WASHINGTON, DC. Speaking to the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Leadership Conference this week in Washington, President Bush reported on progress being made to help Americans most in need. Recent data from a review of programs at the Departments of Heath and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Justice (DOJ), Labor (DOL), Education, and Agriculture (USDA) and the Agency for International Development showed that, in FY 04, $2 billion in competitive grants across seven Federal agencies were awarded to faith-based organizations. This is an increase from last year when $1.17 billion was awarded in grants to faith-based groups across five agencies. In one year, HHS, HUD, Justice, Labor, and Education reported a 20% increase in the number of grants to faith-based organizations with 334 more grants awarded, and a 14% increase in the amount awarded to faith-based organizations - an increase of $164 million.

The number of first-time faith-based grantees across the same five Federal agencies was 331 in FY 04 - representing a 20% increase from FY 03. More faith- based organizations are participating in the Federal grants process. HHS programs represented the majority of available funding included in the report. HHS saw an 88% increase in the number of awards to faith-based organizations since FY 02 - from 483 to 908. Since FY 02, first-time HHS grants to faith- based groups have more than doubled. HUD's homeless assistance programs have more faith-based grantees than any other federal program. The HUD programs rank third in terms of overall dollars awarded to faith-based programs.

Assistant to the President and White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Director Jim Towey earlier this week reported on "Ask the White House" that 24 Governors have opened faith-based and community offices. During the meeting of the National Governors Association this week in Washington, President Bush met with all of the Governors at the White House, and he urged the other 26 Governors to establish such an office in each of their states.

The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative which are located in ten Federal agencies work to ensure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. The Office focuses its efforts on the populations of at-risk youth, ex-offenders, persons experiencing homelessness and hunger, substance abusers, persons with HIV/AIDS, and welfare-to-work families.

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. Federal, state, county, and city officials made a strong showing of partnership in Raleigh, North Carolina, last week, as the Raleigh/Wake County 10-Year Action Plan to End Chronic Homelessness was unveiled. The city/county planning partners, who last April became the 100th jurisdiction to commit to a 10-Year Plan process, were joined by Triangle United Way, which has supported planning partnerships in the region. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was present for the 2004 commitment and was invited to address the unveiling, joined Wake County Board of Commissioners Chairman Joe Bryan and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker for the announcement.

Joining Triangle United Way President and Plan Co- Chair Craig Chancellor were County Commission Liaison Phil Jeffreys, North Carolina Homeless Policy Specialist Martha Are, and Interagency Council Region IV Coordinator Michael German. "You were the 100th city to commit to a 10-Year Plan," stated Director Mangano. "And the plan you've created does credit to that milestone." Also present at the event to announce the recent U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Homeless Assistance award to the region were HUD Field Office Director Ed Ellis and Congressman Brad Miller.

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA. Declaring that "Boldness is good when dealing with subjects like these," the Durham Herald-Sun this week commented on the gathering of federal, state, and local officials and civic partners in the state last week, as the Durham, Chapel Hill, and Orange County public and private sector partners moved ahead with 10-Year Planning for their region. Partnered with the Triangle United Way, the jurisdictional leaders are looking for results for their region, where a recent count in Durham found 535 homeless people.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to address the event, commented, "Every community of your size in our country owes you a debt of gratitude for your focus on this visible and expensive issue." Present for the announcement were Durham Mayor Pro Tem Cora Cole McFadden, Durham Mayor Bill Bell, Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, Triangle United Way President Craig Chancellor, Orange County Commission Chair Moses Carey, Jr., and North Carolina Homeless Policy Specialist Martha Are.

SHELBY, NORTH CAROLINA. Shelby, North Carolina, Mayor W. Ted Alexander (pictured here), a recent signer to the Mayors' Covenant of Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness, last week made a public announcement of his commitment to develop a 10-Year Plan for his city of 20,825 in the southwestern part of the state. Mayor Alexander was joined for the Shelby City Hall announcement by United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano and North Carolina Homeless Policy Specialist Martha Are.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Leaders from ten Northeastern states in search of best practices in ending chronic homelessness were undaunted by a weather forecast of heavy snow as they convened this week in Boston for the re-scheduled gathering of state innovators that had been previously "snowed out" by a January blizzard. Gathered at the city's historic Union Club, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness' Northeastern Colloquy on Ending Chronic Homelessness delivered both proven strategies and documented results in changing state government policy and practice through 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness. State leaders and homeless policy officials from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania joined expert faculty from across the country for the 1-day immersion into public/private partnerships, leveraging of state, local, and private resources, and data.

"We're gathered in this historic place to coalesce new strategies and innovations in the movement to end chronic homelessness," stated United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano. "The pervasiveness of homelessness is not limited by geography or community size, and now our knowledge is increasing exponentially, through research, data, and innovation. Our task is to ensure that we close the gap between knowledge and practice, in housing and service provision and in economic strategies."

