WASHINGTON, DC. President Barack Obama yesterday released his FY 2010 federal budget, proposing increases in targeted homeless initiatives and stating: "The Budget provides approximately $1.8 billion for the [HUD] Homeless Assistance Grant programs. The continued request for increased funding reflects the documented success in decreasing homelessness through these programs. Furthermore, this requested increase signals the Administration's intent to provide dedicated funding for new supportive housing." The FY 2009 level for these programs was $1.677 billion.

"Many communities have made great strides in creating comprehensive approaches to ending chronic homelessness through the development of State Interagency Councils and local plans," noted the budget.

A new $19 million homelessness initiative is proposed for Washington, DC. The new program, to support permanent supportive housing in the District, is "modeled on the best practices of other public programs, places vulnerable individuals and families in permanent housing first, and then provides treatment for other challenges that may be at the root of the homelessness. This approach has had success in other cities and is a new Federal partnership with DC for 2010." Additional information on proposed HUD increases is provided later in this story.

At the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a new $26 million pilot program with non-profits will help maintain stable housing for vulnerable veterans while providing VA support services. VA health care will expand dramatically as engagement and support services continue to expand. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki is currently the Chair of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

At the U.S. Department of Labor, the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program for employment is proposed at $35 million, an increase of $9 million. HVRP is estimated to have served 15,000 veterans in FY 2008.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will expand support for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness, with a proposed increase from $60 million to $68 million.

The new Second Chance Act for the reentry population at the U.S. Department of Justice is proposed to expand from $25 million to $100 million.

Other HUD programs are also proposed for expansion. The new Housing Trust Fund is to be capitalized with $1 billion. HUD is requesting $17.836 billion for housing vouchers, an increase of $1.77 billion. Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance is proposed at $8.1 billion, an increase of $1 billion. CDBG is proposed at $4.45 billion, an increase of $550 million. A new $25 million Rural Innovation Fund will be a setaside in CDBG. HUD also seeks $250 million for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.

NEW $50 MILLION SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND PROPOSED. The President is requesting $50 million in seed capital for a new Social Innovation Fund, to identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country. According to Michele Jolin, Senior Advisor for Social Innovation for the Domestic Policy Council, " This is a dramatically different way for the government to do business - and it reflects the President's new governing approach - finding and scaling the best social innovations; partnering with those who are leading change in their communities; and creating a policy environment for all these innovations to thrive." President Obama has said that this is an "all-hands- on-deck" moment and that government cannot solve our nation's problems alone. He has said that it is critical to partner with citizens, nonprofits, social entrepreneurs, foundations and corporations to make progress on our nation's great challenges. The President has also talked about finding new solutions to old problems, and this is where the social innovation can play a unique role.

WASHINGTON, DC. U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan this week announced the availability of $2 billion in new competitive recovery resources for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which will be referred to as NSP2. Funding is available to states, local governments, and non-profit housing developers to counter the effects of home foreclosures. NSP2 was funded in the President's recovery package and will target areas with the greatest number of abandoned and foreclosed homes. Applications for NSP funds will be due July 17, 2009.

"HUD is committed to getting these funds out quickly and effectively to help communities recover from the blight and vacancies that have become visual symbols of difficult economic times," said Secretary Donovan. "We have much more work to do to mitigate the impacts that foreclosures have had on local communities; however, innovative collaborations between local government, housing agencies, and non-profits and creative, green-focused uses of federal funds will create jobs and put us on the path to recovery."

HUD has already allocated nearly $4 billion in NSP grants under last year's Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) to help state and local governments respond to rising foreclosures and falling home values.

The additional $2 billion in NSP grants that HUD announced this week will further assist state and local governments, as well as non-profit developers, to acquire land and property; to demolish or rehabilitate abandoned properties; and/or to offer downpayment and closing cost assistance to low- to middle-income homebuyers. Grantees can also stabilize neighborhoods by creating "land banks" to assemble, temporarily manage, and dispose of foreclosed homes. NSP Program also seeks to prevent future foreclosures by requiring housing counseling for families receiving homebuyer assistance.

HUD will provide up to $50 million in technical assistance grants to help grantees better manage their neighborhood stabilization programs. Applications for NSP technical assistance will be due June 8, 2009.

