Be sure to watch for next week's regular e-news from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. You don't want to miss the announcement of the 300th jurisdictional 10-Year Plan commitment made in the nation.

Just four years ago, when Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano made the challenge at the Policy Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC, only a handful of jurisdictions had 10-Year Plans led by the city or county CEO. That was January, 2003.

By April, 2004 Raleigh and Wake County, North Carolina became the 100th 10-Year Plan, and momentum was building. By the September, 2004 Puerto Rico Summit of Mayors, Mayor Jorge Santini of San Juan, Puerto Rico had announced the 150th 10-Year Plan.

The 200 mark was crossed in April, 2005, when Mayor Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, Sparks Mayor Geno Martini, and Washoe County Commissioner Bonnie Webber, committed to a 10-Year Plan.

This week in Florida a city/county partnership stepped forward to become the 300th jurisdictionally led, community based plan in our country. We'll have the full story of that 300th commitment in next week's e- newsletter.

WASHINGTON, DC. $96 million in Federal treatment resources for states to provide client choice will be made available under the Access to Recovery (ATR) funding competition announced March 23 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). Applications are due June 7.

ATR grants provide funding to States, Tribes, and Tribal organizations to carry out voucher programs for substance abuse clinical treatment and recovery support services as part of the Presidential initiative to provide client choice among substance abuse clinical treatment and recovery support service providers, expand access to a comprehensive array of clinical treatment and recovery support options (including faith-based program options), and increase substance abuse treatment capacity. Interested applicants should read the entire funding announcement for complete details. Current ATR grantees are eligible to apply for an ATR grant in 2007.

Successful implementation of the ATR program relies on the relationship between the States and clients receiving services, to ensure that clients have choice among eligible providers. States are encouraged to support a mixture of clinical treatment and recovery support services that can be expected to achieve the program’s goal of achieving cost-effective, successful outcomes for the largest number of people. Current ATR grantees as well as entities meeting the eligibility criteria that have not received an ATR grant may apply.

Because of the growing awareness of the impact of methamphetamine use on communities, SAMHSA/CSAT is committed to reducing methamphetamine use and is working toward a target of $25 million per year within the ATR program to address this problem. States are encouraged to include vouchers for methamphetamine-related treatment and recovery support services within their proposed ATR projects.

ATR grantees will be expected to use their grant funds to facilitate individual choice and promote multiple pathways to recovery through the development and implementation of substance abuse treatment and recovery support service voucher systems. States should propose innovative strategies for their ATR projects to ensure client choice for substance abuse clinical treatment and recovery support services appropriate to the level of care needed by the client. For the purposes of this grant program, choice is defined as a client being able to choose from among two or more providers qualified to render the services needed by the client, among them at least one provider to which the client has no religious objection.

Grantees must also provide all substance abuse assessment, clinical treatment, and recovery support services funded through the ATR grant through vouchers given to a client by a State/Territory/Tribe or its designee. No funding shall be given directly to a provider through a grant or contract to provide any services under this program, including assessment.

Awardees must allow eligible clients to pay for assessment and other clinical treatment and recovery support services from a broad network of eligible providers, including organizations that have not previously received public funding. Eligible service providers for the voucher program may include the following: public and private, nonprofit, proprietary, as well as faith-based and community organizations, as approved through established procedures by the State/Territory/Tribe.

Awardees must expand clinical treatment and recovery support services by leveraging use of all Federal funds, preventing cost shifting, and ensuring that these funds are used to supplement and not supplant current funding for substance abuse clinical treatment and recovery support services in the State.

Important three-year “numbers served” goals are included in the announcement, along with accountability and performance measures, as well as outcome measures. SAMHSA is seeking to serve 135,000 people over the three years of the ATR program (25,000 in year 1; 55,000 in year 2; and 55,000 in year 3). Grantees will be held accountable for meeting the milestones they have identified in their applications and contributing to the overall target for the ATR program.

SAMHSA is especially interested in ensuring that the voucher systems supported through the ATR projects include the most cost effective mix of clinical treatment and recovery support services necessary to achieve intended outcomes. Applicants must include both types of services in their proposed projects and are encouraged to devote substantial funds to recovery support services.

SAMHSA is interested in supporting a range of models to implement substance abuse voucher programs, including full implementation of the program through a designated lead State or sub-State agency, as well as implementation of the program through public/private partnerships (i.e., a contract between the State and a lead private entity to implement all or part of the program). Programs may be statewide or targeted.

