CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA. Mayors and City Councilors and other elected officials from more than 1,200 Canadian cities met last week in Calgary to learn more about the National Partnership constellated by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness in the United States. Council Executive Director Philip Mangano addressed both the Big City Mayors Caucus and its parent organization, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) 70th Annual Conference, whose theme was Leading Change.

Calgary Mayor David Bronconnier welcomed Director Mangano to the Caucus (pictured here), where he told the Big City Mayors: "Like the Mayors assembled at the United States Conference of Mayors, you too have a great appetite to solve problems in your communities. Central to the work of the Interagency Council has been the constellation of a National Partnership of every level of government and with the private sector on the issue of homelessness. Central to that partnership are Mayors across our country focused on a national problem that manifests itself locally: a partnership intended to provide Mayors with the strategies and tools they need to get the job done."

The Big City Mayors Caucus (BCMC) of the FCM comprises a regionally representative group of FCM member cities and meets 2-3 times a year to discuss shared issues and to reinforce FCM's policy and advocacy agenda. BCMC member cities include Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Brampton, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, Ottawa, Windsor, Toronto, Gatineau, Montréal, Laval, Québec, Longueuil, Halifax, and St. John's.

Director Mangano was the keynote speaker at the opening plenary of the Federation's general conference of more than 2,000 delegates, where he was welcomed by Calgary Alderman Joe Ceci, Mayor Bronconnier, Federation CEO Jean-Francois Trepanier and staff. Canadian officials, as well as counterparts from the United Kingdom, have been partners to the tri-partite intergovernmental conversations convened by the Interagency Council over the last three years to focus on policy and budget strategies and results in national government initiatives on homelessness.

"Our effort in the United States has been characterized by a significant mind set change on the issue. After 20 years of funding programs that serve homeless people endlessly, our intent is now investing in the results of ending their homelessness," indicated Director Mangano, noting the effect of economic boom times on growing homelessness in both countries. "We've led the change that has created a new standard of expectation. We now expect visible, measurable, quantifiable change in our neighborhoods, on our streets, and in the lives of homeless people. No one level of government can do it alone."

Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien also participated in the visit.

WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Departments of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development this week announced a new opportunity for the 32 States and Territories that have not yet participated in the Federal SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery) Technical Assistance Initiative to support SSI enrollment. State Policy Academy on Homelessness Teams have until June 25 to apply to receive assistance in this third round of a highly successful technical assistance initiative. Up to 10 States and Territories will be awarded this technical assistance which will also include opportunities for localities to serve as pilot communities for the implementation of SOAR in each State.

SOAR is designed to increase access to SSA disability programs (Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance) for homeless persons with disabilities, including serious mental illnesses and/or co-occurring disorders. States and territories eligible for this SOAR round are: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virgin Islands, and West Virginia.

SOAR is one of the twin multi-year initiatives which also includes the Social Security Administration's Homeless Outreach Projects and Evaluation (HOPE), that are providing coordination, expertise, and outcomes that benefit everyone in the community - housed and homeless alike. More than 40 communities have HOPE awards to support expedited enrollment initiatives targeted to long-term homeless individuals. The SOAR initiative, which has provided training for more than 4,000 front- line case managers who actively assist the most needy applicants, is at work in 24 states and almost 80 cities, including New York City. HOPE and SOAR are increasing successful enrollments for persons who are homeless - on the first application and without lengthy delays or appeals. From an initial level of 10-15% approval rates, the average is now over 60%, and the number of days to an initial SSA decision has been cut from 120 to 87 or less.

The result of these targeted efforts, which reach applicants who have been homeless for an average of 33 months, reduces agency backlogs and achieves benefits for individuals, including health care and support in permanent housing.

Commented United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, "These partnership efforts are creating a trajectory to income, health care, and re-housing for our most vulnerable citizens. Many enrolled in the HOPE program have gone on to housing, and the SOAR initiative has assisted both individuals and health care providers. HOPE/SOAR are offering common sense and dollars and sense solutions for our most disabled citizens through an efficient and expedited enrollment initiative." According to SOAR data, in Columbus, Georgia, 100% of those enrolled became housed after an average of 16 months of homelessness. In Covington, Kentucky, the SOAR enrollment initiative increased reimbursement for uncompensated care for the local hospital.

WASHINGTON, DC. "Owning a home provides a source of security and stability for many of our citizens. My Administration is committed to fostering an ownership society and helping more Americans realize the great promise of our country. Today, nearly 70 percent of Americans own their homes, and the rate of minority homeownership has climbed to above 50 percent since I took office in 2001. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is continuing to enforce the Fair Housing Act to confront housing discrimination and advance equal housing opportunities for everyone. We are also working with the Congress to modernize the Federal Housing Administration in order to better provide safe, fair, and affordable mortgages to first-time homeowners, minorities, and individuals with less than perfect credit. In addition, the American Dream Downpayment Act of 2003 is helping thousands of low to moderate income and minority families with the downpayment and closing costs on their homes. My Administration also continues to support more funding for the Self- Help Homeownership Opportunity Program and the HOME Investment Partnership Program, which provide low-income citizens and minorities with more homeownership opportunities."

