BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. "Our model for taking care of our community will change," states "If We Could End Homelessness . . . " Bridgeport's new 10- Year Plan unveiled this week by Mayor John Fabrizi and Plan leader and United Way of Eastern Fairfield County CEO Merle Berke-Schlessel. The unveiling was highlighted by the presentation of a $40,000 check from the RBS National Bank to support plan implementation as part of its "Destination Home" initiative with the United Way. Bank Vice-President for Community Investment Ruth Price will chair Destination Home including helping to fund a full time staff person charged with coordinating the implementation of the new Plan.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, invited to keynote the unveiling, praised the new Plan for its partnership, as well as housing and prevention emphases and recognition of veterans' needs. The broad and inclusive group of planning partners consisted of leadership from local and regional government, public safety, individual corporations and business organizations, healthcare, educational institutions, Veterans Affairs, community and faith based organizations, and consumers. Planners adopted a strong Housing First system in the Plan, which proposes to reduce the number of chronic or transitionally homeless individuals entering emergency shelter and transitional programs by 12% annually, reduce the average length of stay in emergency shelter to less than 30 days per episode, and convert all existing transitional housing to permanent housing in 10 years. Pictured here are Director Mangano, Mayor Fabrizi, Vice-President Price, and CEO Berke- Schlessel.

Bridgeport's Plan identifies the need for 1,260 housing units based on Connecticut's Reaching Home Campaign data, with 558 to be targeted to individuals and families facing long-term homelessness. The Plan also recommends that communities adopt an 80/20 policy in which 20% of all new units built would be set aside for low income individuals. In the area of prevention, the Plan proposes the establishment of a region-wide early intervention system including centralized prevention and intervention resources, a stabilization fund for those placed to prevent a fall back into homelessness, implementation of zero tolerance policies for discharge to homelessness, and creation of housing search services for hospitals, prisons, and courts.

Bridgeport's Plan gives special focus to the needs of veterans, calling for partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs to identify and link to homeless prevention services those at-risk individuals from Reserve and National Guard units returning from active duty, as well as coordination with VA services and local non-profits to maximize utilization of mainstream resources for homeless veterans. Further, the Plan proposes outreach and an information campaign with specific resources on employment services for homeless veterans. Also proposed is development of HMIS capacity to monitor the speed with which veterans apply for and receive benefits for which they are eligible. Interagency Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien, Council Liaison to the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, also took part in the announcement.

Multi-sector partners involved in the Plan included the Mayors and Selectmen of Fairfield, Stratford, Trumbull, Monroe, and Easton, as well as representatives of Bridgeport Housing Authority, banks, area hospitals, philanthropy, Council of Churches, universities and colleges, Central Connecticut YMCA, Catholic Charities, American Red Cross, Fannie Mae, Bridgeport Regional Business Council, and homeless service providers and advocates.

QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS. Mayor William Phelan, who has put his city's housing resources where his rhetoric is on the goal of ending chronic homelessness, has a vision for the City of Presidents, as stated in the new Quincy 10-year Plan released this week: Within the next ten years, all chronically homeless individuals will have a permanent, safe, affordable place to call home. The Quincy Leadership Council on Chronic Homelessness was led by South Shore Chamber of Commerce President Peter Forman, Attorney Jeffrey Graeber, and South Shore Savings Bank COO John Boucher. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who joined Mayor Phelan for the press event announcing the final Plan, hailed the Plan for its focus on cost benefit analysis, preventing homelessness from public systems of care, and budget plans for its housing goals. Pictured here are (right to left) Mayor Phelan, Director Mangano, and Mr. Forman.

