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Partners In a Vision
SAN FRANCISCO UNVEILS 10-YEAR PLAN TO ABOLISH CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
Joined by 10-Year Planning Council Chair Angela Alioto, San Francisco
Mayor Gavin Newsom on June 30 unveiled his city's "10-Year Plan to Abolish
Chronic Homelessness," calling for a reduction in the number of emergency
shelters and the creation of 3,000 units of permanent supportive housing
for those living on the streets. The plan calls for spending about $350
million in state, federal, private, and local funds to create supportive
housing, relying in part on a $200 million affordable-housing bond measure
proposed for the city's November ballot. The 33-member Council, comprised
of representatives of government, business, philanthropy, law enforcement,
homeless providers and advocates, homeless people, and faith-based
organizations, developed recommendations on finance, prevention/discharge
planning, outreach and assessment, and permanent supportive housing. One
of Mayor Newsom's first acts after being sworn in as Mayor in January 2004
was to meet with U.S. Interagency Council Executive Director Philip
Mangano and commit to a 10-Year Planning process for San Francisco and to
appoint Angela Alioto to chair the Planning Council. On June 26, Mayor
Newsom introduced the successful U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution on
the proposed Samaritan Initiative (see story in this e-newsletter). Mayor
Newsom is pictured here at left during the press conference with Chair
Angela Alioto (at podium) and Council Executive Director Mangano (far
right).
In presenting the 10-Year Plan to Mayor Newsom, Chair Alioto stated,"
The plan we present to you is a no nonsense plan, " let's house people
now" plan, that I firmly believe is the key that will unlock the door to
the homes our people so desperately need. The plan is a redirection of our
resources, our attitudes and our strengths . . this Council of amazing
people has given the City a plan that is courageous and necessary to end
this disgrace. Now we need to implement it. The completion of the Plan is
merely the beginning of the work. For the first time in the twenty years
that I have been in public life, I feel the united excitement, the
electric energy, the profound intelligence, and the strong will to end
chronic homelessness in our great City . . It's time to roll our sleeves
up, and get to work."
Speaking to a packed press room in City Hall in which national and San
Francisco press, Council members, and San Francisco stakeholders ranging
from business leaders, philanthropists, and law enforcement to homeless
providers and advocates, homeless people, and faith-based organizations,
U.S. Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano, who joined the
San Francisco partners for the public unveiling, stated, "Today is an
historic day in San Francisco. In the formal introduction of a management
plan to end chronic homelessness, your city begins a multi-year
incremental process to bring remedy to its streets and hope to every
heart, and ultimately to end all homelessness. To the credit of Mayor
Newsom, Angela Alioto, and all who contributed, San Francisco is saying
that the old status quo hasn't worked The world we envision is one in
which we'll need to ring the doorbell of all those who have been homeless.
That's the dream this plan begins in San Francisco."
Read
the San Francisco Plan
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U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ANNUAL MEETING ENDORSES SAMARITAN
INITIATIVE |
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 H.R. 4057, the Administration's
Samaritan Initiative proposal to provide resources targeted toward
ending chronic homelessness, received an additional boost this week
with the unanimous endorsement of the U.S. Conference of Mayors
(COM) on June 28 at the mayors' 72nd Annual Meeting in Boston. The
mayors' resolution, introduced by a bipartisan group of mayors led
by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (shown here introducing the
resolution into committee), was first considered and favorably
reported on June 26 by the COM Community Development and Housing
Committee chaired by Charlotte, NC, Mayor Patrick McCrory (shown at
left of table).
U.S. Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano (shown
here listening to Mayor Newsom's remarks) was invited to speak at
the Committee meeting and applauded the mayors for their continuing
support and partnership in the effort to end chronic homelessness
(see excerpts from his remarks in this e- newsletter). The
Administration's Samaritan Initiative, introduced in Congress as
H.R. 4057 with bipartisan support, would create an opportunity for
cities to reduce the number of chronically homeless persons living
on the streets and in shelters and achieve potential savings in city
budgets. The legislation, for which $70 million in new funds has
been requested by the Administration for FY 05, would authorize a
unique collaboration among federal agencies to provide communities
with coordinated housing, treatment and supportive services funding
targeted toward persons experiencing chronic homelessness.
