WASHINGTON, DC. "There are 2-3 million Americans homeless at some point each year. Of these, an estimated 20 percent have a serious mental illness, and up to half of those with a serious mental illness also have an alcohol or drug use problem. SAMHSA's vision is to ensure that everyone has an opportunity for a life in the community. Clearly, the pillars of a fulfilling life must be built on a foundation of safe, stable and comfortable shelter." So stated United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrator Charles Curie (pictured here) in announcing $59.5 million in awards to 30 programs in 20 states over five years to provide substance abuse and mental health services to homeless individuals.

"These new targeted treatment awards are a further key investment by HHS toward the goal of ending chronic homelessness by investing in needed services and treatment," stated United States Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano.

The awards will enable communities to expand and strengthen their treatment services for homeless individuals with substance abuse disorders, mental illness, or co-occurring substance abuse disorders and mental illness. Awards were announced for programs in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON, DC. United States Department of Labor Secretary and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Vice-chair Elaine Chao has announced $6.2 million in workforce investments for faith-based and community organizations. The awards include nearly $5 million in grants to 10 Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to partner with local faith- based and community organizations to provide employment assistance to disadvantaged individuals throughout the nation, as well as $1.2 million in grants to 49 faith-based and community organizations to help them meet the employment and training needs of specific populations through the public workforce system. Secretary Chao is pictured here.

Announcing awards to Workforce Investment Boards, Secretary Chao stated, "Faith-based and community groups reach into America's poorest neighborhoods to give a helping hand to those job seekers most in need. These grants, totaling nearly $5 million, will help faith-based and community organizations connect these job seekers to the employment and training resources they need to succeed and which is available at local One-Stop Career Centers across the nation." The grants will help local faith-based and community organizations cultivate long-term partnerships with the public workforce system to assist disadvantaged and limited English-speaking workers enter and succeed in the workforce.

The $1.2 million awarded to 49 organizations will focus on the needs of special populations, such as ex- offenders, individuals with disabilities, job seekers who face language barriers and low-income and other economically disadvantaged workers. In many cases, the grantees will provide supportive services and individual mentoring not available through the One- Stop delivery system.

The Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) works to remove regulatory barriers and develop innovative programs to foster partnerships between Labor Department- funded programs and faith-based and community organizations. Through its collaboration with local WIBs, CFBCI offers career training and advancement opportunities to underserved segments of the population.For more information on the Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, please visit www.dol.gov/cfbci/.

WASHINGTON, DC. Thirteen states will receive intensive technical assistance to increase enrollment in the SSI program, under Targeted SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Training awards just announced by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Washington were selected from 25 states that applied.

Kickoff conference calls for the awardees will be scheduled in July. Each state will receive a 2-day, in- state, professionally-facilitated, action planning session that will provide information, tools, and time to plan state and community-specific approaches to increasing access to disability benefits for people who are homeless. Teams will be limited in size to 15-30 persons, and states must provide meeting facilities. States will choose the dates for the in-state planning sessions that will be scheduled to take place from August 2005 through November 2005. A Train-the- Trainer conference is scheduled for December 5-8, 2005 in Alexandria, VA, in which states will receive a 4-day, follow-up program designed to give trainers from each state the capacity to provide training to benefits specialists and case managers. Follow-up technical assistance, including observation and assistance in planning an initial training from the developers of SAMHSA's Stepping Stones to Recovery training curriculum, will be available. Finally, there will be technical assistance on techniques for reporting on individual and system outcomes as a result of the implementation of each state's plan.

States that are seeking to increase Supplemental Security Income (SSI) access for persons who are homeless had the new opportunity to secure this federal assistance in achieving their goals, in a competition announced in May by the federal agencies that invested in the Policy Academies: Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE); the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Community Planning and Development, Office of Special Needs Programs; Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of Labor.

Potential applicants were states that highlighted action steps in their Policy Academy plan that addressed mainstream programs or SSI access. Successful applicants for this technical assistance has to demonstrate prior collaborative work related to increasing access to SSI and SSDI; identify one or more communities in their state where the planned approach will be implemented. States that have one or more Chronic Homelessness Initiative (CHI) grantee were encouraged to collaborate with these grantees to pilot this initiative or provide an explanation for why they were choosing not to involve them. Each state agreed to develop and implement an action plan designed to increase access to SSI and SSDI for people who are homeless and demonstrated in the application the availability of, and capacity and commitment to support, trainers who will provide training to case managers assisting homeless applicants for SSA disability programs. States also had to document availability of, or a specific plan to collect, outcome data to assess the effectiveness of a state's plan to increase access to SSA disability benefits.