With this Presidential Proclamation, President Bush designated June as National Homeownership Month, which includes key events this week in Washington, DC, where United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson (pictured here) was the guest speaker at the National Press Club's Newsmaker Luncheon to discuss the importance of educating consumers about the homebuying process, helping those who are in trouble, and how legislation to modernize HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) could provide a safe, fair and affordable alternative to subprime mortgages.

"Throughout this month-long campaign we are taking our message of promoting and protecting homeownership to communities nationwide," said Secretary Jackson. "All Americans should have the opportunity to achieve the dream of buying a home - and once they do, we want to ensure they stay in it. Educating families about the homebuying process and helping those homeowners who may have hit a bump in the road is critical to ensuring a house remains both a home and a secure and stable investment."

This year's theme - Promoting and Protecting Homeownership - is designed to promote first- time homebuying; to encourage both potential and current homebuyers to learn about the responsibilities that come with homeownership; and to help consumers both read and understand the fine print of a mortgage.

Secretary Jackson also recently launched an initiative to focus on housing affordability for renters, bringing together the multifamily housing community's leading stakeholders together for a National Affordable Rental Housing Symposium to discuss the state of affordable housing and how to preserve it for the future. Secretary Jackson opened the session by calling for affordable housing to remain a national priority: "For many, the American Dream is about homeownership, but homeownership is neither wanted by every person, nor affordable for everyone." He continued: "There is an obvious need for rental housing. We must keep the market we have - and expand it." The symposium included four panels discussing the importance of preservation in a housing strategy, preservation, redevelopment, and deconcentration strategies, special needs housing and its challenges, and barriers and opportunities in preservation.

WASHINGTON, DC. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. continues to experience social changes relating to the economy, demographics, and the social and behavioral functioning of individuals and families and the well-being of children. The manner by which government and others react to or precipitates these changes also is in a state of evolution. A key way that these issues are examined by HHS is by studying the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality as well as policy and program responses to ameliorate poverty and inequality and there impacts on Americans.

HHS is currently soliciting applications from university- based institutions for a cooperative agreement with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) which expects to fund the National Poverty Research Center for a period of three (3) years. The first year of funding for a National Poverty Research Center will be approximately $750,000 (combined direct and indirect funding). Subject to the availability of future funds HHS expects to fund a second year at $650,000 and a third and final year at $500,000 for total federal funding of $1.9 million over the three year period for the center with increasing matching requirements from non-federal sources over the term of the agreement. No federal funding is anticipated beyond the third year.

Central to the mission of the poverty research center program is capacity building - supporting faculty research and faculty training; enhancing campus-wide awareness of issues related to poverty; and supporting and mentoring students in poverty and low- income policy related careers. Work of the current poverty centers includes: 1) expanding the knowledge of the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality as well as responses to ameliorate poverty and its impacts on Americans, 2) providing a core of multi-disciplinary researchers, as well as a network of scholars who focus their research on poverty and the poor, 3) developing and training future social science researchers whose work focuses on poverty and the poor, 4) continuation of the work on the improvement of methods and data to permit a fuller understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality and the social policies and programs meant to alleviate it, and 5) maintaining a network for the dissemination of findings to the policy and research communities through newsletters, working papers, special reports and briefings.

HHS has had a long history of supporting research and evaluation of important and emerging social policy issues associated with the nature, causes, correlates, and effects of income dynamics, poverty, inequality, individual and family functioning and child well-being. The national poverty research center conducts a broad program of basic and applied research and mentoring of emerging scholars to describe and analyze national, regional and state environments (e.g., economics, demographics) and policies affecting the low income people, particularly those families with children who are poor or at risk of being poor.

Applications are due July 16, 2007. Eligible applicants are private institutions of higher education and Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

COMPASSION CAPITAL FUND OFFERS RESOURCES FOR YOUTH. WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Department of Health and Human Services' Compassion Capital Fund within the Administration for Children and Families has announced the availability of $7.5 million for up to thirty Cooperative Agreement awards of $250,000 for the Communities Empowering Youth (CEY) program, ACF will award funds to build the organizational capacity of experienced organizations, their collaborating faith-based and/or community partners, and the resulting community collaborations to better meet the needs of America's disadvantaged youth.