Read
the Mayors' Resolution »
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MERCER COUNTY, NJ, UNVEILS 10-YEAR PLAN; MONTGOMERY, AL,
CONVENES PLANNING PROCESS; NASHVILLE'S MAYOR PURCELL NAMES 10-YEAR
PLAN TASK FORCE |
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 Mercer County, NJ, County Executive
Brian Hughes (shown here addressing County planning partners),
mayors of Princeton, Princeton Borough, Lawrence Township,
Hightstown, and West Windsor, and planning partners unveiled Mercer
County's new 10-Year Plan on Tuesday, June 29 in Princeton, NJ. Tyco
Senior Vice President Charles Young also announced an investment of
$300,000 to further the objectives of the County plan. U.S.
Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano, who joined
the Mayors and County Executive at Tyco offices in Princeton, NJ, to
congratulate the Capital County stakeholders, including Tyco and
United Way, for their commitment, stated, " Today the mayors and
county executives, the public and private sectors, non-profit and
faith-based organizations are saying with one voice, every citizen
of this country deserves a place to live." Council Region II
Coordinator Carleton Lewis, who participated in the planning
process, was also in attendance. The Mercer County Plan adopted as
long term goals creating a financial safety net for homelessness
prevention, ensuring appropriate discharge planning from
institutions, expanding rapid re- housing strategies, and ensuring
necessary services and supports in the community.
Montgomery, AL, publicly launched its 10-Year Plan process on
June 29, with the release of the city's 2004 homeless census,
showing at least 400 people are homeless in Montgomery. The
newly-named 21-member Mayor's Commission to End Chronic
Homelessness, headed by Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless
Executive Director Henry Stough (shown here at far right with
Commission members), convened after the official announcement to
begin work on a local plan, which is expected to be completed in 3-4
months. The official announcement was attended by planning partners
including law enforcement, local providers and advocates, and
community residents.
On June 30, Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell named a Task Force to
develop Nashville's 10-Year Plan to end chronic homelessness.
Announcing the launch of the Nashville plan that the Mayor expects
to be completed in 5 months, Mayor Purcell stated, "Our goal is to
help homeless individuals and families to get off the streets and
into programs that will allow them to lead better lives. I believe
by bringing together service providers and community leaders, we can
find ways to better serve this population." The new Task Force, led
by Mayor's Office of Affordable Housing Director Hank Helton,
Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency Director Phil Ryan, and
Social Services Acting Director Dorothy Shell Berry, also includes
Nashville's Vice Mayor, Greater Nashville Chamber of Commerce,
Metropolitan Nashville United Way, Nashville Downtown Partnership,
Nashville Fire and Police Departments, General Sessions Mental
Health Court, US Bank, and the Coalition for the Homeless.
Nashville' most recent homeless census, conducted in May 2004, found
1,800 homeless individuals in the city, including 450 living
outdoors. 
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INNOVATIVE INITIATIVES: KENTUCKY PASSES HOMELESSNESS
PREVENTION LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE DISCHARGE PLANNING
OUTCOMES |
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 WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter
continues its focus on innovative initiatives to end chronic
homelessness. On April 13, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher
(pictured here) signed into law HB 376, the Homeless Prevention
Pilot Project, a bi-partisan bill sponsored by Representatives Scott
Brinkman and Joni Jenkins and passed unanimously by the State
Legislature. The new legislative initiative states: "discharge to an
emergency shelter is not appropriate" and bars discharges from
foster care, mental health hospitals and corrections into
homelessness. Public systems will be required to provide appropriate
discharge planning supports that include housing placement and links
to other resources to achieve successful re-entry into the
community. "Stopping institutional discharge into homelessness is
part of our Metro Louisville Blueprint to End Homelessness, which we
created in 2001," stated Marlene Gordon, Executive Director of The
Coalition for the Homeless in Louisville, which supported passage of
the legislation.
A Coalition survey of emergency shelters in Louisville and
Lexington found that, of the over 1,000 people surveyed, 77.5% had
experience in at least one of the public systems. 26% of those who
had been in prison and 38% of those who had been in a mental health
institution had been released directly into homelessness. The survey
also found that, while 75- 85% of youth aging out of foster care or
being discharged from state juvenile justice programs are reunited
with their families, 50% of those become homeless within 6 months of
discharge. The new legislation requires that an individualized,
comprehensive discharge plan must be coordinated with
community-based services and address education, employment, health
care, and other needs in addition to housing.
