Senator Elizabeth Dole), Terry Welch, Office of Congressman Howard Coble, and Martha Are.	Winston-Salem Council members Vivian Burke, Nelson Malloy (seated), ICH Ed Mangano and Mayor Allen Joines

  
  

• New Federal Funding Opportunities Announced by the U.S. Department of Labor

  • $6.5 million will be available in two new grant opportunities to support and strengthen the unique work of grassroots organizations that assist hard-to-serve populations including homeless people and ex-offenders.

  Labor Secretary and ICH Vice-Chair Elaine Chao

  April 8 Two offices within the U.S. Department of Labor - the Employment and Training Administration and the Center for Faith Based and Community Services - have collaborated in developing two new grant initiatives to foster community partnerships that connect hard-to-serve populations including the homeless with employment and training resources available through One Stop Career Centers. Details about these funding opportunities can be found in the Federal Register: Grants for Small Grassroots Organizations and Grants for Workforce Investment Boards.

  "Working together, workforce investment boards and neighborhood organizations can reach into local communities to unemployed and underemployed workers who might otherwise fall through the cracks", said Emily Stover DeRocco, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training.

  The Department of Labor will maintain a special "Questions and Answers" section regarding these competitions on its website until May 5.

• Connecticut Governor John Rowland Established State Interagency Council on Supportive Housing and Homelessness

  • Governor Rowland signs Executive Order No. 34 at ceremony at Hudson View Commons, a supportive housing complex, in Hartford
  • Council given responsibility for doubling the number of publicly-supported supportive housing units to prevent and end chronic homelessness

  April 8 Noting that "it was a good day to be in Connecticut" following the successful sweep the two previous evenings by the UCONN men and women's basketball teams of the NCAA national titles, ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano joined Connecticut Governor John Rowland on Wednesday at the signing of Executive Order No. 34 creating a state interagency council on homelessness. The signing of the Executive Order followed an earlier meeting in February between Mr. Mangano and Governor Rowland. New England ICH Regional Coordinator John O'Brien, who helped foster the process in meetings with state officials and provided technical assistance, also attended the event.

  l to r: Janice Elliott, CSH; Philip Mangano; CT Governor Rowland; and Diane Randall, Partnership for Strong Communities. In the background, John O'Brien, ICH Region 1 Coordinator.

  The creation of the Council by Governor Rowland responds to the Bush Administration's call to end chronic homelessness in ten years. The Council is being charged with the responsibility for doubling the number of publicly supported supportive housing units in the state. Governor Rowland noted that Connecticut has been creating supportive housing since 1993, "Connecticut is leading the way and is a national model for ending chronic homelessness altogether in the next decade."

  ICH Executive Director Mangano acknowledged the leadership Connecticut is showing - at the state level, in communities, and through its Congressional Delegation - in the effort to end chronic homelessness:

  "Governor Rowland's commitment to a state interagency council accelerates the change happening in this state as communities such as Bridgeport, Stamford, and Hartford move to create 10-Year Plans to end homelessness.

  Governor, I can tell you, not only from a Washington perspective, but also having worked on this issue in a state just north of here for over 20 years, that the providers, advocates, housers and faith-based agencies you have here in Connecticut are second to none across our country. They are your frontline Turners and Moores, Conlons and Taurasi's.

  We have introduced legislation in the Congress named the Samaritan Initiative to add another $70 million in federal funds to our quest to end chronic homelessness. Three members of the Connecticut Congressional Delegation are among the 12 original sponsors of the bill-Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, and Congressmen Christopher Shays and Robert Simmons.

  All of these efforts are part of a partnership of political will focused on homelessness with the intent of ending the most visible and expensive expression of homelessness as the portal to ending all homelessness. All of you in partnership are creating a vision of your state that embraces every citizen. Ensuring that no one will be forgotten or left behind. A place where everyone will be known by a single name - neighbor - and treated as one."

• Bush Administration Deepens Commitment to End Chronic Homelessness at Interagency Council on Homelessness Meeting at the White House

  • Secretary Anthony Principi becomes first Veterans Affairs Secretary to assume chairmanship of Council
  • $30 million in new federal resources made available for housing, services, and income to reduce incidence of chronic homelessness
  • Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker and Robert Hess, Philadelphia Deputy Managing Director for Special Needs Housing praise the unprecedented level of commitment and partnerships forming at all levels of government and within communities to end chronic homelessness.
  
  

  US Interagency Council on Homelessness April 1 Meeting

  April 1 Meeting in the White House's historic Indian Treaty Room, Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi today assumed chairmanship of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Secretary Principi is the first VA Secretary to chair the Council. Secretary Principi was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, Education Secretary Rod Paige, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, USICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, and senior officials from the 20 Cabinet Departments and agencies that comprise the Interagency Council in announcing $30 million in new federal investments targeted toward preventing and ending chronic homelessness.