The CEY program employs multiple strategies to build the capacity of faith-based and community groups and collaborations that are working to further foster positive youth development and provide alternatives to gang involvement, youth violence, and child abuse and neglect. CEY program is also designed to work through a lead organization in collaboration with faith- based and/or community partners. CEY funding will be used to increase the organizational capacity of the lead organization, its collaborating faith-based and/or community partners, and the community collaboration as a whole. The aim of a CEY-funded partnership is to improve the overall capacity of the organizations to develop and implement common strategies for working together to assess the needs of youth in their community and to develop coordinated and strategic responses to those needs. Approved organizations will demonstrate well- developed working relationships and a history of collaborating with their faith-based and/or community partners prior to submission of an application for CEY funding.

Applications are due by July 10, 2007. Potential applicants should read the full funding announcement for details. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, for profit organizations and small businesses, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), and private institutions of higher education. Faith- based and community organizations are eligible to apply. The CEY program does not fund direct social service provision. ACF anticipates that organizations receiving CEY funds will represent a diverse set of affiliations and collaborative faith-based and/or community partnerships that reflect varied and multi- pronged approaches to encourage positive youth development. Examples of good partnerships include inclusion of partners that have not historically received Federal funds.

CEY-funded activities must address issues critical to the long-term organizational viability of the community collaboration and its non-profit members so that they are better prepared and positioned to meet their organizational missions and the goals of the partnership. ACF seeks to award CEY funds to experienced organizations that are working through pre-existing collaborations with faith-based and/or community partners to address the issues of gang activity, youth violence, and child abuse and neglect in the proposed geographic service area. The applicant organization and its partners must be physically located and providing services in the same geographic area that is the focus area under the grant. OCS will give priority to applicants who document that they are operating in a Weed and Seed community and partnering with a Weed and Seed partnership.

WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announce the availability of collaborative resources to enhance the capacity of states, state and local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to serve substance-abusing juvenile offenders by developing and establishing juvenile drug courts conjointly with the Reclaiming Futures program model. The juvenile drug court is a community-based approach that builds community partnerships and enhances the capacity of the partners to assist in rehabilitating substance-abusing youth through an innovative, integrated approach that reflects the community's norms, values, resources, and needs.

Under the partnership, OJJDP intends to award up to $425,000 each for a period of four years for up to four grants that incorporate the Reclaiming Futures approach. CSAT will provide an additional $200,000 to support this effort in its first year, while the national program office of Reclaiming Futures will deliver up to $1 million in technical assistance to the selected communities.

The Reclaiming Futures model has been effective in combining community system reforms, treatment improvement and community engagement to help youth break the cycle of drugs and crime. The merger of the drug court and Reclaiming Futures program models will enhance the capacity of communities to provide intervention, treatment, and structure to young people whose lives have begun a downward spiral of substance abuse and delinquent activity. This funding solicitation invites communities to propose the implementation of a juvenile drug court program, using best practices in substance abuse treatment, along with the Reclaiming Futures program model. The closing date for applications is July 20, 2007. Interested applicants should read the full announcement for complete details. Faith- and community-based, nonprofit and for-profit agencies are ineligible as applicants, but they are encouraged to partner as a community provider of services, if applicable and appropriate.

The program provides seed money and does not provide long-term support. It is expected that successful applicants will develop and begin implementation of a sustainability plan during the course of the grant period in order to continue the operation of the juvenile drug court once the grant period ends. Applicants must implement a juvenile drug court based on Juvenile Drug Courts: Strategies in Practice, and incorporating the Reclaiming Futures program model. Under the two- part model, Coordinated Individualized Response activities are: initial screening, initial assessment, and service coordination, and Community Directed Engagement includes initiation, engagement, and completion.

In an effort to develop additional capacity to serve the growing numbers of youth in need of these types of services, and to deeply retool a service infrastructure that can accommodate both the amount of, and complexity of cases, integrating the Reclaiming Futures program model into a juvenile drug court will allow communities to create and activate seamless community systems of care that can habilitate substance-abusing juvenile offenders. The Reclaiming Futures program model embodies three major elements: improvement in treatment services for drug and alcohol use; a comprehensive system of care that coordinates social services; and the involvement of the community in creating new opportunities for the youth. The collaboration of the two models should provide comprehensive, appropriate treatment and support services to juvenile offenders and their families and significant partnerships between juvenile justice agencies, treatment agencies, and other core support and opportunity agencies.

The juvenile drug court judge maintains close oversight of each case, and both leads and works as a member of a team that comprises representatives from treatment, juvenile justice, social services, school and vocational training programs, law enforcement, probation, the prosecution and the defense. In addition to ongoing, active oversight and monitoring of youth referred to the docket, other methods used by the juvenile drug court system include addressing problems that may be contributing to their use of drugs and providing linkages to programs to programs that build skills to enable them to succeed upon completion of the drug court programs.