A diverse group of advocates supported passage of the
legislation, including homeless, mental health, youth, and prisoner
advocacy groups as well as the State Fraternal Order of Police,
which testified on behalf of the bill. As a result of the
legislative process, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services,
Justice Cabinet, and Cabinet for Families and Children are now
moving to create re-integration plans. The Homeless Prevention Pilot
Project was passed as enabling legislation, which means that the
Coalition and its partners will continue to work for FY 05 funding
to support two Pilot Project offices, one in Louisville/Jefferson
County and one in Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, or Wayne County to
serve a more rural population. Kentucky's efforts continue the
national momentum focused on improved discharge planning as a
tangible prevention strategy pioneered by the state of Massachusetts
in partnership with the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance.
Read
Kentucky HB 376 »
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DID YOU KNOW . . |
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 ...that there's something about
Wednesdays and 10- Year Plan announcements! On each of the last
three Wednesdays, a major city has released its 10-Year Plan. On
Wednesday, June 16, the mayor of the Nation's Capital, Washington,
D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams (shown here) unveiled "Homeless No
More" for public comment. On Wednesday, June 23, the mayor of the
nation's largest city, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
released "Uniting for Solutions Beyond Shelter: The Action Plan for
New York City." Also on Wednesday, June 23, in the nation's ninth
largest city, Dallas' Mayor Laura Miller and the Dallas City Council
gave final approval to that city's plan, developed in partnership
with Deloitte, United Way, and the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
On Wednesday, June 30, in the city with the most visible expression
of chronic homelessness, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom released
"The San Francisco 10-Year Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness."
...that Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano,
addressing the Plenary Session of the U.S. Conference of Mayors at
their 2003 Winter Meeting in Washington, inaugurated the challenged
to 100 mayors to develop 10-Year Plans to end homelessness in their
cities. "Like the abolitionists of old, we are faced with a social
evil. Our neighbor has no place to live. For how long can we resign
ourselves to this disgrace before we stand as Americans to keep the
promise - to draft the plans and get the job done: A Home for Every
American."
...that the U.S. Conference of Mayors at their Annual Meeting in
Denver in June 2003 accepted the challenge for 100 mayors to develop
plans and adopted a resolution in support of the goal. Now, a year
later, the goal has been met and exceeded. More than 125 cities
across the nation have developed or are engaged in the process of
developing 10-Year Plans.
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FEDERAL PARTNER PROFILE: TRANSPORTATION - THE HIDDEN PROBLEM
OF HOMELESSNESS |
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 WITH THIS ISSUE, we continue our
focus on the federal partners in the Interagency Council with a
profile by the U.S. Department of Transportation on issues affecting
homeless people. The May 13 e- newsletter presented some aspects of
Executive Order 13330 on Human Service Transportation Coordination.
Executive Order 13330 created a new Federal Interagency Coordinating
Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) and charged ten Federal
departments with advancing human service transportation
coordination, as well as requiring that these agencies work together
to reduce duplication, enhance cost effectiveness, and increase
customer access for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and
low- income persons. Each agency must report to the President on its
progress to reduce duplication and barriers within one year. The
Council is closely working with urban, suburban, and rural
communities across the country in a nation-wide effort to enhance
transportation services for those who need it most.
Like the Interagency Council on Homelessness, CCAM will work to
bring once-disparate Federal agencies together to tackle an issue of
utmost importance to the President and to all Americans. People who
are homeless and trying to get back on their feet often face a
"catch-22." They cannot acquire housing until they can access and
hold a job, but they cannot access and hold a job until they have
reliable transportation . . and they often cannot access reliable
transportation until they have a job to make enough money to
purchase a vehicle. For homeless people, reliable transportation is
a critical but often overlooked piece of the puzzle, a key that can
unlock opportunities for employment and self-sufficiency. Those of
us with cars take the workday commute and the daily round of errands
and shopping for granted. But for disadvantaged populations,
including people who have experienced homelessness, these everyday
activities-and the opportunities they bring--are often frustratingly
out of reach.
The Federal government has already been trying to help. All ten
agencies in the Executive Order have recognized transportation as a
crucial tool to assist homeless and other disadvantaged populations.
In June 2003, the General Accounting Office (GAO) identified no
fewer than 62 separate Federal programs that fund or support human
service transportation and recommended that government better
coordinate its resources and energies (Report on Transportation for
Disadvantaged Populations). The Departments of Transportation,
Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor - which fund the
vast majority of human service transportation programs --launched
the United We Ride initiative in December 2003 to do just that. By
encouraging and supporting the coordination of transportation
services, United We Ride is intended to improve transportation
services for those who need those services the most -- low-income
individuals, people with disabilities, seniors, and youth, some of
whom have also experienced homelessness. The five- part initiative
has already developed and issued a self- assessment tool for states
and communities, held a national forum on coordination with
representatives from 47 states, and provided meritorious recognition
awards to five states with outstanding achievements in coordination
of transportation. In addition, under United We Ride, an integrated
program of technical assistance is now available to States and
communities, and States will soon be able to obtain grants of
$20,000 to $35,000 to undertake the self-assessment or specific
coordination activities. 
