FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS. Last week Fall River Mayor Edward Lambert, other city officials, and community leaders gathered to announce that the city whose motto is “we’ll try” had become “we will” as they unveiled a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. Led by Plan Co-Chairs Nicholas Christ, President & CEO of Citizens-Union Savings Bank, and Michael Coughlin, Director of the Fall River Department of Health & Human Services, the Fall River Plan is the product of an 18-month effort by an expanded Mayor’s Task Force on Chronic Homelessness that included participation by the Chief of Police, the Superintendent of Schools, the Workforce Development Board, Fall River Housing Authority, the community hospital, and realtors.

"In developing this 10-Year Plan, Fall River joins the nearby community of New Bedford and 14 other jurisdictions in Massachusetts in making a commitment to end the homelessness of those who are the most disabled and vulnerable in the community," noted United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who spoke at the Plan’s unveiling and who had also been present in December 2004 when Mayor Lambert committed to developing a plan after discussions with Director Mangano and Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien.

Having been encouraged by Director Mangano to "quantify the problem and establish baselines and benchmarks for measurements of success," the Task Force developed data on the demographics of the homeless population, assessed the inventory of available services, conducted visioning/community input sessions, and developed the 10-year action plan. The 10-year action plan includes strategies to prevent people at risk from becoming homeless, to create more permanent supportive housing units to supplement 22 units already created through the efforts of the city’s community development agency, and to improve access to job training and housing. A successor task force will be established to oversee the plan’s implementation and to advance collaboration with regional and state efforts.

Pictured here, from left to right behind Mayor Edward Lambert: Director Mangano; Kathy Clark, Director of Steppingstone; Maureen Ryan Estes, Task Force staff; John Picard of the Fall River Housing Authority; Rosa Medeiros, Director of First Step Inn; Stephen Long, Director of the Fall River Community Development Agency; Susan Jenkinson, Director of the Residential Care Consortium; and Task Force Co-Chair Michael Coughlin.

DURHAM: TOGETHER WE DO WHAT MATTERS”

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA. Cost benefit analysis, rapid re-housing, new housing units, and public accountability are the core of the 10-Year Results Plan to End Homelessness unveiled June 22 by the City and County of Durham in partnership with the Triangle United Way and a Steering Committee of more than 90 civic and business leaders and citizens.

The Plan adopts a rapid rehousing strategy to move people as quickly as possible from the streets and shelters to permanent housing; calls for the creation of 425 new housing units, including 150 permanent supportive housing units and 38 housing units for families; proposes interim housing opportunities for unaccompanied homeless youth; recommends increased funding for comprehensive prevention activities including emergency rental and utility assistance; and strengthens coordination between homeless service providers and workforce development programs. The Plan incorporates a strong database development and evaluation component, and a public education strategy. A scorecard will be developed that tracks progress on clearly identified strategic objectives and expected outcomes. The public education strategy will include an annual report, a “best practices” document, a website, a newsletter for key stakeholders, and a speakers bureau.

The planning process included a community-wide forum last September attended by more than 100 stakeholders, at which United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano addressed elements of the 10-year planning process and praised the intergovernmental cooperation demonstrated by Durham Mayor Bill Bell and Durham County Commission Chair Ellen Reckhow in moving forward with a City-County plan. A cost analysis done as part of the planning effort identified a minimum of $1.5 million in healthcare, social service, and correction costs associated with 147 persons identified as experiencing chronic homelessness over a one year period.

The January 2006 Point in Time count identified 502 homeless persons. Of the homeless individuals, 21% were veterans, 30% had severe, persistent mental illness, 18% were dually diagnosed with mental illness and substance abuse concerns, and 31% were identified as being chronically homeless. Of the homeless families, 11% cited domestic abuse as the precipitating cause of their homelessness. A formal implementation kickoff is expected in the Fall.

DALLAS, TEXAS. When Dallas Mayor Laura Miller unveiled a 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in June 2004, the number of persons experiencing chronic homelessness in the Dallas metro area had been increasing at an average rate of 9% for four years. In January 2006, the second year of the Plan’s implementation, the City’s annual Point in Time count revealed an overall decrease of 3.3% in the number of homeless persons and a 26% decrease in the number of persons considered to be chronically homeless.