HUD ANNOUNCES WEBCASTS ON RECOVERY RESOURCES. HUD has also announced several upcoming webcasts on recovery resources. NSP2 will be addressed on May 14 in a webcast. An additional Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing webcast on May 12 will supplement ongoing regional trainings and HUD's recent HPRP webcast with details for grantees and sub grantees in the areas of program development, program participant's eligibility requirements, eligible activities and grantee responsibility. Details on webcasts are available at http://www.hud.gov/webcasts/recovery.cfm

HUD AND TREASURY DEPARTMENTS ANNOUNCE $5 BILLION FOR PARTNERSHIP RECOVERY INITIATIVE. As part of an innovative partnership aimed at job creation and easing pressures on the housing market, the Department of the Treasury and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this week also jointly announced programs that will provide billions of dollars in recovery funds to spur the development of thousands of affordable housing units in states around the country. Funded through the President's recovery package, the programs together will provide approximately $5 billion for states to finance the acquisition and construction of affordable housing for working families.

Through the Recovery Act, the Treasury Department will now for the first time provide state housing agencies resources from which they will in turn provide cash assistance to developers of qualified affordable housing developments to fill the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LITC) gap. The program will increase the supply of newly constructed or recently renovated affordable housing units for families - affordable housing that otherwise may not have come to market due to current economic conditions.

In addition to Treasury's new program, HUD will award $2.25 billion in grants to state housing credit agencies through the Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) to complete construction of qualified housing developments. The TCAP program will ultimately provide affordable housing to an estimated 35,000 low-income households.

According to the federal partners, one of the by- products of the economic crisis has been the freezing of the investment in Low Income Housing Tax Credit, the federal government's program for the development of affordable rental housing. Tax credits provide an incentive for investors to participate in the program, which in turn provides equity to developers to build multi-family rental housing for moderate and low income families across the nation. Developers depend on the equity generated as a result of the incentive provided by the tax credits to fill project financing gaps. In the current financial crisis, credit is tight, and as a number of traditional equity investors have left the market, the value of tax credits have plummeted. The result is that as many as 1,000 projects containing nearly 150,000 units across the country are on hold.

WASHINGTON, DC. Michael German, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness National Team Leader, was announced this week as a finalist for the Service to America Medal by the Partnership for Public Service at ceremony at the Hart Senate Office Building. Mr. German, who leads the Council's team of Regional Coordinators created in interagency partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, was nominated by the Interagency Council for recognition in the area of Citizen Services for "a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to social services."

"I am especially proud that one of HUD's own staff members is a finalist being honored today: Michael German," stated United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who commended the Interagency Council's work as "a great example" of a federal agency that was accomplishing its mission and effective in government and Council Director Philip Mangano as "one of the most inspiring public servants." The Secretary noted that the Council's record shows that "something that seems could never be made right, could be." Pictured above are (left to right) Mr. Mangano, Mr. German, and Secretary Donovan. Secretary Donovan is shown here during his remarks.

"Michael German has provided the high-level and experienced leadership, engagement, and coordination essential to implementing nationally the Council's strategy," indicated Mr. Mangano. "Over the last four years, Mr. German, in his role as National Team Leader of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, has been key to the Council's results-oriented partnerships," he stated. "Governors, Mayors, and County Executives across the nation, through their new expression of political will, are committed to preventing and ending homelessness through jurisdictionally led, community based, business oriented planning partnerships that rely on innovation, business principles, and field-tested, evidence-based strategies."

Other speakers at the recognition event included Sen. Daniel Akaka (HI), Sen. Ted Kaufman (DE), Representative Chris Van Hollen (MD), Representative Gerald Connolly (VA), and Representative John Sarbanes (MD).

Mr. German has coordinated the Council's implementation strategy for the field through which he and multiple Council Regional Coordinators in the federal regions have been targeted specifically to the Council's work as an element of this federal partnership since 2002. As Team Leader, Mr. German's work has helped mobilize expansive political, civic, and business partnership at the national, state, and local level. The major associations of Governors (NGA), Mayors, and County Executives (USCM, NLC, NACo) are directly engaged through this strategy under his leadership. Mr. German is shown here at left in a meeting with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.

