WASHINGTON, DC. The number of homeless veterans in the nation has fallen by over 60,000 during the last decade, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, which presented testimony to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on programs targeted to homeless veterans on March 16. “We are making progress, and their numbers are coming down,” said Peter Dougherty, Director of the Office of Homeless Veterans Programs to the Committee, which was convened by Chair Senator Larry Craig (ID) and Ranking Member Daniel Akaka (HI) to consider legislative proposals to reauthorize VA’s targeted homeless programs.

According to VA data, there were an estimated 250,000 veterans homeless on any given night in 1996. VA will shortly report that its most recent data shows a 25 percent decrease in the population, with fewer than 190,000 veterans homeless. “This progress demonstrates to us that this scourge is not unmanageable and that our collective efforts are realizing success,” stated Mr. Dougherty. “We are confident that our continued efforts will achieve our goal of ending chronic homelessness among veterans.”

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to testify before the Committee with Mr. Dougherty, Department of Labor Assistant Secretary Charles Ciccolella and several veterans organizations, told the Committee, “I can assure you that there have been no better advocates for the needs of homeless veterans than the two VA Secretaries that have chaired the U.S. Interagency Council and represent the federal agency with more resources targeted to homelessness than any other - Secretary Nicholson and his predecessor Secretary Principi. They have been true to the mission, investing new resources, prioritizing this population, and embracing new strategies."

Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Veterans Employment and Training Services Charles Ciccolella underscored the theme of federal partnership in his remarks to the Committee, stating: “When agencies and organizations work together to get the job done, which is what you see happening today with programs that address the needs of homeless veterans, we are much more likely to see meaningful results.”

Assistant Secretary Ciccolella announced that VETS will release its FY 2006 funding round for the Department’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) by the end of March. Labor will conduct three competitions (Urban, Non-Urban, and New Grantees) seeking to serve both urban and non-urban homeless veterans, and also will undertake a separate competition for new grantees in order to increase the geographic coverage of the program nationwide, and to provide an opportunity for applicants who have not previously been awarded an HVRP grant. The FY 2006 HVRP appropriation is $21,780,000, which will fund approximately 92 grants and serve over 16,000 homeless veterans, with a projected 10,000 homeless veterans entering employment.

Pictured here (from top to bottom) at the hearing are VA's Pete Dougherty, Assistant Secretary Ciccolella, and Director Mangano. Thanks to Jeff Schrade of the Committee for the photographs.

WASHINGTON, DC. Three voices of experience added to the insights provided to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in a March 16 hearing on federal programs for homeless veterans (see related e-news story) as individuals providing services at the local level informed the Committee about the results of their efforts.

According to Tim Cantwell of Cloudbreak Development, LLC, of Inglewood, California, who affirmed the reductions identified by VA’s Pete Dougherty in his testimony, the number of homeless veterans in Los Angeles County has been reduced. Stated Mr. Cantwell, “We believe that the ability of the L.A. system to place a motivated homeless veteran into an appropriate setting on a same day basis has contributed to a reduction in the number of homeless veterans. In 1996 the general consensus homeless estimate that on any given night for the streets of LA County was around 80,000 individuals and of that, 24,000 to 27,000 were estimated to be veterans. In 2005, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count released in January 2006 indicates there are now more than 88,000 homeless individuals on any given night, but of those, only 18,000 were veterans. This is a reduction in both absolute and percentage terms . . . the fact is that in 1992 there were only 69 beds across all of L.A.’s shelter system for vets, and today, there are nearly 2,000.”

U.S. VETS is a collaboration primarily between the Cloudbreak Development family of companies owned by Cantwell-Anderson, Inc. (a for profit real estate developer) and United States Veterans Initiative (a non-profit homeless veteran service provider), which collectively operate service enriched housing facilities for over 2000 homeless veterans throughout the country.

Representing the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, the VA’s technical assistance provider, Michael Blecker, Executive Director of Swords to Ploughshares in San Francisco, indicated that America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, anti-drug efforts in South America, Afghanistan, and Iraq. 47 percent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era, and more than 67 percent served for at least three years, with 33 percent stationed in a war zone.

Alan Belcher, President of the Board of Directors of Transitional Living Services of Woodstock, Illinois spoke about the importance of permanent housing opportunities for homeless veterans. “From the inception of our program, we have understood the importance of placing our veterans in permanent housing and providing supportive services. The obstacles to successful transition are many and daunting for the veteran. Most of them have many years of living on the street and being in and out of temporary housing programs.”

Pictured here (from left to right) at the hearing are Michael Blecker, Alan Belcher, and Tim Cantwell.

SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA. A homelessness forum convened by Sioux Falls, South Dakota Mayor Dave Munson on March 14 signals continued momentum around the community’s Blueprint to Eliminate Homelessness, which was released in January 2005. The event was held to educate the community and key Blueprint stakeholders about the latest innovations and best practices achieving results across the country. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano served as keynote, speaking on Good to Better to Great: Innovations in 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness.

