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Partners In a Vision
NATION'S FIRST CEO TO ENDORSE PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS INCREASES
HOUSING COMMITMENT 
Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, the nation's first jurisdictional CEO
to endorse a local plan to end homelessness, last week called on the
Indianapolis community to do more to create supportive housing to meet the
goals of the 2002 plan and serve individuals at or below 30% of the Area
Median Income. Indianapolis' "Blueprint to End Homelessness" called for
the creation of 2,100 units of supportive housing over 5 years. Mayor
Peterson announced that Indianapolis will add an earmark of $3 million in
housing funding over the next three years to its current $7.2 million
commitment to the Blueprint's housing goal. Pictured here are (left to
right): Deputy Mayor Jane Henegar, a driving force behind the Indianapolis
Blueprint and key to assistance provided to other cities emulating
Indianapolis' initiative, U.S. Interagency Council Executive Director
Philip Mangano, and Mayor Bart Peterson.
"People at the lowest point of the income spectrum have few choices to
meet their housing and service needs. . . Today's challenge and resource
commitment further represent our dedication to the Blueprint to End
Homelessness," said Mayor Peterson. U.S. Interagency Council Executive
Director Philip Mangano joined Mayor Peterson at the Coalition for
Homelessness Intervention and Prevention Annual Meeting, where he included
in his remarks encouragement for the Indianapolis commitment, "You're
fortunate here in Indianapolis. You've got the right trajectory - ending
homelessness. You're moving in the right direction - innovative ideas.
You're creating the right partnerships - expansive and inclusive - from
the Mayor to homeless people, from the public to the private to the
faith-based sectors. And you've got the most important ingredient of them
all, and you've had it from the start - the political will of your
jurisdictional CEO, your Mayor, Bart Peterson"
Read the
Indianapolis Blueprint
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KEY TO ENDING HOMELESSNESS IS A "KEY" |
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 WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter
continues its focus on innovative initiatives to end chronic
homelessness, with an article about the Housing First program of St.
Louis' St. Patrick Center. The formula seems too simple. End chronic
homelessness by providing a home to those in need. However, St.
Patrick Center in St. Louis, MO is discovering just that. In January
2004, this faith-based agency launched a 3- year Housing First
program supported by an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team.
(Read more about ACT: http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Inform Yourself/About Mental Illness/About Treatments and Supports/Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)1.htm ) Thus far, the
program is achieving some incredible results. "These are the people
who've never responded to services and basically have just existed
on the streets or in our shelter system," said Mary Lim-Lampe, the
ACT Team Leader who previously spent 8 years as a mobile outreach
worker for St. Patrick Center.
"I never dreamed this population would respond to housing in such
a profound way. We're amazed how behaviors and habits are changing
so quickly, from hygiene to attitudes. It's human nature I guess to
respond better when you have a stable, safe, secure environment each
and every night. We don't often consider the value of a good night's
rest. But we do now!" St. Patrick Center has successfully engaged 32
men in 4 months, all suffering from severe mental illness and
substance abuse. Of those they have placed 15 into permanent housing
and 22 are medically compliant. "That's been the most surprising
discovery. Almost two of every three ACT clients are taking their
medications and responding to their psychiatric and mental health
therapy. They want to get better. We're to the point with many of
them where we're already talking about goals and objectives for
their life," said Lim-Lampe.
The ACT Program at St. Patrick Center is funded by the Missouri
Foundation for Health (MFH) at a cost of $1.5 million over 3 years.
"MFH is taking a stand with us that we need to stop making Housing a
reward of a person's recovery, and begin making it the first step
toward recovery," said Dan Buck, CEO of St. Patrick Center. "I can't
wait to promote our one year retention rates and to share some of
the personal stories of how lives of dignity and self-worth were
built from lives that society has been warehousing for decades,"
added Buck who points out that of the 15 mentally ill men housed in
the past 4 months, they have ended 80 years of homeless despair
(average of 5.25 years of homelessness per client housed.) 