Last week, more than 100 social service providers participated in a comprehensive plan implementation review offered by Dallas 10-Year Plan officials and led by the Mayor’s appointed “homeless czar” and local business leader Mike Rawlings (pictured here speaking). The City’s Plan was developed in 2004 by Mayor Miller and city officials in partnership with the United Way, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, and Deloitte Consulting, and with the encouragement of United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano who met with Mayor Miller and addressed the Dallas City Council. Mr. Rawlings, a general partner in CIC Partners, a private equity firm, was appointed by Mayor Miller last fall to succeed longtime civic leader and businessman Tom Dunning in the role of “homeless czar,” providing visible leadership to the Plan’s implementation.

Among the significant accomplishments cited for the first two years of implementation: a $23.8 million bond approval for a one-stop downtown Homeless Assistance Center on schedule for groundbreaking in January 2007 and additional SRO units; over 140 units of new permanent supportive housing, exceeding the Plan goal for the first two years by 57%; specialized training for law enforcement, a special Task Force formed for children, youth, and young adults at risk of homelessness; and a $3 million budget request pending City Council consideration to assist private developers to build 120 single room occupancy apartments. The plan review also noted that efforts are continuing to expand the number of mobile outreach teams.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Sally Shipman, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development representative Mike Backham, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs representative Greta Mankin worked with Karen Boudreaux, the city’s homeless coordinator, and other city officials on the presentation.

ST. PATRICK CENTER IN St. LOUIS RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. President George W. Bush honored St. Patrick Center volunteer Susan Reese with the President’s Volunteer Service Award during a Presidential visit to St. Louis last week. The Volunteer Service Award was created by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation as a way to “thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.”

This is the second recent federal recognition of the work of the St. Patrick Center, which has a 23-year history of helping individuals and families move from homelessness to self sufficiency.

On May 31st, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration announced that the St. Patrick Center had won this year’s EDA Excellence Award for Community and Faith-Based Social Entrepreneurship. This annual EDA Excellence Award is given to “recognize outstanding effectiveness in advancing community and faith based social entrepreneurship in redevelopment strategies for areas of chronic economic distress.” When informed of the award, St. Patrick Center Director Dan Buck thanked the Center’s “many valued partners” and gave “special thanks to St. Louis Mayor Slay who wrote a wonderful letter of support.” Mr. Buck described the award as “a tribute to the thousands of people who have committed their time, talent, and treasures to serve the poorest population in the community,” and noted that “the award is a testimonial to the decades of leadership who have never accepted the status quo and have always strived for the most innovative, outcome based, results driven programs to END homelessness for our clients.”

The St. Patrick Center is a partner in the City and County of St. Louis 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness unveiled in August 2005. Last year the Center announced plans to build a $4 million complex to provide counseling and housing to persons experiencing chronic homelessness. In January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded nearly $10 million in homeless assistance grants to the City, which included funds for the development of the St. Patrick Rosati House to provide permanent supportive housing for dually diagnosed persons experiencing chronic homelessness.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. Nearly 300 volunteers, including United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Daryl Hernandez, gathered to help an estimated 800 homeless veterans at the June 23-24 Chicago-area Homeless Veterans Stand Down held at the National Guard Armory.

Organized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Stand Down was a collaborative effort of many partnering organizations including the City of Chicago; the Illinois Departments of Human Services, Benefits Administration, and Employment Security; Albany Park Employment Services; Cabrini Green Legal Assistance; Featherfist Housing Services; Innervoice; Catholic Charities; Domiciliary Addiction of North Chicago; and Cooks Manor Supportive Housing. Volunteers also included employees of six federal agencies and several veteran service organizations.

Notable features of the Chicago Stand Down included volunteers from Pearle Vision who assisted over 500 veterans with free glasses; employment assistance by staff of the Illinois Workforce Development Board, who provided “real time” resume emailing to waiting offsite employers; and the on-site presence of a variety of housing providers who were able to immediately place more than a dozen homeless veterans into housing. Additionally, over 300 veterans received medical care and health screening for disability determinations; 300 received job training and employment information; over 250 met with veterans benefit counselors; and as many as 400 received assistance with legal inquiries including help obtaining photo identification. Clothing and food were also distributed.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs maintains a calendar of Stand Downs on its website.

State leadership and results were affirmed in Massachusetts last week as United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano and Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien visited a trio of innovative family homelessness programs on a trip through the Commonwealth that also included a visit with former Federal Housing Commissioner and now Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies Director Nick Retsinas, and meetings with Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, chair of the MA Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing, and MA Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner John Wagner. Mr. Retsinas, who coauthored Opportunity and Progress: A Bipartisan Platform for National Housing Policy with former HUD Secretaries Jack Kemp and Henry Cisneros and former Homebuilders Association CEO Kent Colton that affirmed the Bush Administration’s efforts to end chronic homelessness, was recently named chairman of Habitat for Humanity International.