Examples of clinical services (provided by individuals who are licensed, certified, or otherwise credentialed to provide clinical treatment services) include the following: Screening/assessment; Brief intervention; Treatment planning; Detoxification; Medical care; Substance abuse education; Individual counseling; Group counseling; Residential treatment; Pharmacological interventions; Co-occurring treatment services; Family/marital counseling; Case management; Relapse prevention; Continuing care (including face-to-face and telephone-based continuing care counseling); Alcohol/drug testing; Family services, including family/marriage counseling and parenting and child development services; Employment services and job training; and Outreach.

Eligible recovery support services are defined in the announcement, along with a range of rates. Examples of recovery support services (typically provided by paid staff or volunteers familiar with how their communities can support people seeking to live free of alcohol and drugs, and often peers of those seeking recovery) include the following: Transportation to and from treatment, recovery support activities, employment, etc.; Employment services and job training; Case management/individual services coordination, providing linkages with other services (legal services, TANF, social services, food stamps, etc.); Outreach; Relapse prevention; Housing assistance and services; Child care; Family/marriage education; Peer-to-peer services, mentoring, coaching; Self-help and support groups; Life skills; and Spiritual and faith- based support; Education; Parent education and child development; and Substance abuse education.

WASHINGTON, DC. HHS Access to Recovery (ATR) resources described above are in addition to three other funding competitions recently announced.

Compassion Capital Fund Capacity Building. Approximately $10 million is available through the HHS Compassion Capital Fund to help build the capacity of faith-based and community organizations serving distressed communities to address the following needs: help for at-risk youth; help for persons who are homeless; marriage education and preparation services to help couples who choose marriage for themselves develop the skills and knowledge to form and sustain healthy marriages; or social services to those living in rural communities. A distressed community is defined as a neighborhood or geographic community with an unemployment rate and/or poverty rate equal to or greater than the State or national rate. No match or cost sharing is required. Maximum individual award will be $50,000. Applications are due April 10. The announcement is posted at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf/apply/announcements.html

Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Program. $16.5 million is also currently available under the Compassion Capital Fund's Demonstration Program for experienced organizations to deliver capacity building services to faith-based and community organizations through the provision of training, technical assistance, and sub-awards. Intermediary organizations will assist faith-based and community organizations with capacity building activities in five critical areas: 1) leadership development, 2) organizational development, 3) program development, 4) revenue development strategies, and 5) community engagement. Capacity building activities are designed to increase an organization's sustainability and effectiveness, enhance its ability to provide social services, and create collaborations to better serve those most in need. The program does not fund social services.

The goal of the CCF Demonstration Program is to help grassroots faith-based and community organizations maximize their social impact as they provide services to those most in need including persons who are homeless; elders in need; at-risk youth; families in transition from welfare to work; those in need of intensive rehabilitation such as addicts or prisoners; prisoners re-entering the community and children of prisoners; and organizations that provide marriage education and preparation services to help couples who choose marriage for themselves develop the skills and knowledge to form and sustain healthy marriages.

Applications are due May 16. The announcement is posted at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccf/apply/announcements.html

Earned Income Tax Credit and Asset Formation. Competitive applications are being accepted by HHS under authority of the Community Services Block Grant Act, Training and Technical Assistance Program for the Earned Income Tax Credit and Other Asset Formation Opportunities. $500,000 is available to fund up to 10 "capacity building collaborations that create or expand asset formation and financial literary services offered by eligible entities funded under the CSBG program."

Funds will be awarded to provide capacity-building assistance that enables local, State or regional CSBG networks to plan, establish, improve or expand asset formation and financial service opportunities for eligible individuals and families. The projects carried out by these networks should be designed to help low- wage earners, at or near the poverty level, become more knowledgeable about money management and other financial services. Additionally, the projects carried out by these networks must offer a range of services that help eligible clients take advantage of asset formation opportunities, increase disposable income, build financial resources and make wiser financial decisions that ultimately help the community thrive and become more economically stable.

Formal State CSBG Lead Agencies and State Community Action Agency (CAA) Association partnerships are especially encouraged to apply for funding. HHS' Office of Community Services realizes that CSBG service providers will be most effective in helping low-income individuals and families increase assets and financial literacy when they partner with others in the community. Therefore, applicants that show collaborations with other community-based organizations and institutions are also strongly encouraged to apply.

Successful applicants for these grants must have a plan for assisting the CSBG network's ability to provide EITC outreach, free tax preparation, and other financial and asset formation services and training within the Community Services Network. The network includes local CAA's and other CSBG eligible entities; State CSBG offices and other national associations; CAA State, regional and national associations; and related organizations that collaborate and participate with CAA's and other eligible entities in their efforts on behalf of low-income people.

