NEW YORK CITY. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Robert Hess last week announced that, for the third consecutive year, the City has posted a decline in street homelessness, with a 12% drop posted since 2007 and an overall 25% decline in street homelessness since 2005. The City first conducted its Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) survey in 2005 and has annually in January since then to produce an accurate estimate of the total number of unsheltered individuals on the streets and in the subway system. The Mayor and Commissioner were joined for the announcement by Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda Gibbs, MTA Executive Director and CEO Elliot "Lee" Sander, and former New York Jets running back Curtis Martin, who is collaborating with the City on efforts to reduce homelessness, and representatives from City agencies and homeless services non-profit providers. Mayor Bloomberg is pictured here.

"Tackling homelessness in its many forms has been a priority for our Administration - and I'm pleased to announce further progress in our efforts to help people leave the streets for a better life," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The good news, from both humanitarian and quality of life perspectives, is that a quarter fewer New Yorkers live on city streets today than when we started measuring in 2005. We will continue to bring innovation and focused management attention to this longstanding urban challenge."

"The annual HOPE count not only provides an estimate of the street homelessness population but it also enables us to evaluate and improve our approach to services," said Commissioner Hess. "Used along with other information, HOPE informs the development of programs and partnerships that have produced the results we see today - nearly 1,100 fewer New Yorkers living on our streets."

"Mayor Bloomberg's commitment to measurement, accountability, and results coupled with the leadership that Commissioner Hess has provided in Philadelphia and now New York offers good news and outcomes for New Yorkers - housed and homeless alike," indicated United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who participated in New York's first count in 2005.

The City credits the decline in street homelessness to stepped-up strategies undertaken over the last two years. These include the Homeless Encampments Initiative, through which DHS and more than a dozen city and state agencies partnered to clear 70 targeted encampments and "hot spots" throughout the five boroughs, and the NYC Street to Home outreach program - a major overhaul of the City's approach to outreach efforts citywide. In addition, the introduction of innovative housing options like Safe Havens and a partnership with the MTA positively impacted this year's results.

HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS. Just weeks after the city of Springfield announced a new 39% reduction in chronic homelessness under its 10-Year Plan, Springfield, Holyoke, and Northampton, Massachusetts last week unveiled their new regional plan, "All Roads Lead Home," a new 10-Year Plan effort for the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. The unveiling event is shown here.

Partners present for the event, which United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano was invited to keynote, included: Mayor Michael Sullivan of Holyoke; Mayor Domenic Sarno of Springfield; Mayor Clare Higgins of Northampton; Undersecretary Tina Brooks of MA Department of Housing and Community Development; Commissioner Julia Kehoe of the MA Department of Transitional Assistance; Joe Finn of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance; Peg Keller, Senior Planner, Office of Planning & Development, City of Northampton; Gerry McCafferty, Deputy Director, Homeless and Special Needs Housing, Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services, City of Springfield; Robert Pulster, Director, MA State Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing; Bob Schrarz, Executive Vice President, Peter Pan Buslines and Springfield Champion; and Peter Straley, President and CEO, Health New England. Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien also participated.

Also present for the unveiling of the plan, which includes a focus on veterans were United Veterans of America Founder and CEO Jack Downing and Government Relations Director Steve Como.

"You should be especially proud that the towns of the Pioneer Valley are working together," indicated Director Mangano. "Your elected officials deserve a lot of credit on that. That's not the way it is in most places in the country. There seem to be many obstacles to partnering. In fact, when communities do work together in most places, it's an unnatural act between consenting public officials. I commend all of the elected officials and all of you who have participated in the planning process for making this day happen."

