WASHINGTON, DC. The Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2007 (S.1518), introduced by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Wayne Allard (R-CO) last week along with 11 original cosponsors, would establish a performance based emphasis for the allocation and use of McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act housing resources and create new flexibility incentives for "high-performing communities" that achieve and sustain results in ending homelessness. The bill would "realign the incentives behind the Department of Housing and Urban Development's homeless assistance programs to accomplish the goals of preventing and ending homelessness," said Senator Reed (shown here top) in his statement of introduction on May 24.

Senator Reed noted that a number of studies have shown that "it costs as much, if not more in overall expenditures, to allow men, women, and children to remain homeless as it does to provide them with assistance and get them back on the road to self sufficiency . . . Homelessness leads to untold costs, including expenses for emergency rooms, jails, shelters, foster care, detoxification, and emergency mental health treatment. Simply put, we cannot afford not to address this problem."

"It has been 20 years since the enactment of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, and we have learned a lot about the problem of homelessness since then," said Senator Reed. "It is now time to take what we have learned during the past 20 years and put those best practices and proposals into action." Senator Allard (shown here bottom) said, "We need to bring more accountability to homeless assistance, increasing funding for successful programs and initiatives and replacing those that are ineffective."

Under the legislation, HUD would be required to provide incentives for communities to use proven research based strategies to end homelessness.The bill identifies the strategies as including permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals and families; rapid rehousing programs for families; and other research- based strategies that HUD, after public comment, determines are effective. The legislation outlines a set of performance measurements - emphasizing reductions in incidence, length, and repeat occurrences of homelessness - for designating "high-performing communities" who would be rewarded with additional flexibility. Several existing HUD homeless programs would be consolidated into a new Community Homeless Assistance program. Consolidation has been sought by the Administration to increase flexibility and local decision- making, and reduce administrative burdens. The bill would add new provisions for the HUD response to homelessness including prevention assistance and more flexible assistance and streamlined application process for rural communities.

Authorization for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness would be extended through 2012 and the bill puts into statute the Council's mission " to develop and coordinate the implementation of a national strategy to prevent and end homelessness while maximizing the effectiveness of the Federal Government in contributing to an end to homelessness . . . "

Other bill provisions include: promoting community- wide commitment to ending homelessness through a requirement for a "collaborative applicant"; 30% of total funds available nationally to be allocated for permanent housing for individuals with disabilities or families headed by a person with disabilities; and a minimum 10% of overall funds for permanent housing for families with children. Leasing, rental assistance, and operating costs of permanent housing programs would be renewed non-competitively for one year at a time through the Section 8 housing voucher account, provided that the applicant demonstrates need and compliance with appropriate standards.

Original cosponsors were Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Kit Bond (R-MO), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Carl Levin (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Also cosponsoring the bill is Senator Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT).

WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has announced grants of nearly $125 million to increase health care access for homeless, low income and uninsured Americans through the establishment of 86 new health center sites in 33 states and the District of Columbia and expanded medical care capacity at 132 existing health care centers in 42 states and Puerto Rico.

In making the announcement last Friday, Secretary Leavitt said, "The funds we're announcing today will help almost 900,000 more low income and uninsured patients access the key preventive and primary health care services that health centers offer." The Secretary also noted that the grants nearly complete President Bush's multi-year initiative launched in 2002 to significantly increase access to primary health care services in 1,200 communities. With last week's grant announcement, HHS will have funded more than 1,100 new or expanded health center sites. The initiative has increased the number of patients served to an estimated 14.8 million individuals in 2006, up from 10.3 million in 2001.

The $125 million includes $45 million in New Access Point grants, $55 million for expanding medical capacity, and $25 million to supplement health centers' base grant awards to offset rising costs associated with maintaining current service levels. A new 5-year Presidential initiative begun in FY 2007 aims to create access points in 120 "high poverty counties" that currently do not have health center access. Four of the new access point grant awards will place health center sites in a high poverty county - Blount County, Alabama; Bibb County, Georgia; Hickman County, Tennessee; and Gregg County, Texas.

ALBANY, OREGON. Led by Albany Police Captain Ben Atcheley, citizen volunteers and service providers mobilized last Thursday to host this community's first Project Homeless Connect, dubbed "Heart to Heart", providing welcome and a range of resources to 120 of their homeless neighbors. Linn-Benton Counties Public Housing Authority, Oxford House Association and others met with the homeless guests to discuss their housing needs. Albany Helping Hands Shelter and Goodwill Job Connection took 25 job applications. Representatives of the federal Social Security Administration and the Oregon Department of Health Services mental health and substance abuse programs were also on-site. Supercuts provided 92 hair cuts. Local churches provided lunch.

