IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. Governor John de Jongh, Jr. welcomed United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano to Government House in Christiansted, St. Croix last week. Director Mangano was invited by the Governor and Department of Human Services Commissioner Chris Finch for the visit, where the officials met and discussed the Virgin Islands Interagency Council. The Virgin Islands' 10-Year Plan will now be revised and updated with a goal of revitalizing the territory's initiatives.

Department of Human Services Commissioner Chris Finch, Attorney Tom Bolt, Brenda Walwyn, and Luz Belardo-Webster, District Director for Congresswoman Donna Christensen also participated in the meeting. Commissioner Finch, Governor de Jongh and Director Mangano are pictured here (top) along with the Interagency Council (below).

The Governor, who took office in January 2007, made homelessness a focus of his State of the Territory address: "Many across our community lack adequate access to basic health care. Families are overworked and parents working two jobs cannot take time off to take their children to the doctor. Many families exist one major illness away from slipping into poverty . . . Problems of homelessness and mental illness remain largely unaddressed, and we are failing to address the needs of our elders . . . But our focus on political and economic development should never detract from our efforts to support those in our community most in need of our help and our compassion. Programs for the mentally ill and the homeless across the Territory have been either uneven or piece-meal or neglected for years. Even in an environment of reduced federal aid, we will redouble our efforts and our support of non-profit, private and faith-based organizations serving these residents. Our efforts to reduce barriers which impede those with disabilities will be reinvigorated. Our traditions and our personal morality require that we do nothing less."

Director Mangano addressed a meeting of the Interagency Council whose members include the Virgin Islands' Solicitor General, Attorney General, and officials of the Departments of Human Services, Housing, Parks and Recreation, Labor, Senior Citizens Affairs, and Veterans Affairs, VI Housing Finance Agency, Police Department, the Senate President, and leaders of United Way, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, University of the Virgin Islands, provider and community organizations, and local hospitals. The Council was formed in 2003 and meets quarterly.

The Virgin Islands, which took part in the 2003 Federal Policy Academy on chronic homelessness, subsequently drafted a plan, "Virgin Islands: Charting The Course To End Chronic Homelessness," which noted "the rise in chronic homelessness appears to be in direct correlation to our largely dependent tourism based economy." The plan also identified the structural lack of access to mainstream resources such as Medicaid and SSI as hampering its efforts, along with an overall lack of housing, need for expanded mental health and substance abuse services, onset of hurricanes and other natural disasters, immigration and migration issues, and family issues.

Director Mangano and Regional Coordinator Michael German toured several local programs while in the region, including St. Croix Mission Outreach, Lighthouse Mission, and Bethlehem House.

BISMARCK-MANDAN, NORTH DAKOTA. Bismark and Mandan, North Dakota Mayors John Warford and Ken LaMont last week gave their cities just six months to develop a new 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. "As mayors, we established a Steering Committee to begin the process of developing a 10-year strategic plan for eliminating long-term homelessness in this region," said Mayor Warford, Mayor of the state's capital city. "These plans, inspired by the President's call to end homelessness, offer new energy to create solutions for our communities," said Mayor LaMont.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who has visited the region previously to discuss 10-Year Plans with local officials, has already been invited to one of the planning meetings and the scheduled unveiling. The Steering Committee has identified 30 prominent local stakeholders, including the United Way, who will develop and implement the strategic plan. Four half- day meetings of the stakeholder group will take place between July and October of this year. The finalized 10- year plan will be presented to both Bismarck and Mandan City Commissions for their acceptance and will then be presented to the community during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in November.

The Bismarck-Mandan initiative is being funded by an $8,000 grant from the Housing Finance Agency, which is also providing money for similar projects in Grand Forks, Minot, Devils Lake, Jamestown, Williston, Dickinson and the state's four Indian reservations. Each of the strategic plans will be used to formulate a statewide plan.

DENVER, COLORADO. "We are pleased to report that our analysis of the Denver-specific portion of the survey reflects an 11 percent decrease in overall homeless counted in Denver and a 36 percent decrease in the count of chronic homeless in Denver since we began implementing Denver's Road Home in 2005 with services and accountability. We are on track for accomplishing our initial goal of reducing chronic homelessness by 75 percent by 2010 and ending homelessness altogether in ten years. The numbers are yet another strong indicator that our plan to end homelessness is working in getting people off the streets and into lives of stability and self- sufficiency." With those words, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper announced the Mile High City's most recent results which were included in the 2007 Colorado Statewide Winter Homeless Count Survey by the Colorado Division of Housing, the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) and Mile High United Way.