  New Federal Investments Announced

  • l-r ICH Executive Director Mangano, Secretaries Principi, Thompson, Jackson and Paige

    In his first official announcement after being confirmed by the Senate as HUD Secretary Wednesday evening, Alphonso Jackson announced $6.5 million in HUD HOME funds targeted to housing for persons experiencing chronic homelessness.
  • $6.6 million in awards to 34 sites from the Social Security Administration to support enrollment of chronically homeless individuals who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In discussing the awards, SSA Deputy Commissioner Lockhart noted that six of the grants went to faith-based organizations, 14 were focused on veterans, and more than 50% of the grants had an employment services component. SSA estimates that 5000 homeless persons will be served through the programs receiving these funds over the next 3 years.
  • $15 million in awards for VA Grant and Per Diem transitional beds for homeless veterans. These awards are going to 80 organizations in 29 states and the District of Columbia providing an additional 1500 transitional housing beds for homeless veterans.
  • The Department of Justice will offer supplemental funding of up to $300,000 to approximately 20 grantees under the Serious and Violent Offenders Re-entry Initiative to identify housing opportunities. Associate Attorney General Robert McCallum discussed the importance of housing to successful return to employment and community life. The Department of Justice will soon publish a guide for faith and community-based programs on developing housing for ex-offenders. Similarly the Department of Labor will be providing $1 million for four pilot programs to assist incarcerated veterans, who are within 18 months of release and are at risk of homelessness to re-train and re-enter the workforce
  • HHS Secretary Thompson, who has just completed a successful year as Chairman of the Council, made several announcements demonstrating HHS continuing commitment to the prevention and ending of homelessness. HHS has increased the amount of its 3 year funding commitment to the 11 grantees under last year’s historic HUD/HHS/VA Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness. The HHS commitment now totals nearly $31 million.
    
    Secretary Thompson also announced that SAMHSA will contribute $500,000 toward a technical assistance contract to help states which have attended the Policy Academies on Ending Chronic Homelessness implement their action plans. He challenged his fellow Secretaries to also make a contribution to this effort.

  State and Local Government Leaders Join Effort to End Chronic Homelessness

  Rob Hess, Governor Pawlenty, Philip Mangano, Mayor Corker

  Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker were present to describe new initiatives they are making in partnership with the federal government to end chronic homelessness. Governor Pawlenty and Mayor Corker represent a growing number of governors and mayors who have responded to the Interagency Council’s call to create State Interagency Councils on Homelessness and City 10-Year Plans to End Homelessness.

  • Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) described his state's new "Business Plan to End Long-term Homelessness," which calls for the creation of 4000 new supportive housing opportunities by 2010 , Describing the end of chronic homelessness as "an important and compassionate goal", Governor Pawlenty praised the Administration for its national leadership on this issue and emphasized that Minnesota’s effort to end chronic homelessness by 2010 is not "simply aspirational but is an actual business plan" with benchmarks and deliverables. He encouraged the Council to give his state maximum flexibility in using federal resources to conjunction with state resources to implement the plan.
  • Mayor Bob Corker of Chattanooga described the development of his city's recent 10-Year plan, which calls for the reduction of homelessness through increased permanent housing development and placements (setting a goal of 1400 new units over ten years), and the provision of more strategic prevention services, including additional efforts to divert individuals leaving hospitals, jails, and treatment facilities from becoming homeless. Mayor Corker described the important role the Interagency Council has played in helping create a paradigm shift in the way communities approach the issue of homelessness. For the first time all segments within the community are working together, under a shared vision, to integrate their services and the emphasis has changed from creating more shelters to creating permanent housing.

  Incoming ICH Chair Principi with outgoing chair Thompson

  Council Members Commend Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi for introducing the Administration’s Samaritan Initiative legislation in the Congress this week and hear from Philadelphia official Robert Hess about his city’s success in reducing street homelessness.

  At the April 1st meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi assumed chairmanship of the Council. Secretary Principi was elected to the position of chair by his fellow Council members at the conclusion of the October 1 Council meeting. He becomes the first VA Secretary to chair the Council. In his remarks to the Council, Secretary Principi spoke poignantly of the plight faced by homeless people and of the honor “in accepting the gavel marking a seamless transfer of responsibility for leadership of the Council’s collective commitment to victory in our Nation’s ongoing war against homelessness…. I feel particularly fortunate to assume the chairmanship at a time when my Department is meeting the needs of our young men and women returning home from the war on terrorism, and from their duties as ‘watch-keepers’ and peacekeepers here at home and around the globe. I, as do VA’s 218,000 employees, want to ensure that none of this newest generation of Freedom’s defenders fall victim to the blight of homelessness in America.” Recalling George Washington’s admonition to “Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse,” Secretary Principi went on to say, “I know that each of us in our hearts feels for the distress of America’s homeless. Our hands are tasked …supported by our Nation’s largess of purse… to help guide the men and women now living in the rutted roads of homelessness to the brighter causeways of “Main Street” America illuminated by peace of mind, economic stability and personal dignity.”