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, research shows that more than two million teens are in the juvenile justice system, and as many as 80 percent of them have drug or alcohol problems, with a growing incarceration rate in the population and with many also facing mental health issues.

WASHINGTON, DC. The nation's capital this week hosted the annual conference of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, as veterans, their friends and families, advocates and providers joined to focus on preventing and ending homelessness among those who have served their country.

The conference theme of "Challenges of a New Era," featured speakers emphasizing the emerging needs of a new homeless veteran demographic. Activities also included a Public Policy Briefing to prepare advocates for Capitol Hill visits during the busy legislative and budget session. Pre-conference institutes focused on two key needs, "Developing Supportive Housing" and "Programs to Help Incarcerated Veterans Transition Back into Society."

Additional workshop training sessions were facilitated by leaders of successful homeless veteran assistance programs, federal and state government service agencies, and experts in specialized fields. Topics included: 1) Accessing Mainstream Programs: educating participants on mainstream programs available to assist veterans, including Food Stamps, SSI/SSDI, Medicare, and VA benefits and health care; 2) Housing After Transition: proven strategies on housing veterans once they have completed transitional programs; 3) Women Veterans: the impact of women on homeless veteran service providers; 4) DOL-VETS Employment Programs: veterans representatives in the community, and how to work with them to help clients re-enter the work force; 5) DOL Common Measures Training: providing continuing guidance to HVRP and VWIP grantees and all Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) staff about revised program reporting guidelines; 6) HUD CoC and VA CHALENG: achieving a stronger local service provider network; 7) VA Grant and Per Diem Program: current regulations and changes and program management ; and 8) How to Develop a Homeless Court Program: addressing the legal needs of homeless veterans. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator John O'Brien, who serves as the Council's ex officio representative to the VA Secretary's Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, participated in the conference.

IN THE CITIES: VETERANS STAND DOWN EVENTS OFFER ENGAGEMENT AND RESOURCES. With this issue, the e-newsletter continues coverage of veterans' Stand Down events around the country. Stand Downs are community- based events targeted to homeless veterans and designed to offer a welcoming atmosphere, a safe gathering place, and easy access to a broad range of services for homeless veterans. Stand Downs are derived from the military practice of 'standing down" from customary activity or the front line.

Upcoming Stand Downs are scheduled as follows: June 7: Pine Ridge, SD; June 8-10: Ferndale, CA; June 14: Buffalo, NY; June 15: Worcester, MA; June 15- 16: Chicago, IL; June 22: Greenwood, SC; June 22-23: Kansas City, MO; June 22-24: Spartanburg, SC; July 13-15: San Diego, CA; August 18: Hamilton, MT; August 24: Duluth, MN; and August 24-26: Yuba- Sutter, CA.

WASHINGTON, DC. The budget and legislative season is underway in Washington, and focus on homelessness is at an unprecedented level. The President proposed an eighth year of record targeted federal spending for homelessness of $4.4 billion which is before the Congress, along with several legislative proposals addressing homelessness.

Legislative reauthorization of the HUD McKinney-Vento programs is a key focus of this session, with program consolidation a consistent consensus theme. The President's FY 2008 budget supports consolidation of the HUD programs as well, to increase flexibility and local decision-making, and to reduce administrative burdens in using record resources to assist individuals and families in leaving homelessness and moving to permanent housing and self-sufficiency.

As described here last week, the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2007 (S.1518), introduced by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (RI) and Wayne Allard (CO) and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors, would consolidate the HUD homeless programs and establish a performance-based emphasis for the allocation and investment of McKinney- Vento Homeless Assistance Act housing resources, along with creating new flexibility incentives for "high- performing communities" that achieve and sustain results in ending homelessness.

"From the field to the federal government, there is recognition and appreciation for the work of Senators Reed and Allard to bring this bill forward, knowing its long development, its realistic and innovative proposals, its attention to results for homeless people, and thoughtful integration of the experience of the last 20 years," said United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano. "The inclusive process that Committee staff employed in creating this bipartisan bill and the input from stakeholders across the country in and out of government assured that the bill represented a broad constituency and the same level of partnership that is now at work in cities and states across the country to achieve results."

Under the legislative proposal, 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. 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 provisions include: promoting community- wide commitment to ending homelessness through a requirement for a "collaborative applicant"; and requiring 30% of 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 annually through the Section 8 account, provided that the applicant demonstrates need and compliance with appropriate standards.

A second McKinney-Vento reauthorization proposal, introduced in the House by Representative Julia Carson (IN) and more than 60 co-sponsors, also supports consolidation of the HUD programs. The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act (H.R. 840) would require specific local strategies to address the needs of homeless veterans, and outcome-based evaluations that include reporting on success in accessing mainstream programs and in reducing inappropriate discharges from public systems.

email: usich@usich.gov

web: http://www.usich.gov