EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS. Officials of St. Clair and Madison Counties, Illinois held a joint presentation of their 10-Year Plans to End Homelessness this week at the Family Living Center in East St. Louis. Recognizing the importance of a regional approach to homelessness, the communities will cooperate in the implementation of their plans. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano was invited to be the keynote speaker at the event, which also featured remarks by City of East St. Louis Mayor Carl Officer, Belleville Mayor Mark Eckert, Madison Mayor John Hamm, and County Board Chairmen Alan Dunstan of Madison County and Mark Kern of St. Clair County. The mayors spoke of the importance of teamwork. "We know in Belleville that we can't solve all the problems by ourselves," said Mayor Eckert, adding, "It's about cooperation and teamwork to solve this chronic problem of homelessness-like all cities, we've seen it happen all too often and all too much."

Also discussing implementation of the 10-Year Plan efforts were St. Clair County 10-Year Plan Coordinator and Staff Attorney with the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation Susan Simone, and Madison County Phoenix Crisis Center Executive Director and COC co-chair Nancy Kelly. Diane Bonner, Executive Director of the CDBG Operations Corporation and Chair of the St. Clair County Homeless Action Council, who along with Coordinator Beverly Evansco helped organize the event, served as moderator. Inclement weather prevented Acton Mayor Donald Sandidge, whose community is also part of the 10-Year Plan effort, from attending.

In his remarks, Director Mangano congratulated the elected officials and community 10-Year Plan leaders for their partnering efforts to create an approach through their planning to improve the quality of life for all in the community. "Your Guiding Principles that balance cooperation, stewardship, compassion, and ownership are thoughtful and realistic." He encouraged involvement of the business community in all levels of plan implementation and incorporation of cost benefit analysis "as broadly as you can in systems impacted by homeless people - primary and behavioral health, law enforcement, courts, jails. You'll learn about the economics and costs and potentially win new allies." Director Mangano commended the focus on prevention and encouraged them to consider the rapid re-housing model also known as "Housing First", which has become the most adopted innovation in 10-Year Plans and implementation.

Pictured here, top, St. Clair Homeless Action Council Chair Bonner introducing the elected officials and Director Mangano. Bottom, front row, l-r, are Chairman Kern; Council Director Mangano; Chairman Dunstan. Back row, l-r, Mayor Hamm; Mayor Eckert; Mayor Officer; and Melvin Frierson, representing Congressman Jerry Costello's office.

RENO, NEVADA. Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County, Nevada elected officials voted to adopt a Regional 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness at a joint meeting earlier this month. The plan, Housing for All: A Plan to End Homelessness, is the culmination of a year long effort by leaders of the three jurisdictions, the United Way, business, law enforcement, the faith community, providers and advocates. Elected and community leaders, joined by United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, had announced their commitment to preparing a plan in September 2005, becoming the 200th jurisdiction in the country to commit to the 10-Year Plan effort.

The 10-Year Plan was presented by former City Councilmember and local business leader Bob Rusk who chaired the regional planning effort. Rusk noted that "the cost of managing people in their homelessness-instead of working to end it- quickly adds up," citing such costs as $32 for one night at the emergency shelter, $47.50 for a one day emergency motel voucher, and $83.51 for one day of incarceration. " We need to switch from a crisis-based approach to a coordinated response to help people attain self-sufficiency," Rusk said. As part of the Plan development process, 3 focus groups were held with consumers who were homeless or had recently been homeless and were asked about their preferences in housing, treatment, and service provision. The focus groups were designed to allow participants to discuss the reasons that led to their homelessness, services that had been accessed in an effort to avoid homelessness, and once they were homeless, needed services they were unable to access because the services weren't available, were available on only a limited basis, or they weren't aware that the services existed.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Ed Cabrera spoke at the meeting, commending the community for the level of partnership and collaboration demonstrated in the development of the plan which embraces a consumer centered approach, shifts resources toward a Housing First strategy, emphasizes prevention, and adopts the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model of outreach. Coordinator Cabrera also recognized Officer Patrick O'Bryan "who understands that police officers are as much on the front line in the battle against homelessness as anyone else." It was Officer O'Bryan and fellow officer Stephen Johns who brought to light the case of the late Murray Barr, who for years cycled through expensive systems of community care while remaining homeless, and later became the subject of a February 13, 2006 New Yorker magazine article by Malcolm Gladwell entitled "Million Dollar Murray." A more comprehensive study of the "costs of doing nothing to change the status quo" is currently underway as part of the plan process and expected to be completed early this year.