  Noting that Philadelphia has succeeded over the last couple years in reducing the number of homeless persons on the streets of their central business district from 824 to 78, Robert Hess, Deputy Managing Director of Special Needs Housing for the city described how the Interagency Council's emphasis on providing permanent housing with supportive services for chronically homeless persons had been and continues to be helpful to the city in achieving this reduction.

  Philadelphia was one of 11 cities which received a grant last October under the Council's historic Collaborative Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness which combined the resources and efforts of three federal agencies- HUD, HHS, and VA, to provide housing,
  mental health, substance abuse treatment and primary health care services to communities through a single application process.

  The Administration's Samaritan Initiative legislation introduced in the Congress this week by Congressman Renzi would further simplify the application process and provide for even greater collaboration by the federal agencies through the pooling of resources and joint technical assistance and monitoring.

  Mr. Hess noted that he had never seen the "kind of focus and energy that exists now in city halls across the country" in response to the Administration's call to end chronic homelessness.

• Samaritan Initiative Legislation Introduced in the House of Representatives - H.R. 4057

  • Congressman Rick Renzi (R-AZ) introduces legislation, is joined by ten Republican and Democrat cosponsors
  • Legislation creates the opportunity to reduce the number of chronically homeless persons living on the streets and in shelters
  • House Financial Services Committee to consider the bill this year

  March 30 Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, today introduced the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004. The introduction of the bill is the first step in the legislative process to bring to fruition the Samaritan Initiative proposal outlined in the Administration's FY 05 budget to provide new federal housing and supportive services resources specifically targeted to the goal of ending chronic homelessness in ten years.

  Eleven House members have signed on as original cosponsors of the bill: Anne Northup (R-Louisville KY), Bob Ney (R-Ohio) who chairs the House Housing and Community Opportunities Subcommittee, Christopher Shays (R-CT), Robert Simmons (R-CT), Patrick Tiberi (R-Ohio), Charles Pickering (R-MS), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Mike Capuano (D-MA), Thomas Reynolds (R-NY), and Deborah Pryce (R-OH).

  "With the Samaritan Initiative, we intend to make visible and quantifiable change on the streets of our nation," said Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness who applauded Congressman Renzi for taking the lead in introducing the legislation. "This legislation will offer new, coordinated resources targeted to our vulnerable neighbors long term in shelters and on our streets."

  “Communities need to have the resources available to provide bundled services, integrating health care, psychiatric evaluation, substance abuse counseling while simultaneously providing secure and adequate housing to better assist the chronically homeless." Congressman Rick Renzi, 1st-AZ, who today introduced the Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004.

  The Samaritan Initiative Act of 2004 would amend the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act to provide authority for the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs to jointly fund community-based efforts to coordinate the provision of housing, health care, mental health and substance abuse services to chronically homeless persons to move them from the streets and out of shelters into housing with the supports they need to sustain their tenancies. Such "supportive housing strategies" have been demonstrated to be cost effective for the community and successful in helping the individual out of homelessness and toward recovery and self sufficiency. Research has demonstrated typical tenancy stability rates of over 80%.

  The Samaritan Initiative represents a fresh approach to chronic homelessness that is based on accountability, collaboration and results. At the federal level, the Samaritan Initiative requires federal agencies to collaborate to make new federal housing and services dollars available in a single funding stream through the use of a consolidated application, review and award process. Provisions in the bill would allow for other agencies, such as the Labor Department, to join HUD, HHS and the VA in this federal collaboration. At the local level, a comprehensive and integrated community strategy would have to be developed to provide outreach, treatment, and support services coordinated with permanent housing. Grantees would be expected to enumerate the reduction in the number of chronically homeless persons living on the streets or in shelters as a result of receiving this targeted federal funding.

  Who would be helped by the Samaritan Initiative?

  • The Samaritan Initiative is targeted to ending the homelessness of persons experiencing chronic homelessness. A chronically homeless person is defined as an "unaccompanied disabled individual who has been sleeping in one or more places not meant for human habitation or in one or more emergency homeless shelters for over one year or who has had four or more periods of homelessness over three years. The term disabled means that the individual's ability to work or perform one or more activities of daily living is limited due to diagnosable substance abuse disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability, or the co-occurrence of two or more of these conditions".
  • Communities, in which grants would be awarded, would also benefit from the Samaritan Initiative since research has shown that chronically homeless persons not only spend significant periods of time living on the streets and in other public spaces, they also cycle repeatedly through a variety of expensive community care systems including shelters, correctional and health care facilities. One study of nearly 5000 homeless persons with severe mental disorders found that they had used an average of over $34,000 a year in publicly funded hospitalization and correctional services.

