WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness convened Monday at the White House Executive Office Building to discuss Federal agency investments and results in assisting homeless families and individuals, including persons experiencing chronic homelessness, as well as the ongoing federal response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Council Chair Alphonso Jackson welcomed Father John Adams of SOME (So Others May Eat) as the Council's special guest presenter, and led a discussion by member agencies of their initiatives and outcomes since the Council's last meeting in April, including a policy announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will support new permanent supportive housing opportunities for homeless individuals and families. Pictured here, from left to right, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Council Chair Alphonso Jackson, and SOME President Fr. John Adams.

Secretary Jackson reported that the results of the Administration's four year old initiative to end chronic homelessness are very encouraging, and noted that last year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided funding to house over 27,000 chronically homeless men and women. According to HUD data, nearly every community has integrated efforts to end chronic homelessness into its Continuum of Care plan, encouraged by the Department's offering of bonus funds, totaling $125 million in 2006, specifically for projects exclusively serving persons who are chronically homeless.

HUD's continued investments for homeless families, who represent 47% of those living in housing supported by HUD's homeless programs, were also the focus of the Secretary's remarks. In 2005, HUD provided funding for over 1300 projects specifically targeted toward homeless families and an additional 1700 projects that serve families as an eligible population. The Secretary also noted that Congress has under consideration legislation proposed by the Administration to simplify the application process for HUD's homeless assistance programs that would give communities even greater flexibility in the use of these funds.

Reporting on HUD's ongoing hurricane disaster response, Secretary Jackson said that HUD is continuing to make sure that "aid efforts address not only those who lost their homes, but those who were homeless before the storm too." In partnership with local public housing agencies across the country, HUD has helped 20,201 families find leases through the Disaster Voucher Program, and nearly 8000 more are registered with the program. Supplemental funding of $11.5 billion has been made available to five states, which can be used in preventing homelessness through home repairs, reconstruction and other assistance. The Secretary noted that, under the Louisiana Recovery Plan, $26 million of its supplemental funding is being used specifically for rebuilding shelters, and transitional and permanent housing for those experiencing homelessness. $47 million is funding supportive housing services for families and individuals with special needs, particularly those renter households returning to Louisiana "after enduring often traumatic relocations." (See related story in this issue for more of Secretary Jackson's remarks at Monday's Council meeting.)

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson reported that the VA will rebuild its New Orleans Medical Center which was badly damaged when the levees broke following Hurricane Katrina. The Secretary also addressed a variety of matters relating to homeless veteran services. He noted that the VA operates 920 outpatient clinics nationally to facilitate access by veterans to medical services and that efforts to assist homeless veterans have been improved by also providing mental health and substance abuse services at over 700 of these clinics. Legislation currently under consideration in Congress would reauthorize grants to VA health care facilities and grant and per diem recipients to assist them in serving homeless veterans with special needs, including the chronically mentally ill, frail elderly, the terminally ill, women and women who have care of dependent children. The legislation would also support 5000 vouchers for the HUD-VASH program, a partnership between the VA and HUD linking the provision of VA clinical care with permanent housing in order to assist the recovery of chronically homeless, mentally ill veterans. The legislation would also formally add the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness to the VA's Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans. The Advisory Committee is a formal group of outside advisors with special expertise and experience serving homeless veterans.

Representing the Department of Labor (DOL) at the meeting, Assistant Secretary Charles Ciccolella reported that DOL had awarded $26.8 million in National Emergency Grants at the end of June to provide temporary jobs and employment-related assistance to nearly 8000 workers in Mississippi and Texas. The funds are used to provide temporary jobs, public sector employment, relocation assistance, and employment-related assistance that may include assessment, individual counseling, career planning, and occupational assistance. To date, DOL has made available over $237 million in National Emergency Grants for the hurricane relief and recovery effort.

Department of Education Deputy Assistant Secretary Charles Hokanson reported to the Council on new assistance to eight states for homeless youth displaced by the hurricanes. The Census Bureau updated the Council on its use of the American Communities Survey in the affected areas.

Council Executive Director Mangano reported on progress and results from the Council's initiatives, including the partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors recently affirmed by resolutions adopted at the USCM annual meeting which recognized the importance of the Council's work. The Mayors also expressed support for HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs Consolidation legislation and tabled a motion in committee that would have urged HUD to expand its definition of homelessness. Director Mangano noted that recent reports of reductions in homeless numbers by cities that have engaged in the 10-Year planning process is heartening and "the right trajectory."

Director Mangano noted that just this weekend, coverage in newspapers on both coasts pointed to results being achieved by cities with 10- Year Plans. In Quincy, Massachusetts, City of Presidents, which has measured a 19% decrease in its population of chronically homeless persons, a 2-year old Housing First program for women who were chronically homeless, has now shown an 83% success rate. Moreover, their emergency room use dropped by half, and hospital stays dropped from 44 to just 4. In Portland, Oregon, the Oregonian noted that, as implementation of that city's 10-year plan continues and more people move from homelessness to housing, the skepticism that greeted the plan's rollout is fading, keeping Portland focused on its goals, producing better data than ever before, better coordination, and steady progress to its goals. This week Portland will be holding its second Project Homeless Connect event this year. More than 900 homeless individuals were assisted at the first one held in January. This week's event targets homeless families.