Two successful programs already underway in the community cited in the Plan are the Reno Municipal Court's homeless court program for non violent homeless offenders and HELP, the Homeless Evaluation Liaison Program which facilitates reunification with family and friends. HELP, a 12-year old initiative of the Reno Police Department and Washoe County Sheriff's Office, spent $27,000 in FY 2005-06 reconnecting homeless persons with family and friends. Officials estimate the effort annually offsets approximately $500,000 in community service costs. In late 2005, city and county officials opened the Reno Assistance Center on a three acre campus, creating a 190 bed men's drop-in center, a new St. Vincent Dining Facility, and the 94 bed Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission shelter. The 10-Year Plan calls on the community to implement Phase II of the Reno Community Assistance Center to expand the co-location of key service agencies; create a 20-bed triage center for chronically inebriate and mentally ill homeless persons intended to divert them from the county jail and emergency rooms; a 55 bed shelter facility for single women; and a Family Shelter and Community Resource Center. Space would be provided at the Resource Center for additional agencies such as the Veterans Homeless Outreach Program and the Washoe County School District's Children in Transition Program. " With all of us working together, we can make this happen, and we can expedite the timelines hopefully," said Reno Mayor Bob Cashell.

The Reno/Sparks/Washoe County plan is one of three jurisdictional 10-Year planning efforts underway in Nevada including Las Vegas, which adopted a plan in conjunction with Clark County in March of 2006, and Carson City which is currently developing a plan.

Pictured here, l-r, are HUD Reno Field Office Director Tony Ramirez, Officer O'Bryan, Council Regional Coordinator Cabrera, Plan Chair Rusk, and HUD Reno Field Operations Specialist Tom Vetica.

COOS BAY, OREGON. Coos County, Oregon has become the latest Oregon jurisdiction to commit to creating a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. The announcement was made last week by County Commissioners Nikki Whitty and Kevin Stufflebean at a community forum on homelessness held at Southern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay. The forum was organized by Oregon Coast Community Action on behalf of the county and was attended by 60 business leaders, health care administrators, agency staff, and advocates.

Oregon Coast Community Action Housing Manager Robert Moore served as host for the program which included greetings from Commissioners Whitti and Stufflebean; and keynote remarks by Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Hall, co-chair of Governor Ted Kulongoski's Ending Homelessness Advisory Council, and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Paul Carlson. Both spoke of the increasing federal and state resources for ending homelessness. President Bush's recently released FY 2008 budget requests a more than 6% increase for targeted homeless assistance programs. The Oregon State Legislature has under consideration legislation that would provide an additional $100 million in housing resources, a significant percentage of which is expected by proponents to be available to support 10-Year Plan efforts in the state to create housing and services for persons experiencing homelessness. Commissioner Hall related how he recently recruited a developer building a 3000-acre track to include homes and apartments for lower income and homeless persons.

Regional Coordinator Carlson brought greetings from Council Director Philip Mangano and described the 10-Year Plan process as a vision to end homelessness with a "clearsighted set of goals, strategies, and timelines that plot what you are going to do year by year and step by step." He noted that communities that are getting results from their 10-Year Plan efforts have included proven strategies of "Housing First, permanent supportive housing, and coordinated entry."

