SAN FRANCISCO. "Ending chronic homeless in San Francisco no longer has to be considered a dream deferred but more a reality with the continued public/private partnerships and volunteerism that we have witnessed here today," stated Mayor Gavin Newsom last week as he kicked off the City's fifth Project Homeless Connect event, a new series of bimonthly street outreach events. The City's commitment to Housing First and providing the necessary and essential support services present a real solution to the crisis of homelessness. Today people from all over the globe have come to San Francisco to observe what I would call a true example of humanitarianism at work."

Led by Mayor Newsom and 10-Year Plan implementation Chair Angela Alioto, over 2,000 volunteers took part, including employees of Deloitte and Touche. "Although many city employees are still involved in the outreach event, the success of Project Homeless Connect today is a result of the compassion and resolve of dedicated volunteers and charitable agencies such as AAA, Kaiser, Sprint, Starbucks, KFOG and Safeway, to name a few, who have also taken up the challenge to end chronic homelessness in San Francisco," Mayor Newsom reflected.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to address the volunteers, joined State Senator Jackie Speier of California to experience first hand the impact of the outreach effort. Stated Director Mangano, "Where in our country is there a more tangible expression of the fusion of political and public will on homelessness than here in San Francisco? You are doing a service with your work here today offering a model and innovative idea to our country."

Project Homeless Connect is encourages both the experienced volunteer and the concerned citizen to work directly with people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco and to help link them to needed services. Volunteers, trained and paired with more experienced workers, encourage homeless people to come to a "linkage station" where they can receive medical treatment, substance abuse and mental health counseling, legal services, sign up for food stamps, GA and SSI benefits, learn more about housing options and get food and other giveaways. Street Outreach workers go out in groups of 2 or 3 to engage clients and help bring them inside to connect with the City's web of social services. Mayor Newsom is pictured here with 10-Year Plan leader Angela Alioto and Interagency Council Director Mangano at the June 2004 unveiling of the City's 10- Year Plan.

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA. "The time is right. We've seen enough. If there's a community will to do it, we'll do it," said Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum last week as she was joined by Councilwoman Helene Schneider, other city officials, and Kathleen Baushke, executive director of Transition House, in summarizing recent steps by the City and County to end chronic homelessness. Meeting with United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, Mayor Blum, who in January 2005 became an original signatory mayor to the Mayors Covenant of Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness, described the results of several local initiatives. Both the City and County of Santa Barbara have committed to a 10-Year Plan.

A first-time ever local census this year found 2,228 people homeless in the community, including on the city's streets, in beach areas, and in the downtown tourist district. A new "restorative policing" program has brought together a partnership of local stakeholders, led by Santa Barbara Police Chief Cam Sanchez. Under the initiative, local law enforcement, homeless shelters, the Mental Health Department and the District Attorney's and Public Defender's offices, and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital have trained together to engage homeless people and offer treatment. Mayor Blum (second from right) is pictured here with Councilwoman Schneider, Director Mangano, and Ms. Baushke.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, which voted in April to support a plan, also calculated that Santa Barbara County jails and hospitals are spending up to $13 million annually in costs associated with homelessness. The Supervisors authorized the Housing and Community Development Department to develop a plan over the next six months and to hire a contracted employee to coordinate an intergovernmental committee, including representatives from the Cities of Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara. The Supervisors' briefing memo credits the efforts of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness in shaping the national emphasis that has given direction to local jurisdictions to develop plans to end chronic homelessness.

Santa Barbara County estimated current costs associated with homelessness in the county using census and program data. Estimates by housing and law enforcement officials include: $1,863,000 annually for homeless individuals using the County's Psychiatric Health Facility; $7,212,400 annually for homeless persons staying at Cottage Hospital; $3-5 million annually for homeless persons in the County Jail; $950,000 is spent each year for three homeless shelters; $180,000 annually for the North County Detox Center; and $82 per day for a homeless person staying in jail. According to the Housing and Community Development Department, many of the needed financial resources to move people off the streets already exist.