Captain Atcheley and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Region X Coordinator Paul Carlson addressed volunteers at an opening rally. Captain Atcheley, who earlier this year had been called upon to close down a makeshift homeless encampment, has taken a proactive role to find housing and service solutions for the homeless in the community. "I knew I had to do my job and clear out the homeless encampment, but I knew too that these folks were people who deserved a second chance," he has said. Speaking to the volunteers at Thursday's PHC, Captain Atcheley told them, "Homeless people don't want to be homeless. They are here today because they are looking for a way out of homelessness and it is our duty to help them." Captain Atcheley emphasized that the one day PHC was not a cure all, and that follow up with the homeless guests was needed and expected. He asked service providers to send him a follow up action report.

Council Regional Coordinator Carlson commended the community for joining more than 100 other communities around the nation in adopting the Project Homeless Connect innovation. "Today, you are transforming the varied efforts of many agencies and individuals into a coordinated plan to bring justice to homeless people; to create the community plan to end homelessness," he told them.

Pictured from top, Captain Atcheley speaking at the volunteer rally; Social Security Administration staff Alice Antley and Alan Edwards; Sue Strickland from Goodwill Job Connection and to her right Barbara Thayer of Albany Helping Hands Shelter assist with job connections and securing IDs; and Supercuts Area Administrator Jennifer Maul (third from right) and her store managers. Ms. Maul and her store managers have also participated in all of the Portland Project Homeless Connect events.

WASHINGTON, D.C. With an annual budget of nearly $3 billion for mental health services and employing more than 9000 mental health professionals at 153 medical centers and nearly 900 community based outpatient clinics, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates one of the largest mental health programs in the country. The VA's National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is internationally recognized for its research into PTSD, and combat related mental health issues and non combat mental health trauma. Last week, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson announced that in July the VA will convene a four day meeting of mental health clinicians and researchers from around the country to discuss the latest advances in integrating mental health services with primary care, suicide prevention, combat trauma care, and understanding the special needs of the newest generation of combat veterans. Secretary Nicholson also announced that the VA will hire an additional 100 employees to provide readjustment counseling at Vet Centers. They will join 100 new Vet Center employees recently hired to conduct outreach to veterans of the Global War on Terror.

As noted in the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness guide, Representing the Needs and Interests of Homeless Veterans in State, County, and City 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness, no implementation of a 10-Year Plan can be truly effective without accessing the resources available from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and resources available from state and local departments and offices representing the interests of veterans. Accessing resources targeted to homeless veterans not only helps end the homelessness of veterans, it also means that homeless veterans will utilize fewer dollars not specifically targeted to them, thus maximizing the use of available community resources for other subpopulations of persons experiencing homelessness. The Council has recently updated the names and contact information included in the Guide for the VA's Veterans Benefit Administration Regional Homeless Outreach Coordinators and for the Veterans Health Administration VISN Homeless Coordinators. (The VA medical system is organized into 22 geographic networks known as Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs). The Guide is one of the resources that can be found on the Council's special webpage, Meeting the Needs of Homeless Veterans.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator John O'Brien, a Vietnam veteran who represents the Council on the VA Secretary's Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, will be participating in next week's 2007 National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Mr. O'Brien will present at the June 6 Housing After Transition workshop. The June 5-7 Annual Conference will be preceded by two all-day training sessions on June 4 offered by NCHV with a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program on "Developing Supportive Housing" and "Programs to Help Incarcerated Veterans Transition Back into Society." The VA Health Administration (VHA) has allocated an Incarcerated Veterans Re-Entry Specialist position to each VISN who will be the VA regional point of contact and also provide outreach and assessment services to incarcerated veterans.

WASHINGTON, DC. Noting that "We have recognized that government is not, and cannot be, the only catalyst for change in a community," United States Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez this week addressed attendees at the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) Compassion in Action Roundtable on "Promoting Economic Development and Community Investment through Public/Private Partnerships." Deputy Assistant to the President and OFBCI Director Jay Hein, who welcomed attendees from government and business, pointed out that the Roundtables are intentionally focused on answering the question of "what works?" in exploring issues such as reentry and public-private partnership. He noted that panelists identified partnerships with seven different federal funding agencies in carrying our their initiatives, ranging from employment and homeownership education to treatment and micro-business incubators, underscoring the role that federal policy, programs, and products play in the community. Pictured here is Secretary Gutierrez addressing attendees at the Roundtable.