Citing local data that show that Quincy sees an average of 25-30 discharges from state systems of care monthly, the Plan proposes to develop a collaboration with the State's 10-Year Plan and the Massachusetts Interagency Council on Homelessness, to support a zero tolerance policy amongst state systems of care, and to prioritize persons experiencing chronic homelessness within these systems so that anyone willing to accept treatment will be granted such help regardless of insurance status, length of stay, or other barriers. Data gathered and collected quarterly will be forwarded by Quincy-Weymouth Board on Homelessness to the State Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Specific measures will build partnerships and focus on veterans. Quincy's Veteran Specialist will work with Federal and State Departments of Veterans' Affairs in identifying and providing services to Veterans who are returning home and who may be at risk of becoming homeless.Quincy's emergency Shelter Director will meet quarterly with the local sheriff's office to ensure appropriate discharge planning with the State's Department of Corrections, and representatives of Quincy's Emergency Shelter will begin attending Regional Hospital Meetings to coordinate substance abuse and mental health issues for persons experiencing homelessness.

Additional data collection will examine acute service use, as area ambulance companies will begin July 1, 2005, to collect statistical data gathering on all homeless persons served and report statistics back to the Leadership Council on Homelessness on a yearly basis. Regional hospitals will track visits from emergency room services for anyone experiencing homelessness.

Housing goals in the Quincy Plan include increasing housing supply by 10-12 units per year over the course of 10 years, creating Housing First units to bypass shelter, decreasing the number of emergency shelter beds by 10 beds per year, and continuing to earmark HOME resources for special needs housing units.

The Leadership Council also included Norfolk County Sheriff, United First Parish Church, City of Quincy Planning Department, Quincy Police Chief, Daniel J. Flynn & Co., Inc., Quincy Medical Center, Neighborhood Housing Services, Discover Quincy, Fallon Ambulance Service, Quincy 2000 Collaborative, State Street Corporation, Bay State Community Services, Father Bill's Place/QISC, and South Shore YMCA.

Mayor Phelan recently accepted the HOME Program Award for Excellence on behalf of the city from the National Community Development Association. The award was presented for the Claremont Project, which Director Mangano toured with Quincy Interfaith Sheltering Coalition Executive Director and Plan partner John Yazwisnki and Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien. Claremont House provides permanent supportive housing for 12 chronically homeless women. Partnered with the City on that project were Father Bill's Place and Neighborhood Housing Services. In an innovative partnership with Interfaith Housing, Inc., local foundations, business and corporate leaders, Quincy has committed over $1,000,000 in HOME funds in the last 2 years to create permanent housing for chronically homeless persons, while working to develop a 10-Year Plan.

WASHINGTON, DC. Washington, DC's Business Improvement District office was the site last week of a celebration to mark the opening of the District's Pathways to Housing program. The "Housing First Chronic Homeless Initiative" (HF-CHI), provides housing and supportive services to homeless individuals in coordination with an ongoing collaboration between The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness and the Department of Mental Health. Under this program, the Pathways to Housing-DC ACT Team serves chronically homeless, dually-diagnosed adults who are living on the streets or in low-barrier shelters of the District of Columbia. Pathway's Housing First model, first established successfully in New York City, has now successfully moved 40 chronically homeless persons to permanent supportive housing in the DC area in just over one year. Each person had an average of 6 years of homelessness.

Pathways is "based on some very simple principles" said DC Department of Mental Health Director Martha Knisley, who joined DC Deputy Mayor Neil Albert and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano for the celebration. Director Knisley continued, "Everybody deserves housing and the support in order to maintain it. So we have to provide both the housing and the support. Here people are getting housed. It's the most effective way of moving people out of homelessness and into stable housing. I've seen the numbers. I've seen the research."

"Homeless No More" is the Nation's Capital's 10-Year Plan released in January 2005 and based on the recommendations of a broad spectrum of city and business leaders, homeless providers and advocates, and homeless people. The plan proposes three long- term policies to end homelessness: 1) Increase homeless prevention efforts at both local and federal levels, 2) Provide supportive services fully coordinated to include homeless programs and special needs housing, and 3) Develop 6,000 units of affordable, supportive permanent housing to meet the needs of the District's homeless and other very-low- income persons who are at risk.

Pathways to Housing Founder and Director Dr. Sam Tsemberis, who participated in the event, recalled the origins of the program, stating, "It was painful to walk over homeless people on the streets when I would come to DC to attend meetings on how to end homelessness. Once we had figured out that people could go directly into housing it became unbearable to see people suffering with mental illness living on the streets. I knew their suffering was unnecessary, there was a solution."