Lt. Governor Healey, who appeared at the Council’s recent National Summit for Jurisdictional Leaders in Denver by videoconference, received her A Home for Every American Award in person from Director Mangano (see related story). The Lt. Governor and Director Mangano reviewed the work of the MA Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing in fashioning state policies that are moving away from funding programs that provide only a temporary emergency response to homelessness to investing instead in prevention and permanent housing opportunities. In June, the state announced that $85.6 million in state and federal resources, including $65.2 million in private investment generated by state and federal tax credits, was being made available for the construction of 24 housing developments, creating 1,161 new apartments of which 1,106 will be affordable to low income individuals and families.

The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance is continuing to innovate and adopt practices that are reducing the cost of emergency housing assistance to taxpayers while increasing housing stability for families. Having eliminated the use of motels for emergency shelter for families, DTA is currently focused on reducing reliance on shelter beds through more deliberate and collaborative prevention efforts. Emergency shelters have often been the defacto entry point into assistance for families in need. A prevention approach creates other entry points into assistance before the family becomes homeless.

At Children's Services of Roxbury, Chief Executive Officer Pamela Ogletree, Director of Homeless Services Johnny Hudson, and Director of Adult Services Philip Wright briefed Director Mangano on CSR initiatives in family homelessness and child welfare. Children’s Services of Roxbury is a community-based and multifaceted non-profit agency operating primarily in the Greater Boston area. CSR rents and manages 50 scattered site apartments for homeless families referred by the MA Department of Transitional Assistance, and Millennium House, a congregate shelter providing emergency housing for up to 21 families. Families are assisted in developing skills to find and sustain permanent housing. Pictured here, center, from left to right, are Johnny Hudson, Pamela Ogletree, Philip Wright, and Director Mangano.

CSR is licensed by the Commonwealth to provide a variety of post adoption and foster care services, including recruiting, screening, and training foster care families. CSR has implemented a number of initiatives specially focused on improving outcomes for adolescents in foster care. The Family Residence Program pairs four at-risk adolescents with an experienced foster family committed to providing a more structured environment than the traditional foster care experience. The Lifelong Family Connection for Adolescents is intended to prevent young people from aging out of foster care without a significant adult connection in their life. A Community of Care Review identifies, locates, and explores all potential individuals willing and able to make a commitment to a lifelong connection with the teen. A Specialized Adolescent Recruitment effort develops potential permanent placement and/or lifelong family ties for teens who do not have permanent connections within their community of care network. The Lifelong Family Connection Program is part of CSR’s larger Massachusetts Families for Kids Initiative that provides statewide systems reform leadership. CSR also operates Youth and Police in Partnership with the Boston Police Department which aims to lower distrust levels between young people and law enforcement.

The role of private and corporate philanthropy in leveraging results was the message from Director Mangano’s meeting with Dan Fireman, Trustee of the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation that created the One Family Campaign, One Family Inc. Campaign Director Sue Beaton, and One Family Scholar Executive Director Marjorie Clapprood, a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives who was named “legislator of the year” several times.

The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, established by Reebok CEO Paul Fireman and his wife, is making significant investments in ending family homelessness in the Commonwealth through two non-profit organizations —One Family, Inc. and Home Funders. One Family, Inc., established in 1998, is dedicated to ending family homelessness in the Commonwealth “one family at a time”, and in the process modeling innovations for changing the community response to family homelessness from emergency assistance to permanent solutions. One of its initiatives is the One Family Scholars program which provides college scholarships, career development advice, mentors, and leadership training to low income and formerly homeless mothers so that they can “ forge a permanent path out of poverty for themselves and their families, breaking the cycle of generational poverty.” For the 2006-07 academic year, 125 One Family Scholars are enrolled in over 30 colleges and universities in the Commonwealth.

In another initiative, One Family, Inc. worked with the National Consumer Law Center and the Lt. Governor’s office to bring Project Stay Connected, a Law Center homelessness prevention initiative relating to utility shut-offs, to fruition. Over the last year, more than 1000 front line social service workers have been trained in the basic rights of utility customers, a manual on “Utilities Advocacy for Low Income Households” published and distributed, and through a series of meetings with the MA Commissioner of the Division of Energy Resources, all of the state’s gas and electric utilities have agreed to apply discounts, even retroactively, for low income households.