Pictured here, top, l-r, Coos County Commissioner Stufflebean, guest speaker Lincoln County Commissioner Hall, and Coos County Commissioner Whitty. Bottom, l-r, Coos Bay Councilor Roger Gould, Coos Bay Mayor Jeff McKeown, and Coos Bay Councilor Jon Eck.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. Project Homeless Connect events continued this week in the country's first 10-Year Plan city of Indianapolis. Mayor Bart Peterson and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano were on hand for a pre-event rally for the 500 volunteers and helped welcome the more than 700 homeless guests that came to the event held at the Indiana Convention Center. This was the city's second Project Homeless Connect.

Pictured here is Mayor Peterson and Council Director Mangano greeting homeless guests at Monday's "Indy Homeless Connect." Also present was Council Regional Coordinator Michael German.

More than $143,000 was raised in cash and in-kind donations to support this year's event which had 40 sponsors. The Samarian Foundation contributed $25,000. CHIP, the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention which is overseeing implementation of the city's 10-Year Plan and whose interim director and former deputy mayor Jane Henegar helped organize the Connect event, raised $8400 by auctioning two Super Bowl tickets purchased by Bill Wade. The Melvin Simon Foundation and Deborah Simon also contributed.

Mayor Peterson, who was the first jurisdictional leader to create a jurisdictionally- based and owned 10-Year Plan, Blueprint to End Homelessness, in 2002 and this year is President of the National League of Cities, remarked "The key word is connect. It's about connecting our homeless neighbors to services they might not otherwise have access to, but it's also about connecting our community to them and seeing they're just like us." Council Director Mangano commended Mayor Peterson for being a model of leadership and commitment on the issue of homelessness and addressed the volunteers saying in part, "You know what happens when homeless people are on the street? People pass by and avoid looking at them. They avert their eyes. They don't want to see the human tragedy. They don't want to encounter the broken lives. They don't want to take responsibility. Well, what's happening today is the remedy for all that denial. Let's connect today and offer our neighbors our welcome, our focus, and our service. When we do, we are fulfilling the highest calling of being an American and being a person. We are placing ourselves in the service of others."

Approximately 420 people visited the housing area with 110 applications completed on site. Organizers report at least 4 permanent housing placements and at least 6 people, including one family with children, placed in shelter. Additionally, there was one interview for placement in Project Threshold, a housing first collaboration between the City and the Indianapolis Private Industry Council that provides housing and support services, with a focus on employment. A series of employment workshops covering Interview Techniques, Application Preparation, How to Explain a Criminal Conviction, Resume Development, and How to Job Search were held throughout the day as were sessions on nutrition. Vans circulated through the community, stopping at shelters, missions, and encampments to provide transportation to and from the event.

During the event, Director Mangano met with Indiana Homeless Liaison and Interagency Council Moderator Charles Coley, who was one of the day's volunteers, for an update on the work of the Indiana Interagency Council and to discuss participation in a future council event.

EUGENE, OREGON. In a county the size of Rhode Island but with a population less than one-third of Portland, Lane County officials partnered with the cities of Eugene and Springfield and the United Way of Lane County to host a Project Homeless Connect event last week that assisted 1007 individuals with the help of 450 volunteers.

Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, Springfield City Council member Joe Pishioneri, County Commissioner Faye Stewart, and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Paul Carlson addressed the opening volunteer rally. Taking note of the 450 volunteers who came to help, including 250 civic volunteers, Commissioner Stewart called it "a phenomenal response from the community." Mayor Piercy noted that "this event shows that the community will step up, help homeless people, and be part of the solutions to end homelessness." Interagency Council Coordinator Carlson, who is working closely with communities throughout Oregon in their efforts to end homelessness and who facilitated a visit by Lane County organizers and others to observe the recent Portland PHC, told the volunteers, "In participating in this event you are helping the larger, year round effort of the Lane County 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness."

Successful outreach effort

Organizers had expected between 400-500 homeless people and though surprised by the larger turnout were heartened to see that their outreach strategy had been so successful. The outreach effort included distributing flyers during the previous week's Point in Time count that included a free bus pass for the day of the Homeless Connect. In addition to the free bus passes, shuttle bus service to and from the event at the Lane County Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall was provided at numerous shelters and agency locations around the county. Melissa Mona of the White Bird Clinic, one of the most successful of the grantees under the Social Security Administration's HOPE initiative to increase access by homeless people to social security benefits for which they qualify, said, "It took an event like this to draw in people who we obviously had not been able to engage by our current approaches to outreach."