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA. Meeting with City Councilors, City officials, and local partners addressing homelessness in Santa Monica, California, last week, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano commended the City for its long-term commitment on the issue of homelessness and encouraged Santa Monica to join the national partnership to end chronic homelessness. He also invited Santa Monica officials to participate in a planned July city focus group meeting on homelessness in "resort" areas in Washington, DC.

City Manager Susan McCarthy last week unveiled a city budget which, while smaller overall, nonetheless proposes five new staff positions for the city to address the impacts of homelessness on the community, as well as proposing an evaluation of existing programs, and possible expansion of the city's chronic homeless pilot program.

Joining Director Mangano on his visit to Southern California (see related e-news story), were Santa Monica City Manager Susan McCarthy, City Council Member Richard Bloom, and City Human Services Manager Julie Rusk. Director Mangano also met with City Council member Bobby Shriver while in Santa Monica. Interagency Council Region IX Coordinator Ed Cabrera participated in the visit. Director Mangano also toured Chrysalis Employment Service for the Homeless, which assists 2,000 homeless people annually to locate and retain employment. Chrysalis' Street Works program provides street cleaning and other basic services and Labor Connection, a staffing agency, finds clients temporary work in the private sector.

WASHINGTON, DC. United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt last week announced 86 awards totaling over $30.2 million to help community health centers increase access to health care for low-income and uninsured Americans. Sixty-four of the grants, worth $26.7 million, will expand medical capacity at existing health centers, helping an additional 255,000 underserved individuals receive care. United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt is pictured here.

"Health centers provide a safety net for millions of Americans who need care," Secretary Leavitt said. "These grants will help strengthen this net and ensure that many more individuals get access to the vital services they need to live healthy, productive lives." The awards support President Bush's five-year initiative to expand the health center system. Launched in 2002, the initiative will add 1,200 new and expanded health center sites and increase the number of patients served from 10.3 million in 2001 to approximately 16 million by 2006. With these grants, HHS will have funded more than 770 new or expanded health centers, and increased the number of patients served to an estimated 14 million individuals in 2005.

Health centers deliver comprehensive primary and preventive care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Charges for health care services are set according to income, and fees are not collected from the poorest patients. In a typical year, about 40 percent of health center patients have no insurance coverage. HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) manages the Consolidated Health Center Program, which funds a national network of more than 3,700 clinics comprised of community health centers, migrant health centers, health care for the homeless centers, school-based health centers, and public housing primary care centers.

STATES seeking new strategies to prevent chronic homelessness can turn to new resources created by the Council of State Governments to address growing corrections and correctional health care costs and reduce recidivism among people with mental illness. How and Why Medicaid Matters for People with Serious Mental Illness Released from Jail and Ensuring Timely Access to Medicaid and SSI/SSDI for People with Mental Illness Released from Prison have been developed with support from the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a division of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and by the MacArthur Foundation.

"These materials will be terrific tools for state mental health agencies preparing applications for the State Incentive Grants (SIG), which the President established to help states transform their mental health systems to be consumer driven and recovery oriented," said CMHS Director Kathryn Power. "The SIG announcement makes special mention of the importance of meeting the needs of people with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system." The Council's new tools profile efforts in four states- Texas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New York-to promote continuity of care for this population by ensuring their prompt enrollment in Medicaid and SSI/SSDI upon release.

WASHINGTON, DC. State and local Workforce Investment Boards, local public agencies, for profit/commercial entities, and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations are eligible to apply for recently announced United States Department of Labor funds to support Stand Down events for veterans. The U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans' Employment and Training Service has approximately $200,000 available to support Stand Down events. The maximum award amount is currently $5,000 per year per event. Effective July 1, 2005, the maximum award amount will increase to $8,000 per year per event. Stand Down funding is awarded on a first come, first served basis.