In partnership with BJC Behavior Health, The St. Patrick Center
ACT team is made up of a full-time psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse,
substance abuse counselor, mental health counselor, entitlement
specialist, employment counselor and community activity specialist.
Many of the current clients are finding it hard to believe that
their housing is almost unconditional (tenant - landlord agreement).
"We just tell them, 'Here's a key. You have a home. Come with me,"
Lim-Lampe says. "They've known me long enough to know that I'm
telling the truth. A lot of our success with this complex population
begins with trust and years of relationship building. It's nice to
have real hope and long-term help to offer them now. At last we have
a solution!" Next spring, St. Patrick Center plans to break ground
on a 32 unit permanent, supportive housing project (pictured here)
with support services coming from a second ACT Team.
Read more about the St.
Patrick Center »
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MORE HOUSE COSPONSORS SUPPORT SAMARITAN INITIATIVE, H.R.
4057 |
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 Two new cosponsors have joined the growing
list of House members supporting H.R. 4057, the Samaritan
Initiative. Representative Julia Carson (D-IN) of Indianapolis, the
first city with a CEO-endorsed plan to end homelessness, (see this
week's e-newsletter story on Indianapolis' Blueprint to End
Homelessness) has signed on. Representative Carson is a member of
the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee of the House
Financial Services Committee.
Representative Philip English (R-PA) also became a cosponsor last
week. Representative English, who represents Erie County and parts
of Armstrong, Butler, Crawford, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties,
sits on the Health, Trade and Human Resources Subcommittees of the
Ways and Means Committee. In 2001, Representative English was
appointed to the Joint Economic Committee, which is a combined House
and Senate committee that serves as the economic policy arm of
Congress.
The cosponsorship of Representatives Carson and English continues
the bipartisan support for the initiative. Previously a bipartisan
letter from four big city mayors, a joint letter from 7 national
homeless advocacy groups, and support from the U.S. Conference of
Mayors, along with 20 other cosponsors have generated momentum to
create this new housing and services initiative targeted to ending
homelessness for the most vulnerable on the streets and long term in
shelters. 
Read more
about the Samaritan Initiative »
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WITH OUR GRATITUDE AND GOOD WISHES: THE COUNCIL SAYS GOODBYE
TO NEIL DONOVAN |
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 We pause this week to note the departure of a
key member of the Council's Washington staff - Neil Donovan
(pictured here). As Neil ends 21 months of relentless daily effort
to forward the Council's initiatives, he leaves behind the title of
Special Advisor and a substantive legacy for his successor to
forward. Neil's daily work has included advancing partnerships with
Governors and Mayors across the country, public affairs and advance
initiatives, outreach to the Council's multiple partners, and
administration of the Council's ten Regional Coordinators. He leaves
now for personal reasons and to meet new challenges in his life.
Neil brought to the Council a background of 20 years in
innovative approaches to assisting homeless people achieve
self-sufficiency and self-respect. Applying a business background to
the aspirations of homeless people who are seeking a path out of
their homelessness through employment, Neil was the founding
Director of IMPACT Employment Services in Boston. IMPACT was funded
as a HUD Innovative Program in 1994 and provided comprehensive
mainstream employment services to homeless adults (see Did You Know.
. .) Neil had worked previously in shelter settings and in street
outreach in Boston.
Neil's commitment and good humor are irreplaceable. As we move
forward to continue his exemplary work and extend its results, we
seek a future colleague with the same belief in the mission and
energy for what the day brings. (If you know someone who might
qualify, let us know at ichnews@setechnology.com.) The Council and
its customers - homeless people in our country - have been
privileged to find Neil every day shoulder to shoulder in the work
of ending homelessness.
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DID YOU KNOW. . . |
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| . . .that Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson was
the first ever local CEO in the nation to endorse in writing and
publicly a plan to end homelessness. The city's "Blueprint to End
Homelessness" was unveiled in 2002 and calls for a "Housing First"
strategy built on the creation of 2,100 new supportive housing units
over five years. Previously the National Alliance to End
Homelessness had created the Ten Year Planning concept, and the
President had called for ten year initiative to end chronic
homelessness in his 2003 budget request. Indianapolis' ten year
Blueprint implementation is guided by Deputy Mayor Jane Henegar,
Attorney Bill Comeau, tapped by Mayor Peterson to lead the planning
process two years ago, and Dan Shepley, Executive Director of the
Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention.