Council of Economic Advisors Chief of Staff Gary Blank moderated panelists addressing government community investment, including Doe Fund Founder and President George McDonald, St. Patrick Center CEO Dan Buck, Economic Development and Training Institute Executive Director Joseph Gaskins, and JCVision and Associates Founder Dana Ingram. St. Patrick Center, a grassroots, faith-based homeless services agency in St Louis, is a model for public-private partnerships and for volunteerism, with more than 3100 volunteers. The St. Patrick Center is recognized nationally for its innovative, successful programs that focus on Housing, Employment, and Mental Health. The Center has Missouri's largest outpatient alcohol and drug treatment program. In 2006 St. Patrick Center was given the prestigious Excellence Award by the U.S. Department of Commerce, as the top faith- based organization in America. The Center has a vision to end chronic homelessness, create partnerships that achieve change, and create replicable models.

Mr. McDonald described New York City's 15-year-old Doe Fund, whose mission is to develop and implement cost-efficient, holistic programs that comprehensively meet the needs of a diverse homeless population, ultimately striving to end homelessness for the individuals they serve.

Ready, Willing, and Able

The Doe Fund's employment program, Ready, Willing, and Able, reaches those single men who have long histories of homelessness, addiction, and incarceration. Community maintenance and cleaning services cover more than 155 miles of New York City streets daily through the work of more than 250 trainees. More than 2,600 graduates have made the program a starting point for work, and the program has a 6-month rate of 62% success for graduates maintaining sobriety, employment, and stable housing. Average wages for graduates are $9.85 hourly. More than 200 participants have completed vocational training in areas including culinary arts, computer skills, and an in-house extermination service that is one of several revenue generating micro-businesses which help raise funds for the operation of programs and provide valuable vocational training opportunities. A more recent "green" venture is free, on-demand, pickups of waste cooking oil. Participating food service establishments enjoy fully-licensed and insured pickup services that guarantee compliance with New York City waste cooking oil disposal regulations. All waste cooking oil collected by RWA Resource Recovery is recycled into an alternative fuel substitute for petroleum diesel that reduces harmful emissions by 70%. Having heeded the words he heard from many on the streets, that what they wanted was "A room and a job to pay for it," Mr. McDonald also has channeled Doe Fund supports to several housing programs for trainees and others, to ensure the housing stability of participants.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center Senior Vice President and Director Stephen Jordan moderated panelists who addressed corporate community investment and represented CVS/Caremark, Washington Interfaith Network, Office Depot Foundation, and Social Policy Research Associates.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA. Identifying the practices that form successful partnerships between faith based/community organizations and City Halls in addressing community housing needs is the objective of Unlocking Doors, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI). Last week, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Region IV Coordinator Eddie Woodhouse joined CFBCI's Senior Program Officer B. J. Douglass at an Unlocking Doors Forum in Charlotte, North Carolina which brought together Charlotte Mayor Pat MCrory, officials from Charlotte-based Bank of America and Wachovia Bank, Inc, Jenny Michael of Senator Elizabeth Dole's office, and numerous faith based and community leaders from the region to identify and document innovative and successful partnerships.

Mr. Woodhouse introduced Mayor McCrory and also shared information with the participants about the National Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness being constellated by the Council and the important role that faith based and community organizations are playing in the development and implementation of jurisdictional 10-Year Plans across the country. Bank of America Global Community Impact Market Vice President Jack Penasoto II and Wachovia Community Development Senior Officer Joy Paige spoke of their successful community reinvestment partnering efforts with faith based and community organizations to create new housing opportunities.

Charlotte is one of 21 cities chosen to participate in the Unlocking Doors initiative and as a participating city will receive technical support to further their efforts. Insights from earlier facilitator guided discussions with representatives of the mayors offices and FBCOs in seven cities-Chicago, Oakland, Columbus, Detroit, Miami, Nashville and Raleigh-- are included in Un locking Doors Initiative: Keys to Successful City Hall-Faith Based & Community Partnerships. Other participating cities are Buffalo and Rochester, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Baton Rouge and Shreveport, LA; Flint, MI; Tampa, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Houston, TX; Richmond, VA; Baltimore, MD; Greenville, SC; and Milwaukee, WI.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. A resolution introduced by Nashville State Representative Mary Pruitt and passed by the Tennessee General Assembly this spring recognizes the Safe Haven Family Shelter in Nashville as an "exemplary facility, established by visionary individuals, that is improving the quality of life for families in Tennessee."