The State Colloquy, which mirrors city/county colloquies conducted by the Council nationally last year, provided state policymakers with the opportunity to hear firsthand from states with plans underway. Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, Chair of the Commonwealth's Interagency Council (pictured here), and House of Representatives Second Assistant Majority Leader Byron Rushing welcomed participants on behalf of the executive and legislative branches.

Council Region I Coordinator John O'Brien moderated a panel of Massachusetts officials who described the agency and interagency innovations that are showing results in the Commonwealth in ending chronic homelessness. Panel members included Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner John Wagner, Department of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Childs, Department of Housing and Community Development Associate Director Marc Slotnick, and Department of Correction Commissioner Kathy Dennehy. Council Region II Coordinator Carleton Lewis and Region IV Coordinator Michael German also participated.

HONOLULU, HAWAII. Less than two months after unveiling "The Hawaii Plan to End Chronic Homelessness" and a housing plan for the State, Governor Linda Lingle is monitoring progress on a variety of legislative proposals now being considered to move key elements of the homelessness and housing plans forward. Governor Lingle, who unveiled the State's plan to end chronic homelessness during a visit by United States Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano (pictured here), stated at that time, that "having people who are homeless, on the street or in shelter, goes against how we see ourselves." The Hawaii Plan embraces in its guiding principles the ideas that homelessness is unacceptable and solvable, and that all sectors of society will benefit when people are housed.

Among the proposals now being considered are a measure that would grant developers a $4,000 General Excise Tax credit for the first 2,500 units of affordable housing developed between mid-2005 and the end of 2007, as well as an expansion of eligibility for the State Rent Supplement Program to cover more "gap group" families who earn too much for federal assistance but too little to pay market rental rates. Additional proposals would direct more existing tax revenue into the Rental Housing Trust Fund by adding $2 million annually of existing tax revenues to the fund to support construction of up to 450 additional rental units each year and provide $10 million in bond funds annually to the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii to renovate public housing. Governor Lingle has highlighted the use of surplus land for development, and a current proposal would provide surplus state lands to for-profit developers and non-profit organizations for construction of affordable rental projects.

WASHINGTON, DC. Faith-based and community-based organizations interested in this year's federal funding opportunities from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will want to download and read the new Grant Opportunities Notebook just issued by HHS. This notebook was developed by the HHS Center for Faith- Based and Community Initiatives in partnership with the Administration on Children and Families, the Health Resources Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Administration on Aging. The Notebook is only available electronically.

HHS has included descriptions of over 40 discretionary and block or formula grantprograms as well as opportunities for partnership with the agency. While the Department announces thousands of grant opportunities each year, it has selected for inclusion those that are most relevant to grassroots organizations. The discretionary grants that HHS awards directly are listed as Community Development, At-Risk Children and Youth, Senior, Health, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health programs. The block and formula grants that are HHS funds administered by State and/or local governments are listed in the Partnership Opportunities section. Also included is information on the Compassion Capital Fund and web resources for organizations interested in federal funding.

THIS WEEK'S e-news focuses on excerpts of the remarks made by President Bush this week as he addressed the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

. . . what I want to do is apply this concept of individual choice beyond just the alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs -- such as mentoring programs, or housing counseling, or traditional -- transitional housing programs, or after-school programs, or homeless services. And so I've asked the Cabinet officers and their faith-based and community offices to come up with ways to expand individual choice into how their departments can implement this philosophy . . . Now, I understand people are skeptical about this approach, because they say, you know, people in need don't want it. Or the other classic excuse is, people in need are not sophisticated to make the choices for themselves. I firmly reject that point of view . . .

. . . But no matter what your faith is, we're united in the conviction that to whom much is given, much is expected; and that the liberty and prosperity we enjoy, the great freedom we enjoy in America, with that freedom comes an obligation to reach out to brothers and sisters who hurt. And so I recognize -- and the first point I want to make is, I recognize the great work faith organizations are doing in this country. In other words, I stand here in confidence knowing that this initiative makes sense because I'm a results-oriented guy, and faith organizations are achieving results we want . . .

. . . And so today, after four years of work, we continue to confront this culture, culture of process instead of results, head on. And the goal is, over the next four years, to change the culture permanently so faith- and community-based organizations will be welcomed into the grant-making process of government. That's the goal . . .

. . . The job of a President is to call people and say, how are we doing? Part of my job is to be the accountability person in the White House -- you know, are we making progress. So let me give you some of the progress that has been made, in terms of achieving our goal, which is a hopeful America for every person. Today, 10 federal agencies have got faith-based offices, three of them set up last year . . .

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter continues its focus on elements of the Title V federal surplus property and opportunities to secure resources for homeless programs under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Following are properties listed in the most recent Federal Register notice of suitable and available land and buildings.

The February 25 listing of suitable and available property contains a listing of Federal buildings and other real property determined to be suitable and available for use. Buildings are available in Alaska, Hawaii, Missouri, New York, South Carolina, and South Dakota. Land is available in Nebraska and South Dakota.

Title V provides that state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, are eligible to apply for land and buildings that have been determined by the federal government to be "suitable and available" for eligible uses to benefit homeless people. More than two dozen agencies of the federal government are included as "landholding" agencies that may have property.