. . . IMPACT Employment Services in Boston (whose Founding
Director Neil Donovan is profiled in this e- newsletter) has been
providing full service mainstream employment assistance to homeless
persons since 1994. Since first being funded as a HUD Innovative
program in 1994, IMPACT has assisted more than 2500 job seekers with
obtaining employment, at an average hourly wage of $10.41. 82% of
IMPACT's clients retained their employment for 6 months or more,
with jobs in areas including high tech, biotech, and local
manufacturing sectors, in both urban and suburban settings. IMPACT
pioneered effective "reverse commuting" strategies for homeless
workers, helping them access available high paying placements out of
the urban core. IMPACT has also advanced innovative employment
services for domestic violence shelters as well as
pre-release/post-release employment services with prisoners leaving
the state's maximum security facilities after lengthy incarceration.
IMPACT is a program of the Friends of the Shattuck Shelter and was
recognized as a Best Practice by the National Alliance to End
Homelessness. See http://www.endhomelessness.org/best/IMPACT.htm
. . .June's Atlantic Monthly magazine carried an article The
Abolitionist which described the U.S. Interagency Council's work
with cities to develop 10-Year Plans to End Homelessness. Read the
full article at: http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2004/06/mcgray
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REGIONAL COORDINATOR PROFILE: MICHAEL GERMAN, REGION
IV |
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 WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter
continues its profiles of the Council's Regional Coordinators, with
a focus this week on Michael German, Region IV Coordinator serving
Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Through partnership
with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Council
has Regional Coordinators in the ten federal regions.
Michael German (pictured here) joined the U.S. Interagency
Council on Homelessness from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development's Atlanta Field Office where he served as the Regional
Director's Liaison. Prior to his work at HUD, he served as District
Manager to U.S. Representative John Lewis. Previously he created and
directed the Office of Grants Development for the City of Atlanta
under former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson. He also served as Deputy
Executive Director of the Atlanta Housing Authority, the fourth
largest public housing agency in the nation. Mr. German's career
includes 15 years service with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) managing over 20 major disaster operations. Reflecting
on his work with the Council, he stated, "I have worked on projects
and business deals that could be categorized as big. Now I work on
behalf of an issue that is important."
Region IV's Regional Interagency Council meets quarterly to
promote the development of city and state 10-Year Plans to End
Chronic Homelessness. States in the Region with active State
Interagency Councils are: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina and Puerto Rico. Atlanta,
Chattanooga, Memphis/Shelby County, Louisville, and Tampa have
completed CEO-endorsed 10-Year Plans see
http://www.ich.gov/slocal/index.html and 20 more plans are in
development. Region IV includes San Juan, Puerto Rico, which hosted
the first ever Puerto Rico Summit on Homelessness in April, which
drew over 300 participants from across the island to come together
to address the issue of homelessness. See http://www.ich.gov.
Chattanooga is also in Region IV and that city's Mayor Bob Corker
presented the "Blueprint to End Chronic Homelessness" at the April 1
meeting of the Interagency Council at the White House. Also in
Region IV is Raleigh/Wake County, NC, where Raleigh Mayor Charles
Meeker and Wake County Commissioner Kenn Gardner in March made it
the 100th City to commit to a CEO-endorsed plan. See http://www.ich.gov/2004.html
Read more about the
Council's Regional Coordinators »
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FEDERAL PARTNER PROFILE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES |
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 WITH THIS ISSUE of the
e-newsletter we continue our focus on the federal partners in the
Interagency Council with a profile of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS). HHS, under the leadership of Secretary
Tommy Thompson, immediate past Chair of the Interagency Council,
distributed over $305 million for homeless services in FY 03 and
cumulatively assisted over 600,000 homeless persons with health
care, social services, and other assistance. HHS also supported $39
million in research into the nature of behavioral health issues
among homeless people. In FY 03, HHS committed approximately $344
million to activities focused on homelessness, including in its
longstanding portfolio of five programs specifically targeted to
address the service needs of homeless persons: Health Care for the
Homeless, Programs for Runaway and Homeless Youth, Projects for
Assistance in Transition from Homelessness, Cooperative Agreements
for the Development of Comprehensive Drug and Alcohol Treatment
Systems for Homeless Persons, and Federal Surplus Real Property
Transfer.