The Safe Haven Family Shelter (SHFS), created in 2003 by the merger of two non profits that had been providing assistance to homeless families for more than 15 years, is the only shelter program in Middle Tennessee for entire homeless families. The program serves 15 families at a time through two congregate settings and six transitional homes. With an emphasis on rapid rehousing and family stabilization in the community, the average length of stay is 30 to 45 days. Adult residents not caring for infant children must be working or seeking employment and must save 75% of their income as a rainy day fund. Rather than trying to develop in-house capability to provide a range of programs to stabilize families including family budgeting, education tutoring, housing search, and life skills counseling, the Safe Haven Family Shelter "outsources" these services to community agencies with proven expertise at no fee or substantially reduced rates. SHFS has a volunteer base of over 2500 individuals from schools, churches, corporations and other community based organizations. Its Board of Directors includes many members of the business community including chair David Weil, Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the East Florida Division of Hospital Corporation of America.

SHFS Executive Director Bruce Newport reports "success" measures include children being enrolled in school within 2 to 3 days of entering the shelter program, parent(s) obtaining employment within approximately one week, and the family back into housing of their own with emergency savings funds in approximately 45 days. Strong relationships with community employers help to facilitate employment as does relationships with apartment managers who are willing to accept shelter referred clients who may have "bruised credit ratings."

SHFS believes that long term success entails securing a job and housing for the parents but also seeing that the children are attending school and providing them with tools to address dysfunctional behavior to help stop the cycle of homelessness. SHFS works closely with the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Homeless Education Resource Outreach (HERO) program. With funding through the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the HERO program supports the educational needs of homeless children and youth and other families in transition. When notified of a new child at the shelter, a caseworker from the HERO program responds quickly to meet with the family to ensure the child is enrolled in a school within 2-4 days. The HERO program also provides tutors who generally meet with the children after supper to help them improve their grades, attitudes and behavior in the classroom.

Safe Haven Guardian Angels

While SHFS has been able to help 100-110 families a year, it has to turn away many more hundreds each year. SHFS has recently announced that it is looking for 100 businesses, churches, Sunday school classes, individuals or organizations to become Guardian Angels for Homeless Families. As a Guardian Angel, the organization or individuals pledge to underwrite the cost of a family in the program-approximately $2925.

The recognition resolution passed by the Tennessee General Assembly designated March 28, 2007 and the fourth Wednesday in March hereafter as "Safe Haven Homeless Family Awareness Day" in Tennessee.

THE COUNCIL notes with deep sadness the passing of our colleague, Sally Shipman. Sally was our Region VI Coordinator, responsible for the states of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Sally was not just well connected but much loved in her hometowns of Austin and Houston and throughout the state of Texas. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family and many friends in Texas and the Southwest region.

Sally came to the Council in 2002 as a member of the inaugural class of regional coordinators established in partnership with then U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Council Chair Mel Martinez. She brought to the job years of experience and dedication at the city, county, state, and federal levels of government to improving the lives of homeless people and had served on the Board of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. As a City Council member in Austin, Texas, she initiated the City's Task Force on Homelessness. At the county level, Sally had organized 40 groups into a Homeless Services Coordinating Council, and later as Executive Director of the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, developed and administered a database of 300 homeless services organizations and negotiated the consolidation of individual competitive homeless service grant requests into a single application. At the state level, Sally had chaired the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless. Working for the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, Sally provided technical assistance to 54 Continuum of Care grantees in the Houston metropolitan area and led workshops in the Beaumont, Galveston, and Houston areas on the annual SuperNOFA process. In that position and as the Interagency Council's Region VI Coordinator, Sally worked tirelessly to see that Texas communities applied for the federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance monies for which they were eligible, including the first ever Balance of State award to Texas. She also devoted herself to working with Houston officials to help resettle families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Sally had a Master's degree in Community and Regional Planning and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ever ebullient even in the face of illness, Sally had been particularly enthusiastic and proud recently of the work being done by the Region VI Interagency Council on Homelessness (RICH) and its working group that included a very successful Capacity Building Workshop for Faith Based and Community Organizations earlier this month. A comprehensive Region VI Federal Homeless Resource Guide providing brief program descriptions by agency with contact names and numbers developed by Sally and her RICH colleagues is being used by the Interagency Council as a model for the development of similar directories in all the regions. Just last week the RICH Council and working group members were recognized with a special Public Service Appreciation Award for "service, leadership, and outstanding achievement to end homelessness" by the Region VI Federal Executive Board at its annual FEB Awards Ceremony.

email: ichnews@setechnology.com

web: http://www.usich.gov