Home Funders is a collaborative of local private funders, working closely with municipalities, the state, and developers, to increase the supply of affordable housing for extremely low-income families by pooling private dollars to make low interest loans and grants for affordable housing construction using experienced housing finance intermediaries. The goal of the Fund is to raise $26 million to create 1000 permanent homes for extremely low income families and leverage an additional 3000 affordable units over ten years. Pictured here, bottom, left to right, are Marjorie Clapprood, Director Mangano, Sue Beaton, and Dan Fireman.

Private sector partnership and increasing access to mainstream programs were the themes of a meeting between Director Mangano and ValueOptions Public Sector Division President Richard Sheola. See related story.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. “I’m living life again,” says Joe, one of the formerly homeless residents of a new Massachusetts Housing First initiative. Increasing access to mainstream resources in health care, treatment, benefits, and housing, as well as creating new public-private partnerships, are goals across states and cities working to end chronic homelessness. While in Massachusetts last week, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano heard about new results in achieving these goals from Richard Sheola, Public Sector Division President of ValueOptions, one of the nation’s largest behavioral health care companies, managing Medicaid and public assistance programs in a number of states, including Massachusetts, where it operates as the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP).

ValueOptions began a four-site pilot of the new Housing First: Community Support Program for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness (CSPECH) program in Massachusetts last summer in partnership with the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA). In its first year, the initiative will provide case management services to 88 adults who are experiencing chronic homelessness, so that they can be permanently housed in apartments or congregate living facilities. CSPECH was designed to respond to the needs of individuals who meet the definition of chronic homelessness and who are either receiving intensive outreach prior to living in a “Housing First” model or who are currently living in a “Housing First” model. ValueOptions expects to see substantial reductions in acute care utilization, such as for emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalization, as the result of their having a stable place to live and case management services available.

The four programs partnered with ValueOptions in the pilot are HomeStart housing search services/Boston Health Care for the Homeless, South Middlesex Opportunity Council (see last week’s e-news), Housing Assistance Corporation of Hyannis, a provider of housing and homeless services, including a Health Care for the Homeless site, and Community Health Link of Worcester, also a Health Care for the Homeless provider and Community Health Center.

ValueOptions, which has developed and tracked both demographic and service utilization data – including readmission to treatment data - as part of its operations and contract performance standards with the Commonwealth’s Medicaid agency, identified that these targeted individuals generally have a long- standing history of a psychiatric or substance abuse disorder that has required hospitalization or has resulted in serious impairment with risk of hospitalization and chronic homelessness.

Services are offered by a community-based, mobile team of professionals and paraprofessionals and are designed to be as flexible as possible so that they can sustain the individual’s involvement with needed services, prevent hospitalization, and stabilize persons who have been chronically homeless.

The new Massachusetts program continues ValueOptions’ work in that state in addressing barriers to effective treatment and stabilization for persons who are homeless. In partnership with the state, advocates, and providers, ValueOptions has invested in pilot programs, offered financial incentives to homeless services providers who help persons in their programs enroll in Medicaid, and supported initiatives to address appropriate discharge for persons in public care.

ValueOptions has increased its focus on creating stable housing to maximize treatment and recovery for individuals. In Maricopa County, Arizona, for example, its Washington House Clinic focuses on over 200 persons who are chronically homelessness, and the company has partnered to assist people in finding housing and provides financial assistance so that no more than 20% of the person’s income is spent on rent. Those receiving services at the Washington House clinic graduate after an average of three months and are transitioned to other ValueOptions’ direct service sites to continue to receive care. Most recent statistics from the Washington House Clinic tracked the progress of 99 individuals who graduated and transferred out of the program in the past 12 months and had previously been homeless an average of 3.8 years. Of this number, 92% were still successfully maintaining independent housing.

Also in Maricopa County, the company has partnered in a community living setting in Mesa, providing 24- hour support for young adults transitioning out of the children’s behavioral health system, as well as providing other units to provide 18-25 year olds with a smooth transition as they move into adulthood and independent living. Its Court Advocacy and Jail Diversion programs, in partnership with Maricopa County Comprehensive Mental Health Court and Maricopa County Adult Probation, have significantly reduced the recidivism rate among offenders with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) to 5%, nearly half the rate of general population offenders.

Council Regional Coordinator John O’Brien took part in the ValueOptions meeting, along with ValueOptions management staff Scott Taberner, Carol Kress, Peggy Stevens, and John Straus.