Founded in 1992, Pathways to Housing, a not-for- profit organization, works with individuals who have been turned away from other programs because of active substance use/abuse, refusal to participate in psychiatric treatment, histories of violence or incarceration, or other behavioral problems. Currently over 400 individuals in New York City receive permanent housing and are served by six interdisciplinary Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams. Pathways' mission is to move people who are homeless and have psychiatric disabilities directly from the streets, shelters, psychiatric hospitals, and jails into permanent homes in order to provide immediate and independent housing; begin the process of recovery; and promote integration into the community and work life. An evaluation of the New York City program found 88 percent of residents stably housed after five years.

Pathways has its own Housing Department that helps clients find and monitor apartments. Staff develop relationships with landlords and housing management companies in order to secure apartments for new clients. They also serve as liaisons to ensure that apartment repairs and emergencies are dealt with adequately and in a timely manner. New clients are matched with apartments of their choice. Once the homeless individual accepts Pathways' assistance and is placed in housing, he or she is encouraged to participate in the treatment, vocational and rehabilitative programs provided by the staff.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. The City of Brotherly Love last week celebrated its success in ending chronic homelessness for 70 Philadelphia residents, who collectively had spent over 1,000 years homeless. Arch Street United Methodist Church was the site of a celebration of the placement of 70 chronically homeless individuals through Home First, Philadelphia's 2003 award under the federal Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness. According to Philadelphia data, the 70 individuals moved to housing had a collective experience of 1000 years of homelessness before moving to permanent supportive housing. The event also celebrated New Keys, a Housing First program that has moved over 50 individuals to housing in the last two years.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director joined City of Philadelphia Deputy Managing Director Rob Hess and Majority Leader Councilwoman and Finance Chair Jannie L. Blackwell for the celebration. At the October 1, 2003, meeting of the full Council with four Cabinet Secretaries in attendance and senior policy officials from the sixteen other member agencies, then Department of Health and Human Services Secretary and Council Chair Tommy Thompson was joined by then Council Vice-chair VA Secretary Anthony Principi and then Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez to announce the 11 awards.

Pictured here is then United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary and Council Chair Tommy Thompson being presented with the key to Philadelphia's first Collaborative Initiative housing unit by Deputy Managing Director Hess, who addressed the April 1, 2004, full Council meeting at the White House.

NEW YORK CITY. Forty New Yorkers - who had among them experienced an average of over 7 years of homelessness each - are the success stories of Project Renewal's In Homes Now Collaborative Initiative site. The only New York City site funded under the October 1, 2003, announcement of the historic federal interagency $55 million initiative of the United States Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs, Project Renewal was also the first of the 11 sites to reach full occupancy, which it did in June 2004. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano recently visited Project Renewal to hear from Executive Director Ed Gefner and Associate Director Stephanie Cowles about their success.

Last June's full occupancy meant that Project Renewal along with its Department of Veterans Affairs partner Harbor Healthcare Systems, was the first of the collaborations nationwide to house all the projects' intended clients. Project Renewal has targeted long-term substance abusers among the population of those experiencing chronic homelessness. Project Renewal's Housing First model provides homeless clients with their own apartments, then delivers comprehensive health, treatment, support and employment services to them where they live.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. Los Angeles County, which is expected to release its 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in the next several months, has come forward with record new investment targeted to homelessness in the county. This year's first-ever census found 90,000 persons experiencing homelessness. The new investment includes $20 million to build new year-round shelters and renovate two existing shelters, which provide about 70 overnight beds; $2 million to build a new transitional shelter for homeless families, modeled on the Women's Care Cottage, a four-bedroom North Hollywood home for women and children; $600,000 for the Salvation Army's Booth Memorial Center, which shelters about 20 families who once lived in downtown's Skid Row district; and $2 million for the administration of services.