Noting that homelessness is a regional issue, Hickenlooper added, "Denver as a community has made great strides in our work to ensure Denver's homeless people have the tools they need to live life off the streets. We have been talking with city and county officials around the metro area and stand ready to help them institute similar plans if they choose to do so."

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, commenting on the news from Denver, indicated, "Denver shows once again that results are infectious, and innovation leads the way. With political leadership and commitment at the forefront, Denver has partnered with the business, sports, and university community, conducted cost benefit analysis, created new housing opportunities, and adopted Project Homeless Connect."

WASHINGTON, DC. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was invited to keynote the 2004 announcement and 2005 unveiling events in Knoxville, Tennessee, this week welcomed new 10-Year Plan Chair Jon Lawler to Council headquarters in Washington. Mr. Lawler, a private sector leader, became the Mayor's point person for the 10-Year Plan on June 1. Mr. Lawler, a vice president at the real estate and development firm of Lawler-Wood, has run a construction company, been a church pastor and worked in community development during his career. He has a Bachelor's degree in mathematics and history from Vanderbilt University, a Master's degree in New Testament Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena and an MBA, with a concentration in finance, from the University of Tennessee.

"It starts with saying that we're not going to keep doing it like we've done it before," stated Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, as he joined Knox County Mayor Bill Ragsdale in October 2004 for the 10-Year Plan commitment of the two mayors. Mayor Ragsdale agreed with Mayor Haslam, stating, "We are excited about working on this initiative." He added, "By working together to create a long-range plan, the community can effectively pool its resources to focus on this problem."

Just one year later, the Mayors unveiled their finished plan, with Mayor Haslam noting, "I think there are some people who have been homeless for years and years without, in their minds, a hope of getting out of it, and that's very hurtful to them, and that's very costly to us. It costs $72 a day to have someone in the jail. Hospital emergency rooms take the brunt of those, which is very expensive treatment," said Mayor Haslam.

The Plan was drafted by the 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness Task Force led by Dr. Roger Nooe of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. Dr. Nooe, named a "Daily Point of Light" by President George Bush in 2002, has conducted biennial surveys since 1985 on the number of homeless individuals in the Knoxville area and the reasons for their homelessness. He is a professor and former associate dean of UT's College of Social Work, and has advised local agencies including the Knox County Public Defender's Office, Community Action Committee and AmeriCorps on the issue of homelessness. In addition, he served as chairman of the Ending Chronic Homelessness Task Force, comprised of representatives from public and private social service and mental health agencies, housing providers and law enforcement.

City of Knoxville official Michael Dunthorn co-chaired the Task Force and has lead the community's Project Homeless Connect events as well, serving as an expert advisor for the Interagency Council with other cities seeking to adopt the innovation. Other members of the Task Force included representatives of Knoxville Coalition for the Homeless, The Salvation Army, Community Health Services, Knox County District Attorney's Office, Central Business Improvement District, Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, Knoxville's Community Development Corporation, Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville Utilities Board, and Cornerstone Foundation. Knox Area Rescue Ministries also was a member of the Task Force, and, while in Knoxville, Director Mangano toured the Mission's training, residential, and business programs.

DULUTH'S NEW SAN MARCO GREEN APARTMENTS OPEN DOORS TO END HOMELESSNESS

DULUTH, MINNESOTA. Seventy new units of housing are now on line in downtown Duluth, Minnesota, where the ribbon was cut on the New San Marco Apartments last week. The New San Marco Apartments were developed by Center City Housing Corp. (CCHC) as a new construction project of permanent housing for persons who are homeless, located on an urban infill redevelopment site donated by the City of Duluth. Both Duluth and St. Louis County are partners to 10-Year Plans. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Executive Director Philip Mangano joined Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson and St. Louis County Commissioner Steve O'Neil in April for City and County Plan developments. The State of Minnesota is well underway with implementation and regular progress reports on its State Business Plan.