$60,000 raised for housing assistance, medical and dental care

Event organizers raised $60,000 to use for short and long term housing assistance, medical and dental care. The long term housing assistance included five Section 8 vouchers and five locally funded long term housing subsidies. $10,000 will be used for short term housing assistance including vouchers for motels and first and last months rent deposits.

United Way Executive Director Priscilla Gould, whose agency helped organize and financially support the event, said, "This event has so many benefits for the community. It is even showing us how to organize the community in a way that would fit any kind of crisis, even natural disaster."

Throughout the day, volunteers interviewed homeless guests about their difficulties and aspirations for an event "Yearbook." Pictured here, top, Springfield City Councilor Pishioneri, UW Executive Director Gould, Mayor Piercy, and Commissioner Stewart. Second picture, event organizers Pearl Wolf of Lane County and Richie Weinman of Eugene. Third, "Howlin Jack" entertains homeless guests at the PHC cafe. The cafe had continuous entertainment by volunteer musicians. Breakfast and lunch, including made to order omelets, were provided by the Lane County Community College School of Culinary Arts. Bottom picture, 2 of the 50 bike repairs done by volunteers from a local bike shop.

BILLINGS, MONTANA. Mayor Ron Tussing's Committee on Homelessness convened a roundtable discussion last week on Understanding Homelessness in the American Indian Population as part of his community's 10-Year Plan development process. Data show that about 27% of the homeless population in Billings are American Indians and statewide, the American Indian population represents about 20% of the homeless population though only 6% of the overall state population.

The 60 attendees, including United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Charlene Moran Flaherty, were welcomed by Mayor Tussing and Lt. Governor John Bohlinger, who co-chairs the Montana Council on Homelessness. The Montana Council, originally formed in 2004, was renewed in December by Governor Brian Schweitzer and is reviewing a report and statewide 10-Year Plan released in January by the 2004-2006 Council. Mayor Tussing announced the city's commitment to developing a 10-Year Plan in March during a planning session with the Montana Council on Homelessness keynoted by United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano.

In his remarks last week, Mayor Tussing stated, "Homelessness is an issue who's time has come in our city. We're going to change Billings. There is not a city department that is not affected by people who are homeless. We need shelter to get people off the streets, but shelters aren't the answer. Providing housing is cheaper than not housing people. No one in Billings has to be without housing." Echoing this sentiment, Lt. Governor Bohlinger said, "Montana is a wonderful, bountiful, blessed land. There is no reason for any Montanan to be without a home. It is time to give a name and identity to and welcome our homeless neighbors. The challenges are great but we can deal with them together."

Reno Charette, the Governor's Coordinator of Indian Affairs, discussed some of the causes for homelessness among the American Indian population that include the severe shortage of housing and infrastructure on reservations, the "red tape" that stymies the efforts of American Indian families to move onto tribal lands and build a home, and the unique legal issues involving the sovereignty of tribal lands that often do not permit return from correctional facilities to family and a support network on tribal lands.

Next steps include the City's first Project Homeless Connect to be held on March 31 at the Parmly Library and exploring the development of a one-stop center which Sherry Downing of the Montana Council on Homelessness noted to the Committee has been identified as a best practice in the effort to end homelessness.

Pictured here is Downtown Billings Business Improvement Director Lisa Harmon presenting panel members with braids of Sweet grass, a sacred plant widely used by North American indigenous peoples in peace and healing rituals. Shown sitting, l-r, Diann Grantham, Pastor at Montana's Women's Prison; Anna DeCrane, Indian Education Program; Tennyson Doney, Former Indian Health Services Unit Director; Gordon Belcourt (accepting Sweet grass), Executive Director of Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council; and Billings Mayor Ron Tussing.