  Who would be eligible to apply for Samaritan Initiative funding?

  States, units of general local government, public housing agencies, local workforce investment boards, and private non-profit organizations including faith-based and community organizations would be eligible to apply for competitively awarded Samaritan Initiative grants. Grants would be available to both urban and rural areas.

  How would the Samaritan Initiative differ from last year's $35 million Collaborative Initiative?

  First, it's twice as much funding. Second, it would be all new funding.

  If enacted, the Samaritan Initiative would become a permanent new program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act with the opportunity for new federal resources to be made available for it each year. The $35 million Collaborative Initiative was funded through the use of one time resources cobbled together from existing HUD, HHS and VA funds. While the $35 million Collaborative Initiative demonstrated the feasibility of this multi-agency approach and the need and interest that exist in communities for such assistance -- more than 106 applications were received -- the application process was extremely cumbersome due to the programmatic constraints of utilizing monies not originally targeted to this specific purpose. An authorized Samaritan Initiative program with dedicated new housing and service resources would greatly simplify the application, review, award and monitoring processes. Funding for the Samaritan Initiative is proposed at $70 million level for '05.

  The legislation has been introduced. What happens next?

  The legislative process is two-fold. The Samaritan Initiative legislation, which would amend the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act to create a new permanent program will have to be considered by the appropriate legislative committees. In the House, the Financial Services Committee and in the Senate, the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee have primary jurisdiction over the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Committees with jurisdiction over veterans programs and mental health and substance abuse treatment programs may also have to be consulted.

  The second step is the actual funding for the program. The Administration's '05 budget proposes a $70 million funding level in FY 2005 - $50 million in new housing resources through HUD, $10 million in new supportive services through SAMHSA and $10 million in new resources for the Veterans Administration to provide case management services for chronically homeless veterans. These funding requests will be considered by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on VA/HUD/Independent Agencies and Labor/HHS/Education.

  Is any congressional action on the authorizing legislation expected this year?

  In a recent "Views and Estimate" report to the House Budget Committee, the House Financial Services Committee stated,

  "The Committee applauds the Administration's goal of ending chronic homelessness and supports the $50 million in housing assistance for those experiencing chronic or long term homelessness included in the President's 2005 budget. The Committee will hold hearings and consider the Administration's proposal to combine HUD's permanent housing funding with assistance from the Departments of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs for supportive services such as substance abuse treatment and primary health care".

• Tripartite Colloquy on Homelessness Underway in Washington

  March 26 Representatives of the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa are meeting in Washington this week at the invitation of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to discuss national responses to homelessness. This government-to-government dialogue is an unprecedented exchange focused on innovative programs, best practices and performance results in ending homelessness.

  "Our intent is to ensure that our common efforts are infused with the best ideas currently available and at work both within and outside our individual countries to eliminate the disgrace of homelessness", said Philip Mangano in welcoming the UK and South African representatives. "We recognize that we have much to learn from our colleagues beyond our own borders. That learning will be enhanced by an exchange of perspectives related to planful partnerships, strategic solutions, and innovative initiatives."

  Among those attending the Tripartite Colloquy are the Director and other senior staff of the Homelessness and Housing Support Directorate in the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister UK, representatives from the UK Health Service, the Economic Counselor for the South African Embassy in Washington and senior US officials from many of the 20 Cabinet level and other federal agencies which comprise the Interagency Council's membership.

  The three day colloquy, which included a field visit to innovative programs in Philadelphia, concludes Friday. More information about the discussions will be available on our website next week.

• Samaritan Initiative Legislation Moving Forward

  • March 15 second anniversary of Council's revitalization
  • ICH Executive Director testified before House VA/HUD/Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee on March 17
  • Congressman Rick Renzi of Arizona to introduce Samaritan Initiative legislation

  March 18 Describing the two year journey that began with boxes filled with old files in otherwise empty office space, ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano testified before the House VA/HUD/Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee yesterday on the work of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness since its revitalization in 2002 and in particular, the progress that has been made toward building the federal inter-agency, and state and local government partnerships needed to achieve the Administration's goal of ending chronic homelessness in 10 years.

  The Council represents the collaborative efforts of 20 member agencies. In the two years since its revitalization, the Council, its Senior Policy Group, and Council staff have begun to develop and implement a federal strategy on homelessness that is research-driven and performance-based. The Council is establishing a new standard of expectation for the investment of federal homeless resources. That expectation is that our initiatives will result in visible, measurable and quantifiable change in our communities, on our streets, and in the lives of homeless people.