The new building has one wing of thirty permanent supportive Single Room Occupancy housing units for chemically dependent individuals and a second wing with forty units of supportive efficiency apartments for people with a history of homelessness. Thirty-six of the units are set aside for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness for a year or more, or for those who have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.

Commented one local news outlet on the opening: " . . . within two weeks the positive change for the new occupants was visible to many. People who had not lived in one place for many years now had a home; they were eating healthy meals, drinking less, and dealing with mental health issues. The oldest person living at the New San Marco is 75 years old and the youngest is 30."

The New San Marco Apartments were constructed with various sustainable elements that will benefit both the residents and the surrounding community, including: the re-use of an urban infill site next to public transportation and downtown amenities; overall energy efficiency more efficient than state code; a high efficiency steam heating and hot water system; natural daylighting, energy-efficient lighting and controls; a super-insulated building envelope; ceiling fans in units; Energy Star appliances; low maintenance landscaping not requiring irrigation; continuous ventilation of bathrooms for moisture control; low-VOC paints, sealants, and adhesives; durable building materials-brick exterior, high-impact sheetrock interior; and a construction waste management plan.

Financing is through the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Ending Long-Term Homelessness Investment Fund, Trust Fund, and HOME, as well as Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, LIHTC Equity-NEF, Minnesota Green Communities, HUD Supportive Housing Program, City of Duluth HOME, and a Minnesota Power Grant. Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Director Tim Marx is pictured here.

Half of the New San Marco units are restricted to persons making 30% of area median income. Thirty of the units will be assisted by state Group Residential Housing supplements and forty units will have Project Based Section 8 rental assistance. Service provision will be a collaborative effort combining the work of three local nonprofits: the Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment (CADT), the Human Development Center (HDC), and the Damiano Center. These agencies are currently key providers of social services including advocacy, mental health treatment, and alcohol and chemical dependency recovery for low-income and/or homeless individuals in Duluth. CADT will provide one case manager to assist with health and security issues and offer connections to social services on a 24-hour basis. The Damiano Center will use the on- site full kitchen facilities as both a training program for the unemployed and to provide meals to the residents. HDC will provide two case managers to assist residents with their mental health issues including case management, psychiatric nursing services, and medication management.

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.

McKinney-Vento Reauthorization. Last week, Congressional committees heard testimony on several issues of interest, and this week, the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will hear testimony on the legislative reauthorization of the HUD McKinney-Vento programs, with program consolidation a consistent consensus theme. "Working Towards Ending Homelessness: Reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act," will be convened by Committee Chair Senator Christopher Dodd and Ranking Member Senator Richard Shelby. Scheduled witnesses are Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Roy Bernardi, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, Nan Roman, President, National Alliance to End Homelessness; Mr. Lloyd Pendleton, Director, Homeless Task Force, State of Utah Division of Housing and Community Development; Linda Glassman, Board Secretary, National AIDS Housing Coalition; Carol Gundlach, Executive Director, Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Moises Loza, Executive Director, Housing Assistance Council.

The President's FY 2008 budget supports consolidation of the HUD programs 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.

Homeless Veterans Proposal. The House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Subcommittee on Health last week heard testimony on a variety of veterans-related legislative proposals, including H.R. 2378, a measure intended to prevent low income veterans transitioning to, or residing in, permanent housing from falling back into their former homeless condition. According to testimony of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health Veterans Health Administration Michael J. Kussman, MD, MS, MACP, H.R. 2378, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD) , would require the Secretary to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to provide and coordinate the provision of supportive services for very low-income veteran families occupying permanent housing or transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. The bill would further require the Secretary to establish a formula for determining the rate of payments to be made to eligible entities providing supportive services under this section. The rate would have to be adjusted at least annually to reflect changes in the cost of living. In calculating the rate payment formula, the Secretary would be authorized to consider geographic cost of living variances, family size, and the cost of services provided.

To be eligible to receive funding, eligible entities would submit a detailed application to the Secretary. This bill would also authorize the Secretary to give preference to an entity providing or coordinating the provision of supportive services for very low-income veteran families who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. This measure would require the Secretary to provide training and technical assistance to entities receiving payments under this program on the planning, development, and provision of supportive services to the targeted families. Such assistance could be provided either directly, or through grants or contracts with appropriate public or nonprofit private entities.