PORTLAND, MAINE. Federal, state, and local government officials gathered in Portland, Maine, last week for the official opening of Logan Place, a new 30-unit efficiency Housing First development. The first such development in Maine, the new project targeted to persons experiencing chronic homelessness is owned, built, and managed by Avesta Housing with the Preble Street social services agency providing 24-hour support services to ensure that people who are making the transition to permanent independent housing will succeed.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano (pictured here at right) joined (right to left) Maine Governor John Baldacci for the opening, with Maine State Housing Authority Director Dale McCormick, Preble Street Executive Director Mark Swan, Avesta Housing President Dana Trotman, and newly named Maine State Director of Homeless Initiatives Nancy Fritz. Noting the city's history of overcoming a disastrous city fire, Director Managano said, "History tells us that after one of those destructions - the great fire nearly 140 years ago - there were over 10,000 homeless people in this city. Through political and civic will and a lot of hard industrious work, all of those folk were restored to housing. This site, Logan Place, is then part of the great story of resurgence and ending a social crisis in this city."

In addition, the Portland City Manager, City Councilors, Portland's Director of Social Services, United Way President, Chamber of Commerce President, representatives of local hospitals and health care, and Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien were present. As part of the public/private partnership committed to Logan Place, Portland Housing Authority subsidizes the rentals; and 24-hour support staffing is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Portland, private grants, and individual donations.

PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. Berkshire County was the site last week of a new 10-Year Plan commitment by Pittsfield Mayor James Ruberto, North Adams Mayor John Barrett, and Berkshire County Sheriff Carmen Massimiano, Jr. Gathered at Pittsfield City Hall, the elected leaders launched the Western Massachusetts planning process and announced a Leadership Council for the region. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano joined the local officials. Outgoing Berkshire County United Way President Dan Dillon was named as 10- Year Plan Leadership Council Chair at the event.

"With a 10-year planning process, Pittsfield, North Adams, and Berkshire County become part of a national movement of more than 193 cities and counties moving forward with 10-Year Plans," Director Mangano noted. Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien also participated in the launch. Pictured here are (left to right) Director Mangano, Mayor Ruberto, and Chair Dillon.

LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS. Fitchburg Mayor Dan Mylott, Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella, and Gardner Mayor Gerald St. Hilaire have now committed to develop a 10-Year Plan for their contiguous communities in North Central Massachusetts. Meeting at the North Central Chamber of Commerce last week and joined by Council Director Mangano, local officials formed the North Central Leadership Council to advance the region's plan. Each of the participating cities, all in Worcester County, has a population of 20,000-40,000 people.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. Las Vegas, which is moving ahead with a 10-Year Plan expected later this year, has taken an innovative step to disrupt the status quo of law enforcement relations with homeless people in the city. Las Vegas police are moving forward to hire a "homeless liaison," a new civilian position well received as a sign of new commitment by the city.

While other cities have officers assigned to work with persons experiencing homelessness, or use community volunteers to do so, Las Vegas' new job will go to a candidate experienced in crisis intervention, counseling, social work, or homeless outreach. Police officials stress that the new role will include training new police officers, partnership with public and private agencies, providing referrals, enhancing public awareness, data collection and reporting, and applying for federal funds.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman also recently announced that he will use the City's EVOLVE employment program for ex-offenders to create new employment resources for persons experiencing chronic homelessness. Las Vegas is one of seven cities to participate in a national program to help individuals with barriers to employment secure permanent jobs and progress toward self-sufficiency. EVOLVE, operated through the Las Vegas Neighborhood Services Department, will receive 18 months of technical assistance, access to national experts and opportunities to work with other cities and local community partners to explore options for providing temporary jobs and training opportunities to improve long-term employment opportunities for ex- offenders and others in the community.

Las Vegas's Plan to Plan, released in late 2004, noted that "there is a substantial need to provide housing and services to assist homeless people throughout the Las Vegas valley move from the street and back into mainstream communities. It is for this reason that the City of Las Vegas must participate in the regional 10-year plan process and work to develop and implement a regional-wide plan that will better balance services and resources within and between the region's jurisdictions." The plan will address individuals and families who experience varied lengths of homelessness, including those who are chronically, episodically, or transitionally homeless.

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news continues its series of features on innovative initiatives that are ending chronic homelessness. This week's e-news highlights the work of Quincy Interfaith Sheltering Coalition in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Quincy Mayor William Phelan, who has put his city's housing resources where his rhetoric is, 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 SRO Project, Quincy Interfaith's initiative to provide permanent supportive housing for 12 chronically homeless women. Partnered with the City on the project were Father Bill's Place and Neighborhood Housing Services. Support services are provided by Father Bill's Place, Tri-City Mental Health, and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health PACT team.