In addition to his daily work of providing experienced leadership to the Regional Coordinators in their efforts with local and state jurisdictional partners, Mr. German's career in public service has included work in both federal and local government. From 1972 to 1986, he managed, coordinated, and evaluated the effectiveness of more than 20 federal agencies as Individual Assistance Officer with FEMA. He served as District Manager for Congressman John Lewis, assisting top level executives, elected officials, community leaders, and public interest groups. As Deputy Director of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs for the Atlanta Housing Authority, he was responsible for the development and implementation of strategic planning, public affairs, and legislative initiatives for the nation's fifth largest housing authority. He was director of Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson's Office of Grants Development for the City of Atlanta, engaging federal, state, and private funds. His long history of volunteer and civic service includes serving as a Founder of 100 Black Men of America and as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the DeKalb County Chapter of 100 Black Men of America. He is an alumnus of Leadership Atlanta 1991 and a member of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha, as well as being included in "Who's Who in Black Atlanta." He was recognized by the Georgia Senate for his civic participation.

Thirty Service to America Medal finalists - outstanding federal workers who are making high-impact contributions critical to the health, safety and well- being of Americans - were honored at this week's event, part of Public Service Recognition Week. The finalists are contenders for nine prestigious Service to America Medals, including Federal Employee of the Year, to be presented on September 23. The Service to America Medals have earned a reputation as one of the most prestigious awards dedicated to celebrating America's civil servants.

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. More than 500 state, county, and local government jurisdictions across the nation are currently preparing their submissions for $1.5 billion in Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP) resources from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Submissions will be made in response to the March 19 notice on the program which required a 60-day response time.

The HPRP resources, which can be used for a variety of prevention and rehousing needs identified locally, represent a key opportunity for Ten Year Plan jurisdictions to invest targeted dollars in plan goals. This issue of the e-news highlights two examples where HPRP planning efforts are being leveraged to Ten Year Plan goals.

According to Martha Are, the North Carolina policy point person on homelessness who has been detailed to the North Carolina Office of Economic Recovery and Investment for ongoing planning and coordination, the State of North Carolina, which received a formula allocation of over $21 million, will require subgrantee applicants to receive the approval of Ten Year Plan leaders in any of the Ten Year Plan communities in the state where they are seeking to use funds. North Carolina's Ten Year Planning efforts have been marked by city-county partnerships and United Way leadership across the state. If a subgrantee applicant is outside of a Ten Year Plan area, the local continuum of care will be required to approve the applicant plans for HPRP.

In addition to the state's own Ten Year Plan, Ten Year Plans have been adopted in Brunswick/New Hanover/Pender Counties, Buncombe County/Asheville, Cleveland County/Shelby, Cumberland County/Fayetteville, Durham County/Durham, Forsyth County/Winston-Salem, Gastonia, Guilford County/Greensboro/High Point, Mecklenburg County/Charlotte, Orange County/Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Carrboro, Pitt County/Greenville, Rockingham County, Vance County/Henderson, and Wake County/Raleigh.

In March, Governor Bev Perdue announced that 20 local governments, nonprofits, and other organizations would receive grant awards totaling $48.85 million under the 2008 Neighborhood Stabilization Program. North Carolina state government received the bulk of the allocation, with one local allocation going to Charlotte. States were required to identify areas of greatest need based on the number of foreclosure starts and other housing- related statistics from state and national sources. In North Carolina, areas in 23 counties met the "greatest need" criteria.

Eleven local governments and six non-profits were funded for specific areas; the three statewide organizations selected ensure the areas of greatest need in the 23 counties receive assistance. There were also allocations made to local government recipients, including Raleigh ($2.5 million); Wake County ($2.5 million); Charlotte ($2.5 million); Greensboro ($2.5 million); Winston-Salem ($2.5 million); High Point ($2.5 million); Gastonia ($2 million); Henderson/Vance County ($2 million); Durham ($2 million); Rocky Mount ($2 million); and Lexington ($2 million). Non-profit agency recipients were also selected and Statewide Agency/intermediary Recipients.

Wake County's goal is to stabilize neighborhoods and prevent abandonment and blight in areas of the county stricken with high numbers of foreclosures. By repopulating foreclosed and abandoned homes with families and individuals who qualify as low-, moderate-, and middle-income, and are in need of affordable housing, Wake County plans to ensure that at least 30% of the families assisted through the NSP program will have incomes that are less than 50% of AMI, and the remaining families have incomes that are less than 120% of AMI.