As to funding, H.R. 2378 would make available out of the amounts appropriated for medical care $25 million for each of FYs 2008, 2009, and 2010, of which not more than $750,000 could be used to provide technical assistance.

VA officials expressed general support for H.R. 2378 but strongly recommended that the bill be modified to allow VA to establish additional criteria, specifically clinical indicators, to ensure this program reaches veteran families requiring additional support to end their homelessness. H.R. 2378 would require additional staffing resources for VHA's Homeless Program Office in the Office of Mental Health Services.

Mental Health Parity. Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on legislation that would prohibit treatment limits on mental health and addiction treatment benefits in group health plans that are not similarly imposed on other medical benefits under such plans. Witnesses were James E. Purcell, President and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Providence, R.I.; Marley Prunty-Lara, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Howard H. Goldman, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine; James A. Klein, President, American Benefits Council; and Edwina Rogers, Vice President for health policy, ERISA Industry Committee.

NEW YORK CITY. The New York Society for Ethical Culture established the first faith-based emergency shelter for women in the city 25 years ago. This week, the Society, the Social Service Board, and the Citywide Planning Committee joined for the "Celebrating Our Volunteer Heroes of Healing" event in recognition of the anniversary and a joint recognition of volunteers by agencies and organizations serving homeless people.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano was invited to keynote the recognition whose theme was Eliminating Homelessness: A New Mission for Volunteers. Dr. Phyllis Harrison-Ross, M.D., Chair, Social Services Board, The New York Society for Ethical Culture, presided, and CBS Correspondent Randall Pinkston was host.

Director Mangano told the volunteers being recognized and other attendees: "We are so lucky to be here in the presence of so much goodness, celebrating heroes of healing in your city. I am pleased to be with you as you recognize this long record of service in the community and the innovative work of your volunteers. Your work is the work of healing, bringing remedy to the suffering, remedy to the wrongs."

Dr. Harrison-Ross, is currently a trustee of the New York Society for Ethical Culture and Chairperson of its Social Service Board ("Putting Our Faith in Action"). She is President of the All Healers Mental Health Alliance, Inc. and Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences, New York Medical College, Emeritus Attending Psychiatrist/Chief of Psychiatry, Metropolitan Hospital Center, and is in the practice of child and adult psychiatry in New York City. She is Founder and Managing Partner of Black Psychiatrists of Greater New York and Associates. She has written books and numerous articles and book chapters on community and children's mental health as well as prison health. A past President of the Black Psychiatrists of America she received the American Psychiatric Association's Solomon Carter Fuller Award for distinguished service to improve the lives of Black people in 2004.

New York City Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Robert Hess brought greetings from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the attendees and PBS Now on PBS host David Brancaccio, who recently hosted a Housing First program, Home at Last, appeared by video.

RECOGNIZING VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE NATION. "People across our Nation answer the universal call to love their neighbor by giving their time, talents, and energy to comfort those in despair, support others in need, and change lives for the better. The optimism and determination of our country's volunteers reflect the true spirit and strength of our Nation," according to the 2007 Presidential Proclamation for National Volunteer Service Week. In the National Partnership to end chronic homeless constellated by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the work of volunteers is key to the 10-Year Plan successes being reported by cities large and small across the country in reducing and ending homelessness, especially chronic homelessness.

National Volunteer Week began in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an Executive Order establishing the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Since then, every U.S. President has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week. Additionally, Governors, Mayors and other elected officials from all over the country make public statements and sign proclamations in support of National Volunteer Week. National Volunteer Week provides a special opportunity to underscore the work of volunteers from all walks of life who are contributing to 10-Year Plans and taking part in National Project Homeless Connect.

WASHINGTON, DC. Senior policy officials of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness member agencies convened last week in Washington, DC to hear from United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jerry Regier on the priorities of HHS Secretary and Council Chair Michael Leavitt as announced at the March 5 Full Council meeting, and a progress report from Council Director Philip Mangano on the National Partnership.

Fifteen Council member agencies met in response to Secretary's Leavitt's charge to expand focus on homeless families and homeless youth; increase attention on homeless veterans, including strategies for securing needed supportive services and access to permanent housing opportunities, and chart continued progress toward the goal of ending chronic homelessness. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy Melissa Pardue led discussion among Council members of action steps to forward these goals.