  Nowhere is this new research driven, performance- based agenda better represented than in the President's Samaritan Initiative. Chronic homelessness, often referred to as street homelessness, is the most visible expression of homelessness in our country, and is most often a result of disabilities. It is the type of homelessness most often cited by community leaders, neighborhood groups, Chambers of Commerce, downtown business districts and others as demanding response. The Samaritan Initiative, proposed in the President's FY 05 budget at $70 million in new federal funds, is a performance based program intended to result in a visible and quantifiable reduction in the number of chronically homeless persons living on the streets and long term in shelters.

  The Samaritan Initiative legislation has been drafted by the Administration and will be introduced in Congress shortly by Congressman Rick Renzi of Arizona. The Samaritan Initiative would provide authority for the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs to jointly fund community-based efforts to coordinate the provision of housing with supportive services, including health care, mental health and substance abuse treatment services, to move chronically homeless persons from the streets and out of shelters into permanent housing with the supportive services available to sustain their tenancies. See the Samaritan Initiative Fact Sheet for more information.

  In addition to describing the importance of the Samaritan Initiative, Mr. Mangano also described to Committee members the effort to develop a comprehensive approach that includes intervention and reprioritizes prevention in the national strategy.

  Waiting for at-risk populations to fall into homelessness only creates more homeless specific programs, increases costs and deepens the human tragedy. The Administration continues its investment in mainstream prevention resources in the FY2005 budget including resources targeted to emerging populations that could fall into homelessness, including funding targeted to prevention and better outcomes for ex-prisoners, and young adults aging out of foster care. Deeper investments in mental health services and substance abuse treatment capacity will also have a preventative impact.

  The Council is also working to ensure that prevention is made tangible through improved discharge planning strategies and protocols at the federal, state and local levels. These strategies are evident in the state interagency councils and community 10-Year Plans fostered by the Council.

  The work of the Council over the past two years in developing partnerships with state and local governments and the private and faith based sectors is key to the Council's mission of fashioning a national response to preventing and ending chronic homelessness. As a former Governor, HHS Secretary and current ICH Chair Tommy Thompson has helped lead the Council's efforts to encourage every state and territory to establish a State Interagency Council on Homelessness to examine and better coordinate the use of state resources and federal block grant funding to prevent and end homelessness. To date, 45 Governors have taken steps to create state interagency councils. Cities and counties across the country are being encouraged by the Council to create 10-Year Plans to end chronic homelessness. To date, 92 mayors, county executives and city managers have endorsed 10 year planning processes for their communities. Mr. Mangano described the technical assistance the Council is making available to states and communities to assist them develop 10-Year Plans and create state interagency councils.

  Mr. Mangano thanked the Committee for helping to lead the way to the Council's revitalization in 2002 and for their continuing support.

  Full text of Mr. Mangano's testimony in Word | in PDF

• Dallas Becomes First Community in Texas to Develop
  10-year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness

  February 25 At a press conference which included representatives of the United Way, Deloitte, and the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, Dallas Mayor Laura Miller unveiled a draft of the City's 10 year plan to end homelessness. In doing so, Dallas becomes the 15th community in the nation to have developed a plan. Over 70 other cities and counties are in the process of developing plans to end chronic homelessness over the next ten years. Mayor Miller was joined at the press conference by ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano who praised the mayor for "her commitment on this issue" and commended the city and the steering committee partners "for moving beyond the gridlock of polarization to the solutions of partnership."

  When the public and private sectors, the faith and advocacy communities all join together, everyone benefits. This is Black History Month. We have much to learn from that legacy. Most importantly, Dr. King reminds us that the long arc of history bends toward justice. We've seen that bending happen in slavery, voting, and civil rights. Issues that seemed intractable on our social landscape, remedied in partnerships of struggle. Now with this new partnership and plan, Dallas is bending that arc toward its poorest citizens to bring an end to another social ill- chronic homelessness. Together, in partnership as a caring community, you are beginning the process to get the job done, to bend that arc.
  - Philip Mangano

  While in Dallas, Mr. Mangano also met with members of the Dallas City Council, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, and mayors and representatives from Garland, Irving, Grand Prairie and Tarrant County.
  
  

• Philadelphia Houses 1st Client Under Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness

  February 13 Congratulations to the City of Philadelphia and its community partners for leading the way in fulfilling the promise of an historic federal funding initiative to help disabled long term homeless individuals move from the streets. In October, 2003, Philadelphia won a $3.3 million grant from the federal government, through an innovative partnership of four federal agencies coordinated through the US Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), to provide permanent rental housing along with intensive supportive services for the chronically homeless. Today, just four months later, the first participant in the "Home First" program signed his lease.