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA. "A match made in heaven" is how Lycoming County United Way Director of Funds Distribution and Community Building Rosann Pelleschi describes the partnership the United Way helped to forge between the Family Housing Alliance and New Covenant United Church of Christ to create Journey House, a soon to open four apartment complex for homeless families.

Creation of the Family Housing Alliance in early 2005 had been spurred by conversations Shepherd of the Street Reverend Morris Smith had with city and county officials and the community Habitat for Humanity leaders after returning from a federally sponsored workshop on faith-based initiatives. The collaboration of government agencies, business, providers, and Shepherd of the Street that formed Family Housing Alliance began working to develop a self-sufficiency program for homeless families that built on the existing Habitat for Humanity and Salvation Army Project Breakthrough efforts and incorporated practices from the One East Main Place project in Norman, Oklahoma visited by the UW's Pelleschi. The intention was to create a program to house and assist families to become more self sufficient, leading to homeownership through Habitat for Humanity and private sector housing development efforts. The Alliance developed a program but needed a housing facility.

Independent of the Family Housing Alliance, members of the New Covenant United Church of Christ had formed a Connect Committee to identify unmet needs in the community where they could be of assistance. When the Committee learned that a building behind the church was for sale, the church bought it, not knowing exactly what use they would make of it. As part of their effort to identify unmet community needs, the church's Connect Committee met with UW's Pelleschi and when she informed them of the work of the Family Housing Alliance, the match was made.

New Covenant Church members created a non profit, New Covenant Community Connections, named the project the Journey House, and will operate the facility in partnership with the Alliance. The facility is ideally located on a bus route near service providers, with access to day care facilities and a playground at the church. There has been an outpouring of community volunteers to assist with major rehabilitation of the building, spearheaded by the Lycoming Neighborhood Development Corporation, into the 4 two-bedroom apartments. After hearing a presentation on the project, Lycoming County Commissioners approved $150,000 in state Act 137 funds, resources made available to counties in Pennsylvania to fund local affordable housing initiatives through document fees.

Homeless families who move into the fully furnished apartments will receive case management and mentor support and will be allowed to stay for as long as they need to while working on their individualized self sufficiency plan before moving on to other housing including home ownership opportunities being developed through Habitat for Humanity and private developers. During their stay, the families will be assisted in locating employment, will pay nominal rent, and will receive matching contributions to an Individual Development Account. When they move, the families will be allowed to take all the furnishings with them including dishware and will continue to receive mentor support for up to two years.

At a ceremony marking the beginning of renovations in November, County Commissioner Dick Nassberg stated, "This project is so beautifully typical of this community . . . standing up for our fellow human beings."

To read more about the White House Regional Conferences for Faith Based and Community Organizations, click here.

To contact the Lycoming County United Way for more information on the development of Journey House, click here.

This month the community of Quincy, Massachusetts joined in celebrating the 80th birthday of the Reverend Bill McCarthy, who since the earliest days of his priesthood that began 55 years ago has lived the Gospel of St. Matthew: "Whatsoever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me."

Father Bill's Place, which began as a 45-bed shelter named in his honor 23 years ago and through which he and Executive Director John Yazwinski have influenced the development of housing and employment programs for homeless people in the community, is now one of the cornerstone partners in the Quincy 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. Part of the Quincy Interfaith Sheltering Network, Father Bill's Place has more recently added a number of Housing First units to its portfolio. In 2005, the City accepted a HOME Program Award for Excellence from the National Community Development Association for the Claremont Project, a collaborative effort of the City, Father Bill's Place, and Neighborhood Housing Services that is providing permanent supportive housing for 12 chronically homeless women. In 2006 the City dedicated Father McCarthy's House (pictured here), another community collaborative effort that is providing permanent supportive housing for 19 chronically homeless veterans. During a recent interview with the Patriot Ledger, Father Bill was quoted as saying while gazing at the shelter sign, "I look for the day when we can take that down." With Quincy officials reporting a 20% reduction in chronic homelessness, that day is coming.

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