In FY 03, HHS added a sixth targeted activity to this portfolio,
the $35 million Collaborative Initiative on Chronic Homelessness,
initiated in partnership with the Departments of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide 11
communities with housing and treatment resources for persons
experiencing chronic homelessness. Pictured here is HHS Secretary
Tommy Thompson receiving the key to a Collaborative Initiative
funded apartment from Philadelphia Deputy Managing Director Robert
Hess at the April 1 Council meeting at the White House. HHS recently
completed a comprehensive compilation of information on mainstream
benefits and services programs in HHS, HUD, VA, the Social Security
Administration, and the Departments of Labor (DOL) and Agriculture.
Collaboratively funded with HUD, FirstStep is a CD-ROM tool that
describes Federal assistance that may be available to homeless
persons, reviews eligibility issues, and provides basic program
features and information on where and how to apply for assistance.
It will improve the range of services that can be accessed by
homeless persons and will speed the application process. Read more
about FirstStep at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/homeless/firststep/index.html
In partnership with the Departments of Housing and Urban
Development, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, HHS convened State Policy
Academies to support State teams in the development of new,
collaborative approaches to address homelessness. The State Policy
Academies on chronic homelessness were completed in 2003, and teams
from 45 States attended an Academy on chronic homelessness. The
accomplishments of the participating States will be showcased at a
national meeting during 2004. Also in 2003, HHS released the first
comprehensive Departmental plan to address the Administration's goal
of ending chronic homelessness by 2012. "Strategies for Action"
placed a priority on improving the response of the Department's
programs to assisting eligible homeless persons. Read more about the
Policy Academies at: http://www.hrsa.gov/homeless/
Read
HHS' Strategic Plan on Ending Chronic Homelessness »
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FEDERAL SURPLUS PROPERTY: TITLE V SURPLUS PROPERTIES
AVAILABLE IN FL, TX, KY AND WI |
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| WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter continues its
focus on federal surplus property and opportunities to secure
resources for homeless programs. This week, two federal buildings
(in Florida and Wisconsin) and several other properties have been
listed as suitable and available for use by homeless programs under
Title V of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Title V
provides for state and local governments, as well as nonprofit
organizations, to apply for "suitable and available" land and
buildings for a wide variety of programs and services for homeless
people, including, but not limited to: emergency shelters,
transitional programs (with occupancy limited to 24 months), food
banks, job training, storage facilities, or administrative space.
All programs and activities must be operated consistent with Federal
civil rights and non- discrimination laws.
The Polk, Florida, Federal Building, is a 7575 square foot
facility located at 124 S. Tennessee Ave. The Janesville, Wisconsin,
Social Security Administration Office building is a 6278 square foot
facility at 203 West Court Street. Also listed are buildings in
Berea, KY, and LaSalle, TX, as well as land in Junction City, KS,
Kiln, MS, and New Salem, PA. Parties interested in applying for
these or other properties should contact the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) with an "expression of interest" within 60
days of the Federal Register publication date. This should include
identification of the specific property and the federal register
date, a brief description of the proposed use, the name of your
organization and whether it is a public body or private non-profit.
Direct the Expression of Interest and request for application to:
Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Property
Management, Real Property Branch, Program Support Center Room 5B-17,
Parklawn Building 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 Phone:
301/443-2265 Fax: 301/443-0084 E-Mail: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html , Choose "browse" and then
"back issues," and then select the most recent Friday issue.
Read
the May 21 Federal Register announcement »
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