10th Formal Meeting of the revitalized United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt assumed the chairmanship of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness at a formal meeting of the full Council where a number of new initiatives and resources were unveiled. New initiatives will include an HHS focus on Access to Health Insurance and Health Services; an interagency initiative to assess federal investments and develop a set of activities around Homeless Youth and Homeless Families; and an interagency workgroup to focus on permanent housing opportunities for homeless veterans. Among the new resources are the 2007 HHS Departmental 5-Year Strategic Plan on Homelessness; a new HHS website on homelessness; and a new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services report, A Primer on How to Use Medicaid to Assist Persons Who are Homeless to Access Medical, Behavioral Health, and Support Services. More information on the Council meeting can be found in the March 6 Special Edition of the e-news or by visiting the Council's website, www.usich.gov. Pictured here, l-r, Council Director Mangano, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Roy Bernardi, Secretary Leavitt, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson.

U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Homeless Veterans Programs

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs held a hearing on federal funding for homeless veterans programs. U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano was invited to testify, along with VA Homeless Veterans Programs Director Peter Dougherty, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Executive Director Cheryl Beversdorf, and Diane's House Ministries Inc. Assistant Director Altonese Reese.

The Administration’s FY 2008 budget for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs includes a 6.5% increase for targeted homeless programs above FY 2007, a 54% increase since FY 2001. The Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program would be increased to $107 million, a 68% increase in just two years. Additionally, the VA will spend approximately $1.8 billion in health care for homeless veterans in FY 2008. Last month U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced the award of nearly $1.4 billion in Homeless Assistance Grants for programs to house and serve homeless individuals and families. Of these grants, 145 projects will primarily serve homeless veterans. Earlier this month, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the VA's first program targeted specifically to the needs of homeless veterans, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson announced the availability of $24 million to expand community based services to homeless veterans. Application details can be found in the February 22nd Federal Register.

While there are encouraging signs that efforts to prevent and end homelessness among veterans are beginning to show positive results—with estimates showing a decline from 250,000 homeless veterans on any given night to 190,000—veterans continue to be disproportionately represented among the homeless population. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s recently released Annual Housing Assessment Report found that veterans, who are 12.7% of the adult population, represent 19% of the homeless population. Technical assistance is available from the Council's regional coordinators and on the Council's website on identifyng and meeting the needs of homeless veterans in 10-Year Plan efforts. As noted above, this week's formal Council meeting included an announcement of an interagency workgroup to explore ways to increase permanent housing opportunities for homeless veterans.

Also this week, the Administration announced new initiatives to ensure that service members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are able to access needed health care and other services and benefits for which they are eligible. Secretary Nicholson will lead a Cabinet-level Task Force "to identify ways to cut red tape and ease the transition back home for our combat troops, especially our wounded heroes." Additionally, President Bush has named former Senator Bob Dole and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala to head a bipartisan commission to examine the care wounded troops are receiving when they return from the battlefield.

200 State and Local Officials Attend Council’s Second Annual National Summit on Innovation for Jurisdictional Leaders

Also this week, 200 state and local jurisdictional leaders and their representatives who are developing and implementing 10-Year Plans, gathered in Washington for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness’ second national summit for jurisdictional leaders. This year’s event, The Pursuit of Solutions: Second Annual National Summit on Innovation for Jurisdictional Leaders, included special presentations by Louise Casey, architect of England’s successful “rough sleepers” initiative that has successfully reduced street homelessness by 75%, and Chris Gardner, whose remarkable personal story is depicted in the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness. Through peer to peer dialogue and discussion sessions on the Pursuit of Partnerships, Housing, Media, and Resources, innovative ideas and initiatives that have produced results were identified and disseminated to insure that communities have access to the best ideas for preventing and ending homelessness. There will be more complete coverage of this week’s Summit in a forthcoming Special Edition of the e-news and on the Council's website.

Washington, DC. U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano welcomed Pinellas County, Florida officials this week to discuss the Pinellas County 10-Year Plan. The officials, Commissioners Calvin Harris and Karen Seel, Assistant County Administrator Elithia Stanfield, and Human Services Director Maureen Freaney, in town to attend a National Association of Counties conference, requested the opportunity to meet with Director Mangano to discuss the status of their plan implementation efforts and review available resources and best practices. The Pinellas County 10-Year Plan is one of nearly 300 jurisdictional, community based 10-Year Plans in development or implementation around the country.

The Pinellas County 10-Year Plan, unveiled last January, was developed by the Homeless Leadership Network, comprised of representatives from the county, including two members of the Board of County Commissioners, and cities including Clearwater, Pinellas Park, and St. Petersburg. 48.3% of the county’s homeless population is considered to be chronically homeless. The County has appropriated more than $34 million in new funding to support implementation of the plan during the next three years. Included in that funding are such priority efforts as increasing by $2.7 million rental assistance for the disabled, bringing the total to over $6.5 million in FY 07; an additional $10 million over the next three years for the Housing Trust Fund; increasing the number of case managers with a specific focus on housing assistance; and expanding street outreach efforts. The County will also continue support for a Mobile Medical Unit.