Next steps include a Pioneer Valley Committee to End Homelessness (PVCEH) which will be established to lead and oversee plan implementation, community champions appointed by the Mayors, and a Director of Implementation hired. The Pioneer Valley Plan developed from a regional summit which was the result of the release of the Springfield 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness in January 2008. With leadership from Mayor Sullivan of Holyoke, former Mayor Ryan of Springfield and Mayor Higgins of Northampton, the new Plan moved forward. A March 2007 press conference in Holyoke served as the launch and Mayor Higgins and Mayor Sullivan agreed to chair the Leadership Council. Mayor Forgey of Greenfield and Mayor Gibson of West Springfield also attended the kickoff event and supported development of a regional plan.

The new Plan focuses on creation of a collaborative prevention and rapid rehousing network, in which local, state, and federal funds are allocated in a coordinated and easy-to-access manner. The Plan seeks to raise $200,000 per year in flexible regional funds and $150,000 per year in new funds for the Tenancy Preservation Project. Another goal is creation of 260 supportive housing opportunities for individuals; 50 supportive housing opportunities for families; and 4 small Safe Havens housing projects for seriously mentally ill individuals throughout the region. Affordability throughout the region will be addressed by creation of a regional affordable housing plan and agenda which leads to development of 300 housing units throughout the Pioneer Valley which are affordable to households with incomes at or below 30% of area median income. Finally, employment goals are proposed which include development of employment and training collaborations involving the Regional Employment Boards, One-Stop Career Centers, employers and homeless providers which will enable at least 100 homeless and at-risk persons to obtain employment each year.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has collected data from 65 cost studies and cost benefit analyses. But Chicago has added something new! Data developed in 2006 in Chicago's Cook County Hospital showed that one-third of patients were homeless or at risk, data that demonstrate the "random ricocheting" of those experiencing chronic homelessness between streets, shelters, and hospitals, as well as the high costs associated with hospital use by persons living on the streets or in shelters.

Last week, research partners from a permanent citywide collaboration among healthcare, housing, and social service agencies released data from a new first-of-its-kind, hospital-based randomized control trial designed to track health outcomes and costs for individuals with long-term histories of homelessness and diagnosed with at least one of 14 chronic medical illnesses. The Chicago Housing for Health Partnership (CHHP) used various Housing First strategies to place individuals identified in three hospitals into supportive housing and track their service and health care use as well as housing stability for a cohort which had high rates of substance use (86%), mental illness (46%), and medical issues such as HIV/AIDS (34%).

Data released last week at the National Housing and HIV/AIDS Summit in Baltimore indicate 72% of program participants achieved stable housing. Study participants used two-thirds less nursing home days annually, were 2.5 times less likely to use an emergency room, and used a mean of 1.5 days of inpatient hospitalization compared to 2.3 days for the "usual care" control group, of whom only 15% were in permanent housing at the end of the study. Annual medical expenses for housed clients were at least $873,000 less than their usual care counterparts, according to preliminary cost estimates. All participants had at least one chronic disease, and hospitalizations for the housed group were estimated at $3.1 million over the 18-month study period and $5.3 million for the usual care group. Annual costs for housing and case management were estimated at $12,000 per person per year.

Arturo V. Bendixen, AIDS Foundation of Chicago Vice President for Programs and Partnerships and CHHP director indicated about the results: "The CHHP method of service delivery provides our nation with an effective model for assisting this segment of the homeless population and saving taxpayer dollars."

"The Chicago study takes us another deeper step into what we know in the field," said Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano, "confirming that the old status quo responses of ad hoc crisis intervention are more expensive than providing homeless people what they want - a place to live."

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. With the support of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, the city was well on its way to joining hundreds of cities across the country with 10-Year Plans when Katrina hit and devastated the city and derailed the plan. Last week, in a meeting with United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, the Mayor announced that he would get the plan back on track, revitalizing the planning process and prioritizing an effort to engage the business community. Mayor Nagin and Director Mangano are pictured here.