Read
about the Executive Order »
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WORDS OF THE WEEK: MOVING FORWARD IN THE SPIRIT OF
PARTNERSHIP |
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| FOR THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter focuses on
remarks delivered on Saturday by U.S. Interagency Council Executive
Director Philip Mangano at the Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference
of Mayors in Boston. "Last year you joined with the Administration
in support of ending chronic homelessness and the homelessness of
people on the streets and long term in our shelters, and in support
of developing city 10-year plans to end this form of homelessness.
We moved forward together in the spirit of partnership. We
recognized that, on this issue of homelessness, partnership trumps
partisanship. Since we partnered, 120 mayors across our country have
moved forward to create 10-year plans to end the homelessness of the
most vulnerable and most expensive members of their communities."
"From our nation's largest cities - New York, Los Angeles,
Chicago - to Atlanta, San Francisco, Durham, Kansas City, St. Louis,
Washington, DC - to smaller cities Chattanooga, Manchester, NH,
Shreveport, LA - to small cities Burlington, VT and Henderson, NC,
mayors are moving forward with 10-year plans. Why? Well, as Mayor
Bloomberg said in announcing a 10-year plan for New York City, 'to
enhance the quality of life for both housed and homeless people.'
Mayors are no longer content to maintain the status quo of
homelessness. They are looking for change. To make a visible,
measurable, quantifiable change on their streets and in their
communities. In the lives of ex-prisoners, those who have aged out
of foster care, those with mental health and addiction issues.
That's why they're creating results oriented plans. They're putting
a management agenda forward on an issue that's eluded management.
The old ad hoc, siloed approaches just have not worked."
"As we've worked with mayors over the last year to create plans
all over the country, they've asked an important question. Will
there be new resources to help us get the job done? This
Administration has increased resources every year for homelessness,
both for intervention and prevention. In your Conference vote on
resolutions to support the President's request for the Samaritan
Initiative, you are asking Congress to support the $70,000,000 this
Administration has requested. In our partnership we're making
progress on what some see as an intractable problem. What we're
learning is that planful partnerships and innovative initiatives can
reduce and end homelessness. Thank you for your non-partisan support
to get the job done. In the 10-year plans and in the Samaritan
Initiative we are moving to the day when every member of our
communities will be known by a single name - neighbor - and treated
as one. That's the vision of our partnership."
Read
about the Mayors' Resolution »
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FEDERAL SURPLUS PROPERTY: KEY CONTACTS FOR THE MCKINNEY-VENTO
TITLE V PROGRAM TO BENEFIT HOMELESS PROGRAMS |
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| WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter continues its
focus on federal surplus property and opportunities to secure
resources for homeless programs. Under Title V of the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act, 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." Properties may be used for a wide variety
of programs and services for homeless people, including, but not
limited to, emergency shelters, transitional programs (with
occupancy limited to 24 months), food banks, job training, storage
facilities, or administrative space. All programs and activities
must be operated in a manner that is consistent with Federal civil
rights and non- discrimination laws.
Key contacts for the Title V program are listed here for
reference. HUD FIELD OFFICES: Contact the HUD field office for your
state to obtain property information and/or to be put on a mailing
list. FEDERAL LANDHOLDING AGENCIES: Further information on specific
properties can be obtained from the specific federal landholding
agency. The name and number to contact can be obtained from the HUD
field office or the HUD toll-free number: 1-800-927-7588. HUD
HEADQUARTERS OFFICE: Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs,
Office of Community Planning and Development, Department of Housing
and Urban Development, Room 7262, 451 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC
20410. Telephone Number: (202) 708- 1234.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: For a copy of the
application packet for a specific property, write to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Property
Management, Program Support Center, Room 5B-17, Parklawn Building,
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone Number: (301)
443-2265. Your letter should identify the property in which you are
interested, including the date of the Federal Register notice in
which it was published, include the name of your organization,
whether it is a private or public entity and request an application
packet.
Click
here for the HUD webpage on Title V »
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