All current Department of Labor Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) Grantees are allowed and are encouraged to expend up to $5,000 ($8,000 effective July 1, 2005) of their existing HVRP funds to support Stand Down efforts. If current HVRP grantees have not already planned for Stand Down expenditures, they can contact their respective DVET for approval of a one time less than 5% budget line item shift grant modification for this purpose. United States Department of Labor Secretary and Interagency Council Vice-chair Elaine Chao is pictured here.

WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the availability of $38 million in funds for currently operational VA Per Diem Only Recipients (projects that were originally awarded in 2002, 2003, and 2004 that are currently providing services and receiving per diem payments as of May 15, 2005) to make reapplication for assistance for their existing project number under the Per Diem Only Grant Component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program. Previous recipients that have demonstrated performance in the delivery of services to the homeless veteran population now have an opportunity to seek re- application. Funding available under this NOFA is being offered to help offset the operating expenses of existing state and local governments, Indian Tribal governments, faith-based, and community-based organizations that are capable of providing supported housing and/or supportive service center services for homeless veterans. United States Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary and Interagency Council on Homelessness Chair Jim Nicholson is pictured here.

An original request for reapplication letter, on agency letterhead for assistance under the VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, must be received in the Grant and Per Diem Field Office, by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on October 5, 2005. Per Diem Only programs that have received a ''Special Needs Grant'' in conjunction with their Per Diem Only Project are advised that ''Special Needs'' funding is also subject to reauthorization of the special need component and may not continue if not reauthorized.

Monitoring will include at least an annual review of each per diem program's progress toward meeting internal goals and objectives in helping veterans attain housing stability, adequate income support, and self sufficiency as identified in each per diem program's original application. Monitoring will also include a review of the agency's income and expenses as they relate to this project to ensure per diem payment is accurate. Each per diem-funded program will participate in VA's national program monitoring and evaluation system administered by VA's Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). It is the intention of VA to develop specific performance targets with respect to housing for homeless veterans. NEPEC's monitoring procedures will be used to determine successful accomplishment of these housing outcomes for each per diem funded program.

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news continues its focus on innovative initiatives that are ending chronic homelessness. This week, the e-news highlights the success of the North Beach Citizens program in San Francisco, which has successfully turned its operations in the last several months to engagement strategies that lead to jobs and housing for persons experiencing chronic homelessness. The program does not receive government funds.

North Beach Citizens Executive Director Kristie Fairchild, the program's only full-time employee, credits the new national mindset and new city strategies with helping her shift her program from daytime drop-in services to a higher level of engagement and housing success in ending chronic homelessness. "North Beach Citizens' change in focus from being a chaotic triage service center to a program focused on housing the chronically homeless population has undeniably diminished the homeless population in North Beach. The new focus and energy within the City of San Francisco concerning permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless will help the most desperate and vulnerable receive the services they require for success. With the policy change within the San Francisco government, NBC has been able to access housing for 32 individuals in the last year," stated Director Fairchild.

NBC clients placed in SRO's utilize North Beach Citizens as their support, and they are encouraged to maintain contact with their mental health provider and also receive help with obtaining Medical, SSI, or VA benefits. North Beach's clients number about 45 at any time with about 6-12 drop-ins per month. The program, now motivated to a housing focus, was founded with the view that homelessness is an issue that requires a neighborhood-by-neighborhood effort that shows concern for homeless people, merchants, and neighbors. The program continues to receive support from its orginal funder, filmmaker Francis Coppola, as well as recently developing new sources of support in the private sector and business community.

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter continues its focus on elements of the Title V federal surplus property and opportunities to secure resources for homeless programs under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Following are properties listed in the most recent Federal Register notice of suitable and available land and buildings.

The May 27 listing of suitable and available property contains a listing of Federal buildings and other real property determined to be suitable and available for use. Buildings are available in Georgia, Iowa, New York, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.

Title V provides that state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, are eligible to apply for land and buildings that have been determined by the federal government to be "suitable and available" for eligible uses to benefit homeless people. More than two dozen agencies of the federal government are included as "landholding" agencies that may have property.