Prior to his meeting with the Mayor, Director Mangano was briefed by Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Donald Powell of the United States Department of Homeland Security, who offered his assistance in identifying business leaders to be involved in the creation and implementation of the plan. "Czar Powell was clear that the business community, along with ordinary citizens, had been instrumental in restoring New Orleans and would be valuable allies in creating a results-oriented homelessness plan in the city," indicated Director Mangano. Mayor Nagin and his staff, led by Deputy Chief for Development Anthony Faciane, Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Relations, and Executive Counsel Becca O'Brien welcomed the assistance of the recovery office.

The Director (pictured here) also spent early morning hours accompanied by Council Team Leader Michael German visiting homeless people living in a tented encampment under Interstate 10. In visiting scores of people living there, Director Mangano heard pre and post Katrina stories of homelessness that led to the visible and unhealthy encampment.

In his subsequent meeting (pictured here) with the Mayor and his staff and with City Councilors Stacey Head and James Carter and other community leaders including UNITY staff and Ron Gonzalez, Executive Director of the New Orleans Mission, the Director affirmed the plan of the Mission and City to offer a 24/7 triage site to those in the encampment. That site, the Director indicated, was "better than living under an interstate in unhealthful conditions, but not as good as living in housing."

Both the City and Mission promised that the "barracks" on Mission property would be configured as a triage site with the employment expertise of the Mission joined with the housing expertise of UNITY to create a path out of homelessness.

Councilors Head and Carter welcomed the involvement of the business community as an important needed step forward to launch the planning process.

WASHINGTON, DC. "Research tells us that we can reduce and end homelessness through innovations and data, resources have increased to make the investment, and results demonstrate that the research and investment are getting the job done," said United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano as he addressed County Executives at last week's National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. Addressing members of the committees on community development and health, Director Mangano thanked County officials for their ongoing support and partnership with federal initiatives, noting that NACo first passed a resolution in support of 10-Year Plans at its 2003 meeting after the Council's revitalization. Director Mangano is pictured here addressing the Community and Economic Development Committee, chaired by Council Member David Harrington of Prince Georges County, MD. Director Mangano also addressed the Health Steering Committee, chaired by Commissioner Robert Janes of Lee County, FL. NACo's Cassandra Duhaney organized and supported the Director's visit. Council National Team Leader Michael German also took part.

More than forty NACo members, led by President Eric Coleman, County Commissioner of Oakland County, Michigan, became signatories to America's Road Home during the conference, adding their signatures to the Statement of Principles and Actions. New signatories include: Commissioner John Alford, Scotland County, NC; Commissioner Teresa Altemus, Gloucester County, VA; Commissioner Elma Avertt, Clarke County, AL; Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut, Alachua County, FL; Commissioner Sidney Dunston, Franklin County, NC; Commissioner William Edwards, Fulton County, GA; Commissioner Terence Farrell, Chester County, PA; Commissioner Joan Flynn, Macomb County, MI; Commissioner Kenn Gardner, Wake County, NC; Supervisor John Gioia, Contra Costa County, CA; Commissioner Joe Hunt, Clarke County, AL; Commissioner Larry John, DeKalb County, GA; Commissioner Vernon Jones, DeKalb County, GA; Commissioner Eric Jordan, Luna County, NM; Commissioner Joyce Kortman, Ottawa County, MI; Commissioner Rodney Long, Alachua County, FL; Commissioner Deborah Mack, Hall County, GA; Commissioner Roberto Maldonado, Cook County, IL; Commissioner Walter Marshall, Forsyth County, MI; Commissioner Lee May, DeKalb County, GA; Commissioner Charles McCorvey, Monroe County, AL; Commissioner Joseph Norwood, Lauderdale County, MS; Commissioner Rhondel Rhone, Clarke County, AL; Commissioner Chris Rodgers, Douglas County, NE; Commissioner Mary Ross-Cunningham, Lake County, IL; Commissioner Bobby Rushing, Jefferson Davis County, MS; Commissioner James Scahill, Armstrong County, PA; Commissioner Charles Selmon, Warren County, MS; Judge Charles Singleton, Washington County, AL; Commissioner Woodrow Stanley, Flint, MI; Commissioner Robert Steele, Cook County, IL; Commissioner Debbie Stivender, Lake County, FL; Commissioner Connie Stokes, DeKalb County, GA; Freeholder Beth Timberman, Salem County, NJ; Commissioner Harold Webb, Wake County, NC; Judge B. Glen Whitley, Tarrant County, TX; Commissioner Amy Wilde, Meeker County, MN; Commissioner Jiles Williams, Montgomery County, AL; Commissioner Gregory Woodard, Gloucester County, VA; Commissioner Roderick Woullard, Forrest County, MS; and Commissioner John Young, Oktibbeha County, MS.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 10-Year Plan Community Champions are one of the key innovative technologies that have emerged from the National Partnership being constellated by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. From the early adopters of San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom who appointed civic leader and former Supervisor Angela Alioto to develop and lead the city's 10-Year Plan and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin who asked retired attorney and businessman Horace Sibley to develop and implement Atlanta's regional Blueprint, many cities of all sizes now follow the best practice of engaging prominent business and civic leaders to move 10-Year Plan partners and investments to results in the community.