Responding to the needs of persons living in tents in St. Petersburg, an assessment of their needs was completed in January and an action plan formulated to provide emergency rental assistance up to 1 month for those who have found a job; free daily bus passes to provide transportation to service appointments and employment; improved service coordination and referrals; and family reunification assistance.

Pictured here, left, foreground to background, are Assistant Administrator Stanfield, Commissioner Harris, and Director Mangano. Pictured right, foreground to background, are Commissioner Seel and Director Freaney.

On February 28, Director Mangano welcomed Eureka, California Mayor Virginia Bass and City Manager David Tyson. Mayor Bass, a city councilwoman since 2000 was elected mayor of this city located in Humboldt County in November. Humboldt County and the cities of Eureka, Fontana, and Arcadia are collaborating in a 10-Year Plan effort announced last September. Director Mangano had joined city and county leaders at the announcement of the planning effort attended by more than 100 members of the community. Mayor Bass, Manager Tyson, and Director Mangano discussed strategies for intra-agency, intergovernmental, and community collaborations.

HILLSBORO, OREGON. The ability of the Project Homeless Connect innovation to mobilize political and civic will to end homelessness was demonstrated this week in Washington County, Oregon. More than 80 citizens joined 40 social service agency and National Guard volunteers to provide an array of services to 150 homeless individuals in the community including a number of homeless families. Washington County elected officials indicated they will formally commit to a 10-Year planning effort to end homelessness in the county providing momentum to several initiatives in development.

This was the community’s first Project Homeless Connect and was held at the National Guard Armory. Speaking to volunteers at the opening rally, Washington County Commissioner Richard Shouten said, “Homelessness is not just an inner city problem any longer, but as we can see today, it has spread to the suburbs, to communities like ours. This is a great concept to target an end to homelessness in ten years. We can achieve this in Washington County. We have the will and we will get the resources to do it.” His comments were echoed by Beaverton Council President Cathy Stanton, who said, “We are committed to eradicating homelessness in our community. The Beaverton City Council will work to get the funding and get the commitment from our citizens to achieve this goal."

Also on hand was United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Region 10 Coordinator Paul Carlson, who had facilitated observer visits by Washington County representatives to earlier Project Homeless Connect events in Portland. Said Coordinator Carlson, “The goal of this day is primarily to connect homeless people with housing, jobs, and services, but that goal is achieved by your making a personal connection with the homeless persons you meet, in showing them they are valued as members of the community. This event is not a stand alone, one day act of charity, but is an extension of social justice to the poorest of the poor. You are connecting with other Oregon counties and plans across the country that together will bring about an end to homelessness.”

Pictured here, top, l-r, Council Regional Coordinator Carlson, Beaverton Council President Santon, Beaverton City Councilor Betty Bode, Tigard City Councilor Sydney Sherwood, PHC event organizer Kim Krohn, and Washington County Commissioner Schouten in rear. Bottom, LensCrafters staff providing new eyeglasses.

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. At the 2007 Ending Homelessness Conference in Delaware last week attended by more 300 people, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Wilmington Field Office Director Diane Lello and Community Planning and Development Regional Director Nadab Bynum joined Delaware Lieutenant Governor John Carney, Wilmington Mayor James Baker, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, Delaware State Housing Authority Director and State Interagency Council on Homelessness Chair Saundra Johnson and co-chair Catherine McKay to announce the award of more than $5 million in federal Homeless Assistance Grants for homeless programs in the state.

The grants are part of the nearly $1.4 billion in Continuum of Care and Emergency Shelter Grants announced by HUD Secretary Jackson for 5300 projects across the nation. During the conference, DE State Interagency Council on Homelessness co-chair Catherine McKay, presented an estimated $50 million housing-focused plan to Lieutenant Governor John Carney outlining initiatives to end homelessness including making available 2000 new housing opportunities for persons experiencing chronic homelessness. Lt Governor John Carney called the plan “forward thinking” but noted “it’s really just a plan unless we all work together to end homelessness.”

The Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness was created in March 2005 by Executive Order of Governor Ruth Ann Minner. The Council consists of several Secretaries and directors of state agencies, representatives of the state legislature, mayors of the cities of Wilmington and Dover, the New Castle County Executive, representatives of service providers, the Delaware Apartment Association, and a current or former homeless consumer. The Council was tasked with the responsibility to adopt and oversee implementation of a plan to reduce homelessness and end chronic homelessness in Delaware.

WASHINGTON, D.C. Last week, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson (pictured here) released the Department's first Congressionally mandated Annual Homeless Assessment Report. The Assessment, which went beyond the more limited “point in time” counts of the past and reviewed data on homelessness over time, reports an estimated 754,000 persons are homeless on any given night.