  Mr. Michael G, a Vietnam veteran who has been working with the Home First team for four weeks, signed his lease this afternoon and headed off with his new bed tied to the top of the Home First van. Mr. G spent 1100 days in shelter over the past four years.

  "We are grateful to the federal government for this funding opportunity, which allows us to move people off the streets and out of shelters and into permanent housing with appropriate supports," said Rob Hess, Deputy Managing Director for Special Needs Housing.

  The Home First program utilizes a "housing first" approach, based on the principle that it is more cost effective and successful to provide immediate access to housing and services to keep the person stable. A cost analysis of the Home First Program reveals that a day in the program is in fact less costly than a day in the hospital, a prison, or a detox program - none of which provide permanent housing and long-term services. The funds will benefit another 69 adults with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance addiction.

  The partners in the grant include Horizon House, Inc., 1260 Housing Development Corporation/Columbus Property Management, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, Project H.O.M.E., and Philadelphia VA Medical Center, and the City of Philadelphia.

  Philadelphia is a city on a mission to be the first city in the US to end chronic homelessness. From Mayor Street to Rob Hess and his team in the Special Needs Housing Office to the police department, social services agencies, businesses and community programs, they are all moving in unison to restore the streets of this historic city and improve the lives of people whose disabilities have kept them living on the streets for far too long.
  - Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness

  Philadelphia is among the most effective cities in the nation in treating the problem of chronic homelessness. The City of Philadelphia has steadily reduced the population of adults living on the streets from more than 800 in the summer of 1997 to 70 last week (based on a weekly police count of people living on the streets of Center City). Together with advocates and service providers, Philadelphia has implemented systems to better coordinate and increase street outreach and increase the number of entry-level and treatment beds for individuals with addictions, mental illness, and co-occurring disorders. In February 2003, Philadelphia was selected out of 120 programs nationally to be part of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) research study on best practices to reduce chronic homelessness.

  Philadelphia successfully competed against more than 100 applicants around the country for funding through the Collaborative Initiative, which was a joint funding effort of the U.S. Departments of Housing & Urban Development, Health and Human Services
  (SAMHSA and HRSA), and Veterans Affairs coordinated by the ICH. Other communities that received funding under this initiative were: Ft. Lauderdale, Portland OR, Chicago, Denver, Columbus OH, Martinez CA, Chattanooga, New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. It is expected that these 11 cities will be able to use these grant funds to provide housing and supportive services to more than 900 chronically homeless persons.

  The Administration's '05 budget presented to the Congress last week includes a proposal for a Samaritan Initiative, which would provide $70 million in new funding from HUD, HHS and the VA, to continue supporting community efforts to end chronic homelessness.

• Kentucky Governor Fletcher and Louisville Mayor Abramson Take Action on Homelessness

February 9 Frankfort, KY At a meeting and subsequent press conference at the State Capitol in Frankfort on Monday February 9, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher pledged support for the effort to end chronic homelessness in the next ten years and committed that the Kentucky Council on Homeless Policy (CHP) would develop a plan to do so within the next year. The CHP was established as a result of Kentucky's participation in one of the first Homeless Policy Academies sponsored by the federal government. The CHP recently completed work on a Homeless Prevention Plan, a statewide prevention plan that identifies and makes recommendations for removing problems and barriers in existing programs that can contribute to or exacerbate homelessness. The Governor was also joined by HUD Regional Director Brian Noyes in announcing that HUD was awarding the state over $12.2 million in competitive homeless assistance funding, a 13% increase over last year.

ICH Executive Director Mangano who met with Governor Fletcher and attended the press conference, commended the Governor "who though new and working through the fiscal crisis in the state, took time out to publicly express his concern and priority for the issue of homelessness". Mr. Mangano also noted that while the fiscal crisis facing states and cities can be demoralizing, it is the modest increases in federal funding that "keeps us moving forward". He noted that one such modest but important proposed increase in spending is the Administration's Samaritan Initiative.

February 10 Louisville, KY On Tuesday, Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson reiterated his endorsement of the Blueprint for reducing homelessness developed by the Metro Louisville Coalition for the Homeless. Mayor Abramson also announced that he will target $1 million over the next two years on a Homeward Bound program designed to move more homeless families toward self sufficiency. Case management services including job training, advice and education on housing and personal finances will be provided by several non-profit groups. The Louisville business community is also investing in the program with the Louisville Apartment Association making available the use of 50 apartments to participants in the program and the donation of 50 refurbished computers by the Stites and Harbison law firm.