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. Jurisdictional planning and strategic investment to prevent and end homelessness is in focus in Massachusetts as the Commonwealth continues to roll out its new regional network strategy to transform the state's homeless services system to housing focused solutions through eight new regional Leadership Councils.

Last week the Commonwealth convened public hearings on its proposed plan for the use of the state's $18.4 million allocation of federal Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing (HPRP) dollars from the President's recovery package. In hearings in Worcester and Boston, the state sought public comment on use of the funds to meet its goal of supporting "services that incorporate principles as established by the Massachusetts Commission to End Homelessness Five Year Plan."

The Commonwealth proposes to target approximately 75% of its program awards of HPRP funds to meet the goal of rapidly rehousing families and unaccompanied adults that are homeless. The remaining 25% of program awards funds will be utilized to meet the prevention HPRP goals for eligible families and unaccompanied adults. While the Commonwealth will target a larger portion of the rapid rehousing and prevention funds to families there will be at least 30% of funds made available to support rehousing and prevention services for unaccompanied adults.

Finally, the Commonwealth proposes to target all of its HPRP resources to extremely low-income households at or below 30% of area median income. Moreover, in an effort to reduce reliance on emergency shelter for families, the Commonwealth will propose that rapid rehousing efforts target families that currently reside in emergency or transitional shelters including DTA Emergency Assistance units and shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Worcester City Manager Michael O'Brien testified for the Worcester County Regional Network and noted the new paradigm in the state's response and strategy that can be supported by the unique opportunity of the moment with new state funding through the Council, the one-time allocation to Worcester of $1.9 million in federal HPRP funding, additional federal funding available through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and CDBG, and the alignment of the Three Year Plan to End Homelessness in Worcester and North County Plan to End Homelessness. Worcester is receiving $2.4 million in NSP funds, with a $2.4 million match from the state. He also indicated that Worcester would be submitting an application to the state for 12% of the $18.3 million state allocation,

Mr. O'Brien, who made successful implementation of the Worcester Plan one of his self-evaluation performance goals as City Manager, stressed to the state agency representatives the importance of the resources coming to jurisdictional leadership which has already joined partnership and planning locally to achieve the goals of its plan. In addition, he stressed that the Worcester Regional Network Leadership Council should have a "say" in coordinating all the homeless resources coming in to the Region and that state RFP's for funding to prevent and end homelessness should require the Leadership Council's signoff.

The Commonwealth's Department of Housing and Community Development is also preparing to convene a public hearing on its draft plan for use of federal Community Services Block grant (CSBG) dollars from the President's recovery package. Included in the CSBG funds is a 1% setaside for every state to support screening and enrollment of eligible individuals into federal, state, and local benefits for which they are eligible.

Massachusetts' proposed benefits plan would require benefits enrollment coordination activities relating to the identification and enrollment of eligible individuals and families in federal, state, and local benefit programs based on a detailed benefits enrollment plan developed with all 24 eligible entities. The plan will include details about how each eligible entity will identify and enroll income eligible individuals and families into CSBG Recovery Act-funded programs, including homeless and at-risk households with incomes between 125% and 200% of federal poverty guidelines. The state also plans to use LIHEAP administrative funds to support enrollment initiatives for state and federal benefit programs, including Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Food Stamps, health insurance coverage programs, such as Commonwealth Care or MassHealth, Social Security Insurance (SSI), unemployment benefits, Women, Infant, and Children (WIC), subsidized housing, foreclosure prevention, and homelessness prevention programs.

WASHINGTON, DC. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the availability of new reentry resources under the Second Chance Act for juvenile offenders. DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will make awards of up to $625,000 to state, county, and local government, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations. Applications are due June 15, and interested applicants should read the full announcement for complete details.

The Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199), passed last year and signed into law, authorizes grants to government agencies and nonprofit groups to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services to help adult and juvenile ex-offenders make a successful transition from incarceration to the community. In support of the goals of the Second Chance Act, OJJDP will provide grants to support mentoring and other transitional services essential to reintegrating juvenile offenders into the community. The grants will be used for mentoring juvenile offenders during confinement, through transition back to the community, and post-release; transitional services to assist the reintegration of youth offenders into the community; and training in offender and victims issues.