In a change to federal policy formally announced by Deputy Assistant Secretary Jerry Regier of the Department of Health and Human Services at the Council meeting and published in Monday's Federal Register, local governments and community organizations will be able to submit applications to use Title V surplus properties for permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals and families starting September 1. Until now, the use of Title V federal surplus property has been restricted to homeless shelters, and transitional programs and services.

Title V of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make suitable federal surplus property available to representatives of persons experiencing homelessness as a public health use. The Secretary has determined that the use of Title V properties for permanent supportive housing, defined as "housing that is long term, affordable, community based, and linked to appropriate supportive health and social services that enable homeless individuals and families with disabilities to maintain housing," is consistent with HHS' mission to protect the public health. The policy revision announced today continues to allow communities to use surplus property to develop transitional housing programs, emergency shelters, and other homeless assistance activities currently approvable by HHS.

Any existing grantees or lessees interested in changing current programs to include permanent supportive housing are requested to provide a written expression of interest to HHS and will be required to submit an amended application.

In other HHS news reported at the meeting, the Administration for Children and Families is finalizing a study of "promising strategies to end youth homelessness" which was drafted in consultation with the Council at the request of Congress. The study identifies and assesses a wide range of practices that are helping young people to successfully find appropriate living situations, particularly those who have been involved with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Following release of the report, ACF intends to conduct a long term evaluation of housing and other outcomes for homeless youth.

HHS expects to release a final report in the fall relating to the Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families and Children. The project has investigated the availability of data with which to construct a typology of homeless families with the expectation that such a typology will help foster a better understanding of homeless families' service needs, interactions with social service systems, and the dynamics of their use of emergency shelter and other services and assistance.

Also in the fall, HHS's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is expected to report on a multi-site study of the effectiveness of services provided to homeless women and their children. Approximately 1600 women and their families have participated in this project designed to document and evaluate the effectiveness of time-limited, intensive intervention strategies for providing treatment, housing, support, and family preservation services to homeless mothers with psychiatric and/or substance use disorders who are caring for their dependent children. The study design involves a five-year cross-site data collection and analysis program involving eight study sites.

Introducing Father John Adams, President of SOME, an interfaith social service agency located in the District of Columbia as a guest presenter, Secretary Jackson quoted Father Adams motto that " SOME serves the poor; it does not serve them poorly." Father Adams has been the Director of SOME since 1978. Under his leadership, SOME has grown from a soup kitchen that served 50 to 60 people each day with one employee and 2 volunteers to an organization with over 200 employees, serving 800 meals daily and operating a variety of permanent and transitional housing programs, and employment, health, and addiction treatment services. SOME'S health services include primary and dental care, mental health, behavioral health, podiatry and eye care.

In recent years, SOME has developed permanent housing facilities currently housing 322 formerly homeless people, including 2 and 4 bedroom apartments for 21 families. SOME has 2 more permanent housing facilities for 39 families and one for 49 seniors in development. Father Adams noted that three Supportive Housing Grants from HUD are covering between 25-47% of the costs of four of SOME's six transitional housing facilities that are housing 123 homeless people. SOME also operates day centers including one for the chronically mentally ill where they are helped to learn basic daily living skills and centers for seniors.

Father Adams reported on SOME's outcomes. In 2005, 64% of men and 86% of the women enrolled in SOME's 90 day residential job program completed the program and moved into independent housing; 68% of the individuals in SOME's 200 SRO units were transitioned to independent housing; 83% of families completed SOME's transitional housing program and are now employed and living in permanent rental housing; and 86% of abused elderly were transitioned from SOME's 90 day shelter, Dwelling Place, to permanent housing.

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news highlights the remarks of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Council Chair Alphonso Jackson at Monday's Council Meeting in Washington.

. . . Four years ago, the Bush Administration made an historic pledge to end chronic homelessness in this country. Working with states, cities, and non-profits, we are providing housing and much needed services like drug treatment and job training.

. . . So far the results are very encouraging. A number of communities have reported a reduction in the number of chronically homeless. Some of this is due to better local counting. But a good part of it is the result of the Administration's focus on reaching out to - and housing - those who are literally living on the streets.

. . . HUD continues to be concerned about and assist homeless persons who may not be living on the streets, but who nonetheless deserve and need our help-such as homeless families. 47% of those in HUD homeless housing are homeless families. When homeless families leave our housing, 70% go to permanent housing and less than 1% go back to the streets.

. . . HUD has proposed a simplification of our competitive homeless programs to give communities even greater flexibility. For instance, the proposal would add homeless prevention as a new eligible activity. HUD's budget request to Congress for 2007, an increase of $210 million over the FY 2006 budget, would significantly help communities end chronic homelessness as well as effectively redress other homeless needs.