According to Quincy Interfaith's Executive Director John Yazwinski, who last week hosted United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano for a tour, "Claremont Street is Father Bill's initial effort to implement fully the Housing First model. For the past ten years Father Bill's has moved steadily toward provision of permanent affordable housing with supportive services - rather than emergency shelter - as the solution to homelessness. In addition to its 140 emergency shelter beds Father Bill's now has 152 units of transitional and permanent housing for formerly homeless people. Claremont Street is the next logical step in this direction. "

Quincy, which last week unveiled its completed 10- Year Plan developed by a wide range of partners, put just such a partnership together to open Claremont Street. Major funders for the housing program include Community Care Recovery Initiatives, Neighborhood Reinvestment, Department of Housing and Community Development, Federal Home Loan Bank, The Boston Foundation, Rockland Trust, South Shore Savings Bank, Keyspan Energy Delivery, Citizens Bank, and Ciffolillo Foundation.

One aspect of the planning for Claremont House was facilitated discussion for senior staff on lessons learned from other housing initiatives. In discussing the design for the Claremont Street project, the senior staff drew on their experience with Paula's House, two three-bedroom duplex units, providing housing for six chronically homeless women with serious mental health conditions since 2003. The senior staff identified several additional areas that required attention in order to implement the Housing First model successfully at Claremont Street. They were: further definition of the management structure and treatment team model; acceptance and support for the housing first model by agency staff; neighborhood relations on Claremont Street; tenant selection criteria and process; physical layout and design of facilities at the site; operational issues; design of the evaluation process; and interagency cooperation with Neighborhood Housing Services and Interfaith Housing Partners.

Father McCarthy's House, now under construction and named for QISC's founder, is another QISC SRO project designated for chronically homeless men and veterans. Services for the 19 SRO units come from Father Bill's Place, City of Quincy Veterans Services, Healthcare for the Homeless, and Tri-City Mental Health.

WASHINGTON, DC. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission is at work under the leadership of Commission Chairman Anthony J. Principi, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Chair. After evaluating DoD's recommendations, the independent BRAC Commission will submit its own list to the President for review and approval, then to Congress, which must accept or reject the list in its entirety.

Local homeless planning partners will be interested in the opportunities presented by the closure and reuse process. The Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act (1994 Base Closure Act) addresses the use of military base property as surplus federal property on military bases. The Act requires consideration of the needs of persons experiencing homelessness during the redevelopment process.

Once the closures are announced, several early steps occur in the reuse process. Federal agencies can use the federal screening process to be the first to express interest in property over a 60 day period. During this period, a Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) must be formed in the community to address conversion of the property to other uses. As the LRA advances and conducts outreach, it will advertise to state and local governments and homeless services providers that the former base property is availability and that "notices of interest" will be received during a specified time period.

Currently, BRAC Public hearings during the next week include the following: Baltimore, Maryland - Friday, July 8, 8:30AM; San Antonio, Texas - Monday, July 11, 8:30AM; and New Orleans, Louisiana - Tuesday, July 12, 9:00AM. Further information is available on the BRAC web site. Under the proposed list, 33 major base closures, 29 major base realignments, and 775 minor base closures and realignments will be reviewed. Major Closures are installations recommended for closure with plant replacement value exceeding $100 million, and Major Realignments are installations losing over 400 net total military and civilian personnel.

Upcoming key dates in the base closure process will occur throughout 2005. By September 8, the Commission must transmit to the President "a report containing its findings and conclusions based on a review and analysis of the Secretary's recommendations." By September 23, the President shall transmit to the Commission and to the Congress, "a report containing the President's approval or disapproval of the Commission's recommendations." If the President approves the recommendations, the recommendations are binding 45 "legislative" days after Presidential transmission or adjournment, unless Congress enacts joint resolution of disapproval. By October 20, if the President disapproves the Commission's initial recommendations, the Commission must submit revised recommendations to the President not later than this date. By November 7, the President must approve the revised recommendations and transmit approval to Congress by this date or the process ends. The recommendations become binding 45 "legislative" days after Presidential transmission or adjournment, unless Congress enacts joint resolution of disapproval. The Commission terminates on April 15, 2006.

DOD maintains a web site of resources that can assist a variety of community partners in understanding and participating in the upcoming process, including accommodations to the needs of homeless people in the community. DOD's Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) is the primary source for assisting communities that are adversely impacted by such changes, including base closures or realignments, base expansions, and contract or program cancellations. To assist affected communities, OEA manages and directs the Defense Economic Adjustment Program, and coordinates the involvement of other Federal agencies. Under the 1994 Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act, DOD, in a joint process with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), also plays a role in the community's base reuse planning process and future homeless assistance.