In releasing the report, Secretary Jackson noted that the Assessment provided a better understanding of how many people are homeless and their needs. "We've got to remember that behind these numbers are people - individuals and families who are struggling to survive,” said the Secretary. “This report is a powerful tool to help all of us at the federal, state, and local level design more effective responses to homelessness and better help those who are living in shelters and on our streets.”

The Assessment analyzed two sets of data. In one, HUD analyzed the results of one night ‘Point in Time” counts from more than 3,800 cities and counties and found an estimated 754,000 persons were in shelters and on the streets during one night in January 2005. In the second, HUD examined data on sheltered homeless persons from February to April 2005 from a national sample of 80 geographically diverse communities that have implemented Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS). HMIS is a data collection being implemented in communities around the nation to produce accurate unduplicated counts and characteristics of persons using emergency shelters and transitional housing over time. The report provides a picture of who the sheltered homeless are:

• 65 percent of the adults are men
• 41 percent are 31-to-50 years old
• 66 percent are individuals and 34 percent are persons in families with children
• 59 percent are minority
• 19% of the adult homeless population are veterans

News from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) includes release of (1) updated best practice guides to help clinicians and administrators improve outpatient treatment for substance abuse (2) a new report, Transforming Housing for People with Psychiatric Disabilities, and (3) State-level data report on substance use and mental health. Pictured here is SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D.

The best practice guides, known as Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPS), are formulated by non-federal consensus panels composed of clinical, educational, research and administrative experts. TIP 46 addresses the administrative challenge of outpatient treatment growth. TIP 47 is targeted to clinicians and presents 14 guiding principles of intensive outpatient treatment and supporting research. The two new TIPS update guidance originally published in 1994 as TIP 8, Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse.

Transforming Housing for People with Psychiatric Disabilities Report

This report available for download on the SAMHSA website, examines board and care homes, also known as adult homes, for people with psychiatric disabilities and offers 10 recommendations to improve the life of board and care home residents including a recovery oriented approach based on principles of self direction and community integration.

State-Level View of Substance Use and Mental Health

The recently released State Estimates of Substance Use provides state level rates for 23 measures of substance use and mental health. For this report, SAMHSA combined two years of data (2004-2005) from the annual National Surveys on Drug Use and Health to provide better estimates for less populous states. Estimates were provided for four age groups: 12 and older, 12-17, 18-25, and 26 and older. Two mental health measures, serious psychological distress and major depressive episodes, for persons 18 and older are also included in the report.

IN THIS ISSUE, the e-news presents information on the Title V federal surplus property program and the opportunity to secure resources - including for permanent supportive housing - under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act for persons experiencing homelessness.

The March 2, 2007 Federal Register listing of "suitable and available" Title V properties includes a total of 44 properties designated “suitable and available.” The properties include land in California, Illinois, Iowa, New York and Texas; and buildings in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Several of the buildings are located on VA medical center property and a number are on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

In a change to federal policy that became effective September 1, 2006, local governments and eligible community organizations may submit applications to acquire Title V surplus properties for permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals and families. The new regulation defines permanent supportive housing as housing that is "long term, affordable, community based, and linked to appropriate supportive health and social services that enable homeless individuals and families with disabilities to maintain housing."

Property including land and buildings newly identified as "suitable and available" to assist the homeless are listed each Friday in the Federal Register and are available exclusively to applicants for homeless use for a period of 60 days from the date of the Notice. Applicants for these federal surplus properties must identify how they intend to utilize the property to meet the needs of homeless persons in their communities. Visit the Council's website at www.usich.gov and click on the funding tab to view the latest listing each week.

IN THIS ISSUE, the e-news highlights remarks of United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano at a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly sponsored National Homelessness Research Symposium.

. . . There are thousands of people around our country who wake up every morning and their work for the day is to reduce the number of people living on the streets and in the shelters. Through nearly 300 10-Year Plans and State Interagency Councils on Homelessness, many of them work in government. They are developing policy, investing resources, cajoling legislatures and the business community. They’ve joined in partnership with those on the front lines, remoralized to the mission to end homelessness.

. . . They have a thirst and appetite for the research that will assist them in accomplishing the mission:

They need to know what works and what doesn’t.

What investments will have a return.

Which strategies offer cost benefits and cost savings.

Which strategies are effective.

What’s new and innovative that needs to be added.

What is only sustaining a status quo that hasn’t worked and needs to be changed.

What initiatives will narrow the gap between what we know and what we practice.

What efforts are consumer centric and produce consumer satisfaction.

What initiatives are field tested and evidence based.

More than ever, efforts in the field, in policy, and in investment need to be informed by research. Research that takes into account what is happening in our country right now. 10-Year Plans. State Interagency Councils. Reductions in street and chronic homelessness. Targeting resources to appropriate interventions for families. Research that is focused on accomplishing the mission. The mission indicated in the seal of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, DOMICILIA OMNIBUS AMERICANIS--A Home for Every American.

email: ichnews@setechnology.com

web: http://www.usich.gov