Homeward Bound essentially provides an additional rung on that ladder to self-sufficiency between transitional housing and permanent housing. This program shows how our new Louisville government can create a multi department team to address a community problem, working in partnership with our local non profits and the business community.
- Mayor Abramson

ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, who toured the Healing Place and Wayside Christian Mission and joined the mayor and Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Marlene Gordon at a community meeting and conversation with the business community commended Metro Louisville for "going in the right direction" by prioritizing prevention and by supporting efforts to end chronic homelessness.

Speaking of his twoday visit to Kentucky, Mr. Mangano noted,

"One of the things I've learned over 20 years on this issue is that sometimes a confluence of committed personalities can create the political will to assemble the resources we need to get the job done. That's what is happening across the country and that's what's happening here in Kentucky at the Congressional, Governor and Mayoral levels. A partnership of political will focused on results."

• The Governors of Arizona and Connecticut Announce Formation of State Interagency Councils on Homelessness

  Picture of Connecticut Governor John Rowland

  February 6 Connecticut Governor John Rowland has included the establishing of a state Interagency Council on Supportive Housing and Homelessness in his budget. The Council will be charged with developing a plan by September 1, 2004 to develop an additional 900 -1000 units of permanent supportive housing. This supportive housing effort will be designed to " enable residents to obtain and keep permanent housing, increase their job skills and income and achieve family stability".

  In 1992, the State of Connecticut initiated a Supportive Housing Demonstration Program to provide affordable, service enriched rental housing for homeless and at risk populations with mental illness, substance addiction or HIV/AIDS. By 1998, 281 units of permanent supportive housing had been created. An evaluation of the program conducted in 2002 found that supportive housing created positive outcomes for tenants while decreasing their use of acute and expensive health services. Since 2002, 300 more supportive housing units have been developed with another 400 expected to open over the next three years.

  The new Interagency Council on Supportive Housing and Homelessness proposed by Governor Rowland will consist of the Commissioners of the Departments of Social Services, Economic and Community Development, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Correction, Children and Families and representatives of the Governor's Office, the Office of Policy and

  Management, the Office of Workforce Competitiveness, the

  Picture of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano

  Corporation for Supportive Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. Governor Rowland's has committed

  to providing the necessary capital and ongoing operating and service funding in the state's biennial 2005-2007 budget to implement the plan to be developed by the Council. In addition to working on developing more permanent supportive housing, the Council will also identify other measures the state can take to reduce homelessness in the state.

  This week Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano also announced the formation of a state Interagency Council on Homelessness.

• Turkish Prime Minister's Wife Visits HUD-DOJ Homeless Program

  John Jackson and Mary Ellen Hombs and Mrs. Erdogan.	Mrs. Erdogan listens to women in the program tell their stories.

  January 28 While her husband met with President Bush at the White House, Emine Erdogan, wife of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, visited a Washington, DC program for homeless women. Mrs. Erdogan, accompanied by the wives of the Turkish ministers of Defense, State, and Treasury, as well as the wife of Turkey's Ambassador to the United States, visited DC's Fulton House of Hope, a residential substance abuse recovery program for homeless women, operated by Gospel Rescue Ministries. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness helped arrange the event after Mrs. Erdogan requested to visit a program for homeless women while the Turkish government delegation was in the nation's capitol. Mrs. Erdogan was welcomed by GRM Executive Director John Jackson and ICH Deputy Director Mary Ellen Hombs.

  The Fulton House of Hope is a 17-bed substance abuse recovery program for women that combines U.S. Department of Justice funding with HUD McKinney funding. The Fulton House site was obtained four years ago from the Department of Justice, which had used the "Weed and Seed" program to close down the former Fulton Hotel which was a crack house and brothel. GRM established the Fulton House homeless program at the site. Women are referred to the recovery program by other local service agencies, especially shelters, as well as the DC Jail and GRM partner churches.

  Mr. Jackson described the Mission's history and programs for homeless men and women to the delegation. The group adjourned to the Mission's dining room, where they were joined for lunch by several residents of the Fulton House program, who shared their personal stories and successes in the Fulton House program with the Turkish visitors and discussed homelessness and substance abuse issues in their countries.

  Services provided at Fulton House include one-year residential placement for substance abuse treatment, clinical and therapeutic counseling, individual case management, education, including access to GRM's School of Tomorrow linking education with employment training, GED, computer skills, job preparation, economic literacy; job counseling and placement; and social service referrals.

• San Diego To Develop 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness

  ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano with San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy prior to the City Council meeting in which the City committed to the creation of a ten year plan to end chronic homelessness.	Philip Mangano accepting City Council Resolution from Councilman Michael Zucchet with City Homeless Services Coordinator Sharon Johnson looking on.