LAHSA Executive Director Mitchell Netburn commented, "It's heartening to see the county really finally beginning to put together resources to address this huge tragedy we have." Shelter Partnership, a nonprofit research and resource group, will be commissioned to study the emergency shelter system and how it might be improved, using programs that have worked in other cities. Proposals also include changes to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the 11-year-old city-county agency that administers homeless funds, to be more directly involved in policymaking. LAHSA has an annual budget of about $48 million, much of which is federal funding; the city and county of Los Angeles contribute about $8.4 million.

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA. Santa Monica, the Los Angeles County community which earlier this month unveiled a city budget proposing new resources to address homelessness, last week took action on the proposal, unanimously approving increased staffing for homeless services, including $200,000 in one-time funds to hire a homeless liaison. The homeless liaison, proposed by Council member Bobby Shriver, will work with other cities and government agencies to help address the region's homeless problem and alleviate the burden on Santa Monica, which has a broad social services network. The move to create a homeless liaison in Santa Monica comes as neighboring Beverly Hills, Culver City, West Los Angeles and western sections of Los Angeles consider Council resolutions to work together to end homelessness.

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news continues its focus on the message of leadership in ending chronic homelessness from federal, state, and city officials. This week, we focus on excerpts of the remarks of Bridgeport Mayor John Frabrizi who unveiled his city's 10-Year Plan this week. Mayor Fabrizi is pictured here with Consumer Panel Member Karina Maury and Plan leader and United Way of Eastern Fairfield County CEO Merle Berke-Schlessel.

"We have the plan. As you can see, this is not a research report, this is not a dissertation. This represents a practical approach to ending homelessness in the greater Bridgeport area with action-oriented steps and methods for measuring progress. It's truly a momentous occasion to have this plan in hand knowing the time and commitment that was dedicated to its preparation."

"I would like to take this opportunity to commend the United Way for providing the leadership and resources to make this planning effort possible.The partnership between the City of Bridgeport and the United Way truly exemplifies the kind of coming together we need in order to address the critical issues facing our community. Together we can tackle the issues that matter."

"It is critical that we emphasize the regional aspect of this plan because this is not just a 'Bridgeport issue.' It is an issue that affects all of our communities and there is no question that we need the endorsement of our neighboring towns in order to be effective in our efforts."

" I am thankful for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness under the leadership of Philip Mangano, whose agency has championed this major policy shift in the way communities approach the issue of homelessness. This has promoted a spirit of working together across all levels and disciplines, with a unified vision to meet the incredible challenge that is before us. "

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter continues a series of reports on 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.

Stand Downs are presently scheduled as follows: July 15, 2005 - San Diego, CA; July 22, 2005 - Ventura, CA; July 25, 2005 - Kailua, HI; July 29, 2005 -Detroit, MI; August 4, 2005 - Minneapolis, MN; August 5, 2005- Marysville, CA; August 6, 2005 - Jacksonville. FL; August 12, 2005 - Grand Rapids, MI; August 12, 2005 - Boston, MA; August 12, 2005 - Anchorage, AK; August 12, 2005 - Fort Richardson, AK; August 26, 2005 - Duluth, MN; August 26, 2005 - Fresno, CA; August 27, 2005 - Fairbanks, AK; September 9, 2005 - Cheyenne, WY; September 9, 2005 - Bellevue, KY; September 9, 2005 - Des Moines, IA; September 9, 2005 - Sioux Falls, SD; September 9, 2005 - Philadelphia, PA; September 10, 2005 - Billings, MT; September 10, 2005 - Sioux Falls, SD; September 10, 2005 - Boise, ID; September 14, 2005 - Tampa, FL; September 16, 2005 - Cumberland RI; September 16, 2005 - Cincinnati, OH; September 16, 2005 - Charleston, SC; September 16, 2005 - White City, OR; September 16, 2005 - Sacramento, CA; September 17, 2005 - Newark, NJ; September 17, 2005 - Colville, WA; September 22, 2005 - Haverhill, MA; September 23, 2005 - Wichita, KS; September 23, 2005 - Bismarck, ND; September 30, 2005 - Shreveport, LA; September 30, 2005 - Charleston, SC; September 30, 2005 - Pueblo, CO; and September 30, 2005 - Detroit, MI.