In this continuing series of e-news profiles on the recipients of the Council's A Home for Every American Award, we highlight the contribution of Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey to the National Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness.

With a professional background in research related to child abuse, domestic violence, and the criminal justice system, Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey has come to understand the lives of those who live at risk and at the margins, and she has brought her insights to policy at the state level. Through her appointment by Governor Mitt Romney in November 2003 to chair the newly created Massachusetts Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing, Lt. Governor Healey has provided leadership in the Commonwealth’s reexamination of its response to homelessness. Since creation of the Council, the Commonwealth has committed to new housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness, ended the use of welfare hotels for homeless families, increased and expedited access to mainstream benefits and services including the creation of a Virtual Gateway for streamlined on -line applications, and continues to seek ways to reduce the need for shelters by increased focus on prevention and rapid rehousing.

With Lt. Governor Healey’s support, Massachusetts continues to be a leader among states in implementing a “zero tolerance” discharge policy that holds state agencies accountable for ensuring that people leaving systems of care are not being discharged into homelessness. Estimates are that 50% of persons who enter the front door of homeless assistance programs are coming from the back door of mainstream systems of care, including corrections, foster care, and health systems. This makes discharge planning a priority for successful homeless prevention efforts

Last year, Lt. Governor Healey co-convened the Commonwealth’s Mayoral Summit with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and The Boston Foundation to strengthen intergovernmental partnership and planning on homelessness with local elected officials. Her personal and professional commitment to her state’s poorest has earned her support among Mayors across the state, many of whom have committed to developing 10-Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness.

In addition to chairing the state Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing, Lt. Governor Healey is the Governor’s primary contact for municipal leaders regarding local finance and budget issues, co-chairs the Commonwealth’s five Regional Competitiveness Councils, and chairs a number of other special commissions focused on criminal justice reform, sexual and domestic violence, and the maritime academy.

From 1987 to 1997, Lt. Governor Healey was a law and public safety consultant at Abt Associates, Inc., in Cambridge, MA. She authored four books and numerous articles focused on improving standards and practices throughout the criminal justice system. Lt. Governor Healey is a graduate of Harvard College, and earned a PhD in political science and law from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

WASHINGTON, DC. U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao (pictured here) announced $30 million in grants last week that will expand community capacity to provide veterans and hard-to-serve populations with job training and employment assistance. The funds were awarded through DOL’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP), the Veterans Workforce Investment Program (VWIP), and the Department’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative.

Veterans Programs: An estimated 13,000 homeless veterans will be assisted through $19 million in grants awarded to 79 Homeless Veteran Reintegration Programs in 31 states and the District of Columbia, including 42 newly competed awards and 37 awards for second and third year funding of existing grantees. HVRP grants are used to provide occupational, classroom, and on-the-job training, and job search and placement assistance to help homeless veterans reintegrate into the workforce.

$6.8 million will support 12 Veterans Workforce Investment Programs to provide skills assessments, individual job counseling, labor market information, classroom, on the job training and retraining, placement and follow up services to more than 3800 veterans.

“America’s veterans put their lives on the line so that we may all live in freedom,” said Secretary Chao in announcing the veterans programs awards. “These $26 million in grants are to help nearly 17,000 veterans build careers and a bright future for themselves and their families.”

Faith Based and Community Grants: $4 million was awarded in grants to 55 faith-based and community organizations competitively selected to help hard-to-serve populations prepare and succeed in employment opportunities. The grants are part of DOL’s ongoing effort to partner its existing programs with effective faith-based and community organizations to better serve those in need. “These organizations often provide the bridge to assistance that changes lives and contributes to the stability of families and communities,” noted DOL Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Emily Stover. The grantees will provide outreach, mentoring, and other services to help connect individuals who face significant hurdles to employment, including welfare recipients, high school dropouts and ex-offenders, to employment services available through local One-Stop Career Centers.

FEDERAL SURPLUS PROPERTY IS A RESOURCE TO HELP END HOMELESSNESS.

Both the McKinney-Vento Title V Program and the current Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process provide opportunities for community partners to utilize surplus federal property to provide solutions to homelessness. A Notice of surplus properties is published each Friday in the Federal Register. A link to the Notice is posted on the Council’s website under the Funding tab. A Federal policy change to permit the use of Title V properties for permanent supportive housing will be finalized shortly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

BRAC resources can also be used to assist homeless persons. For each community in which property will become available as a result of the BRAC decisions, a Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) will be responsible for creating a plan to determine how the military facilities will be converted to non-military use. The LRA is required to advertise the availability of surplus buildings and properties in a newspaper of general circulation within the vicinity of the installation. This advertisement will include notice of the time period during which the LRA will receive notices of interest (NOIs) from homeless assistance providers and state and local governments interested in acquiring any of the surplus properties. A fuller description of the process can be found at www.oea.gov and in the HUD Guidebook on Military Base Re-Use and Homeless Assistance.