  January 19 The City of San Diego has joined the growing list of communities that are developing 10 year plans to end chronic homelessness. This good news was received by ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano during meetings with San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy. who pledged his efforts to develop a collaborative plan involving the city, homeless services providers, businesses and public and private groups with members, and the San Diego City Council which voted unanimously in support of the 10 year planning blueprint.

  Philip Mangano discussing homeless resources inside the San Diego Winter Shelter with San Diego Economic Development Deputy Director Ernie Linares, HUD Los Angeles CPD Director William Vasquez, Alpha Project Director Robert McElroy and HUD San Diego Field Office Director Charles J. Wilson.

  During the day long visit to San Diego, Mr. Mangano also met with homeless service providers and met with numerous city officials including Homeless Services Coordinator Sharon Johnson and Police Chief William Landsdowne. Members of the San Diego Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team were instrumental in developing a innovative city program to persuade recidivist alcoholics to enter rehabilitation. The successful implementation of the Serial Inebriate Program (SIP), which is a partnership of the city's Police Department, prosecutor's office, courts and provider agencies among others, has been recognized nationally as a model in problem-oriented policing. SIP has helped many former chronic alcoholics achieve sobriety, has reduced the number of community disorders complaints, and has reduced overall costs to the city in emergency room visits and hospitalizations associated with the formerly homeless chronic alcoholics. During a tour of the city's winter shelter in Barrio Logan with Robert McElvoy, head of the Alpha Project homeless assistance agency, Mr. Mangano spoke to a number of people staying at the shelter, noting afterwards that " All they are are our poorest neighbors. They need a place to live, a place to get stable".

• San Francisco and Baton Rouge Become Latest Cities to Commit to Ending Chronic Homelessness In 10 Years

  January 13 Less than a week after being sworn in as Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom vowed to eradicate homelessness in the city within the next 10 years. Meeting with ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, Mayor Newsom praised the Bush Administration's chronic homelessness initiative and said the city wanted "to partner with the federal government in ways we haven't in the past. We can't do this alone. We're going to need help not just with resources, but with ideas". ICH Executive Director Mangano, who has been visiting cities across the nation that are developing 10 year plans to end chronic homelessness, agreed, noting that "cities need to adopt innovative ideas and a results-oriented strategy". Over the past several months, the federal government has awarded the city over $24 million in federal homeless funding. Mr. Mangano joined the mayor in a series of meetings with officials from the city's 15 departments that offer services to homeless people.

  Later this week Mr. Mangano will address mayors from across the country at the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington DC. In June 2003 the Conference of Mayors passed a resolution endorsing the Administration's efforts to end chronic homelessness and supporting the 10- year planning process for cities. In the months since the resolution was adopted, more than 70 cities have developed or are in the process of developing a 10 year plan.

• Baton Rouge Develops 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness

  At a press conference on January 15, Baton Rouge Mayor Bobby Simpson announced that Baton Rouge has joined the list of cities and counties across the nation that have developed a 10 year plan to end chronic homelessness. Mayor Simpson was joined by members of the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness, Baton Rouge Police Chief Pat Englade, HUD Southwest Regional Director A. Cynthia Leon and ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano.

  Mr. Mangano commended members of the Task Force and praised Mayor Simpson for his leadership, noting that the Baton Rouge plan is "intentional and results oriented".

  "Across the country, homelessness is yielding to innovative initiatives, strategic solutions, and purposeful partnerships. Today, here in Baton Rouge those initiatives, solutions and partnerships are more visible and approachable through the planning process announced".
  -ICH Executive Director Mangano
  Press Release

• Shreveport, Louisiana and Surrounding Parishes Adopt 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness

  

  Shreveport Mayor Keith Hightower signs proclamation urging citizens to join the effort to end chronic homelessness through implementation of the plan.

  Led by HOPE for the Homeless, a 15 year-old collaborative of public and private organizations in Northwest Lousiana, a 10 - year plan to end homelessness has been developed for Shreveport and a nine parish region of Louisiana. The plan, Ending Homelessness: What It Will Take, was unveiled at a community luncheon on Tuesday. ICH Executive Director Philip Mangano, who spoke at the luncheon, noted that the NW Louisiana 10 - year plan was the first in the state and commended the community, Shreveport Mayor Hightower, HOPE and all its partners for creating a plan that is "thoughtful, strategic, planful, inclusive and filled with innovation". After the luncheon Mr. Mangano joined Shreveport Mayor Hightower, Dock Voorhies, President of HOPE for the Homeless and A. Cynthia Leon, HUD Regional Director, at a press conference where the mayor signed a proclamation declaring January 6, 2004 as "HOPE for the Homeless- Ending Homelessness: What It Will Take" day in the City of Shreveport.
  Shreveport's 10-Year Plan | Mr. Mangano's Remarks