“No person in Sioux Falls needs be ‘homeless’ for more than a day.” With this clear directive, the Blueprint calls upon the community to “break this social phenomenon into ‘chewable’ bites and then find workable solutions for each aspect.”

"Our homelessness plan will address both temporary and chronic homelessness by looking at such factors as education, job readiness, substance abuse and mental health, and housing costs. We are so fortunate because our community is rich in faith- and community-based nonprofit organizations, businesses, government leaders, and individual citizens who want to address the problem collectively,” said Mayor Munson.

Director Mangano said the Blueprint conveyed a measured, realistic approach based on research and data that calls for performance, outcomes, results, and compassion. “Last year, Mayor Munson’s leadership led to South Dakota’s first 10-Year Plan to end homelessness and that commitment to community partnership, innovation, and results continues in his sponsorship of the Mayor’s forum,” said Director Mangano.

A Homeless Advisory Board will oversee implementation, which includes the creation of 150 housing units over the next 10 years. The plan details the joint cooperation of the local governments (city and county), including coordination among more than 55 local, state, and federal entities, the Sioux Empire United Way, various private non-profits, faith-based organizations, advocacy groups, and civic organizations.

In addition to the strong focus on housing and employment, the plan calls for a Common Access Protocol among service providers to eliminate redundancies and create a common intake procedure, as well as Individual Care Plans for each chronic individual. A mobile team modeled after the United Way Loaned Executive program will include specialists in case management, housing, employment, mental health, money management, and other support services. Frequent surveys of the client population, an inventory of existing agencies and resources, leadership in the state-wide Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and creating a web page of homelessness information are all part of plan implementation.

While in Sioux Falls, Director Mangano and Council Regional Coordinator Eduardo Cabrera met with the members of the Homeless Advisory Board which is chaired by Reverand Mary Fast. Other board members include City Council Member Vernon Brown, Minnehaha County Commissioner Carol Twedt, Fannie Mae Partnership Office Director Bob Simpson, Minnehaha County Human Services Director Hugh Grogan, Sioux Falls Empire United Way Assistant Community Impact Director Lori Blom, former City Council Member Tam Baker, Public Health Director Judy Buseman, and Community Development Director Randy Bartunek.

Pictured here at the Forum are Mayor Munson and Director Mangano.

WASHINGTON, DC. Over 1000 federal, state, public, and private partners gathered in Washington, DC for The Road Home: The National Behavioral Health Conference on Returning Veterans and their Families, a national conference sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the Untied States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During the same week as the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on programs for homeless Veterans (see related e-news story) the Conference convened in partnership with Therapeutic Communities of America. The Conference sought to give attendees tools to help veterans and their families build resiliency and prevent and treat complex problems, such as mental disorders (including post-traumatic stress disorder), substance abuse, suicide, and co-occurring disorders. Featured speakers and workshop leaders included SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Director Dr. Westley Clark, Center for Mental Health Services Director Kathryn Power, and SAMHSA Senior Policy Advisor Cheri Nolan.

National experts gave special attention to homeless Veterans in a workshop entitled Meeting the Housing Needs of Returning Veterans, moderated by SAMHSA’a Homeless Programs Branch Chief Larry Rickards. National Coalition for Homeless Veterans President and CEO and Veteran Cheryl Beversdorf focused on current policy and advocacy initiatives for homeless veterans and the wealth of resources in the community based organizations that serve homeless veterans across the country.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator and Liaison to the VA Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans John O’Brien, also a Veteran, described the Council’s initiatives to narrow the gap between knowledge and practice in ending the homelessness of Veterans by insuring the best ideas and innovations are widely disseminated. He described key concepts and program ideas from the Council's recent National Summit on homeless Veterans (see prior e-news story) including: One Stops for Veterans, Veterans Serving Veterans, Re-entry and Re- integration programs for Veterans, and housing initiatives derived by focusing on what Veterans say they want and need, such as home ownership opportunities (limited equity co-ops, single family and multi-family home ownership) and housing for hard to reach veterans (Cabins in the Woods). Steve Binder, J.D., Chair of the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty, described the Veterans Stand Downs and the origin of the Stand Down concept in San Diego. Stand Downs have become an effective national strategy for engaging and serving homeless Veterans.

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA. “Katrina showed a great light on what works quickly. We’re taking those lessons, and we’re moving ahead,” said United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, and served as keynote speaker for the 13th Conference on Homelessness in Louisiana, which brought together 250 service providers, advocates, and officials from federal, state and local governments to explore homelessness issues both before and after the storms that struck the Gulf Coast last year. Co-hosts for the March 20-22 conference entitled Ending Homelessness: The Tools to Make it Happen were the Louisiana Interagency Action Council for the Homeless, the Louisiana Advocacy Coalition for the Homeless, and HOPE for the Homeless.

Community hospitality, spontaneous one-stops, and unprecedented political will were key themes highlighted in Mr. Mangano’s remarks. National Alliance to End Homelessness President Nan Roman whose organization first identified the role of local 10-year plans, spoke about putting 10-year plans into operation.