CONNECT . . . TO NATIONAL PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT

Did you know . . .

. . . that more than 35 cities have mobilized civic will to end chronic homelessness in a Project Homeless Connect one-stop event, including most recently St. Paul, Minnesota, and more than 25 cities that took part in the 2005 inaugural National Project Homeless Connect Day organized by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness . . .

. . . that among the 12 cities with upcoming Project Homeless Connect events are Portland, Oregon’s family Project Homeless Connect on July 11, and Norman, Oklahoma’s event on July 24 . . .

. . . that San Francisco, innovator of the original Project Homeless Connect, will host its twelfth Project Homeless Connect event on August 10, just days after launching San Francisco Connect, a new citywide initiative evolved from the successful Project Homeless Connect model . . .

. . . that the Interagency Council will facilitate 2006 National Project Homeless Connect Week beginning Monday, December 4 . . . and that a new National Project Homeless Connect Calendar and new tools to support communities in organizing local events will be posted soon on the Council’s web site at www.usich.gov . . . be sure we know about your planned event!

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news continues to highlight statements of civic leaders committed to ending chronic homelessness. Featured here are highlights from San Diego Plan to End Chronic Homelessness Leadership Council Co-Chair Dene Oliver’s presentation to the San Diego City Council. Mr. Oliver is the CEO of OliverMcMillan, one of the largest commercial development firms headquartered in San Diego.

. . . I have had the pleasure and honor of working for the last two years with an extraordinary group of dedicated volunteers, serving as members of the Leadership Council drafting the plan to end chronic homelessness. My co-chair, Doug Sawyer CEO of the United Way and the plan consultant Hannah Cohen with United Way are in the audience. The United Way has been a world class partner and convener. The notion of this Plan dates back to 2003 when the President of the United States made it a national policy to work with cities across the US to End Chronic Homelessness.

. . . Our plan was researched and written by over 100 people from the Leadership Council, and Committee of Service Providers as well as many other stakeholders. We have met with the 18 mayors of San Diego counties neighboring cities, 17 of whom have signed a Covenant to work with us to end chronic homelessness. We have exposed the plan broadly across the country to all of available resources who have in turn helped us edit and refine our plan.

. . . Not long ago the idea of such a partnership across our country, and along with our neighboring cities, would have been beyond imagining. That more than 200 jurisdictional cities, counties, and states together are talking about ending homelessness, would have been unthinkable. And probably undoable. That was then. This is a new day of an unprecedented network of expertise, and commitment.

. . . Why now? New leadership from the federal government and in states and communities has generated the political will. A National Partnership, led by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, which includes 20 federal agencies, 53 Governors, and 216 communities partnered through their Mayors, City Councils, City Managers, or County Executives. A National Partnership with the common intention of reducing and ending the disgrace of homelessness in our country. A national movement of partnership, innovation, and results evidenced in Ten Year Plans to End Chronic Homelessness which has been adopted throughout the US.

. . . It did not take long for me and the Leadership Committee Members to understand that unprecedented resources were being offered by the Interagency Council and HUD behind this effort. It was clear that we would not write our plan alone. Soon we began a journey across the U.S., learning, observing, and partnering with those who were ahead of us. Learning from the work of others, sharing the successes of San Diego such as the SIP program, the great research at UCSD, our safe haven program, and the new model of housing you helped us build for Rachel’s Women’s Center that now provides new permanent supportive housing.

. . . Clearly we were able to join a national group of collaborators, who as United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano often states, “conspired” to disrupt the status quo with the benefit of great minds, and more importantly the benefit of watching others succeed. Here is the reality. Cities across the country- geographically and demographically different- are reporting similar outcomes in implementing their Ten Year Plans. In cities with Ten Year Plans that are informed by business principles and outcome oriented, there is a trend that street and chronic numbers are falling. And that is good news.

. . . The time waiting to get here today was well spent. San Diego has new great leadership in Mayor Sanders along with this City Council and that gives us all much to be grateful about. Now it is time for our Plan, and the effort to End Chronic Homelessness to come to the forefront of all San Diegans.