10-Year Plan Champions from the New England states gathered in Boston last week for an inaugural summit convened by the Council and organized by Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien to measure progress in plans and in the development of the role of Champions, as well as to examine specific examples of jurisdictional initiatives achieving results. New England states have seen notable progress in reducing numbers of people on the street, closing shelters, and creating additional housing opportunity through Housing First initiatives. Quincy, Massachusetts, a community of 90,000 which has achieved a 56% reduction in chronic homelessness and closed a women's shelter, was represented by John Yazwinski, President and CEO of Father Bill's, along with Jeffrey Graeber, a local attorney and co- chair of the Quincy Leadership Council. The Quincy Plan leaders described the importance role of mayoral political will combined with a private/public sector partnership reflected in the make up of the Quincy Leadership Council, headed by Chamber of Commerce President Peter Forman.

Jim Cuddy, Executive Director of South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) a regional community action agency whose housing focus has supported the closing of two shelters over the last 18 months, described SMOC's wholly owned subsidiary model that uses commercial lending to secure an inventory of over 115 buildings with housing for over 1,200 individuals. Andrew Oliver, Board President of the Salem Mission, which has changed its focus from emergency shelter to permanent supportive housing, has purchased and refurbished buildings that will provide 22 units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals. Jack Downing, CEO of Western Massachusetts' Soldier On which supports homeless veterans as they move into permanent housing and home ownership for homeless veterans, is about to break ground for 66 limited equity co-op condominiums on the grounds of its Pittsfield, MA site.

Champions also discussed the importance of leveraging private sector resources into jurisdictional plans, and Tom Lorello, Executive Director of Cambridge's Shelter, Inc. (see prior e-news story) described his Board's shift in focus from emergency shelter to the development of permanent supportive housing; Shelter, Inc., has added over 100 project based and scattered site units serving chronically homeless individuals. Board and Advisory Council volunteers also recognized that their volunteerism could be based on their areas of expertise, rather than on traditional ways of volunteering at a shelter.

Springfield, Massachusetts, which recently posted a 39% decrease in chronic homelessness, sees Project Homeless Connect as a highly successful community engagement tool as the City implements its 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. According to Pastor Greg Dyson, who chaired the city's inaugural event in 2007, Springfield is using the "lessons learned" from the first PHC to insure the 2008 PHC has real time results in the lives of homeless people in Springfield. Pastor Dyson came to the summit from a meeting with community leaders at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield with 40 faith leaders to engage them in this year's PHC. The city intends to have housing units available on the day of the PHC, so some participants will literally be given a key to an apartment on that day. A further innovation that Springfield is pursuing involves the identification of individuals whose expertise is in identifying and solving complex problems. The PHC planning committee will deploy business and other volunteers with this background to resolve within 30 minutes the most complex individual problems individuals or families present.