Pictured here during the conference opening are Director Mangano, HOPE for the Homeless President Ken Beatty, United States Housing and Urban Development Regional Director A. Cynthia Leon, and HUD's Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs Mark Johnston. VA Medical Center Chief of Social Services Dock Voorhies, HOPE for the Homeless Executive Director Terri Brock, and HUD Project Manager Linda Jarrell also attended the conference.

While in Louisiana, Mr. Mangano and Council Regional Coordinator Michael German attended a meeting of the Louisiana Interagency Council for the Homeless to hear about next steps in developing a plan to end chronic homelessness. They joined Bossier City Mayor Lorenz Walker, Shreveport Mayor Keith Hightower, Assistant to the Mayor Liz Swaine, and members of the Regional Task Force to End Homelessness for a progress update on their 10-Year Plan implementation. Director Mangano, who also met separately with Mayor Walker, congratulated the Mayor on his decision to partner with Mayor Hightower and other area leaders in the regional initiative.

WASHINGTON, DC. Two upcoming conferences will help faith-based and community organizations learn about federal funding opportunities and how to secure federal grant funds. The workshops are part of a continuing series of Regional Conferences and Targeted Workshops hosted by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to support the work of effective social service organizations. The conferences and workshops are offered free of charge, though pre-registration is required.

April 6 is the deadline to register for the next Regional Conference, which will take place in Jacksonville, Florida on April 12, 2006. The conference will offer a general overview of the federal Faith-Based and Community Initiative, information about the Federal funding process at both the Federal and State levels, available funding opportunities, and the requirements that come with the receipt of Federal funds. The conference is geared toward those who are new to the initiative, have no history of applying for government grants, or have attempted to secure government funding, but have not yet been successful. Among the conference topics are At-Risk Youth; Community Development, Homeownership, and Homelessness; Workforce Development; Ex-Offender Issues; HIV/AIDS; and Substance Abuse.

Cincinnati, Ohio is the host city for the next Targeted Workshop, scheduled for May 12, 2006. Registration deadline is May 8. This session will offer grant writing tutorials for certain Federal grant programs that present the greatest opportunity for faith-based and community organizations. The workshop is geared toward experienced organizations with a track record of applying for government funds, particularly those that have not yet been successful.

The workshop will address funding opportunities such as Community Based Abstinence Education; Compassion Capital Fund; Continuum of Care; Homeless Providers Grant, and Per Diem Program; Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs; Ryan White Title III & IV; the Child Care and Development Fund; HOME Investment Partnerships Program; Partnering with the Workforce Investment System; Substance Abuse Block Grant/Access to Recovery; Summer Food Service Program; and Supplemental Educational Services. Sessions hosted by Federal agencies will reveal how faith-based and community organizations can partner with various agencies to achieve common goals.

Both sessions will also provide an opportunity to inform State and local officials about equal treatment regulations and other central elements of the Faith-Based and Community Initiative.

Coordinated by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, the conferences and workshops are supported by the Departments of Justice, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Commerce, and Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, and the Agency for International Development.

President Bush created the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in ten Federal agencies to lead a determined attack on need by strengthening and expanding the role of Faith-based and Community Organizations (FBCOs) in providing social services. The Federal government has worked to accomplish this mission through an array of regulatory and policy reforms, legislative efforts, and public outreach to FBCOs. Additionally, by making information about Federal grants more accessible and the application process less burdensome, the initiative has empowered FBCOs to compete more effectively for funds.

WITH THIS ISSUE, e-News continues its focus on elements of the Title V federal surplus property and opportunities to secure resources to assist persons experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

WASHINGTON, DC. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act allows the transfer of identified federal surplus real estate to eligible non-federal applicants for purposes of homeless assistance. Applicants for federal surplus property identify how they intend to utilize the property based on the needs of their communities.

To date, the use of federal surplus property has been restricted to homeless shelters, transitional programs and services. Under a new policy, which is expected to take effect this spring, local governments and community organizations will soon be able to use federal surplus property for permanent supportive housing.

Suitable and available properties are listed each Friday in the Federal Register. Entities interested in obtaining the surplus property have 60 days to submit a letter of intent. Land and buildings in the following states are listed in the March 17, 2006 Federal Register as “suitable and available”: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia.

The Interagency Council's web site includes a link to the latest weekly Federal Register notice regarding federal surplus property available under Title V of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Under "Funding" look for the link to the Title V notice.

. . . that, as the largest provider of direct services to homeless people in the nation, the Department of Veterans Affairs provides health care and services to more than 100,000 homeless veterans each year.

. . . that the Department of Labor expects spend $21,780,000 to fund 912 grants under the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP). Over 16,000 homeless veterans will be served by these HURP grants, and approimately 10,000 homeless veterans will enter employment.

. . . that VA expects to spend $244 million this year in the provision of services for homeless veterans. The President’s budget request for FY 2007 calls for a $20 million increase to $264 million.

. . . that prospective applicants for targeted homelessness assistance grants can learn more details about the application process by joining HUD's Webcast which will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, March 28 from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM EST.