According to DOJ, the intent of the OJJDP FY 2009 Juvenile Second Chance Initiative is to support the successful and safe transition of youth offenders from correctional facilities to their communities. This Initiative will provide funding to develop, implement, and expand mentoring programs and transitional services. Applicants will be expected to integrate best practices into mentoring service models, develop strategies to recruit and maintain mentors, and assess and develop services to respond to the needs of youth offenders re-entering their communities. While such programs should be founded on best practices and proven principles, they should be led by collaboratives in the community and designed according to local needs and resources.

The Second Chance Youth Mentoring Initiative is designed to strengthen communities characterized by large numbers of returning youth offenders. Grantees will be expected to describe an evidence-based process that will match mentoring pairs during the youth's confinement and end with successful community reintegration, evidenced by lack of recidivism. The process will include the delivery of a variety of evidence-based program services both while the youth is in confinement and after he or she has been released to ensure that the transition from incarceration to the community is safe and successful. Funded mentoring projects should use validated and dynamic assessment tools to determine the risks and needs of offenders included in the project's target population.

The program's goals are to reduce recidivism among youth ex-offenders, enhance the safety of communities, and enhance the capacity of local partnerships to address the needs of youth ex- offenders returning to their communities.

With the passing this week of Republican political figure and former professional athlete Jack Kemp, we note the role and contributions of the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Chair.

Jack Kemp became HUD Secretary and Council Chair in February 1989 - less than two years after the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act became law - and quickly moved to undertake a tour of East Coast cities so he could see and hear firsthand what people who were homeless were experiencing. ''He wants to get out there and feel it,'' said a spokesperson of the Secretary's intent in visiting soup kitchens and sidewalks in late February.

In his new role, Secretary Kemp also committed to interagency collaboration and with former Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Ed Derwinski moved forward the HUD-VASH permanent housing initiative in 1990. As is true today, as HUD and VA continue to distribute some 10,000 vouchers from the FY 2008 budget and prepare to release an equal number from the FY 2009 budget, HUD provides the housing vouchers, and VA provides the needed case management services. At that earlier time, the program provided over 1700 vouchers to homeless veterans at 35 sites.

In March 1992, Secretary Kemp and Council Vice Chair and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan released "Outcasts on Main Street," a report outlining a national strategy to eradicate homelessness among people with severe mental illness. The report presented more than 50 steps federal agencies would take to improve substantially the system of care and housing options for the nation's homeless mentally ill individuals. The report proposed two major federal initiatives: Safe Havens and the Access to Community Care and Effective Services and Supports (ACCESS) program. The Safe Havens initiative was designed to provide low-cost, stable housing for mentally ill homeless persons who are unable to participate in transitional housing programs or unwilling to go to traditional emergency shelters. The ACCESS initiative, implemented by HHS, in collaboration with HUD and the Departments of Labor, Education, Justice, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture, encouraged states and localities to develop comprehensive and integrated systems of treatment, housing and support for homeless people with severe mental illnesses and substance abuse problems.

In presenting the Council's 1990 report to President George H.W. Bush, Secretary Kemp, well known for his ideas on economic development and empowerment in cities, noted: "More than ever before, federal efforts to alleviate and reduce homelessness, in coordination with state, local government and private efforts, offer a comprehensive approach to ending homelessness that moves beyond providing emergency services. Current initiatives address the diverse needs of the various segments of the homeless population, help homeless persons move out of homelessness, and encourage and support prevention efforts."

That, with this issue of the e-news, the Council begins Year #6 of bringing you the most current news of the national partnership constellated by the Council, including available resources from federal agency partners, news from State Houses and State Interagency Councils on Homelessness, and innovations and results from jurisdictional Ten Year Plans in cities and counties, as well as news of private sector investment and partnership.

That the e-news brings to states, local governments, and other public and private nonprofit organizations news about targeted and mainstream resources available for investment in initiatives to prevent and end homelessness.

That the 300+ issues of the e-news published to date include eight news stories every week and special issues on each Full Council meeting, as well as the work of key partners in the U. S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, and National Association of Counties, and three special series of continuous coverage on innovation published in 2008-2009: 20 in 20, 5 in 5, and 8 in 8.

That a new index of cost studies and cost benefits analysis drawn from e-news stories has just been posted on our web site.

Check out all the e-news stories and series on our web site archive: http://www.usich.gov/e- newsletterarchive.html

email: usich@usich.gov

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