United States Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Programs Director Peter Dougherty updated the group on the Congressional hearings of the week that were focused on veterans' issues, including as reported elsewhere in the e-news regarding H.R. 2378.

Council members were also briefed by San Diego Police Department Officer John Leining and Mental Health System's Deni McLagan on the Serial Inebriate Program (SIP), the innovative engagement and stabilization initiative created to stop the revolving door of street, detox, and jail for chronic street inebriates. SIP clients were the focus of the groundbreaking cost benefit analysis that demonstrated through University of California at San Diego data that 15 individuals chronically on the streets and using public systems of primary and behavioral health care and incarceration accounted for $3 million in public costs in just 18 months time.

SIP partners include: San Diego EMS, Mental Health Systems, Inc., San Diego Sheriff's Department, County Alcohol and Drug Services, San Diego City Attorney, Office of the Public Defender, Superior Courts, and St. Vincent de Paul Village.

Numerous countries continue to express interest in the results-oriented business plans producing results in decreased homeless in more than two dozen U.S. cities of all sizes. Over the last year, government and private sector leaders in England Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and European Union countries generally, as well as Australia, have dialogued with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and jurisdictional CEOs reporting results. Canadian officials from the national government, as well as local and provincial officials from British Columbia, Calgary, Ontario, and Quebec have sent representatives to both public and private sector events in the U.S., as well as inviting the presence of governmental and non-governmental experts at Canadian gatherings. Council Executive Director Philip Mangano is pictured here recently addressing the Federation of Canadian Municipalities where Mayors and City Councilors and other elected officials from more than 1,200 Canadian cities met to learn more about the National Partnership constellated by the Interagency Council.

The interest expressed by other nations has been an ancillary result of the Tripartite Meetings that have provided a useful exchange of solutions and perspectives on homelessness policy and practice since 2003 when Director Mangano extended an invitation to four senior government officials from Britain's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to meet with senior policy officials from the Council's member agencies to discuss prevention and intervention strategies to end chronic homelessness. Led by Gordon Campbell, acting head of the UK Homelessness Directorate, and Louise Casey, former head of the "Rough Sleepers Unit", the British delegation described their successful effort to reduce the number of homeless persons "sleeping rough" on the streets by two-thirds.

That initial exchange of best practices information was followed by an invitation from Director Mangano to the heads of the UK Homelessness Directorate and Canada Ministry on Homelessness and Housing to Washington in March 2004 for a comprehensive exchange of information on innovations and best practices related to housing, health services, and employment for homeless individuals and families. Although Canada was unable to participate in that first Tripartite because of a pending national election, the effort benefited from the availability of a representative from the South African government who was in Washington and attended the meeting, providing insights into his nation's homelessness efforts.

In 2005, Canada's first-ever National Research Conference on Homelessness became the impetus for a third tripartite meeting. Meeting with Canada Assistant Minister for Homelessness and Housing Bayla Kolk and senior Canadian career staff, and UK Homelessness Director Terrie Alafat in advance of the research conference, Director Mangano was joined by Department of Housing and Urban Development Homeless Programs Director and now Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs Housing Mark Johnston and Social Security Administration HOPE Program Officer Ed Beane, along with innovators from state government in South Carolina and Massachusetts, and the City of Philadelphia. The dialogue included "white paper" roundtable discussions on discharge planning, housing and shelter investments, and employment.

IN THE CITIES: NATION'S MAYORS SET TO CONVENE IN LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES. Hundreds of mayors from across the nation, more than 300 of whom are partnered with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness in business-oriented 10-Year Plans in their communities, will meet this week in Los Angeles in their annual meeting. USCM President Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer will welcome the Mayors.

Events in Los Angeles will include a meeting of the Mayors' Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness, chaired by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Des Moines Mayor T. M. Franklin Cownie. Task Force members are scheduled to hear from Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Council Executive Director Philip Mangano, and Peter Dougherty, Director, Homeless Veterans Programs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Mayors will consider more than 100 resolutions on homelessness, housing, human services, reentry, and related issues, including family financial stability. Resolutions before the Mayors include measures supporting innovative policies to prevent and end chronic homelessness, including support for Project Homeless Connect, and ending homelessness for veterans through permanent supportive housing.

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