Mark Nolan, President, The Nonprofit Rental Housing Corporation talked about key factors in the 10% reduction in chronic homelessness seen from the 10- Year Plan in Danbury, CT. Strong support from Mayor Mark Boughton, including asking the private sector to come to the planning table, funding Dream Homes Community Center and a merger of city departments to better support implementation for the Ten Year Plan. Dream Homes involves three programs: implementation of a point-of-entry system for homeless services, administration of a security deposit assistance program, and implementation of a homeownership program for lower-income persons.

Kevin Wilhelm, Executive Director, United Way of Middlesex County, who co-chaired the development of the regional 10-Year Plan in Middlesex County, CT, identified the need to engage small communities in the area. While the key city is Middletown, there are many small towns that needed to be engaged, and one of the strategies Middlesex County used was to include the First Selectman from several of the towns on the Executive Council that developed the plan. Without their engagement, the plan could not really have been regionalized.

An increased focus on the needs of homeless families and youth and the federal resources available to assist them was the hallmark of the 2007-2008 chairmanship of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness under the leadership of Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt. Key among the year's results was the release of new research from both inside and outside government to define the needs of the family population, as well as the creation of an inventory of federal programs with capacity to serve families.

Partners in the public and private sector seeking to learn more about the impact of homelessness on young children, best practices in assisting children in families that are experiencing homelessness, and current policy issues may be interested in the upcoming 3rd Young Children without Homes Conference to be convened in Boston (April 15-17). Sponsored by Horizons for Homeless Children, the conference is particularly suited for providers of early care and education services; providers of homeless services; health professionals; public school teachers / administrators; homeless education liaisons; Head Start providers; policymakers; and legislators.

Horizons for Homeless Children improves the lives of homeless children by providing early education and care in Community Children's Centers (CCC's) and by creating Playspaces (educational and recreational spaces) in shelters throughout Massachusetts to help children learn, play, explore, and build social skills. Tours of some sites will also be offered. More information on the conference, including registration information, can be found at: http://www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news continues coverage of the statements of jurisdictional leaders reporting results in the National Partnership. This week's excerpted remarks are from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who focused on his city's just announced third straight year of decreased street homelessness (see related e-news story).

"I've always believed that you can't manage a problem unless you've measured it. That's why last January - for the fourth consecutive year - seventeen-hundred volunteers took to the streets in the dead of night to conduct an estimate of the street homeless population in all five boroughs of our city. By the end of the night, the volunteers had checked hundreds of parks, inspected more than 1,000 subway cars, and covered more than 8,000 miles of streets.

"What they found - or rather, what they didn't find - was encouraging. By their count, the number of New Yorkers living on our streets has dropped 12% over the past year to some 3,300 people. That's still too many - but it's a 25% drop since our first citywide count in 2005.

"Getting even more New Yorkers off the streets and into housing will hinge on us continuing the programs and initiatives that have played a big part in these recent reductions. That means continuing our targeted interventions - including our efforts to clear makeshift homeless encampments wherever they crop up.

"It means improving accountability - which is why we now evaluate contracts with our non-profit partners based not on the number of times they reach out to the homeless, but how well they actually do in placing the homeless in permanent housing.

"And it means having the courage to try new solutions. For instance, this year, we'll expand the number of Safe Havens - which are basically smaller shelter alternatives with fewer rules that provide warm beds to people who have traditionally avoided the shelter system.

"The fact is, New Yorkers living on the street are not going to get their lives back on track through handouts alone. What they truly need is to get real help for the problems that in many cases may have put them on the street in the first place. And that's the message of a new subway advertising campaign which we launched last week.

"So the next time you see a homeless person who is struggling, rather than reach for your change, call 311. We'll send one of our outreach teams, who will work - respectfully and firmly - to get this person into housing, enrolled in treatment programs, or into shelter. If you want, we'll even call you back with an update about what happened as a result of your call.

"That's change which really will make a difference."

email: usich@usich.gov

web: http://www.usich.gov