Successful applicants will propose projects that will affect more than one local CSBG service area. This program is not appropriate for projects proposing stand-alone services that affect and target only one particular community. Formal State CSBG Lead Agencies and State CAA Association partnerships and Community Service Network collaborations that address the needs of communities are especially encouraged to apply for these funds and will receive priority consideration for funding.

Among the activities encouraged are:

• Help eligible, former Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) clients with earnings in a tax year (2006 or most current year) to apply for and receive the Federal and/or State EITC and other cash benefits or services to which they are entitled.

• Facilitate outreach to TANF clients through hiring staff or training volunteers responsible for specific outreach to the community. TANF client outreach should include education on EITC, filing requirements, and information provided about available free income tax services offered by the agency and/or available in the community. Former TANF clients should be scheduled for a free income tax filing appointment.

• Provide life skills education that helps low-income individuals and families learn and apply effective household management and budgeting techniques.

• Help clients establish and use banking and financial services, such as checking and savings accounts, thereby reducing or eliminating their reliance on the high-fee, high interest check cashing and loan services that are prevalent and widely used in low-income neighborhoods.

• Assist families and individuals to boost savings in Individual Development Accounts and/or to participate in other asset-building opportunities such as pre- purchase and post-purchase housing support, 529 college savings plans, and other asset tools.

The announcement is posted at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2007-ACF-OCS-ET-0086.html

WASHINGTON, DC. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns recently announced that up to $5 million in Food Stamp Program Participation grants are available to improve the accessibility and awareness of USDA's Food Stamp Program for low-income households. The Department has established an FY 2007 priority for encouraging and supporting partnerships between State agencies administering the FSP and private non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations. The Department intends to make at least one award of up to $1 million to an acceptable proposal that involves a partnership between a State agency and one or more non-profit organization with strong community ties.

Food Stamps, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Social Security Administration's Supplemental Security Income (SSI/SSDI) are examples of mainstream entitlement programs that can offer resources directly to persons who are homeless and at risk of homelessness. Successful State Interagency Council on Homelessness partnerships and 10-Year Plan efforts maximize both the effective utilization of Federal and State program resources and the opportunity to increase access by homeless and at risk of homelessness families and individuals to mainstream entitlement resources for which they qualify.

The current grant competition supports efforts by State agencies and their community-based and faith-based partners to develop and implement simple food stamp application and eligibility determination systems; or measures to improve access to food stamp benefits by eligible applicants.

USDA is seeking diverse proposals that would make the entire process, from certification to recertification, easier and more efficient for applicants and participants. The proposals should include innovative development of new or revised State or County food stamp systems that do not rely solely on outreach. While this innovation does not have to be a completely new idea or concept, the proposal needs to demonstrate that the idea is new and innovative to that specific State or County office. The proposed process can incorporate outreach activities as long as they do not exceed 25% of the project cost.

The proposal needs to demonstrate direct evidence that the proposed procedural or systemic changes would make the food stamp application and certification process easier for the participant. Program Participation Grants are primarily concerned with improving the quality and efficiency of operations within the food stamp office, such as streamlining office procedures or using technology (e.g. telephones) to improve the application process. For this reason, Program Participation Grants do not support projects that devote more than 25% of the requested grant funds to outreach activities--such as advertising, application assistance, screening or pre- qualifying applicants, or out-stationing eligibility workers--whose purpose is to attract or recruit food stamp applicants.

WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development this week provided additional information and assistance for 2007 applicants for the Homeless Assistance Grants programs announced on March 13. $1.25 billion is available in the competitive program, with applications due June 8.

All applicants should be certain to read and review the application and supporting materials for changes and guidance information, including new developments in the hold harmless reallocation approach. The purpose of the Homeless Assistance Programs is to reduce the incidence of homelessness in communities by assisting homeless individuals and families to move to self-sufficiency and permanent housing. Projects that sustain current successful interventions and advance the goals of ending chronic homelessness will be scored higher.

HUD annually provides a "Question and Answer" guide to new developments, common errors, and other key elements. This guide, along with application materials, pro rata funding figures, information on more than thirty other competitive HUD programs, and more, is also posted.

HUD this week conducted the first of two planned webcasts to brief applicants on important issues. The webcast can be viewed at any time by going to: http://www.hud.gov/webcasts/index.cfm. A followup webcast is scheduled on April 19 at 2 pm Eastern to address applicant questions.

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, including for use as permanent housing. Following are properties listed in the most recent Federal Register notice of suitable and available land and buildings.

The March 30 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 Calexico, CA, Paul, ID, Rockville, MD, and Yakima, WA.

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.

email: ichnews@setechnology.com

web: http://www.usich.gov